The Virus of Cynicism  —  WE have no clue at this point how far Ebola could spread in the United States — and no reason for panic.  —  But one dimension of the disease's toll is clear.  It's ravaging Americans' already tenuous faith in the competence of our government and its bureaucracies.

Govt tells Christian ministers: Perform same-sex weddings or face jail, fines  —  Officials threaten to punish senior citizen couple - both ordained pastors - if they decline to officiate same-sex ceremonies  —  COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a federal lawsuit …

Warren in Minnesota: ‘The game is rigged’  —  NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) brought her populist message Saturday to this small college town to rev up the final weeks of Sen. Al Franken's reelection campaign, but also to claim the mantle of the modern liberal movement's political godfather.

Where's the empathy for Ebola's African victims?  —  The Ebola epidemic … (CNN) — The world's response to Ebola is its own sort of tragedy.  —  Two facts make the point clear:  — The United Nations has asked for $1 billion to fight the spread of the virus.

Black Vote Seen as Last Hope for Democrats to Hold Senate  —  WASHINGTON — The confidential memo from a former pollster for President Obama contained a blunt warning for Democrats.  Written this month with an eye toward Election Day, it predicted “crushing Democratic losses across the country” …

Serena Williams hits back at Russian official  —  SINGAPORE (AP) — Serena Williams says comments by the head of the Russian Tennis Federation referring to her and older sister Venus as “brothers” were bullying, sexist and racist, and that she supported the one-year suspension imposed by the WTA against the official.

Romney Leads Scattered 2016 GOP Field, Clinton Still Dominates the Democratic Race  —  Hillary Clinton continues to hold a commanding lead in the potential Democratic field for president in 2016, while the GOP frontrunner in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll is a familiar figure …

Mental Health Issues Put 34,500 on New York's No-Guns List  —  A newly created database of New Yorkers deemed too mentally unstable to carry firearms has grown to roughly 34,500 names, a previously undisclosed figure that has raised concerns among some mental health advocates that too many people have been categorized as dangerous.

Obama's standing with women hurts Senate Dems  —  Female voters powered President Barack Obama's victory over Mitt Romney in 2012, as Democrats leaned heavily on social issues to rally single women and suburban moms to the polls.  —  But with two weeks until Election Day …

The Court won't interrupt Texas voter ID law  —  In a stinging defeat for the Obama administration and a number of civil rights groups in a major test case on voters' rights, a divided Supreme Court told the state of Texas early Saturday morning that it may enforce its strict voter ID law …