Presbyterian workers wore no hazmat suits for two days while treating Ebola patient  —  Health care workers treating Thomas Eric Duncan in a hospital isolation unit didn't wear protective hazardous-material suits for two days until tests confirmed the Liberian man had Ebola …

Skunk Works Reveals Compact Fusion Reactor Details  —  Lockheed Martin aims to develop compact reactor prototype in five years, production unit in 10  —  Hidden away in the secret depths of the Skunk Works, a Lockheed Martin research team has been working quietly on a nuclear energy concept …

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.

My Conspiracy Theories Are Being Suppressed!  —  Reacting to his corporate colleague Phil Mattingly's Wow! profile of Dr. Ben Carson, Bloomberg View's Francis Wilkinson is decidedly less jazzed by this year's right-wing “outsider.”  Indeed, he thinks the guy is performing a very familiar role or roles:

Poll shows Obama approval low, GOP enthusiasm higher than Democrats'  —  Americans look to November and beyond with dissatisfaction about the state of the country and the political leadership in Washington.  Two in three say the country is seriously off-track, and more than 6 in 10 …

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 …

Arkansas High Court Strikes Down Voter ID Law  —  Arkansas' highest court on Wednesday struck down a state law that requires voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot, ruling the requirement unconstitutional just days before early voting begins for the Nov. 4 election.

Houston Mayor Says City's Sermon Subpoenas Came as a Surprise  —  An unusual First Amendment fight has erupted in Houston where lawyers for the city have raised alarm bells among conservative religious leaders after subpoenaing sermons delivered by several local pastors.

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 …

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.

Exclusive: Mark Driscoll's resignation letter to Mars Hill Church  —  Chairman, Board of Advisors and Accountability  —  Dear Michael:  —  By God's grace I have pastored Mars Hill Church for 18 years.  Today, also by God's grace, and with the full support of my wife Grace, I resign my position as a pastor and elder of Mars Hill.

Senate Candidate Claims People With Pre-Existing Conditions Were Better Off Before Obamacare  —  Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR) thanks the moderators after one of two debates in the tight Arkansas Senate race.  —  CREDIT: Alice Ollstein  —  FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS—Tom Cotton …

Lawmaker in shootout with would-be robber near Pennsylvania Capitol  —  (Reuters) - Four Pennsylvania teenagers were arrested on Wednesday and charged with trying to mug a state legislator who exchanged gunfire with one of them in the late-night incident, police said.

Democrats push back on travel ban  —  House Democrats are pushing back hard against proposals to institute a travel ban in the fight against the Ebola virus.  —  A growing number of lawmakers — mostly Republicans — are urging the Obama administration to bar travel to the United States …

Ebola Racism Reaches a New Low in Texas  —  A community college rejects students from countries with ‘confirmed Ebola cases,’ even if that means cutting students with little to no risk of contracting the disease.  —  “Navarro College is not accepting international students from countries with confirmed Ebola cases.”

Shep Smith Excoriates Media for Ebola Coverage: ‘Not Worth the Ratings’  —  Fox News anchor Shepard Smith on Wednesday lit into the news media for what he described as unproductive coverage of the Ebola cases that have been found and treated in the U.S.  —  Smith's moment came after a report …