Debate Takeaways: An acrid tone from the opening minute

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Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden gestures while speaking during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden met on the debate stage for the first time Tuesday night in Ohio. Their mutual dislike was evident from the outset. Trump wasted no time going on offense, and his pugilistic approach left Biden fighting to complete a sentence. But Biden came with a few retorts of his own. For voters still undecided about who would better handle the multiple crises that have beset the nation, the debate may not have offered anything new. There is little doubt that it was the most acrimonious debate since they have been televised.