White House, GOP near two-year budget deal  —  Senior White House officials and congressional leaders are nearing a deal to raise the debt limit and set the federal budget for the next two years, say sources familiar with the talks.  —  The agreement is not yet final, as negotiators still need …

Donald Trump's TODAY town hall: Guns, ISIS — and the last time he ate McDonald's  —  Donald Trump brought his brash, unapologetic presidential campaign to New Hampshire on Monday for a “pancakes and politics” town hall meeting with voters, hosted by TODAY's Matt Lauer.

The Most Likely Next President Is Hillary Clinton  —  And Republicans are in denial about it.  —  MarkHalperin  —  A virulent strain of Clinton Derangement Syndrome, which scientists and Republicans thought had been wiped out at the end of the last century, is now inflicting millions of conservative Americans.

Decatur City Schools addresses teacher's controversial Halloween costume  —  DECATUR, Ala. - A representative from Decatur City Schools called a news conference this morning in reference to a controversial picture on social media.  During the conference, Superintendent Ed Nichols read a letter of apology from the teacher involved.

Can Carson win GOP nomination?  —  The possibility of Ben Carson becoming the Republican presidential nominee is being raised with increasing urgency after he knocked Donald Trump out of first place in two Iowa polls late last week.  —  But there are plenty of skeptics within Republican ranks …

The GOP's dysfunction all started with Sarah Palin  —  William M. Daley was White House chief of staff from 2011 to 2012.  —  When The Post's front page declares: “Republicans are on the verge of ceasing to function as a national party,” it's time to ask: How did this come to pass?

Rubio gives up on Senate: ‘He hates it’  —  Marco Rubio is a U.S. senator.  And he just can't stand it anymore.  —  “I don't know that ‘hate’ is the right word,” Rubio said in an interview.  “I'm frustrated.”  —  This year, as Rubio runs for president, he has cast the Senate …

In U.S., Support for Tea Party Drops to New Low  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' support for the Tea Party has dropped to its lowest level since the movement emerged on the national political scene prior to the 2010 midterm elections.

Stingray Tracking Devices: Who's Got Them?  —  The map below tracks what we know, based on press reports and publicly available documents, about the use of stingray tracking devices by state and local police departments.  Following the map is a list of the federal law enforcement agencies known …

Hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats cause cancer, World Health Organization declares  —  A research division of the World Health Organization announced Monday that bacon, sausage and other processed meats cause cancer and that red meat probably does, too.

Bush family gathers to rescue Jeb  —  <p>HOUSTON — This closed-door summit for Jeb Bush's richest donors was meant to be a pep rally, a reunion for loyalists eager to celebrate the family legacy with two former presidents.</p><p> But as George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush draw supporters …

Police union calls for Tarantino boycott after anti-cop rally  —  Quentin Tarantino speaks during an organized protest against police brutality in Washington Square Park on Saturday.  —  The city's police union is calling for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino films after the “Pulp Fiction” …

After Papa Roux robbery, discount promised for handgun license holders  —  Papa Roux is the latest Indy restaurant to be robbed, following four others on the Eastside and another in Broad Ripple.  —  CONNECT  —  Art Bouvier has a message for criminals: Don't mess with Papa Roux.

Why Trump isn't fading like the GOP establishment expected  —  The conventional wisdom among Donald Trump's detractors is that his current surge in the polls won't last because as we get closer to actual voting, Republicans excited by his political incorrectness will start factoring in “electability.”

Hillary Clinton Wins Again  —  On the heels of a strong Democratic debate performance, last week Vice President Joe Biden — whose candidacy would surely have drawn support away from her — dismounted the fence and decided not to run for president himself.  And then came the spectacular debacle of the Benghazi committee hearing.

Russian Ships Near Data Cables Are Too Close for U.S. Comfort  —  WASHINGTON — Russian submarines and spy ships are aggressively operating near the vital undersea cables that carry almost all global Internet communications, raising concerns among some American military and intelligence officials …

Does Ben Carson Believe Most Evangelical Voters Are Going to Hell?  —  Social conservatives backing his campaign may want to ask him a few questions.  —  Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon and political novice, has leaped to the head of the GOP's 2016 pack in Iowa.

Joe Biden: No 2016 death bed wish from son Beau Biden  —  In an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden knocked down reports that his son Beau Biden pleaded from his death bed that his father take one more shot at the White House.