How The Debate Debacle Could Backfire On Republicans  —  A new round of chaos in the 2016 presidential primary has erupted, with a full-on revolt by GOP 2016ers against this cycle's debate structures.  —  After widespread frustration with the tough questioning candidates faced in last week's CNBC debate …

JON STEWART AND HBO CONCLUDE EXCLUSIVE FOUR-YEAR PRODUCTION PACT  —  Deal Kicks Off With Creation Of Topical Short-Form Digital Content  —  Jon Stewart and HBO have concluded an exclusive four-year production pact, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.

How Democrats Suppress The Vote  —  In the ongoing fight between Democrats and Republicans over election procedures like voter ID and early voting, the Democrats are supposedly the champions of higher turnout and reducing barriers to participation.  But when it comes to scheduling off-cycle elections1 …

Illinois District Violated Transgender Student's Rights, U.S. Says  —  CHICAGO — Federal education authorities found on Monday that an Illinois school district had violated anti-discrimination laws when it did not allow a transgender student who identifies as a girl and participates in athletics …

U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious  —  Modest Drop in Overall Rates of Belief and Practice, but Religiously Affiliated Americans Are as Observant as Before  —  Is the American public becoming less religious?  Yes, at least by some key measures of what it means to be a religious person.

Ben Carson on Americans: “Many of Them Are Stupid.”  —  When retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, the current GOP 2016 front-runner, campaigns, he routinely pitches “common sense solutions from We the People.”  But it seems the candidate who celebrates a cheerful and straightforward populism …

6 Passengers Kicked Off Plane At LAX Accused Of Being Unruly Claim Discrimination  —  LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CBSLA.com) - Six passengers kicked off a Spirit Airlines plane at Los Angeles International Airport Monday night accused a flight attendant of discrimination.

In Religious Arbitration, Scripture Is the Rule of Law  —  A few months before he took a toxic mix of drugs and died on a stranger's couch, Nicklaus Ellison wrote a letter to his little sister.  —  He asked for Jolly Ranchers, Starburst and Silly Bandz bracelets, some of the treats permitted …

Being married to Bernie  —  From the stage at the first Democratic presidential debate, nearly all the candidates opened with talk about their families.  —  “My wife, Hong, came to this country as a refugee from war-torn Vietnam,” said Jim Webb, who then went on to name his five children …

Clinton's Explanations on Benghazi Attacks Winning Over Voters — WSJ/NBC Poll  —  Hillary Clinton has put to rest many voters' questions about her handling of the 2012 Benghazi attacks, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted after her 11-hour appearance before a House investigative panel last month.

Franken gets serious about flipping Senate to Democrats  —  On a recent October afternoon, Democratic Sen. Al Franken mistakenly ambled toward the Mansfield Room, where the party in control — namely Republicans — meets weekly to hash out strategy.  —  “I keep thinking we're in the majority …

‘Take Yo Panties Off’ defense: Redskins cite other protected products in trademark appeal  —  Nearly four months after a federal judge ordered the cancellation of the Washington Redskins' federal trademark registrations for disparaging Native Americans, the National Football League team …

Ahmad Chalabi, Iraqi Politician Who Pushed for U.S. Invasion, Dies at 71  —  Ahmad Chalabi, the Iraqi politician who from exile helped persuade the United States to invade Iraq in 2003, and then unsuccessfully tried to attain power as his country was nearly torn apart by sectarian violence, died at his home in Baghdad on Tuesday.

Study: White Dudes Rule.  Literally.  —  If you turned out to vote in today's off-year general election, the chances are you voted for a bunch of white dudes.  Not because you're racist.  (Although you probably are.)  But because the ballots are overflowing with white dudes.

Migrant crisis pushing Germany towards ‘anarchy and civil war’ … Germany now is somewhere at the edge of anarchy and sliding towards civil war, or to become a banana republic without any government, says Hansjoerg Mueller of the Alternative for Germany party.

Hearts on Twitter  —  We hope you like what you see on Twitter and Vine today: hearts!  —  We are changing our star icon for favorites to a heart and we'll be calling them likes.  We want to make Twitter easier and more rewarding to use, and we know that at times the star could be confusing, especially to newcomers.

Man detonates bomb at Miss. Walmart … JACKSON, Miss. — A man is charged after allegedly setting off an explosive at a Mississippi Walmart Sunday morning.  —  Marshall W. Leonard, 61, of Tupelo, will be charged with placing an explosive device.  Under Mississippi Code 97-37-25 he could get life …