The Note: Ben Carson Under Scrutiny

— -- NOTABLES

--BEN CARSON FACING SCRUTINY FOR CLAIM ABOUT INCIDENT AT YALE: Ben Carson continues to face questions about his personal story, including now about the legitimacy of a story in his autobiography about being the most "honest student" in a psychology course at Yale University. In his 1990 autobiography, "Gifted Hands," Carson wrote that while he was at Yale, he took an exam for a psychology course titled "Perceptions 301," only to be told by the professor days after that the exams were "inadvertently burned." The class gathered to take the repeat exam, but after a half hour, Carson says all of the students except him had left the room, ABC's ALANA ABRAMSON and KATHERINE FAULDERS note. "Like the others, I was tempted to walk out, but I had read the notice, and I couldn't lie and say I hadn't. All the time I wrote my answers, I prayed for God to help me figure out what to put down. I paid no more attention to departing footsteps," Carson wrote in "Gifted Hands." Carson's professor subsequently entered with a photographer from the Yale Daily News and explained that it was a hoax, designed to find out "the most honest student in the class," Carson wrote. Carson said he then received a $10 bill as a reward. http://abcn.ws/1HzRRWJ

--THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, HOWEVER, CHALLENGED CARSON'S STORY, claiming that, according to Yale Daily News archives from that era, no photo identifying Mr. Carson was ever printed. "No stories in the Yale Daily News mention a course named Perceptions 301 either," the Wall Street Journal reported. Yale librarian Claryn Spies told the Journal no such course existed during Carson's time at Yale. have more. http://abcn.ws/1HzRRWJ

--CARSON BLASTS MEDIA'S 'POLITICAL HIT JOB': After a series of reports questioning stories told by Carson fired back, blaming the media for a "political hit job." Carson found himself facing scrutiny for saying he had been offered a full scholarship to West Point Military Academy. His campaign later clarified that he never formally applied nor was admitted, but maintained that he was invited to apply by a local ROTC officer, ABC's KATHERINE FAULDERS reports. "People are clearly able to see what's going on," Carson said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "You look at the political hit job this week. I mean -- even some of you guys in the media called him out on that. It's pretty bad," added Carson. His campaign communications director, Doug Watts, said he believed Carson was referring to Kyle Cheney, who filed the report on West Point for Politico, which later clarified its reporting. http://abcn.ws/1WHkMnX

--LOOK AHEAD -- 5 POLITICAL STORIES YOU'LL CARE ABOUT OVER THE NEXT YEAR: In about one year away from Election Day 2016, ABC's RICK KLEIN highlights the five stories that will drive politics over the next year. http://abcn.ws/1RG8dmj

THE BUZZ

with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

DONALD TRUMP CALLS CONTROVERSY SWIRLING AROUND BEN CARSON 'VERY STRANGE.' Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called the controversy swirling around his rival Ben Carson "very strange" Sunday, questioning stories Carson has told that have since been scrutinized. Trump has questioned Carson several times about a childhood story in his autobiography "Gifted Hands" in which Carson described once trying to stab a friend or relative. He also questioned a story Carson has told about hitting his mother with a hammer. "It's a strange situation when you talk about hitting your mother on the head with the hammer," Trump said on "This Week," ABC's ALI DUKAKIS notes. "It's a weird deal going on and I hope it all works out because I don't want to see Ben have problems over this stuff." http://abcn.ws/1L4xNvy

BERNIE SANDERS REJECTS MARTIN O'MALLEY'S ATTACKS AS 'CATEGORICALLY FALSE.' Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders responded to primary challenger Martin O'Malley, calling the former Maryland governor's claim that he worked against President Obama's reelection "categorically false." Sanders rejected O'Malley's claims on ABC's "This Week," saying Obama campaigned for him in Vermont in 2006 and that he worked for the president in 2008 and 2012, ABC's HAYLEY WALKER notes. O'Malley had said Friday that in 2011, Sanders was trying to find someone to run against the president in a primary. "I worked very hard to see Barack Obama elected," Sanders said. "I think under incredible Republican obstructionism, Obama and Joe Biden have moved this country forward in a way that leaves us a hell of a lot better than we were when [former President George W.] Bush left office." http://abcn.ws/20F6zqW

WHAT MARCO RUBIO PAID FOR WITH HIS FLORIDA GOP CHARGE CARD. Movie tickets, Costco and grocery store runs, Walt Disney World trips, flowers and flights for his wife --- those are some of the charges listed in two years of statements for Marco Rubio's American Express card issued by the Republican Party of Florida. The charges -- which have surfaced along with questions about his personal finances as an issue for the GOP candidate in the 2016 campaign -- are listed in two years (2007-'08) of statements obtained by ABC News that have been widely circulated in Florida political circles since Rubio ran for Senate in 2010. The Rubio campaign released the records for the two other years (2005-'06) he had the card, along with a statement saying he paid all of his personal charges himself, ABC's JONATHAN KARL, SHUSHANNAH WALSHE and INES DE LA CUETARA report. "Marco paid his personal charges directly to American Express," the statement said. "The Republican Party of Florida did not pay for any of Marco's personal expenses. Further, taxpayer funds were not used for any political or personal charges on the card." ABC News has not been able to determine all of the charges that were personal, though Rubio's campaign has identified some that were. http://abcn.ws/1MDPIKK

RICH LOWRY: TRUMP CHANCES TO WIN NOMINATION MIGHT BE 50/50 WITH IOWA WIN. ABC News spoke with National Review editor Rich Lowry, who joined the "This Week" roundtable Sunday, about the 2016 presidential election. According to ABC's BENJAMIN BELL, Lowry said Donald Trump may have a 50-50 chance of securing the Republican nomination for president if he is able to win the Iowa caucuses. http://abcn.ws/1ldUOr9

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

MEET THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY'S 'FLOWER MAN'. With the presidential race in full swing, candidates are taking to the stump with their respective messages. But it's not just the candidates getting out there -- one man with a whole lot of facial hair and a lot of flowers is surprising the candidates, trying to see what they are really like. By now Rod Webber, who has earned the nickname "flower man", has become a fixture of the campaign trail, ABC's INES DE LA CUETARA writes. He has been traveling the country to meet with candidates, simply to hand them a flower and ask them to pray for peace with him. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1Pwo1ZI

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN DONALD TRUMP HOSTED 'SNL.' The Republican presidential candidate made his second-ever appearance on the show last weekend, dancing to Drake and portraying his future in the White House. "Donald -- you're the most talented guy. You're brilliant, you're handsome, you're rich, you have everything going -- the world is waiting for you to be president so why are you hosting Saturday Night Live?" he said during his monologue. "I didn't have anything better to do." Trump was also greeted in his opening monologue by some of the "SNL" cast members who have portrayed him, ABC's JOHN SANTUCCI notes. Yet, he pointed out, they are not like him. "They don't have my talent, my money or especially my good looks," he said. http://abcn.ws/1Pij4Fa

WHO'S TWEETING?

@DanJWeiss: BREAKING: League of Conservation Voters Action Fund to endorse Clinton http://wapo.st/1kjw2Wo

@AshleyRParker: Wither the TV ad? 2016 marks the rise of earned media. http://nytimes.com/2015/11/10/us/politics/donald-trump-advertises-rising-value-of-free-political-publicity.html ...

@wpjenna: Bernie Sanders is on a crusade to save the struggling U.S. Postal Service from extinction: http://wapo.st/1RI0aFq

@charliespiering: @ChrisChristie on Ben Carson "We're all responsible for our own personal stories ... he should answer the questions"

@nytpolitics: A Democratic group is pushing automatic voter registration when getting a driver's license. http://nyti.ms/1SCZdPB