Here's The Racist ‘Daily Show’ Interview That Cost A Local GOP Chair His Job  —  A North Carolina county precinct GOP chair resigned on Thursday after an offensive interview that aired on “The Daily Show” Wednesday, in which he said “lazy black people” want “the government to give them everything.”

Palin: ‘No Wonder’ Why Some Think White House Fainting Was Staged  —  Sarah Palin got quite a kick out of a fringe right-wing conspiracy theory that the White House staged a woman's fainting at an event earlier this week — but she can't blame people for buying it!

NSA monitored calls of 35 world leaders after US official handed over contacts  —  • Agency given more than 200 numbers by government official  —  • NSA encourages departments to share their ‘Rolodexes’  —  • Surveillance produced ‘little intelligence’, memo acknowledges

Reid: 'There's Not Going to Be a Grand Bargain'  —  Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that he expected little more from the formal House-Senate budget conference than some relief from automatic spending cuts under sequestration.  —  The Nevada Democrat called the suggestion of a …

Gansler says he should have checked drinking at party  —  A month after launching his campaign for governor, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler was entangled Thursday in yet another controversy, this time acknowledging a lapse in judgment when he appeared at a beach-house party …

Clinton: US ‘careening from crisis to crisis’  —  Hillary Clinton on Thursday night blamed lawmakers who govern by ideology for sending the country careening from crisis to crisis.  —  Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the founding of the progressive Center for American Progress (CAP) …

Republicans' embarrassing Obamacare overreach backfires  —  Beyond a basic misunderstanding of the Democrats' position in the shutdown and debt limit fights, one of the biggest reasons Republicans got themselves into so much trouble last month is that they badly misjudged both the party's commitment …

‘Serious’ Ken Cuccinelli keeps calm at debate  —  BLACKSBURG, Va. — Ken Cuccinelli might have been expected to throw the kitchen sink at Terry McAuliffe in the final debate of a governor's race the Republican attorney general is on track to lose.  —  It was more like a Nerf football.

Al Gore: Keystone an ‘atrocity’  —  A fiery Al Gore urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline, calling the controversial project an “atrocity.”  —  “This should be vetoed.  It is an atrocity.  It is a threat to our future,” the former vice president …

Man Blames Obama For His Battery Arrest  —  Cops: Floridian pushed pregnant girlfriend to ground  —  An intoxicated Floridian who allegedly battered his pregnant girlfriend told police that he was being unfairly arrested since “Obama said cops always listen to women.”

‘Offensive’ Halloween costumes banned by US university  —  University of Colorado Boulder tells students to avoid costumes including cowboys, indians, white trash or anything potentially deemed offensive  —  University students in America have been told not to wear “offensive” …

Activist Tweets Former NSA Chief's ‘Off Record’ Phone Call On Train  —  Former National Security Agency director Michael Hayden is more used to being the one listening in on conversations than the one being eavesdropped on himself.  The tables were turned on Thursday, however …

Obamacare Operator Fired After Taking Call From Hannity; Hannity To Give Her A Year's Salary  —  On the top of Thursday's broadcast of his radio show, Sean Hannity revealed Earline Davis, the Obamacare operator he called early in his Monday show, got fired.  Hannity quizzed her on how well the law …

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder pushed for opinions on gay rights issues  —  LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder continues to avoid taking a stance on expanding civil rights protections based on sexual orientation, but said he's happy to discuss it at some point.  —  When asked why he hasn't taken a stand …

Iran gives Christians 80 lashes for communion wine as UN blasts human rights record  —  Four Iranian Christians were reportedly sentenced to 80 lashes for drinking wine for communion, a shocking punishment meted out even as a new United Nations report blasted the Islamic republic for its systematic persecution of non-Muslims.

Financier George Soros backs Hillary Clinton for U.S. president  —  (Reuters) - Billionaire financier George Soros, a major Democratic donor, is backing an effort to persuade former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016, a spokesman said on Thursday.