‘Fan’ dispute overshadows sharp debate between Charlie Crist and Gov. Rick Scott  —  ›  —  ‹  —  In the weirdest start of a gubernatorial debate, Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially refused to take the stage Wednesday night because Democrat Charlie Crist insisted on a fan to keep him cool.

President Obama's Ebola problem  —  The Ebola crisis in the United States has become an anchor threatening to sink the Obama presidency.  —  Already under fire from critics who saw the federal response to the outbreak as disorganized and timid, things went from bad to worse on Wednesday …

Paging Dr. Obama  —  The American health-care system's failure to prepare for Ebola became even more terrifyingly evident with the revelation that a Dallas nurse traveled by air after treating a patient who ultimately died from the virus.  —  Amber Joy Vinson began running a fever the day after her flight …

Witness adds new perspective to Ferguson shooting  —  • By Christine Byers cbyers@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8087  —  CLAYTON  • A stream of eyewitnesses has been testifying in secret before a grand jury considering whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting …

The Democrats' Most Effective Midterm Message: Outsourcing  —  Taking a page from Obama's 2012 playbook, Democrats have found a winning message in a dismal political environment.  —  CHICAGO—Of all the negative campaign messages that Democrats have used this midterm election …

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 …

Michelle Nunn Won't Say If She Voted for Obama  —  Another Democratic Senate candidate has refused to say whether she voted for President Obama: This time it was Michelle Nunn in Georgia.  —  The same question has tripped up other red-state Democrats on the campaign trail.

The Divorce-Proof Marriage  —  A diamond is forever, but an expensive engagement ring means the marriage might not last that long.  According to a new study, spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on an engagement ring is significantly associated with an increase in the risk of divorce.

The Reinventions of Rand Paul  —  Subscriber content preview. or Sign In  —  Can he fix what ails the GOP?  —  The tattooed and pierced longhairs never showed up to see Senator Rand Paul speak with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia last month.

Markets Panicked On Wednesday.  Here's Why the U.S. Economy Is OK.  —  Wednesday was an ugly day for the global economy.  British and German stocks each fell around 3 percent.  Greek stocks fell 6 percent.  (That's huge.)  In the U.S., a trifecta of economic indicators—retail sales …

Is A Colorado Senate Candidate Lying About His Football Career?  —  UPDATE: Gardner campaign spokesman Alex Siciliano sent the following, presented in its entirety, via email: “Cory Gardner played football from Junior High through Sophomore year in high school.”

Pastor Mark Driscoll's Resignation  —  On Tuesday, October 14, Pastor Mark Driscoll submitted his resignation as an elder and lead pastor of Mars Hill Church.  The Board of Overseers has accepted that resignation and is moving forward with planning for pastoral transition …