A poll of likely voters in Indiana showed Democratic Senate candidate Joe Donnelly with an eleven point lead over GOP rival Richard Mourdock, whose comments on rape and abortion in October drew consternation from Democrats and some Republicans.

COMMENTARY-Avlon-centrist-candidates

We need to see more principled centrists elected to Congress

COMMENTARY-houry-heron-health-care

Why health reform is key for minorities

MONEY

MONEY-stocks-markets

U.S. stocks sank Friday afternoon as investors looked ahead to the election next week. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Nasdaq fell 1.0%, while the S&P 500 shed 0.8%. The Dow and Nasdaq are poised to finish the short week of trading relatively unchanged while the S&P 500 was still slightly higher. The market was closed on Monday and Tuesday due to Hurricane Sandy. The area around the New York Stock Exchange remained without power for a fourth straight day Friday, with the city still struggling to recover in the aftermath of the storm.

TECH-Apple-iPad-mini-sale

The iPad Mini made its global sales debut Friday, but the lines of fans outside many stores were much smaller than previous Apple debuts.