Doctor in New York City Is Sick With Ebola  —  A doctor in New York City who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea became the first person in the city to test positive for the virus Thursday, setting off a search for anyone who might have come into contact with him.

GOP Gains in Key Senate Races as Gender Gap Narrows  —  In Iowa, Arkansas and Colorado, Democrats' Advantage Among Women Voters Has Diminished  —  In a warning flag for Democrats, recent polls suggest the party is failing to draw enough support from women in three key Senate races—in Iowa …

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.

How Independents Could Seize Control of the Senate  —  As the bulk of close election observers have pointed out, the odds favor the Republicans capturing enough Senate seats to make a majority next year.  Of course, it is not a certainty (to any except the election modelers at The Monkey Cage).

Barack Obama, bewildered bystander  —  The president is upset.  Very upset.  Frustrated and angry.  Seething about the government's handling of Ebola, said the front-page headline in the New York Times last Saturday.  —  There's only one problem with this pose, so obligingly transcribed for him by the Times.

Ebola Spreads to Mali as WHO Races to Contain Outbreak  —  Mali became the sixth West African country to report a case of Ebola, opening a new front in the international effort to prevent the outbreak of the deadly viral infection from spreading further.  —  A 2-year-old girl who traveled …

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.

Sarah Palin endorses ... a Democrat?  —  Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is endorsing independent Bill Walker and Democrat Byron Mallott for governor and lieutenant governor of Alaska.  —  Palin and husband Todd are shown donning Walker-Mallott campaign pins in photos uploaded to the campaign's Facebook page Thursday.

Gov. Christie feels his minimum wage views were misunderstood, while NJ diner waitresses say he lacks empathy  —  The New Jersey governor, speaking at a Garden State diner, explained that most people missed his point — and he's come to accept that.  Waitress Stacey Ellis said his remarks showed zero empathy for workers like her.

Glenn Beck: Not ‘All That Bad’ If McConnell Loses To Grimes (AUDIO)  —  Glenn Beck doesn't think it would be “all that bad for the country” if Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) loses reelection to Alison Lundergan Grimes (D).  —  Less than two weeks before Election Day …

Man attacks New York police officers with a hatchet  —  New York (CNN) — A man charged at four New York police officers with a metal hatchet Thursday, hitting two of them at a time of high alert for authorities concerned they might be targeted in the United States and Canada.

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.)

GOP changes tune on cutting Social Security with elections on the line  —  Cutting federal health and retirement spending has long been at the top of the GOP agenda.  But with Republicans in striking distance of winning the Senate, they are suddenly blasting the idea of trimming Social Security benefits.

Joni Ernst snubs Des Moines Register  —  Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst skipped out on a scheduled meeting with The Des Moines Register on Thursday, prompting criticism from one of the paper's leading political columnists.  —  “Is Joni Ernst afraid of newspaper editorial boards?”