"Russia carried out a series of airstrikes within Syria on Wednesday, in a dramatic escalation of Moscow's involvement in the deadly Syrian civil war. While Russia claimed the strikes were targeting Islamic State militants, analysts and officials say Russia is in fact targeting rebel groups as part of a calculus that helps bolster the regime of its ally President Bashar Assad." Here's a helpful rundown on who is fighting whom in Syria, as well as a map of the Russian airstrikes. [Nick Robins-Early, HuffPost]
Her fundraising numbers beat Bernie Sanders this past quarter, but not by much. Team Hillary is also trying to stop a possible Joe Biden run before it starts. [Sam Stein, HuffPost]
"Dozens of Secret Service personnel inappropriately accessed private information on a member of Congress who was conducting oversight of the agency, in a pattern the Department of Homeland Security's watchdog called 'deeply disturbing.'" [Ryan Reilly, HuffPost]
"Afghan troops recaptured the center of the strategic northern city of Kunduz on Thursday after fierce clashes with Taliban militants, three days after losing the provincial capital in a humbling defeat for Kabul and its U.S. allies." Here's how the Taliban has been plotting for years to take Kunduz. And U.S. military commanders have been pushing to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan past 2016, while President Barack Obama wants all American troops out before he leaves office in January 2017. [Reuters]
Take a look at today's Morning Newsbrief. [HuffPost]
Batten down the hatches on the East coast -- a storm's a 'coming. [Reuters]
Congress passed a stopgap measure funding the government until Dec. 11. [Michael McAuliff and Laura Barron-Lopez, HuffPost]
To get The Morning Email, HuffPost's daily roundup of the news, in your inbox, sign up here. And listen to the news in under two minutes here.
WHAT’S BREWING
We're all about to get rated. Gulp. [WaPo]
It's now going to be a TV show, because you didn't have enough things to binge on. [HuffPost]
The new CBS show "Hunted" will focus on everyday folks trying to outwit skilled trackers and surveillance. [HuffPost]
"'We have an incredible team of people who do beautiful work, but we launched the site before it was ready, and it never caught up to its original mission: It’s not making a difference in people’s lives, whether superficially or in a meaningful way,' she told Vogue." [HuffPost]
Talk about taking skin art to a whole new level. [HuffPost]
Send them via carrier pigeon. [Pigeon]
"Corporate dress codes are barometers of the standards of polite society. Between the lines, they also articulate the limits within which power may permissibly intrude on personal space." [NYT]
She still may face civil charges over the car crash in February that left one woman dead. [HuffPost]
WHAT'S WORKING
"Mayor Charlie Hales is so disconcerted by the growing housing crisis in Portland, Oregon, that he sees no choice but to declare a homelessness 'state of emergency.'" [HuffPost]
ON THE BLOG
Upgrade your chilling method. [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
~ Oklahoma's governor issued a 37-day stay for the execution of inmate Richard Glossip.
~ Congrats to Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey on the birth of their baby boy.
~ You cannot look away from the eyes in these portraits.
~ Steve on "Blues Clues" has been spotted.
~ Bed Bath & Beyond has been handing out a few too many of those 20% off coupons.
~ This clip proves you really need to pay your sound effects guy.
~ Dissecting how Jessica Simpson built a billion-dollar retail empire.
~ How many grapes are in your bottle of wine.
~ Say goodbye to your "Game of Thrones" movie hopes.
~ You can tell your parents it was easier to be skinnier in the 80s.
~ This couple got billed for not attending their friend's wedding.
~ Welcome to the era of the credit card chip.
~ Checking back in with Ryan and Ali from "Love Story," 45 years later.
~ Buzzfeed's bringing back the crossword puzzle.
~ All the best belfies are titled "Balmain Booty."
~ Would you dare to walk across this glass-bottom bridge in China?
~ Amtrak is cracking down on unlimited bags.
~ And you can now buy marijuana legally in Oregon.
Send tips/quips/quotes/stories/photos/events/scoops to Lauren Weber at lauren.weber@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter @LaurenWeberHP. And like what you're reading? Sign up here to get The Morning Email delivered to you.