In today’s top news, the East Coast is bracing for Hurricane Sandy’s impact, Sandy’s aftermath is still causing deaths to rise in Haiti and a former aide for Colin Powell says the GOP is full of racists.

The East Coast is bracing for Hurricane Sandy’s impact. [CBSNews]

As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the East Coast, death toll rises in Haiti. [WaPo]

Former Colin Powell aide says the GOP is full of racists. [UPI]

President Obama says Chicago’s gun violence is happening just blocks from his Chicago home. [MTV]

An AP poll shows that the majority of Americans still harbor prejudice against Blacks. [AP]

Meek Mill says jail changed his life. [BET]

Lark Voorhies spoke out, calling rumors that she is bipolar “comical.” [BET]

Natina Reed of the R&B group Blaque dies at age 32. [BET]

A cheap color test has been created to detect HIV and some cancers. [BBC]

A bomb hits Northern Nigerian church, killing at least eight people and wounding nearly 100. [AJE]

In today’s top news, Lil Wayne was hospitalized after suffering a seizure aboard a private jet, President Obama and Mitt Romney are both on track to raise nearly $2 billion in campaign donations and Condoleezza Rice defended Mitt Romney’s position on women’s issues.

Lil Wayne was hospitalized after suffering a seizure aboard a private jet. [BET]

President Obama and Mitt Romney are both on track to raise nearly $2 billion in campaign donations. [NYT]

Condoleezza Rice defends Mitt Romney’s position on women’s issues. [Politico]

Oprah Winfrey is reportedly developing a drama series for HBO. [WaPo]

Hurricane Sandy is headed for the East Coast. [NYT]

A Texas high school has begun tracking students with computer chips. [NBCNews]

Rapper Angel Haze opens up about being raped on new song. [BET]

A video surfaced showing Chief Keef associate Lil Reese brutally beating a young woman. [BET]

Angola launched a $5 billion sovereign wealth fund to diversify its economy. [CNN]

Sudan plans to report Israel to the U.N. over an alleged airstrike that caused an explosion. [BBC]

(Photo: CBS News)

In today’s top news, Colin Powell endorses President Obama’s re-election, Hurricane Sandy kills two in Jamaica, makes landfall in Miami, and D.C. sniper Lee Malvo says he was sexually abused by his accomplice, John Allen Muhammad.

Colin Powell endorsed President Obama’s re-election. [CBS News]

Hurricane Sandy kills 2 in Jamaica, makes landfall in Miami. [CNN]

D.C. sniper Lee Malvo says he was sexually abused by his accomplice, John Allen Muhammad. [TODAY]

President Obama will become the first president to vote early when he casts his ballot today. [CBSNews]

Rev. Jesse Jackson was arrested and jailed during a protest with workers in Illinois. [AP]

Bobby Brown was arrested for his second DUI this year. [BET]

Diddy was injured in a car accident in L.A. [BET]

Rosci Diaz lands hosting gig on Entertainment Tonight. [BET]

Kenya bans political candidates from sending mass texts to voters. [BBC]

South Africa’s striking gold miners have come to a wage agreement with mine bosses. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Louisiana police say 20-year-old Sharmeka Moffitt lied about being burned by the KKK, reports say Donald Trump has evidence that President Obama and Michelle Obama once filed for divorce and Mitt Romney’s son Tagg apologized for stating that he wanted to “swing” on Obama.

Louisiana police say 20-year-old Sharmeka Moffitt lied about being burned by the KKK. [CBSNews]

Reports say Donald Trump is gearing up to reveal evidence that President Obama and Michelle Obama once filed for divorce. [DailyMail]

Mitt Romney’s son Tagg apologized for stating that he wanted to “swing” on Obama during the presidential debates. [CNN]

A friend of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says its unclear whether the congressman will return to work. [CNBC]

A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Indiana said when pregnancy results from a rape, “God intended” it. [Reuters]

Amber Rose slipped and told Twitter fans she will be having a baby boy. [BET]

Vivica A. Fox is the latest celeb to weigh in on Stacey Dash’s endorsement of Mitt Romney. [BET]

Lil Wayne says Kanye helped with new album. [BET]

Syria agrees to a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid. [BBC]

Officials from Western nations say an offensive against Mali rebels will not happen until 2013. [AJE]

In today’s top news, President Obama and Mitt Romney wrapped up the presidential debates with a bang, a Black woman in Louisiana says the KKK set her on fire and one of the students in the FAMU hazing case was cleared of jail time.

President Obama and Mitt Romney wrapped up the presidential debates with a bang. [CNN]

A Black woman in Louisiana says the KKK set her on fire. [CBSNews]

One of the students in the FAMU hazing case will not receive jail time for his involvement. [CNN]

Wyclef explains his now infamous Speedo pic circulating the internet. [BET]

Rapper Gunplay is released on $150,000 bond. [BET]

Azealia Banks is boycotting designer Dolce and Gabbana over racist imagery in its Spring 2013 line. [BET]

Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s bid to trademark daughter Blue Ivy’s name was rejected. [CNN]

France plans to send drones to Mali. [AP]

Benin uncovers a plot to poison the president. [AJE]

The Clintons are hosting a delegation in Haiti to show off a newly opened industrial park. [AP]

In today’s top news, President Obama and Mitt Romney will face off in the final presidential debate tonight, Trayvon Martin’s parents say his school records aren’t as relevant as George Zimmerman’s medical records and Ohio’s controversial voter fraud billboards will come down.

President Obama and Mitt Romney will face off in the final presidential debate tonight. [CNN]

Trayvon Martin’s parents say his school records aren’t as relevant as George Zimmerman’s medical records. [BET]

Ohio’s controversial voter fraud billboards will come down. [Reuters]

A Wisconsin man opened fire in a salon, killing three women before taking his own life. [NBCNews]

Voters in three states are set to vote on whether marijuana should be fully legalized and taxed. [NBCNews]

Marlon Wayans says he has “Democratic skin, but a Republican pocket.” [BET]

Flavor Flav is out on bail after a domestic violence arrest. [BET]

Venus Williams wins the Luxembourg Open. [USATODAY]

South African police admit to “overreacting” during August’s deadly platinum mine protest. [AJE]

Pope Benedict XVI named the first Native American saint. [CNN]

(Photo: Allan Tannenbaum-Pool/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, President Obama’s re-election campaign confirms it set the record for a single day of fundraising earlier this week, Michelle Obama wrote an open letter to women, encouraging the bloc to vote for her husband, and a new study shows that humans are not naturally racist.

President Obama’s re-election campaign confirms it set the record for a single day of fundraising earlier this week. [CNN]

Michelle Obama wrote an open letter to women, encouraging the bloc to vote for her husband. [Elle]

A new study shows that humans are not naturally racist. [Atlantic]

The St. Louis Zoo removed a Halloween ghost display after many said it looked like a lynching. [HuffingtonPost]

Kimora Lee Simmons calls Stacey Dash’s Romney endorsement a publicity stunt. [BET]

Meshell Ndegeocello says the public shouldn’t pre-judge Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic. [BET]

Chris Rock hinted at a possible collabo tour with Dave Chappelle. [BET]

Diddy was honored by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. [SP]

South Africa’s striking gold field miners return to work. [BBC]

South Sudan resumes oil production after historic deal. [BBC]

In today’s top news, a judge has set George Zimmerman’s trial for June 2013, Rev. Jesse Jackson says he’s disappointed that the presidential debates have not focused more on poverty and gun control and Flavor Flav was arrested for assault and domestic violence.

A judge has set the trial of Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman for June 2013. [BET]

Rev. Jesse Jackson says he’s disappointed that the presidential debates have not focused more on poverty and gun control. [Politico]

Flavor Flav was arrested for assault and domestic violence. [BET]

An 80-year-old woman was arrested for taking down posters that depict President Obama as Hitler. [NBCNews]

A Republican congressman says today’s conditions are worse than slavery. [HuffPo]

Drake receives his high school diploma at age 25. [Daily Mail]

Willow Smith has launched a fashion blog. [BET]

Awkward Black Girl’s Issa Rae landed a network sitcom deal. [BET]

Human rights groups say nearly 28,000 people have been kidnapped in Syria. [BBC]

Uganda plans to increase social media surveillance to curb crime and terrorism. [BBC]

(Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In today’s top news, President Obama and Mitt Romney squared off in last night’s presidential debate, Beyoncé will headline this year’s Super Bowl halftime show and Louisiana gets its first Black chief justice.

President Obama and Mitt Romney tackled a range of issues and almost tackled each other in last night’s presidential debate. [CNN]

Beyoncé will headline this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. [BET]

Louisiana gets its first Black chief justice. [AP]

A “Puppet March” is scheduled to take place in D.C. to defend PBS funding. [AP]

Groundbreaking on new homes in September reached its fastest pace in four years. [Reuters]

Comedian Mike Epps has been cast as Richard Pryor in the forthcoming Nina Simone biopic. [BET]

Keyshia Cole denies a Gucci Mane lyric claiming she was romantically involved with Diddy. [BET]

New study shows that ancient Malian king Mansa Musa I was the richest man in all of human history. [Independent]

A U.N. report accuses Rwanda of leading rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [BBC]

Pirates capture seven European crew members from a ship off the coast of Nigeria. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Jay-Z urges voters to choose Obama in a new video spot, President Obama and Mitt Romney will face-off in the second presidential debate Tuesday night and Nelly speaks out for the first time since his Texas tour bus drug bust.

Jay-Z urges voters to choose Obama in a new video spot. [BET]

President Obama and Mitt Romney will face-off in the second presidential debate Tuesday night. [CNN]

Nelly speaks out for the first time since his Texas tour bus drug bust. [BET]

Trayvon Martin’s parents launch website dedicated to increasing awareness on ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws. [Orlando Sentinel]

Jennifer Hudson says she’s not buying the American Idol drama between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. [BET]

Police released the names of 21 men accused of paying for sex with a Zumba instructor in Maine. [AP]

Nas’ Georgia home was recently foreclosed and sold via auction. [E! News]

Birdman of Cash Money recently shelled out $14.5 million on a Miami mansion. [Yahoo!]

More than 100 inmates have escaped from a jail in Tripoli, Libya. [BBC]

Hillary Clinton accepts responsibility for last month’s Libyan attacks on a U.S. diplomatic mission. [AJE]