‘7TH HEAVEN’ DAD STEPHEN COLLINS  —  CONFESSES ON TAPE TO CHILD MOLESTATION  —  NYPD Investigating [AUDIO]  —  10/7/2014 1:00 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Stephen Collins — who played the pastor/dad on “7th Heaven” — confessed to his estranged wife he was a child molester …

Political Scientists: November Is Still A Slam-Dunk For The GOP  —  Amid the quibbling between Nate Silver and Sam Wang, academic political scientists have stepped in to release their own election forecast for November — and it doesn't look great for Democrats.

GOP Candidates May Benefit From Supreme Court's Gay Marriage Decision  —  Some strategists hope the legal decision helps push the issue of gay marriage off the political agenda  —  The Supreme Court's decision Monday clearing the way for same-sex marriages in five states may benefit an unlikely group …

Republicans brace for 2016 free-for-all  —  The message from Republican officials has been crystal clear for two years: The 2016 Republican primary cannot be another prolonged pummeling of the eventual nominee.  Only one person ultimately benefited from that last time — Barack Obama …

In Book, Panetta Recounts Frustration With Obama  —  WASHINGTON — After resigning as secretary of defense last year, Leon E. Panetta watched with growing dismay at what he perceived as a president losing his way.  Instead of asserting American leadership on the world stage, Mr. Panetta concluded …

VIDEO: Lois Lerner Tries Barging Into Neighbor's Home To Evade Questions  —  Lois Lerner attempted to bust into a neighbor's home uninvited, in a desperate attempt to avoid answering questions about her involvement in the targeting of conservative groups.  —  Jason Mattera, author …

Cover Exclusive: Jennifer Lawrence Calls Photo Hacking a “Sex Crime”  —  “I was just so afraid.  I didn't know how this would affect my career.”  —  That's just the beginning of what Jennifer Lawrence has to say about her stolen-photos saga in the cover story of Vanity Fair's November issue …

VIDEO: NYPD Officer Hits Unarmed Teen in the Face With His Gun  —  BROOKLYN — Two NYPD officers are under criminal investigation after punching and bashing a 16-year-old suspect in the face with a gun despite the teen raising his hands to surrender, according to a video obtained by DNAinfo New York.

NRSC cuts Michigan TV  —  The National Republican Senatorial Committee has cut the remaining television it had reserved in Michigan amid signs former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R) is having trouble catching Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).  —  The NRSC's independent expenditure arm …

A heartbreaking act of staggering cowardice  —  See this picture?  This is what raw cowardice and utter contempt for democracy looks like. … The picture was taken this morning and posted on Twitter by Kevin McCorry of WHYY's Newsworks just before 9:30 a.m., at the Philadelphia School …

Hardball tactics alleged in lawsuit against Bruce Rauner  —  SPRINGFIELD — Republican Bruce Rauner had a quick answer when asked to assess blame for the fast collapse of a once-promising business venture created and backed by his one-time Chicago investment firm.  —  Christine Kirk.

Cardinals Fans Get Ugly In Clash With Ferguson Protesters  —  This guy right here, the one with “I am Darren Wilson” taped onto the back of his Cardinals jersey—an homage to the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who shot an unarmed teenager named Mike Brown to death in August—was at the Cardinals game last night.

A Campaign Dollar's Power Is More Valuable to a Challenger  —  The question of whether money helps win elections is hotly debated among political experts.  Many Americans think the answer is self-evidently yes: Why, otherwise, would politicians spend so much time raising millions of dollars?

David Perdue: ‘I spent most of my career’ outsourcing  —  “Cherry-picking sentences from a 186-page legal deposition leaves them grossly out of context,” Dickey asserted.  “David has spent 40 years dealing with bad government policies that put our manufacturers at a disadvantage internationally.

American student, 19, ‘trying to join ISIS’ arrested at Chicago's O'Hare airport after leaving note for his parents signed ‘PLEASE MAKE SURE NOT TO TELL THE AUTHORITIES’  — Federal authorities claimed in court that they have handwritten documents that prove he supported ISIS

Why Would Obama Try to Make the Election About Himself?  —  The president made headlines last week during a speech on the economy, where he implored voters not to make any errors: “Now, I am not on the ballot this fall .... But make no mistake: These policies are on the ballot—every single one of them.”

‘Moment of Truth’ on Emissions  —  In March, the Obama administration issued a white paper as part of its Climate Action Plan entitled “Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.”  A big part of the strategy was built around cutting down on the methane emissions that result from oil and gas production …

Big Banks Face Another Round of U.S. Charges  —  The Justice Department is preparing a fresh round of attacks on the world's biggest banks, again questioning Wall Street's role in a broad array of financial markets.  —  With evidence mounting that a number of foreign and American banks colluded …