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.

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 …

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.

Biden would have run if he thought he could have won  —  Vice President Biden says in a new interview that he would have run for president if he thought he could have won.  —  “I'll be very blunt.  If I thought we could've put together the campaign that — that our supporters deserve …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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).

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 …

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” …

Brownback satisfaction rating at 18%; Democrats targeting Senate seats  —  A new poll from the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University shows only 18 percent of Kansans are satisfied with Gov. Sam Brownback's performance in office, and most (61 percent) …

Marco Rubio's “Knife Fighters”  —  In the six months since Marco Rubio launched his presidential bid, he and his aides have worked diligently to cultivate a squeaky-clean public image for their campaign.  They boast that they don't employ opposition researchers to dig up dirt on opponents.