Carson: I faced a gunman  —  GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, under fire for advice about what to do when facing a gunman, late Wednesday recounted the time when a gun was pointed at him.  —  “I have had a gun held on me when I was in a Popeye's,” Carson told host Karen Hunter on Sirius XM Radio …

Right flexes muscle ahead of Speaker vote  —  The conservative House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday endorsed little-known Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) for Speaker — a bold move that raises serious doubts about whether Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy can cobble together the 218 votes on the House floor he needs to be promoted.

Inside Bernie Sanders' unorthodox debate prep … Hillary Clinton has had aides lined up to run her debate prep for months.  A Washington super lawyer is mimicking Sanders and her top policy staffer is acting as Martin O'Malley.  —  Bernie Sanders started studying for next Tuesday's event not even a full week ago.

Did Barack Obama do enough for his own community?  —  There is a photo by Pete Souza, the White House's canny and peripatetic photographer, that surfaces from time to time online.  The setting is Marine One, and it features a modest cast of five.  Valerie Jarrett, dressed in a suit of blazing pink, is staring at her cell phone.

Russia's Syria intervention may force choice on Obama: Act or yield  —  Russia's military moves in Syria are fundamentally changing the face of the country's civil war, putting President Bashar al-Assad back on his feet, and may complicate the Obama administration's plans to expand its air operations against the Islamic State.

Video shows judge berating, sentencing domestic violence victim to jail  —  SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —  Channel 9 has obtained video from a Seminole County courtroom where an emotional domestic violence victim was sentenced to three days in jail for failing to show up for her abuser's trial.

GOP faces debt-limit divide  —  With less than a month to go until the Nov. 5 deadline, congressional Republicans are divided on what strategy to adopt in the fight over the debt ceiling.  —  Conservatives see the looming debt hike as leverage that could be used to extract concessions from the Obama administration.

Citing concerns with campus carry, professor emeritus to withdraw from University  —  Economics professor emeritus Daniel Hamermesh will withdraw from his position next fall, citing concerns with campus carry legislation.  —  The law will allow the concealed carry of guns in campus buildings beginning Aug. 1, 2016.

Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone stabbed in chest  —  Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, who helped take down a gunman on a train in Belgium, was stabbed four times in the chest in Sacramento early Thursday morning, Air Force Times has learned.  —  “A1C Spencer Stone has been transported to a local hospital …

Hear it for yourself: 911 call released from Ohio man ‘too high’ on pot … AUSTINTOWN, OH - The 911 call has been released after an Austintown man called 911 last week because he was “too high on weed.”  —  When officers arrived, they were directed to an upstairs bedroom by the caller's grandfather.

Ben Carson stumbles on debt limit question  —  Ben Carson appeared to have some difficulty in explaining exactly whether he would support raising the debt limit in a recent interview.  —  “Let me put it this way: if I were the president, I would not sign an increased budget.  Absolutely would not do it.

Why Donald Trump Will Always Be a “Short-Fingered Vulgarian”  —  In his November editor's letter, Graydon Carter reveals the presidential candidate's thin-skinned response to a favorite 25-year-old epithet.  —  The myriad vulgarities of Donald Trump—examples of which are retailed daily …

Impeach the IRS director  —  “Look,” wrote Lois Lerner, echoing Horace Greeley, “my view is that Lincoln was our worst president not our best.  He should [have] let the [S]outh go.  We really do seem to have 2 totally different mindsets.”  Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune …

White House threatens veto on crude oil exports bill  —  The Obama administration has formally threatened a veto on a House bill that would lift the federal ban on crude oil exports.  —  In a statement of administration policy, the Office of Management and Budget said that …

Accused Oregon Shooter Discharged From Army After Suicide Attempt  —  Christopher Harper-Mercer left basic training after just one month in 2008  —  The gunman who allegedly killed nine people and wounded nine others at a rural community college in Oregon last Thursday had been discharged …

Stores Must Keep Doors Closed if Air-Conditioning Is On  —  Starting next summer, nearly all shops and restaurants in New York City will be required to keep front doors and windows shut while their air-conditioners and cooling systems are running.  —  The requirement, which became law on Wednesday …

Navy will challenge Chinese territorial claims in South China Sea  —  The Navy is preparing to send a surface ship inside the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit China claims for its man-made island chain, an action that could take place within days but awaits final approval from the Obama administration …