Trump threatens to pull out of next GOP debate  —  <p>A Republican National Committee conference call to discuss plans for the Oct. 28 GOP debate with top advisers to the presidential campaigns spiraled into chaos on Thursday afternoon, as Donald Trump threatened to pull out of the debate …

THE DRONE PAPERS … DRONES ARE A TOOL, not a policy.  The policy is assassination.  While every president since Gerald Ford has upheld an executive order banning assassinations by U.S. personnel, Congress has avoided legislating the issue or even defining the word “assassination.”

Why Talk of “Tyranny” Is Dangerous  —  So here was Ted Cruz' calm and reflective observations about the first Democratic presidential debate, as conveyed to an Iowa audience (per the Dallas Morning News' Todd Gillman): … I'm guessing a lot of observers hear this sort of thing and just shrug …

Wayne Simmons, recurring Fox News guest, charged with lying about CIA ties  —  Wayne Simmons, a recurring guest on Fox News who claimed to have 27 years of experience with the CIA, was arrested Thursday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he lied about his service.

“Arabian Street Artists” Bomb Homeland: Why We Hacked an Award-Winning Series  —  What's wrong with Homeland's political message?  The very first season of “Homeland” explained to the American public that Al Qaida is actually an Iranian venture.  According to the storyline …

Rand Paul, It Is Time to Take Your Campaign Out Back and Shoot It  —  “Go home to Kentucky, Senator, and save your Senate seat before Kentucky's voters take the incompetence of your Presidential campaign as a reflection on you and your Senate campaign.”  —  What is the most endearing moment …

Huckabee Suggests Poor People Should Be Sold Into Slavery For Stealing  —  The United States criminal justice system could be improved if we sell poor people convicted of crimes into slavery, according to Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.  —  The former Arkansas governor weighed …

The Pluto system: Initial results from its exploration by New Horizons  —  1Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.  —  2Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.  —  3National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) …

Strong El Niño sets the stage for 2015-2016 winter weather  —  Forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issued the U.S. Winter Outlook today favoring cooler and wetter weather in Southern Tier states with above-average temperatures most likely in the West and across the Northern Tier.

Jeb cuts back  —  <p>On the first day of a two-day Iowa swing back in August, Jeb Bush flew from Davenport to Ankeny in a private plane.  The next day, after he spent more than four hours bounding around the State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, a top adviser attributed Bush's high energy level …

People are criticizing my dad, Jim Webb, for killing a man.  Here's what they're missing.  —  If you watched the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night, you probably heard the closing comment by my father, Jim Webb.  Without hesitation he answered that the enemy he was 'most proud …

Treasury Sends Debt Limit Letter to Congress  —  Dear Mr. Speaker:  —  I am writing to follow up on my previous letters regarding the debt limit and to provide additional information regarding the Department of the Treasury's ability to continue to finance the government.

Lindsey Graham: Democratic Debate “Made Me Sick”  —  “Everybody had an isolationist, disengagement policy regarding radical islam.”  —  Andrew Burton / Getty Images  —  South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham says Tuesday's first Democratic debate disgusted him.

The Anti-Free-Speech Movement at UCLA  —  A half-century ago, student activists at the University of California clashed with administrators during the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, a series of events that would greatly expand free-speech rights of people at public colleges and universities.

Jeb Bush raises $13.4 million, more than Rubio and Cruz  —  Jeb Bush raised $13.4 million in the third quarter, outpacing both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz but falling far short of Ben Carson's reportedly $20 million haul.  —  Bush, according to preliminary data provided by the campaign, has $10.3 million in cash on hand.

Lawyers for Dennis Hastert could reveal Thursday if plea deal reached … Lawyers for former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert could tell a federal judge Thursday if they have reached a plea deal with prosecutors that would keep bombshell allegations of hush-money payments from ever being aired in a public trial.

Oakland Gospel Choir Draws Nuisance Complaint, Faces $500 A Day Fine  —  OAKLAND (KPIX 5) - Those who love Gospel music refer to it as “joyful noise” and it is anything but quiet.  —  “The music of the church reveals the life of the church, the enthusiasm of the church,” said Michael Wright, pastor at Solid Rock Baptist Church.

Walker's Campaign Spent Heavily Before its Collapse  —  Campaign finance report shows that the famously frugal governor ended his campaign with enough money to pay the bills.  —  McCormickJohn  —  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's now-ended Republican presidential bid was spending almost …

Ivanka Trump on Donald: ‘Look, my father is very blunt’  —  Washington (CNN)Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, dismissed the criticism that her father has faced over controversial comments he's made about women and their looks on Wednesday.

‘She loves us’: Nephew speaks out on aunt's lawsuit brought against him … BRIDGEPORT -The aunt and the nephew she who sued for damages said they loved each other and the firestorm around the case was very upsetting during an appearance on the Today Show Thursday morning.

Jim Webb Is the Ghost of Democrats' Recent Past—Especially Hillary's  —  There was a time, not so long ago, when Jim Webb was supposed to be exactly what the Democratic Party needed.  Webb gave a strange and stumbling performance in the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night …