A 2016 ballot without Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush?  You heard it here  —  Charlie Cook, one of the most respected political experts in the country, believes Hillary Clinton has only a 25-30 percent chance of running for president, and in any case he thinks she is either “rusty” or “she has lost her fastball.”

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.

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 …

GOP congressional majority likely to change way it crunches numbers  —  The incoming Republican majority in Congress is preparing to give number-crunching a controversial twist, and the new math could make it easier for the GOP to cut taxes.  —  For years, leading GOP lawmakers have wanted …

Dark days ahead for ObamaCare  —  The Obama administration is facing a slew of healthcare challenges as the winter holidays approach.  —  While this fall has been a far cry from last year, when HealthCare.gov was melting down, 2014 has brought wholly unexpected problems to the fore for federal health officials and the White House.

When Whites Just Don't Get It, Part 5  —  WE Americans are a nation divided.  —  We feud about the fires in Ferguson, Mo., and we can agree only that racial divisions remain raw.  So let's borrow a page from South Africa and impanel a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine race in America.

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.

G.O.P. Gains by Tapping Democrats' Base for State Candidates  —  WASHINGTON — As Republicans took control of an unprecedented 69 of 99 statehouse chambers in the midterm elections, they did not rely solely on a bench of older white men.  Key races hinged on the strategic recruitment of women and minorities …

Cleveland cops waited 4 minutes to deliver first aid to Tamir Rice, 12-year-old killed by police, video shows  —  After rookie officer Timothy Lehman fatally shot the preteen, he took cover with his partner, analysis of surveillance video showed.  The cops did not begin first aid until a third FBI agent showed up four minutes later.