Second Health Care Worker Tests Positive for Ebola  —  A second health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States has tested positive for the disease.  —  The health care worker reported a fever Tuesday and was immediately isolated at the hospital.

The Democratic Party just hit a 30-year low  —  The Democratic Party is held in worse regard than at any point in the past 30 years, according to a new poll.  —  The poll, from the Washington Post and ABC News, shows 39 percent of Americans now have a favorable impression of the blue team …

The Secret U.S. Casualties of Iraq's Abandoned Chemical Weapons  —  A controlled detonation of recovered mustard shells near Taji, Iraq, on Aug. 17, 2008.  —  The soldiers at the blast crater sensed something was wrong.  —  It was August 2008 near Taji, Iraq.

The Polls Might Be Skewed Against Democrats — Or Republicans  —  This year's Senate election is close.  Republicans have the clearer path to a majority, but it's a treacherous one.  Republicans are favored in Iowa and Colorado, for example, but not by much.

The Future Of The Culture Wars Is Here, And It's Gamergate  —  Over the weekend, a game developer in Boston named Brianna Wu fled her home after an online stalker vowed to rape and kill her.  She isn't the first woman who's been forced into hiding by aggrieved video game fans associated with Gamergate …

Obama to Convene Emergency Ebola Meeting at the White House … President Obama has postponed a campaign trip to New Jersey and Connecticut to hold an emergency meeting on the Ebola outbreak this afternoon at the White House, the administration announced.  —  Obama plans to convene members …

City subpoenas pastors' sermons in equal rights ordinance case … Houston's embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied …

Rethink Harvard's sexual harassment policy  —  In July, Harvard University announced a new university-wide policy aimed at preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence based on gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.  —  The new policy, which applies to all schools within …

Ben Carson's Longshot Presidential Bid Suddenly Looks a Lot More Realistic  —  Rand Paul?  Ted Cruz?  Jeb Bush?  Chris Christie?  More Iowa Republicans are backing Ben Carson than all of them.  —  “I tend to be an honest and frank and open person,” says Ben Carson, his voice not much more than a whisper.

Senate candidate dies in Iowa plane crash, hospital says  —  DUBUQUE, Iowa — A Libertarian Party of Iowa candidate running for a United States Senate seat has died in a plane crash, an official with Mercy Medical Center has confirmed.  —  Emergency room physician Doug Butzier died …

Court blocks abortion limits in Texas  —  Over the dissents of three Justices, the Supreme Court on Tuesday evening barred Texas from enforcing two parts of its new abortion-restriction law — one part as it applied throughout the state, the other as it applied to two clinics in the southwest part of the state.

The Improbable Career of Cowboy Poetry Aficionado, Senate Candidate Larry Pressler  —  The eccentric Larry Pressler is out to prove himself once again.  —  Larry Pressler, the once-and-maybe-future senator from South Dakota, may be the single most interesting candidate of 2014.

It Is a Beauty Contest  —  Having dismissed Chris Christie's presidential ambitions because of his girth, the author must now apologize.  But while the New Jersey governor's dramatic recent weight loss—as much as 100 pounds—is admirable, in a physical matchup with other 2016 hopefuls he'll need to avoid losing much more.

Where did it go wrong for Obama?  —  Fewer than two years ago, President Obama was elected handily to his second term, becoming the first Democrat since FDR to twice win an outright majority of the popular vote.  —  Now, Democrats in competitive Senate races hope he stays as far away as possible …