In meeting with nuns, Pope Francis makes quiet protest of Obamacare  —  WASHINGTON — Pope Francis made an unscheduled stop to visit the Little Sisters of the Poor Wednesday, a move that Vatican officials said was intended to send a message of support in the nuns' battle against Obamacare.

Trump momentum shows signs of stalling  —  <p>The summer of Trump is over, and rival campaigns are latching onto glimmers of hope that autumn will be the season of the billionaire businessman's decline.</p><p>After faltering in last week's debate, Donald Trump showed signs that the campaign grind has taken its toll.

Stampede Near Mecca During Hajj Leaves Over 700 Dead  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — At least 717 people were killed, and 863 were injured, in a stampede near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday morning.  —  The deaths — at an intersection in Mina, about six miles east of the city …

Hillary Clinton sits for interview with Lena Dunham  —  <p>In an effort to reach out to millennial women voters, Hillary Clinton will appear in an interview opposite <i>Girls</i> star Lena Dunham, set to post online Tuesday, POLITICO has learned.  The already-taped segment …

Mother says she found special needs son wearing trash bag in classroom  —  Share Update: … CHICAGO — The mother of a CPS special needs child wants answers after she found her son wearing a trash bag when she visited his kindergarten classroom.  —  5-year-old Lloyd lives with epilepsy and is non-verbal.

Obama to Meet Putin Next Week at United Nations General Assembly  —  President Barack Obama will hold a rare in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the United Nations General Assembly next week in New York amid a new flare-up of tensions over Russia's moves in Syria.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz's vile cheap shot  —  Share Tweet Reddit Digg Mail Print SMS More  —  Has there ever been as hamhanded a Democratic National Chairman as Debbie Wasserman Schultz?  Her latest stunt is to demand that Marco Rubio cancel a fundraiser at the home of Harlan Crow …

Government Shutdown as Self-Promotion  —  Planned Parenthood ought to be defunded, but trying to do it this way invites disaster.  —  For the right reasons, congressional Republicans want to end taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, the country's largest abortion provider.

Epic Media Fail of the Year  —  John and I, as the Christian half of the Judeo-Christian ethos of Power Line, wish our Jewish friends and readers heartfelt best wishes on their observance of Yom Kippur.  —  So, too, did WGN TV in Chicago, except that in the most epic media fail of all time …

Controversial South Park episode shows Donald Trump being raped and murdered: Show attacks tycoon's run for President, his immigration policies and then kills him off in shocking final scene  — But when Canada beats him to it, he travels into the country before carrying out his sick rape threat on Trump himself