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?

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.

Where Is Ben Carson's Money Going?  —  Ben Carson is raising a ton of money.  He hauled in an impressive $20.8 million in the third quarter, shocking the political world and topping the Republican field in fundraising.  That comes after a strong second quarter, when he raised more than $10 million.

Trump: My dad gave me a ‘small loan’ of a million dollars  —  <p>As Donald Trump tells it, he has been told no his entire life.  For example, he said Monday, his father gave him a "small loan of a million dollars" that he had to repay with interest at the start of his career.</p><p>"Oh many times.

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.

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” …

Gun lobby pushes to loosen restrictions on silencers  —  Gun rights groups are putting their might behind Republican legislation that would ease restrictions for firearm owners looking to buy silencers.  —  Roundly panned by gun control advocates, the Hearing Protection Act introduced …

This Man Failed A Paternity Test Due To His Vanished Twin's DNA  —  DNA researchers report a father failed a paternity test because the genes in his saliva differ from his sperm's.  One in eight people might possess such “chimeric” genes caused by a twin lost in the womb.

At least 4 dead after whale watching vessel sinks off Tofino, B.C.  —  27 people on board at time of accident  —  The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria says at least four people have died after a whale watching vessel sank off the coast of Tofino, B.C., Sunday.

Google Turning Its Lucrative Web Search Over to AI Machines  —  ‘RankBrain’ uses artificial intelligence to filter results  —  In tests, system beats company's experts at page selection.  —  When Google-parent Alphabet Inc. reported eye-popping earnings last week its executives …

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 …

Benghazi hearings show that Clinton lives in a bubble of deniability  —  In the 2008 campaign, Hillary Clinton asserted that she was the candidate best equipped to take a 3 a.m. phone call.  What she didn't tell us was that her number would be unlisted.  —  In the bipartisan grandstanding …

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 …

Death to Capitalism?  Visitors to Marx's Grave Balk at Fee  —  London cemetery charges fee to see late communist's memorial  —  HIGHGATE CEMETERY, LONDON—On a summer visit to the grave of Karl Marx, Ben Gliniecki found that he would have to pay £4, or about $6 …

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.

Fuming over Ryan, some conservative voices turn on the Freedom Caucus  —  Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) has been able to count on his Facebook page for stalwart support during his long-running battle with the House Republican leadership, including a successful effort to oust House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).

Refugees will freeze to death, warn EU heads  —  Leaders warn the continent was “falling apart” trying to deal with the migrant crisis  —  Migrants crossing the Balkans will begin freezing to death as winter approaches, the head of European Union has said, as leaders warned the continent was …