Tim Cook Speaks Up  —  Throughout my professional life, I've tried to maintain a basic level of privacy.  I come from humble roots, and I don't seek to draw attention to myself.  Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products …

White House in Denial: President Obama Is Costing Democrats Control of the Senate  —  The administration insists that vulnerable Democrats should have supported him more.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  —  White House officials are preemptively spinning a midterm defeat, and they're using their own fantasies to do it.

Lindsey Graham unfiltered: jokes about white men, Baptists  —  Washington (CNN) — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is toying with the idea of a presidential bid, joked in a private gathering this month that “white men who are in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency …

Former Trek President and CEO Confirms Mary Burke was Fired  —  In 1993, Tom Albers learned about big problems with Trek Bicycle Corporation's European division.  Sales numbers were down, and employees were in a near mutiny against the young woman Trek founder Richard Burke had put in charge.

Rand Paul: GOP brand ‘sucks’  —  DETROIT — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) acknowledged Wednesday a problem that many Republicans admit only privately: their party brand “sucks.”  —  The weakness, Paul added, is particularly serious when it comes to appealing to black voters.  —  “Remember Domino's Pizza?

David Axelrod hit: Chris Christie ‘Sopranos’ governor  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday teed off at a heckler and told him to “sit down and shut up!” in a heated exchange along the Jersey Shore — a confrontation captured on video that drew a stinging rebuke from one of President Barack Obama's former top advisers.

Midterm Calculus: Why Polls Tend to Undercount Democrats  —  Why Polls Tend to Undercount Democrats  —  A crucial problem is that pollsters, for a variety of reasons, are more successful at reaching Republican-leaning voters.  —  Credit: Peter Gamlen  —  ON THE BALLOT |  OCTOBER 30, 7:01 AM

Hillary Clinton could end up alone in Iowa  —  Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) — Imagine if Iowa held a caucus and nobody but Hillary Clinton showed up.  —  Democrats of all stripes, including Clinton allies, have predicted for months that the former Secretary of State — who was campaigning …

Antic Right Wing Blogger Now Stalking His Biggest Critic  —  After a pitstop for an Italian dinner on Tuesday night, right-wing agitator Charles C. Johnson showed up at what he thought was the residence of his biggest online adversary — a man who just so happens to share his name …

NATO says Russian jets, bombers circle Europe in unusual incidents  —  MOSCOW — NATO said Wednesday that it had intercepted a large number of Russian aircraft flying close to European airspace in the past two days, in an “unusual” series of incidents that brought Russian bombers as far afield as Portugal.

Senate Update: Exit To Recountland  —  Republicans got favorable news in Georgia on Tuesday, where a Monmouth University poll put their candidate, David Perdue, eight points ahead of the Democrat Michelle Nunn.  The poll is something of an outlier relative to the consensus — nonetheless …

For Congress: Advance endorses Michael Grimm (editorial)  —  Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island-Brooklyn) has served in Congress since 2011.  (Advance photo)  —  There are, on occasion, electoral races in which both candidates are of high quality and high integrity and conduct a tough but fair campaign about the issues.

Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze  —  Protesters angry at plans to allow Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year-rule have set fire to parliament.  —  Correspondents say the city hall and ruling party headquarters are also in flames.

What Americans think of Congress and the President  —  Shares -  —  Regardless of whether they will vote in a Senate race this year, 51 percent of registered voters nationwide expect the Republican Party to win control of the U.S. Senate.  Self-identified Republicans expect their party to prevail …

Release Detail  —  October 30, 2014 - Independent Voters Boost Crist In Florida, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Like Republican Turned Dem A Little More  —  A jump in support from independent likely voters in the Florida governor's race leaves Democrat Charlie Crist with 43 percent …

Non-Citizens Are Voting  —  Could non-citizen voting be a problem in next week's elections, and perhaps even swing some very close elections?  —  A new study by two Old Dominion University professors, based on survey data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study …

Jian Ghomeshi: 8 women accuse former CBC host of violence, sexual abuse or harassment  —  One woman, actor Lucy DeCoutere, alleges she was slapped and choked without her consent.  —  Actress, Lucy DeCoutere, comes forward with details of her alleged assault by Jian Ghomeshi.  —  Photos View photos

Obama Could Replace Aides Bruised by a Cascade of Crises  —  WASHINGTON — One day this month, as the nation shuddered with fears of an Ebola outbreak and American warplanes pounded Sunni militants in Syria, President Obama's national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, invited a group …