Joni Ernst: My Gun Will Defend Me If Government Decides ‘My Rights Are No Longer Important’  —  WASHINGTON — Joni Ernst, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa, said during an NRA event in 2012 that she would use a gun to defend herself from the government.

The Truth about the “Palin Brawl” - The Media Reveals Its Bias Against Conservative Women Once Again  —  First, the media said Trig was not really my mom's kid.  —  Then, they claimed my mom said “I can see Russia from my house.”  —  Recently, they said my parents are giving a divorce.

The Democrats' Coming Blame Game  —  Less than two weeks before Election Day, Democrats are bracing for losses—and are already quietly trying to shift the blame.  —  Years of disappointment and tension between Democrats and their president are now on open display as politicians …

Rand Paul Summons Political Operatives for 2016 Strategy Session  —  The closely guarded gathering ahead of Paul's likely presidential run will happen only eight days after the midterms.  —  Sen. Rand Paul is summoning his top strategists and political advisers to Washington one week …

Obama Is Too Cool for Crisis Management  —  By the time President Obama gave in and appointed an Ebola czar on Oct. 17, the White House response to this latest national crisis had already run a familiar course: the initial assurance that everything was under control; the subsequent realization that it wasn't …

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 …

King on gays: 'I don't expect to meet them should I make it to heaven'  —  Congressman speaks exclusively to the Herald  —  U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, suggests gays won't make it to heaven.  —  What's more, in an interview, King intimated that the divorced or cohabitators could be thwarted …

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.

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 …

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.

The Only Thing I Have To Say About Gamer Gate  —  I had a day off this weekend from shooting Supernatural, and I was walking around downtown Vancouver on Saturday, sampling all the artisan coffee I could get my throat around.  At one point I saw a pair of guys walking towards me wearing gamer shirts.

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.

Should the Poor Be Allowed to Vote?  —  If Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters succeed in booting C.Y. Leung from power, the city's unelected chief executive should consider coming to the United States.  He might fit in well in the Republican Party.  —  In an interview Monday …

VIDEO: NYPD Officer Kicks Colleague in the Head During Arrest  —  BROOKLYN — An undercover NYPD officer rushing in to aid uniformed colleagues making an arrest kicked one of them in the head after apparently mistaking him for a suspect, a video obtained by DNAinfo New York shows.

UT/TT Poll: Abbott Holds Commanding Lead Over Davis … UT/TT Poll, October 2014: Summary UT/TT Poll, October 2014: Methodology  —  Republican Greg Abbott has a 16-point lead over Democrat Wendy Davis in the closing days of this year's general election for governor, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

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.

Oops: Scott Brown lists self as Mass. state senator in recent campaign filing  —  New Hampshire Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown tried to politically navigate how he could run for office in the Granite State thirteen weeks after officially moving here from Massachusetts.

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.

Kids from poorer neighborhoods keep coming to trick-or-treat in mine.  Do I have to give them candy?  —  Get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week; click here to sign up.  Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com.  (Questions may be edited.)

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.

3 States Refuse Gay Unions Despite Court Rulings  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The writing is on the wall for gay marriage bans in Kansas, Montana and South Carolina after federal appeals courts that oversee those states have made clear that keeping gay and lesbian couples from marrying is unconstitutional.