The CNN Democratic debate transcript, annotated  —  Five candidates are in Las Vegas for the first Democratic debate: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee.  We are posting the transcript as we get it, with insight from the crew here at The Fix as well as the Fact Checker's Michelle Lee.

8-year-old Westport boy on trial for exuberance  —  BRIDGEPORT — New York woman wants a jury to hold her 8-year-old nephew accountable for his youthful exuberance during his birthday party.  —  Jennifer Connell claims the boy, Sean Tarala of Westport, acted unreasonable when he leaped into her arms …

Fox News Poll: Carson giving Trump a run for his money in GOP race  —  Ben Carson is giving Donald Trump a run for his money, according to the latest Fox News national poll.  —  Support for Carson in the race for the Republican nomination has nearly doubled in the last two months …

Lamar Odom Fighting for His Life ... Found Unconscious at Nevada Brothel (UPDATE)  —  FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE  —  Found Unconscious at Nevada Brothel  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  9:30 PM PT — Lamar is still alive, but he is breathing with the assistance of machines and remains in critical condition …

Families release shocking video of final moments of sons' lives to help others  —  Warning: Some viewers may find the video disturbing to watch.  —  SUSSEX, England - Two families in England are mourning the deaths of their sons following a fatal ‘mistake.’

Statement of Islamic Emirate concerning withdrawal from central areas of Kunduz city  —  On the 6th of Mizan of the current year, the valiant Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate in Kunduz province launched a well-organized operation on Kunduz city and within a few hours managed to break through enemy defense lines …

Levin Staffer Arrested for Allegedly Beating Lover With Shovel  —  Baltimore City Police arrested an aide to Rep. Sander M. Levin, D-Mich., at around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 8 for criminal domestic violence charges.  —  Tim Foster, a native of Henderson, Ky., brutally beat his male lover …

Dem infighting erupts on eve of first presidential debate  —  Democrats are battling one another offstage ahead of the party's first 2016 debate, with a prominent lawmaker engaged in a fierce war of words with the party chairman.  —  Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a vice chairwoman …

The Gorgeous Balance of Emilia Clarke, Sexiest Woman Alive 2015  —  Friendly and fierce.  Kid sister and killer.  Movie star and girl next door.  —  VINCENT PETERS + ESQUIRE  —  Years ago, when I was a grad student, I worked at an ice cream shop in Oxford called George & Davis'.

Ethel Kennedy abandoned Bobby Jr. and turned to JFK's gay best friend Lem Billings  —  After Robert F Kennedy was assassinated, Ethel booted her vexatious son Bobby Jr out of their Hickory Hill home..She sent him to boarding schools and entrusted his care to longtime JFK chum Lem Billings..Billings claimed …

A ‘Cancer’ on the Clinton Candidacy  —  <p>Halfway through her long and humbling summer, Hillary Clinton ran into an old friend who wanted to know how she was bearing up under the pressure of near-daily revelations about the use of her private email server during her time in the State Department.

‘Not-Racists’ FURIOUS That MLK Memorial Will Be Built At ‘Confederate Mount Rushmore’ (SCREENSHOTS)  —  Look, by this point, we know conservatives aren't racist.  With every qualifier, preceding or following every statement we might otherwise interpret as bigoted, and sometimes completely randomly …

Democratic debate: Live updates  —  Welcome to the CNN live blog, where we'll be bringing you all the best moments from the first Democratic debate — on the stage, on social media and behind the scenes.  —  Your host for the evening is CNN political reporter Tal Kopan …

Sources: McConnell floats entitlement changes in high-stakes fiscal talks  —  Ben Carson struggles to explain debt limit stance  —  (CNN)Mitch McConnell privately wants the White House to pay this price to enact a major budget deal: Significant changes to Social Security and Medicare …

Susan Rice Blames Climate Change For Conflict in Syria  —  In her most dramatic speech to date about climate change, National Security Advisor Susan Rice suggests climate change was partially responsible for the conflict in Syria and represents a looming threat to the entire world.

Feds reject school district's plan for transgender student, locker room … The battle for equal access for transgender students is pitting Illinois' largest high school district against federal authorities.  —  At issue is locker room access for a transgender high school student in Palatine-based Township High School District 211.