Craig Spencer, Doctor in New York City, Is Sick With Ebola  —  A doctor in New York City who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea became the first person in the city to test positive for the virus Thursday, setting off a search for anyone who might have come into contact with him.

CNN's Carol Costello apologizes for Palin remarks  —  CNN's Carol Costello apologized on Thursday for joking about a police recording of Bristol Palin.  —  “Over the past few days I have been roundly criticized for joking about a brawl involving the Palin family.

Joni Ernst: My Gun Will Defend Me If Government Decides ‘My Rights Are No Longer Important’  —  WASHINGTON — Joni Ernst, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa, said during an NRA event in 2012 that she would use a gun to defend herself from the government.

Kids from poorer neighborhoods keep coming to trick-or-treat in mine.  Do I have to give them candy?  —  Get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week; click here to sign up.  Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com.  (Questions may be edited.)

As Midterms Near, GOP Leads on Key Issues, Democrats Have a More Positive Image  —  Far Fewer Democrats See Vote as ‘For’ Obama Than in 2010  —  With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, the Republican Party holds significant leads on several major issues.

Glenn Beck: Not ‘All That Bad’ If McConnell Loses To Grimes (AUDIO)  —  Glenn Beck doesn't think it would be “all that bad for the country” if Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) loses reelection to Alison Lundergan Grimes (D).  —  Less than two weeks before Election Day …

Baker opens up lead over Coakley in new poll  —  Republican Charlie Baker has opened up a 9-point lead over Democrat Martha Coakley, 45 percent to 36 percent, according to a new Globe poll that depicts a far more comfortable advantage than either candidate for governor has enjoyed in months.

GOP changes tune on cutting Social Security with elections on the line  —  Cutting federal health and retirement spending has long been at the top of the GOP agenda.  But with Republicans in striking distance of winning the Senate, they are suddenly blasting the idea of trimming Social Security benefits.

Ebola Reaches Mali  —  The west African country is now the sixth in the region to be affected by the outbreak.  —  Less than a week after two west African countries successfully rid themselves of Ebola, another has announced its first case of the disease.  In a television address on Thursday …

Lewinsky mistreated by authorities in investigation of Clinton, report says  —  When onetime White House intern Monica Lewinsky broke her silence with a major speech earlier this week, one subject brought her nearly to tears.  —  Lewinsky's voice cracked as she recalled the moment in January 1998 …

Obama Asserts Fast and Furious Executive Privilege Claim for Holder's Wife  —  Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) a “Vaughn index” detailing records about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.  The index was forced …

Man attacks New York police officers with a hatchet  —  New York (CNN) — A man charged at four New York police officers with a metal hatchet Thursday, hitting two of them at a time of high alert for authorities concerned they might be targeted in the United States and Canada.

Rand Paul Summons Political Operatives for 2016 Strategy Session  —  The closely guarded gathering ahead of Paul's likely presidential run will happen only eight days after the midterms.  —  Sen. Rand Paul is summoning his top strategists and political advisers to Washington one week …

GOP's maniacal new vote scheme: What wingnuts are hatching to keep the “riff-raff” away  —  Paranoia reaches a fever pitch in Arizona, where the right has violent nightmares — and an absurd response in mind  —  It's soothing to think that this “voter fraud” fraud is a temporary fad among …