Darren Wilson resigns from Ferguson Police Department  —  • By Christine Byers cbyers@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8087  —  Citing security fears, Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Michael Brown Aug. 9, has resigned from the police department.

Off-Duty Cop Allegedly Shoots Woman In Head During Road Rage Incident  —  An off-duty Texas cop got upset at a woman for cutting him off and allegedly fired his gun into her window, hitting her in the head.  —  Now Precinct 6 Deputy Constable Kenneth Caplan is charged with aggravated assault …

13 Republicans most likely to win WH  —  Republicans say their long list of 2016 hopefuls is among the deepest, most diverse group in recent history without a clear frontrunner.  —  “This is the most open field we've ever seen,” one GOP strategist told The Hill.

Deep South justice in Ferguson  —  My 102-year-old mother-in-law, Henryne Walker Stewart Goode, whom we buried a week ago at the Walker family cemetery in Okolona, Miss., often told an unforgettable story at our kitchen table.  —  She attended Okolona College, where she was taught English …

GOP Staffer Calls Obama Daughters Classless, Dressed for the “Bar”  —  For most people, Sasha and Malia Obama's spiritless appearance at this year's White House turkey pardon was a lesson about humility, showing how even the world's most powerful man is still just “ugh, Dad” to his teenage daughters.

Former Gov. Mario Cuomo spends Thanksgiving in hospital  —  The former governor spent the Thanksgiving holiday in the hospital with a heart condition.  Son Andrew and wife Matilda were at his side.  —  Best wishes to former Gov. Mario Cuomo, who spent Thanksgiving at a Manhattan hospital with a serious heart condition.

Dog takes bullet for family, saves child after road rage attack  —  ATLANTA — They say all dogs go to heaven.  That will be especially true for one German Shepherd in the West End.  —  Not so sure, though, about the man who killed the dog while firing multiple gunshots into a Chevy Suburban that was loaded with children.

Masturbating Passenger Forces Emergency Landing on Virgin America Flight  —  Thanksgiving travel got a little worse this year thanks to a passenger who wouldn't stop masturbating on a Virgin America flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.  —  FAA officials said a Boston …

Gun sales boom on Black Friday: Almost 3 background checks per second  —  (CNN) — The busiest shopping day of the year also saw a major boom for gun sales, with the federal background check system expected to set a record of more than 144,000 background checks Friday, according to the FBI.

Mark Warner Named to Senate Democratic Leadership  —  Warren and Warner are newly installed members on Senate Democrats' leadership team.  (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)  —  A senator who voted against keeping Harry Reid as the Democratic leader is getting a seat at the leadership table.

Black Friday turns to protests … SEATTLE — Black Friday turned into a day of protests at malls across the country after a grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson earlier this week.  —  Protesters in a St. Louis mall blocked shoppers and forced some stores to close.

Rick Perry ramps up  —  Texas governor invites GOP donors to December sessions to discuss 2016  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry is inviting hundreds of prominent Republican donors and policy experts to a series of gatherings next month that are intended to rebuild his damaged national brand and lay …