We Have Our Final Six  —  Tonight's debate showed that the GOP field is smaller than it looks.  Technically, there are still fourteen people running, but the winnowing is far along.  We probably have a final six and possibly a final four.  —  The three winners of the night were pretty obvious …

Paul Ryan elected Speaker  —  Lawmakers on Thursday elected Rep. Paul Ryan as the 54th Speaker of the House, putting an end to weeks of uncertainty over who would lead the raucous 247-member GOP conference after John Boehner's (R-Ohio) surprise resignation.  —  On a day filled with pomp …

Yeah, Jeb Bush Is Probably Toast  —  The post-debate spin could become a self-fulfilling prophecy  —  “You know, I think Jeb Bush is toast,” I told one of my editors after Wednesday night's debate.  —  “I kinda do too,” he replied.  “I'm just worried because that's what everyone else seems to think too.”

Details and Analysis of Senator Ted Cruz's Tax Plan  —  Key Findings:  — Senator Cruz's (R-TX) tax plan would enact a 10 percent flat tax on individual income and replace the corporate income tax and all payroll taxes with a 16 percent “Business Transfer Tax,” or subtraction method value-added tax.

Energy Department smashes pumpkins for causing climate change  —  How scary are your jack-o'-lanterns?  Scarier than you think, according to the Energy Department, which claims the holiday squash is responsible for unleashing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Jeannine Aversa: (202) 606-2649 (News Media)  —  National Income and Product Accounts  —  Gross Domestic Product: Third Quarter 2015 (Advance Estimate)  —  Real gross domestic product — the value of the goods and services produced by the nation's economy less the value of the goods …

Stoned?  Former Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone goes after John Kasich on Twitter  —  Republican presidential candidates, from left, John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, and Rand Paul take the stage during …

After CNBC debacle, Carson camp vows revolt over debates  —  Share Tweet Reddit Digg Mail Print SMS More  —  Boulder, Colo. — After a performance by CNBC moderators that Republicans characterized as both biased and inept, a manager for a top GOP campaign says he will try to organize …

Mass surveillance: EU citizens' rights still in danger, says Parliament  —  Too little has been done to safeguard citizens' fundamental rights following revelations of electronic mass surveillance, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday.  They urge the EU Commission to ensure …

Bernie's Conspiracy Theory  —  Bernie Sanders is the most prominent conspiracy theorist in America.  —  He runs around the country alleging that the economy is “rigged” — a term borrowed from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren — by what he calls “the billionaire class.”  —  Story Continued Below