The House returns Friday to try again to end the stalemate over choosing a new speaker after days of voting with no conclusion. Also in the news: Today marks the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the NFL will not resume or replay the Monday's Bills-Bengals game that was stalled after Damar Hamlin's collapse. |
Happy Friday. Here's the news. |
Speaker vote stretches past 11th ballot |
GOP lawmakers expressed muted optimism that a deal was getting closer with a rebellious Republican faction to install House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy as speaker in return for significant concessions. McCarthy has now failed in 11 ballots since Tuesday, as a solid core of some 20 Republicans say they will continue to oppose him because he is too much a part of the establishment. |
One thing to know: The House remains paralyzed with members-elect not sworn in, lacking security clearances and the lower chamber remains unable to conduct any legislative business. |
| • | Some of the roughly 20 Republicans declining to vote for McCarthy as the next House speaker are depicting their work as a historic effort to re-tip the balance of power in Washington. | | • | What can the House members-elect do? They can use the time to negotiate on House rules so that lawmakers can adopt them after picking a speaker. Officials and their staffs can still field calls from their constituents in this time. | | • | Who is Byron Donalds? In a fourth-round vote Wednesday, the 20 representatives standing in the way of a McCarthy speakership shifted their votes to Donalds, a second-term congressman from Florida who is considered an ascendent figure in the GOP. | | • | The once-in-a-century political confusion didn't stop social media users, reporters and lawmakers from joking about the contentious climate on Capitol Hill. | | Democrats stand and vote "no" to adjournment in the House chamber as the House meets for the third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
Alex Brandon, AP |
'Conveyer belt' of storms keep hitting California |
The San Francisco Bay Area gets a short rest before another storm – part of a series that could last into next week – hits on Friday. Heavy rains, high winds, power outages and evacuations rolled across California this week as a massive storm overwhelmed parts of the state and was blamed for at least two deaths. San Francisco recorded the wettest ten-day period since 1871, with 10.33 inches of rain falling between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4, the National Weather Service said. The deluge on drought-parched ground in some parts of California led to fears of mudslides; winds that could down weakened trees; and runoff that could overwhelm urban areas with flooding. Read more | A vehicle drives on a flooded road in Sebastopol, California, on January 5, 2023.
JOSH EDELSON, AFP via Getty Images |
Jan. 6 Capitol attack 2 years later |
Two years after the deadly Capitol assault on Jan. 6, 2021, the special House committee examining the attack delivered a dramatic coda to its 18-month investigation when it accused former President Donald Trump of inciting the deadly insurrection and asked the Justice Department to prosecute him on the incendiary charge, along with three other allegations of criminal wrongdoing. Trump's potential legal exposure has only grown more perilous and his future political viability has been thrust into the unknown. Read more | The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
USA Today |
What does the December jobs report mean for the Fed? |
The Labor Department is expected to report on Friday that U.S. employers added 200,000 jobs in December, down from 263,000 the month before. While job growth slowed in 2022, it remained surprisingly strong despite surging inflation, the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate hikes and mounting recession fears. But there are signs a more dramatic pullback in hiring may be coming. Those include declines in the ranks of temporary employees and the number of hours Americans are working. And while that would provide fewer opportunities for workers short term, it could be a good thing for the economy and labor market in the long run. Read more | On Friday, the U.S. government issues the December jobs report. Analysts forecast that 210,000 jobs were gained in December, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged.
Nam Y. Huh, AP |
NFL won't resume Bills-Bengals Week 17 game |
The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals will not resume or replay their game that was suspended Jan. 2 following the collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin, the NFL announced. Both teams will finish the 2022 regular season with one fewer game played than every other team in the league. Not having to carve out time to replay the Bills-Bengals game will allow the NFL to begin the playoffs next weekend as scheduled, a factor that played into the league's decision. The Monday night matchup between the Bills and Bengals was one of the biggest games of the season because of the huge playoff implications. Read more |
| • | Damar Hamlin asked in writing if team won the game, doctors said. | | Buffalo Bills' Siran Neal (33) and Nyheim Hines react after teammate Damar Hamlin was injured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Cincinnati.
Jeff Dean, AP |
📷 Photo of the day: All the movies you'll want to watch in 2023 📷 |
Harrison Ford reimagines the adventures of "Indiana Jones" for a final time. An epic tale of a lost dog in "Dog Gone." "Magic Mike's Last Dance" takes Mike Lane to the London theater scene. From "Ant-Man 3" to "Scream VI," here are most-anticipated cinematic releases in 2023. | Harrison Ford returns for one last whip-cracking franchise adventure in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
JONATHAN OLLEY/LUCASFILM | This image made from video, provided by KCCI 8 News in Des Moines, Iowa, shows Bessie Laurena Hendricks celebrating her 115th birthday in November 2022. Hendricks, an Iowa woman who was believed to be the oldest living person in the U.S., died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, at the age of 115.
AP |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | | |
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