Afghan troops get a lesson in American cultural ignorance  —  KABUL — During the Vietnam War, American soldiers shipped out armed with government-issued guides to the distant land and the mysterious people.  —  In Afghanistan, the U.S. military has tried training sessions, embedded cultural advisers …

Supreme Court cases could stir 2012 race  —  As the presidential race heads into the home stretch, the Supreme Court is poised to wade into a series of contentious issues that neither President Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney seems eager to discuss.  —  The justices begin their next term on Monday.

On ‘This Week’: Gov. Chris Christie and David Plouffe  —  Chris Christie and David Plouffe on This Week (New Jersey State Governor's Office/ABC)  —  Days before the critical first presidential debate next week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and White House senior adviser David Plouffe join …

Ryan: 'I'm not counting on a gaffe' from Biden  —  (CNN) - GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan said Sunday he's not counting on gaffes from Vice President Joe Biden when they debate on October 11.  —  “I don't think he will.  You know he doesn't do that in debates.

Des Moines Register Iowa Poll: Obama leads Romney by 4 points  —  © Des Moines Register and Tribune Co.  —  President Barack Obama leads Republican nominee Mitt Romney 49 percent to 45 percent in the battleground state of Iowa, a new Des Moines Register Iowa Poll has found.

Most voters have locked in choice  —  Thirty-seven days from Election Day, Iowa has few undecided voters left — just 2 percent.  —  But 10 percent of likely voters say they could still change their minds.  Of that group, more than half are independent voters.

Elizabeth Warren appears to inch ahead of Scott Brown in new Globe poll, 43 - 38  —  But 18% of voters said they're still undecided  —  You are reading this article for FREE courtesy of BostonGlobe.com.  Get unlimited access.  —  With Elizabeth Warren and Senator Scott Brown preparing …

Dispatches From The War That Nobody Wants  —  As everybody knows, there is no such thing as a global war on terror anymore.  Instead we live in a harmonious world of interfaith comity with only the occasional criminal act that is quickly and competently handled by law enforcement officials.

The attitude cultivated in America under one term of President Obama  —  Ignorance?  Apathy?  Mediocrity?  All of the above?  —  In a video taken outside a Romney rally, one Obama supporter shares why he won't vote for Romney.  Pay close attention, because this is what happens …

Santorum plants seed for possible 2016 White House candidacy  —  Rick Santorum is positioning himself for a possible White House run in 2016.  —  The former Pennsylvania senator has thrown his support behind Mitt Romney, but it is clear he is mulling another White House bid down the road.

California Bans “Ex-Gay” Therapy For Youth  —  The legislation, signed overnight by California Gov. Jerry Brown, is the first of its kind in the country.  —  California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles on August 28, 2012.  —  Image by Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

The World We're Actually Living In  —  FOR the first time in a long, long time, a Democrat is running for president and has the clear advantage on national security policy.  That is not “how things are supposed to be,” and Republicans sound apoplectic about it.

Drop in Ohio voter registration, especially in Dem strongholds, mirrors nationwide trend  —  “Don't boo, vote,” President Obama often says in his stump speech whenever crowds boo a Romney plan.  —  The off-hand call to vote may be by design.  It comes amid a precipitous decline …