Obama approval hits new high  —  (CNN)President Barack Obama's approval rating stands at 55% in a new CNN/ORC poll, the highest mark of his second term, and matching his best at any time since his first year in office.  —  The new rating outpaces his previous second-term high …

Megyn Kelly Slams Trump for Only Sitting Down With Hannity and Avoiding ‘Unsafe Spaces’  —  UPDATE — Hannity has now hit back on Twitter over this in a BIG way.  More here and here.  —  Megyn Kelly threw some shade at Sean Hannity after the debate last week, but tonight she took a far …

Clinton debate prep is focused on what happens once the debate is done  —  Sen. Tim Kaine may have awakened Wednesday to poor reviews after the first and only vice-presidential debate, but his acerbic performance in Farmville, Va., revealed that the Clinton campaign's strategy for these debates extends far beyond the stage.

Donald Trump's Slip in Polls Has G.O.P. Worried About Congress  —  Donald J. Trump's support has plunged across the swing-state map over the last 10 days, wiping out his political recovery from September and threatening to undo weeks of Republican gains in the battle for control of Congress.

Leaked Hillary Clinton Audio: 'We've Got to Go After' Supreme Court on Second Amendment  —  The NRA endorsed Donald Trump early this year.  —  In a leaked audio from a fundraiser in New York Hillary Clinton told donors “we've got to go after” the Supreme Court on the Second Amendment.

Donald Trump Is Tearing the NFL Apart … Six months ago, Rex Ryan stood before a roaring crowd in Buffalo and gave a pep talk.  This was not an unfamiliar scene for the Bills head coach, except for maybe the suit and tie.  Well, that and the subject of his four-minute speech: Donald J. Trump.

An Open Letter From Elizabeth Holmes  —  After many months spent assessing our strengths and addressing our weaknesses, we have moved to structure our company around the model best aligned with our core values and mission.  —  We have decided to close our clinical labs and Theranos Wellness Centers …

Against Donald Trump … In october of 1860, James Russell Lowell, the founding editor of The Atlantic, warned in these pages about the perishability of the great American democratic experiment if citizens (at the time, white, male citizens) were to cease taking seriously their franchise:

EXCLUSIVE |  One-on-one with presidential candidate Donald Trump  —  Donald Trump packed the Henderson Pavilion for a rally Wednesday afternoon and fired up his supporters, hoping to win Nevada in just 34 days during the General Election.  —  Just before Trump took the stage …

GOP chairmen slam ‘unusual restrictions’ on FBI Clinton probe  —  Four Republican committee chairmen on Wednesday pressed Attorney General Loretta Lynch on what they termed “the unusual restrictions” placed on the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton  —  's use of a private email server while secretary of State.

At New Smithsonian Museum, Justice Thomas Is an Invisible Man  —  When the Smithsonian opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture Museum last week, some of the day's loveliest moments involved President Obama and former President Bush, celebrating the event together with their wives and the American people.

The way ahead  —  America's president writes for us about four crucial areas of unfinished business in economic policy that his successor will have to tackle  —  WHEREVER I go these days, at home or abroad, people ask me the same question: what is happening in the American political system?

Trump took Polaroids, interviewed models in 1994 Playboy video  — One video depicts Trump photographing fully clothed models with a Polaroid camera and conducting an interview with a potential Playmate  — One of the models Trump interviewed told CNN: “I thought he was thoughtful.

Larry Hogan's approval soars, buoyed by his disavowal of Donald Trump  —  Gov. Larry Hogan continues to earn high marks from Marylanders, including for his outspoken disavowal of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, according to a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.

Republican Chairman of Wall Street Committee Held Fundraiser With Official From ‘Domestic Terrorist’ Group  —  New Jersey Representative Scott Garrett praised Edward Durfee, the regional coordinator for New Jersey Oath Keepers, at an October gathering.  —  JoshuaGreen

ObamaCare's Meltdown Has Arrived  —  With insurers pulling back, half of Tennesseans covered under the plan are losing their coverage.  —  By  —  Tennessee is ground zero for ObamaCare's nationwide implosion.  Late last month the state insurance commissioner, Julie Mix McPeak …

Donald Trump's tax records: A tale of business failures  —  THE SCOOP DONALD TRUMP 2016 ELECTION  —  It wasn't just 1995.  —  Five years of tax information from the 1970s that Donald Trump provided to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety show mismanagement and losses …

FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN: Europe tells British press NOT to reveal if terrorists are Muslims  —  MEDDLING Brussels has said the British press should not report when terrorists are Muslims in a slew of demands to the Government to crack down on the media.  —  GETTY  •TOM KNUTSON  •FLICKR

QUEER FASCISTS SHUT DOWN NATION'S FIRST CONSERVATIVE ART SHOW  —  QUEER FASCISTS SHUT DOWN THE NATION'S FIRST CONSERVATIVE ART SHOW-  —  At least 6 Conservative artists were preparing for Saturday's historic opening.  —  But Brooklyn gallery cancels after online threats and harassment by gay fascist mob.

Trump's Doing Worse Than Romney Did Among White Voters  —  Donald Trump's strategy in this campaign has been fairly clear from the beginning: Drive up Republican support among white voters in order to compensate for the GOP's shrinking share among the growing nonwhite portion of the electorate.

Replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone catches fire on Southwest plane  —  Southwest Airlines flight 944 from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated this morning while still at the gate because of a smoking Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.  All passengers and crew exited the plane via …

A 90-Year-Old Woman Who's Voted Since 1948 Was Disenfranchised by Wisconsin's Voter-ID Law  —  Voting rights groups are asking a federal court to block the law before the November election.  —  By ,  —  Christine Krucki was born in Lublin, Wisconsin, in 1925.

Gary Johnson Equates Syria Deaths Caused by Assad and West  —  Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party presidential nominee, drew a parallel on Wednesday between the Syrian government's targeting of noncombatants in that nation's civil war and the accidental bombing of civilians by United States-backed forces.

Illegal Voters Uncovered in Philly Are ‘Tip of the Iceberg’  —  Law firm uncovers illegal immigrants, convicted felons on rolls — and some have voted in crucial swing state  —  At least 86 non-citizens have been registered voters in Philadelphia since 2013, and almost half — 40 …