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.

They May Sound Like a Good Idea, But Travel Bans for Ebola Won't Work  —  Instead of protecting public health, banning travel to and from Ebola-stricken countries will just increase illegal travel and make it harder to fight the disease.  —  America's Ebola outbreak, now contained to two people, began with a flight from Liberia.

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” …

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 …

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 …

Conservative Cardinal Who Clashed With Pope Francis Confirms He Has Been Ousted  —  The head of the Catholic Church's highest court speaks to BuzzFeed News from the Vatican.  —  Cardinal Raymond Burke leaves meeting during Extraordinary Synod on the Family in Vatican City.  —  Franco Origlia / Getty Images

The nasty politicization of Ebola  —  Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, administered a dose of truth to political Washington this week.  —  For this honest service, Collins was pilloried.  —  Dana Milbank writes about political theater in the nation's capital.

There's Only One Way to Beat ISIS: Work with Assad and Iran  —  The Obama administration has pulled together a coalition as ineffectual as it is unwilling.  It's time to join up with the forces, however unsavory, that can do the job.  —  Earlier this week, outside Washington …

Unable to Meet the Deductible or the Doctor  —  Patricia Wanderlich got insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year, and with good reason: She suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2011, spending weeks in a hospital intensive care unit, and has a second, smaller aneurysm that needs monitoring.