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Candice Nelson fits her daughter Arya Kubesh with a Halloween hat at a store at Galleria Mall in Edina, Minn. Retailers are hoping Halloween will give them a good bounce into the peak spending time of the year.

Candice Nelson fits her daughter Arya Kubesh with a Halloween hat at a store at Galleria Mall in Edina, Minn. Retailers are hoping Halloween will give them a good bounce into the peak spending time of the year. Elizabeth Flores/MCT/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Elizabeth Flores/MCT/Landov

Business

Halloween-Thanksgiving-Hanukkah-Christmas-New-Year Buying Begins

Most retailers are feeling optimistic as analysts forecast rising sales over this long shopping season. They are hoping Halloween will give them a good bounce into the peak spending time of the year.

Brandon Wells of the Mississippi State Bulldogs takes the field before a game against the Ole Miss Rebels last year.

Brandon Wells of the Mississippi State Bulldogs takes the field before a game against the Ole Miss Rebels last year. Stacy Revere/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Sweetness And Light

College Football's Big Ten Conference? Try The Littler Ten

Country music isn't the only American cultural institution rallying in the South. Commentator Frank Deford says the region has triumphed in college football, taking over where Big Ten had ruled.

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In this campaign ad, GOP candidate Terri Lynn Land sips coffee after asking the viewer to "think about" accusations that she's waging a war on women.

In this campaign ad, GOP candidate Terri Lynn Land sips coffee after asking the viewer to "think about" accusations that she's waging a war on women. Terry Land/YouTube hide caption

itoggle caption Terry Land/YouTube

Politics

The 2014 Campaign Ads That You Just Can't Stop Replaying

States that could determine which party controls the Senate next year have been barraged for months with campaign ads. For better or for worse, here are some of the most noteworthy.

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This experimental Ebola vaccine, developed by the U.S. government, is just one of several undergoing small-scale, preliminary testing.

This experimental Ebola vaccine, developed by the U.S. government, is just one of several undergoing small-scale, preliminary testing. University of Maryland School of Medicine/AP hide caption

itoggle caption University of Maryland School of Medicine/AP

Shots - Health News

Ebola Vaccine Could Start Testing In Africa By January

The World Health Organization says two vaccine candidates now undergoing small-scale tests of dosage and safety in people might be ready for broader deployment in Africa by early 2015.

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A puppy waits at an adoption event in Miami last year. The city is now considering a ban on the sale of puppies in retail pet stores. Cities and towns in several states have passed similar bans, aimed at cracking down on substandard, large-scale puppy breeders.

A puppy waits at an adoption event in Miami last year. The city is now considering a ban on the sale of puppies in retail pet stores. Cities and towns in several states have passed similar bans, aimed at cracking down on substandard, large-scale puppy breeders. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Wilfredo Lee/AP

Around the Nation

In More Cities, That Doggie In The Window Is Not For Sale

Almost 50 U.S. cities and towns have banned pet stores from selling puppies. The laws are aimed at cracking down on substandard, large-scale breeders, but many store owners say the bans are unfair.

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Angie Gardea depends on her job at a hair salon to put food on the table. But because of the Ebola outbreak, business has been slow. Customers are afraid to come in.

Angie Gardea depends on her job at a hair salon to put food on the table. But because of the Ebola outbreak, business has been slow. Customers are afraid to come in. Michaeleen Doucleff/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Michaeleen Doucleff/NPR

Goats and Soda

For Healthy Liberians, Life Continues — With Some Adjustments

The million-plus healthy residents of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, are doing their best to maintain their lives in a city where Ebola has killed more than 1,300.

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Lynn Good has had many mentors throughout her career — but few of them were women. "So I'm generationally on the early part of the ascent of women into leadership roles," the Duke Energy president and CEO says.

Lynn Good has had many mentors throughout her career — but few of them were women. "So I'm generationally on the early part of the ascent of women into leadership roles," the Duke Energy president and CEO says. Pat Sullivan/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Pat Sullivan/AP

The Changing Lives Of Women

Duke Energy CEO: 'I Don't Think Of Myself As A Powerful Woman'

Female executives are a rarity in the energy industry. But Lynn Good, CEO of Duke Energy, took the helm of the utility giant just as it was grappling with some very public challenges.

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