Kevin McCarthy finally became Speaker of the House after one last shocking meltdown.  Here's how it all happened.  —  It took four days and fifteen ballots, but Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House after securing a truce with conservative holdouts who had threatened to tank his nomination.

Proposed GOP select panel would be empowered to review ‘ongoing criminal investigations’  —  A proposed subcommittee to investigate “weaponization” of the federal government — a key demand of House conservatives who delivered Speaker Kevin McCarthy the gavel — would be given sweeping investigatory powers …

Police: 6-year-old shoots teacher in Virginia classroom  —  A 6-year-old student shot and wounded a teacher at his school in Virginia during an altercation inside a first-grade classroom Friday, police and school officials in the city of Newport News said.  Experts said a school shooting involving …

“We Don't Do This”: Adam Schiff and the Underbelly of American Censorship  —  Below is my column in the Hill on the recent disclosure of efforts by Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Cal.) to pressure Twitter to censor critics, including a columnist.  This effort occurred shortly after Schiff's office objected …

Woman Charged with Blocking and Obstructing Roadways, Obey an Order  —  This afternoon a group of demonstrators were illegally blocking traffic on Independence Avenue, SW, near First Street, SW.  —  The group did not have a permit to demonstrate on Capitol Grounds.

Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable?  —  An unexpected ancient manufacturing strategy may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia. … The ancient Romans were masters of engineering, constructing vast networks of roads, aqueducts, ports, and massive buildings …

The January 6 Attack Is Not Over  —  This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture.  Sign up for it here.  —  On the second anniversary of the January 6 insurrection …

Shootings Reported at Homes and Offices of 5 New Mexico Democrats  —  No one was injured in the shootings, which occurred in Albuquerque between Dec. 4 and Thursday.  The authorities are investigating whether they were related and politically motivated.  —  Federal and local authorities …

A very special Christmas mass for Orthodox Church of Ukraine  —  KYIV — On a frosty Saturday morning, several altar boys posed for group selfies next to the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Monastery complex in the Ukrainian capital.  —  “It is for history!

US appeals court blocks ban on rapid-fire ‘bump stocks’  —  A Trump administration ban on bump stocks — devices that enable a shooter to rapidly fire multiple rounds from semi-automatic weapons after an initial trigger pull — was struck down Friday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.