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Twenty-nine lawmakers are supposed to come up with a long-term budget deal by mid-December. They meet again Wednesday around a conference table, facing huge hurdles and led by two people who couldn't be more different: Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state and Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

In a closed-door meeting Thursday, lawmakers will consider whether to approve the report, which human rights groups are pushing to be made public. It's part of an ongoing fight over whether harsh interrogation methods, which critics compared to torture, were effective.

Eight weeks before the presidential election, new laws passed by Republican legislatures that concern who can vote and when remain in the hands of federal and state judges. The federal court trial over South Carolina's voter ID law raised questions about how such laws might be implemented.

It's not just the presidential contest that's being watched in swing state Nevada. GOP Sen. Dean Heller's race against Democrat Shelley Berkley is also seen as a tossup. That's a bit of a surprise for Republicans, who have counted on retaining the seat as they try to build a Senate majority.

President Obama and Mitt Romney were in some of the same swing states Wednesday. Obama accused the Republican of having "Romnesia" for dropping past policy positions with ease. Romney showed no forgetfulness, however, when it came to keeping up his steady line of economic attacks against Obama.

It's taken a few months for official reports to confirm what local Moroccan farmers predicted months ago: This year's date harvest was well above average. The reasons for this year's impressive haul, though, are harder to pin down.

In Charlotte, N.C., a secret bunker rests quietly below a radio station. Built in 1963, it was part of a federal network designed to provide emergency communications in case of a nuclear attack. With a new slew of potential threats to contend with, FEMA has revived the idea.

Secretary of State John Kerry questioned the Israeli leader's "judgment" on talks with Iran. Earlier, National Security Adviser Susan Rice said Netanyahu's address to Congress was hurting relations.

Despite a call from some to boycott the GOP's newest Benghazi probe, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats aren't going that far — yet.

Those who use two of the world's most popular websites can easily donate to charities working to stem Ebola's spread in West Africa. The money will help, but aid groups say awareness is important too.