Suspected killer in Ottawa shootings had a disturbing side  —  Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the slain 32-year-old suspected killer of a Canadian Forces soldier near Parliament Hill, was a labourer and small-time criminal - a man who had had a religious awakening and seemed to have become mentally unstable.

GOPer Ernst Promises To Use Her Gun If Gov't Decides Rights Aren't ‘Important’  —  During an National Rifle Association event in Iowa in 2012, state Sen. Joni Ernst, now the Republican nominee for Senate in the state, said she carries a 9-millimeter gun around everywhere and believes in the right …

Why the Teenage Girls of Europe Are Joining ISIS  —  Because they want the same things that teenage boys want: a strong sense of meaning and purpose  —  Teenage girls are the West's center of gravity: Virtually all of Western pop culture, the key to our soft power, is tailored to the tastes of teenage girls.

Justice Department condemns Ferguson leaks as effort to influence opinion  —  With a grand jury decision looming on whether a white police officer should face charges in the killing of an unarmed black 18-year-old in Ferguson, Mo., the investigation has sprung a few leaks.

Mormon Underwear, Revealed  —  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an informational guide to “temple garments” on their website.  Why have these clothes been such a source of fascination in American culture?  —  Mormonism has long been a source of cultural fascination—and sometimes suspicion—in America.

Baby girl killed in Jerusalem is an American, US official says  —  Terrorist kills infant, wounds several, after ramming...  Watch: Car drives into crowd at light rail station in...  Netanyahu blames Abbas incitement for Jerusalem terro...  Shimshon Halperin, mourns the loss of his granddaughter Chaya Zissel Braun.

Young stands behind Wasilla High School comments, adds government to suicide blame list  —  WASILLA — An unapologetic U.S. Rep. Don Young on Wednesday wasn't backing down from statements he made Tuesday at Wasilla High School that suicide shows a lack of support from friends and family.

9 percent of likely 2014 voters are ‘enthusiastic’ about President Obama  —  We've written plenty on this blog about Democrats' enthusiasm deficit in the 2014 election.  This gap was, is and will almost definitely continue to be real through Nov. 4.  —  But while it's well understood …

How We Got Rolled by the Dishonest Fascists of Gamergate  —  On October 1, the computing giant Intel pulled its ads from Gamasutra, a trade website for game developers, over an essay called “'Gamers' don't have to be your audience.  ‘Gamers’ are over” by a journalist named Leigh Alexander.

Key Barack Obama aides eye White House exits  —  White House chief of staff Denis McDonough has asked senior aides to tell him if they're going to stick around for President Barack Obama's final two years in office, with a West Wing restructuring after the midterms possible.

Senate Forecast: Cloudy With a Good Chance of a Republican Majority  —  With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, the picture in several key races remains hazy.  But when the dust settles, the most likely result is a Republican majority, as the Crystal Ball's outlook of Republicans adding five …

Richardson Reacts to New Poll Indicating Swing in His Favor  —  PORTLAND, Ore.- A dramatic shift in poll numbers has taken place since Governor John Kitzhaber's campaign became riddled with scandal.  A poll commissioned by KATU has Dennis Richardson with a surprising double-digit lead.

The Kind Of Racism That ‘Dear White People’ Overlooks  —  This post contains spoilers.  —  If you haven't seen Dear White People, you should.  It's the first film in years to really confront black identities, of which there are many, in a sharp and funny way.

Alleged White House Fence Jumper Accused of Kicking Dog … An alleged fence jumper was apprehended Wednesday outside the White House after he scaled the north fence, a Secret Service spokesman told ABC News.  —  A K-9 unit caught a man identified as Dominic Adesanya about 7:16 p.m. on the North Lawn …

‘Calibration error’ changes GOP votes to Dem in Illinois county  —  CHICAGO — Early voting in Illinois got off to a rocky start Monday, as votes being cast for Republican candidates were transformed into votes for Democrats.  —  Republican state representative candidate Jim Moynihan went …