Secret Service Chief Pierson Resigns Amid Security Gaps  —  Embattled U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, the first woman to lead the agency in charge of protecting the president, resigned amid mounting criticism over a series of security lapses.  —  Pierson stepped down only 18 months …

Airlines face Ebola fallout  —  Health experts say travelers face little risk of contracting Ebola on airplanes, but the disease's arrival in the United States is bringing new worries about its ability to hop between countries and continents.  —  Those concerns escalated with Wednesday's statement …

Why Women Are Democrats' Last Best Hope to Salvage the Senate  —  Republicans are nervously watching the gender gap widen as Democrats press their advantage with female voters.  —  LINES TO SHARE  — The Dem-GOP gender gap has ballooned to historic proportions across 2014's battleground states

Liberian Officials Identify Ebola Victim in Texas as Thomas Eric Duncan  —  MONROVIA, Liberia — A man who flew to Dallas and was later found to have the Ebola virus was identified by senior Liberian government officials on Wednesday as Thomas Eric Duncan, a resident of Monrovia in his mid-40s.

Grand jury considering the Ferguson shooting is being investigated for misconduct  —  The St. Louis County prosecutor's office is investigating an accusation of misconduct on the grand jury that is hearing the case against the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown.

George W. Bush: I think Jeb wants it!  —  Former President George W. Bush says he thinks his brother Jeb wants to be in the White House and added that he is pushing his younger sibling to run for president in 2016.  —  “I think he wants to be president,'” George Bush said on Fox News on Thursday.

Two Speeches and a Tragedy  —  In his first year in office, President Obama gave two speeches—one in Cairo, the other in Oslo—that bear directly on the crisis in the Middle East today.  The Cairo speech, in June, 2009, offered a message of peace and coöperation between America, the West, and the Muslim world.

Tom and Jerry cartoons carry racism warning  —  Tom and Jerry cartoons on television are being accompanied by a warning that they may depict scenes of “racial prejudice”.  —  The classic cat and mouse cartoons, some made more than 70 years ago, carry a warning for subscribers to Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Provision of No-Cost, Long-Acting Contraception and Teenage Pregnancy  —  BACKGROUND  —  The rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States is higher than in other developed nations.  Teenage births result in substantial costs, including public assistance, health care costs …

The American Family Is Making a Comeback  —  Marriage is on the decline, birthrates are down, and divorce rates are high.  But politicians in both parties are finally putting forth proposals to help—and strengthen society.  —  On April 24, 2012, President Obama went on Late Night …

The Cult of Neil deGrasse Tyson  —  Neil deGrasse Tyson is a very famous and popular scientist.  He even has a TV show.  And wears a cool astronomical vest.  Only he's not infallible.  — Obama's life is at risk  — FCC sacks NFL blackout rule  — Liberal doves run as war hawks

EARLIER:  —  A political cartoon in Wednesday's Boston Herald is raising eyebrows and has people calling the newspaper “racist.”  —  The cartoon depicts President Barack Obama brushing his teeth in the bathroom of the White House, as the man recently accused of storming the building …