Top Items:


3 strikes for McCarthy — but he's not out yet — The House abruptly adjourned Tuesday after Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid failed in a third straight vote amid mounting chaos on the floor. — Confronting an incredibly narrow majority, McCarthy has been unable to dislodge dug-in opposition …
RELATED:


Never Trumpers Understood Kevin McCarthy's Conference Better Than He Did — Who could possibly have predicted that the leopards would eat My Kevin's face, too? — For years Kevin McCarthy, a blow-dried, donor-class Republican, has tried to maintain a hold on his increasingly bedraggled …
Discussion:
Raw Story and The Independent


Welcome to the MAGA Crackup — The incredible shrinking Kevin McCarthy — Well, Happy New Year to you, too. — Today was supposed to be the GOP's celebration of the Red Wave, a moment of triumph and anticipation. Instead, we are likely to get a sh*tshow for the ages from an unruly …
Discussion:
Overtime, Mediaite, Daily Mail, The Mahablog, The Triad, Semafor, Raw Story, NPR and New York Times


AOC reveals why she was chatting with GOP opponent who fantasised about killing her in anime video — The progressive Democrat and Representative Paul Gosar were seen talking on the House floor amid the chaotic speaker's vote — AOC appears to talk cordially with congressman who posted anime video of her assassination
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Fox News, New York Post, The Daily Caller, Reuters, Washington Examiner and Mediaite


Kevin McCarthy's bid for House speaker: Live updates — For the first time in more than a century, the House was unable to elect a speaker after three ballots. The chamber adjourned until Wednesday at noon. … Rep.-elect Robert Garcia, D-Calif., whose swearing in to Congress …
Discussion:
NPR, Fox News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, HuffPost, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Associated Press, RedState, The Daily Caller, New Republic, The Floridian, Insider, Metro.co.uk, Roll Call, Al Jazeera, 6abc, CNBC, The Guardian, Times of San Diego, Florida Politics, CBS News, UPI, National Review, CNN, Just The News, New York Times and USA Today


Here's What McCarthy's Detractors Are Demanding — Representative Kevin McCarthy, the party leader, fell short in a third vote as 20 Republicans rejected his bid and backed Jim Jordan of Ohio. The House will return at noon Wednesday. — Pinned — After hours of wrangling, Republicans could not unite behind a leader.
Discussion:
Insider, Washington Post, Reason, Notes on the News, NBC News, TheBlaze, The Moderate Voice, Vanity Fair, Breitbart, Daily Montanan, Common Dreams, Fox News, Lawyers, Guns & Money and 77 WABC


Kevin McCarthy's disastrous travails show Democrats must defang MAGA — Kevin McCarthy's hopes for becoming House speaker are in trouble after falling short on numerous ballots. But whatever happens to the California Republican, we already know this: The extreme MAGA caucus will essentially …
Discussion:
Jezebel, Fox News, Mediaite, Slate, PoliticusUSA, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, Political Wire, Roll Call and Public Notice


Why Kevin McCarthy Is So Bad at This — This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME's politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. — When Rep. Kevin McCarthy left his downtown D.C. condo just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the first full day of work …


McCarthy: Gaetz said 'I don't care' if Jeffries wins Speakership instead of me — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) criticized Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Tuesday after he reportedly told House GOP members that he doesn't care if the chamber elects Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) …


These Republicans voted against Kevin McCarthy for House speaker — The House of Representatives convened Tuesday to elect its next speaker, and for the first time in 100 years it's taken multiple rounds of ballots to make a choice. — With Republicans holding just 222 seats to the Democrats' 212 …
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Fox News, Townhall, Florida Politics, Debatably Useful, Washington Times, RedState, The Daily Beast, Roll Call, New York Daily News, Kansas Reflector, The Daily Signal, New York Times, Deadline, Washington Examiner, Virginia Political Newsletter, Balloon Juice and Raw Story


McCarthy Remains Short of Support to Become Speaker as Vote Nears
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, BizPac Review, Washington Times, The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Washington Examiner, Fox News, Insider, The Root, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, BRIGHT, Wide World of News, Punchbowl News, The Dispatch, Forbes, ABC News, PoliticusUSA, USA Today, RedState, Uzair's Substack, IJR, Vanity Fair, New York Daily News, CBS News, UPI, The Daily Beast and Axios

George Santos Came to Washington. It Was Awkward.
Discussion:
Forbes, USA Today, CounterPunch and 77 WABC

Kevin McCarthy's Loyalty to Trump Got Him Nothing
Discussion:
Reuters, Washington Monthly and CNN

What Matt Gaetz and AOC Talked About During Kevin McCarthy's Speaker Vote
Discussion:
NBC News, Fox News, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, National Review, RedState, Insider, KTLA, CNN, Washington Times and Raw Story

House speaker battle: Profanities fly as Republican factions get heated over McCarthy speakership bid
Discussion:
Mother Jones, The Hill, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, CNN, Washington Free Beacon, Denver Post, Raw Story, New York Post, RedState, IJR, Just The News, Breitbart and Reuters

McCarthy Proposes Gutting Office of Congressional Ethics in Bid for Speaker

House Democrats mock Republican ‘division and dysfunction’ ahead of McCarthy speaker vote

Santos vows to support McCarthy for speaker
Discussion:
The Hill, Bloomberg, Sabato's Crystal Ball, CNN, Bob Gaydos and abc7NY


House GOP ditches metal detectors 3 days before Capitol riot anniversary — The incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives removed metal detectors outside of the chamber floor on Tuesday, just three days before the second anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6 riot.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Roll Call, New York Post, Semafor, Common Dreams and ABC News
RELATED:

Metal detectors removed from outside the House chamber
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit


Madison Indigenous arts leader, activist revealed as white — Early in 2020, an Indigenous artist urged the owners of a new music venue in town to change its name. — It was called The Winnebago, after the street on which it stands. Many Indigenous people and allies let the owners …
Discussion:
HotAir


Two charged with attacks on four Pierce County power substations — Attacks over the Christmas holiday caused $3 million in damage and cut power to thousands — Tacoma - Two Puyallup, Washington, men will appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today charged with conspiracy …


Upset in Ohio as Dems join GOP to pick new House Speaker — State Rep. Jason Stephens (R) pulled off the upset with the help of House Democrats. — A coalition of Republicans joined with Democrats to pick a new speaker of the state House on Tuesday, bucking a majority of Republicans who voted last month for a different candidate.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Plain Dealer


Biden to Renominate His Picks for Judicial and Diplomatic Posts — Nominees, including Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India, to be resubmitted after failing to win Senate confirmation last year — WASHINGTON—The White House intends to renominate dozens of presidential selections who failed …
Discussion:
Politico, Los Angeles Times, Deadline, Washington Free Beacon, NBC News, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Daily News and The Daily Caller, more at Techmeme »


Kellyanne Conway Reveals Only Person Donald Trump ‘Reserves Fear For’ — Conway said she contacted Melania Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, to have her husband quell the growing mob — because Melania was the only person Trump feared. — Donald Trump feared just one person during his volatile one-term presidency: his own wife, Melania Trump.
Discussion:
Law & Crime, Raw Story, UPROXX, Insider, Select Committee … and Washington Press


No Action Taken Against Army Officer After Public Dustup with Tucker Carlson over Women Serving — The Army took no action against Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe and allowed him to retire Sunday, ending a controversy after the service began an investigation into the armor officer's conduct online following posts …
Discussion:
The Hill, Task & Purpose and Washington Examiner


Exclusive: Donald Trump Jr. signs 7-figure podcast deal with Rumble … - Rumble went public via a blank check company merger in September that valued the platform at over $2 billion at the time. — The company has made strides in user growth, but continues to burn through cash as it launches new features and spends on marketing.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Mock Paper Scissors, Mediaite, Slay News, Washington Examiner, Rumble and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »


Virgin Islands Attorney General Loses Her Job Days After Suing JPMorgan Chase in Connection with the Jeffrey Epstein Probe — The Virgin Islands top prosecutor who reached a more than $105 million settlement with Jeffrey Epstein's estate lost her job days after suing JPMorgan Chase in connection with her probe.


Americans Largely Pessimistic About U.S. Prospects in 2023 — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Coming off several challenging years, Americans enter 2023 with a mostly gloomy outlook for the U.S. as majorities predict negative conditions in 12 of 13 economic, political, societal and international arenas.
Discussion:
UPI, BizPac Review, Washington Free Beacon, New York Post, The Hill and Washington Examiner