Doctor in New York City Tests Positive for Ebola  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio Hosts Press Conference with Governor Cuomo  —  A doctor in New York City who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea tested positive for the Ebola virus Thursday, becoming the city's first diagnosed case.

CNN's Carol Costello apologizes for Palin remarks  —  CNN's Carol Costello apologized on Thursday for joking about a police recording of Bristol Palin.  —  “Over the past few days I have been roundly criticized for joking about a brawl involving the Palin family.

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.

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.)

Alison Grimes doubles down on a 4-Pinocchio claim  —  “I am Alison Lundergan Grimes and this is the Big Sandy power plant in Louisa, Kentucky.  They are shutting down half the plant and laying off their workers because Mitch McConnell didn't fight to get the scrubbers it needs to reduce coal emissions.

Baker opens up lead over Coakley in new poll  —  Republican Charlie Baker has opened up a 9-point lead over Democrat Martha Coakley, 45 percent to 36 percent, according to a new Globe poll that depicts a far more comfortable advantage than either candidate for governor has enjoyed in months.

Obama Asserts Fast and Furious Executive Privilege Claim for Holder's Wife  —  Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) a “Vaughn index” detailing records about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.  The index was forced …

JEANNE SHAHEEN CAMPAIGN KICKS BREITBART NEWS REPORTER OUT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE EVENT  —  EXETER, New Hampshire — The campaign of Democratic incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) kicked this reporter out of an event at ReVision Energy on Wednesday afternoon.  —  Shaheen's campaign asked the owner …

Lewinsky mistreated by authorities in investigation of Clinton, report says  —  When onetime White House intern Monica Lewinsky broke her silence with a major speech earlier this week, one subject brought her nearly to tears.  —  Lewinsky's voice cracked as she recalled the moment in January 1998 …

As Midterms Near, GOP Leads on Key Issues, Democrats Have a More Positive Image  —  Far Fewer Democrats See Vote as ‘For’ Obama Than in 2010  —  With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, the Republican Party holds significant leads on several major issues.

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 …

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.

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 …

Homeland Security confiscates Royals underwear in Kansas City  —  BY JENEÉ OSTERHELDTKANSAS CITY STAR  —  Peregrine Honig says she just wanted to help celebrate the hometown team when she designed Lucky Royals boyshorts.  —  The panties, with “Take the Crown” and “KC” across the bottom …

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.

Does Raising the Minimum Wage Hurt Employment?  Evidence from China  —  Raising the minimum wage is a polarizing issue.  One side worries that raising it will lower employment.  The other side downplays the impact on employment and plays up the positive impact on the living standards of the poor.

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 …

Hero dogs set on latest W.H. fence jumper  —  Bel Air, Maryland (CNN) — A man who jumped the White House fence Wednesday night suffers from mental health problems, and has been arrested in a previous White House security breach, according to his father.  —  Dominic Adesanya, 23, of Bel Air …