Don’t know why I didn’t think of a bunch of soft food options during last trip to grocery store, but after yesterday’s dental marathon, instant mashed potatoes sounding pretty good.

Here are some midday news/views snacks for your less restricted enjoyment:

* Pryor announces support for ENDA, making Joe Manchin the sole Senate Democratic hold-out as vote nears.

* Landrieu airs interest in sponsoring repeal of ACA regs driving individual policy cancellations.

* Two polls–Quinnipiac and Rasmussen–come out showing Cuccinelli closing gap with McAuliffe for no apparent reason; another, taken a bit earlier by Roanoke College, shows TMac opening up 15-point lead.

* Putin edges Obama to top Forbes list of world’s most powerful people; Pope Francis debuts at #4.

* At TAP, Amelia Thomson-Deveaux unravels the complexities of the Oklahoma law on medicinal abortions that’s headed for SCOTUS.

And in non-political news:

* Zombies making a play, but witches still top Halloween outfit.

As we break for lunch, here’s another song about deception: King Crimson’s “Great Deceiver.”

Ed Kilgore

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.