January 8, 2023

Late Morning Update:

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "As President Biden heads [to El Paso, Texas,] on Sunday to tour an American border city swamped by migrants, he has found himself under siege from all sides. Democrats and human rights activists condemned his new enforcement plan as a 'humanitarian disgrace.' Republicans blasted his two-year delay in coming to a border they say is 'wide open' to undocumented immigrants. And Mexican officials -- who are preparing to welcome him to a summit of North American leaders on Monday -- warned that his proposals would cross a 'red line' for them."

~~~~~~~~~~

Democrat                                                     Republicans     ~~~ Thanks to RAS for the lead.

Melanie Zanona, et al., of CNN write a good summary of how (and, to an extent, why) Kevin McCarthy "won" the speakership on the 15th round of votes. For instance, we learned from Matt Gaetz that his principled reason for changing his vote from "Anyone But Kevin" to "present" was, "I ran out of things I could even imagine to ask for." If you have been busy with your real life, this article will catch you up.

Arianna Coghill of Mother Jones borrows from CNN to summarize what concessions the extremists wrenched from McCarthy. MB: These concessions presumably will be incorporated into House rules. The rules would normally be adopted just after the speaker & the members are sworn in, but that didn't happen Saturday morning, either because McCarthy didn't have them written up yet or because he didn't have the votes to pass them. In any event, the concessions will not just weaken McCarthy to nothing more than a puppet of the extremists, they will also render the House unable to perform its fundamental duties to legislate.

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The astonishing spectacle [of the floor fight between Kevin McCarthy & Matt Gaetz] that played out into the early hours of Saturday morning was a fitting coda to a week that spotlighted the deep divisions in the Republican Party, the power of an unyielding hard-right flank that revels in upending normal operations of government and a leader who has repeatedly capitulated to the right in his quest for power.... The dysfunction that left the House without a speaker for a week also allowed the indignities to become more public. Photographers and videographers, unfettered from the normal rules governing their conduct because there was no speaker to put any in place, allowed spectators the opportunity to parse rare footage live from the House floor....

"[Donald] Trump ...attributed [Mr. McCarthy's] success to his interventions in a post on his social media site on Saturday, claiming news coverage had shown he had 'greatly helped' Mr. McCarthy in winning the speaker post. 'Thank you, I did our Country a big favor!'... Mr. McCarthy made a point of lavishing praise on Mr. Trump during a news conference in the Statuary Hall after he was elected."

     ~~~ Marie: Another thing the absence of House rules allowed was cursing. I think it was Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) who said on MSNBC that he'd never heard so many F-bombs dropped anywhere.

Robert Draper of the New York Times: "... to both Democrats and Republicans, the jut-jawed intransigence of House Republicans opposing Representative Kevin McCarthy's ultimately successful bid to be speaker [began with Newt Gingrich].... Mr. Gingrich's triumph in 1994 in wresting the House from a Democratic majority for the first time since 1952 was the starting point for the zero-sum brand of politics that mutated into the Tea Party movement, the grievance-based populism of the Trump era, and what was garishly displayed on the House floor in a raucous four-day speaker battle.... Those mutations have culminated in a tissue-thin Republican majority, auguring legislative episodes likely long on melodrama and short on happy endings, thanks to cameo actors such as [Matt] Gaetz.... The bitterly partisan stalemates of the Gingrich era may well have metastasized into a state of governance by chaos."

E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post: "In creating a humiliating, days-long spectacle that delayed the election of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House until the early hours of Saturday morning on the 15th ballot, the far right of the Republican Party has won.... Most of the drama played out on Friday, as President Biden was honoring democracy's protectors at an event marking the anniversary of the 2021 attack on the Capitol. This only brought home that a majority of House Republicans, and not just McCarthy's foes, voted to reject the outcome of the 2020 election.... As a practical matter going forward, [Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.)] said, the concessions McCarthy made to the rebels, including expanding far-right membership on a Rules Committee that determines what gets to the House floor, will hollow out the speaker's power, enable a radical right agenda and make it far more difficult to get anything done in a politically divided federal government.... The result will be a new House majority that is not much of a majority at all."

AP: "A former U.S. defense intelligence analyst who was convicted of spying for Cuba more than 20 years ago has been released from a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas. Ana Belen Montes, 65, was released Friday, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Scott Taylor said Saturday. Montes, an analyst for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, was arrested in September 2001 and charged with spying for Cuba. Montes pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiring to commit espionage as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors and was sentenced to 25 years in prison." CNN has a bit more on Montes' life as a double agent, & how she was caught.

Way Beyond the Beltway

Iran. Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "Iran on Saturday hanged two men, a 22-year-old national karate champion and a 39-year-old poultry worker, who participated in antigovernment demonstrations and whose executions were condemned as a ploy by the government to use violence and sow fear to crush the protests. The men, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, the karate champion, and Sayed Mohammad Hosseini, the factory worker, were hanged at dawn on Saturday in the city of Karaj near the capital, Tehran, after hasty trials on charges that they participated in the killing of a member of the Basij paramilitary group in November, according to the judiciary. Iran has deployed heavy-handed violence against protesters since mid-September, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police sparked a nationwide uprising to demand an end to theocratic rule in Iran. Rights groups say at least 500 people have been killed by security forces, including 50 children, and the United Nations says at least 14,000 have been arrested."

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Moscow's unilaterally declared cease-fire came to an end after no sign of a pause in fighting in the 36 hours that it was apparently in place. Both sides traded blame for the ongoing shelling, which continued early Sunday and threatened to mar Orthodox Christmas celebrations on both sides. Ukraine had not agreed to the supposed truce, viewing it as a ploy for Russian forces to regroup." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Sunday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

Condoleezza Rice & Robert Gates, in a Washington Post op-ed: "When it comes to the war in Ukraine, about the only thing that's certain right now is that the fighting and destruction will continue. Vladimir Putin remains fully committed to bringing all of Ukraine back under Russian control or -- failing that -- destroying it as a viable country.... Both of us have dealt with Putin on a number of occasions, and we are convinced he believes time is on his side: that he can wear down the Ukrainians and that U.S. and European unity and support for Ukraine will eventually erode and fracture.... For Putin, defeat is not an option. He cannot cede to Ukraine the four eastern provinces he has declared part of Russia.... We agree with the Biden administration's determination to avoid direct confrontation with Russia. However, an emboldened Putin might not give us that choice. The way to avoid confrontation with Russia in the future is to help Ukraine push back the invader now."

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Bernard Kalb, a journalist and author who covered global affairs and later cast a critical eye on the media as a commentator for CNN, but who may be best remembered for his resignation in 1986 as State Department spokesman to protest a government disinformation campaign, died Jan. 8 at his home in North Bethesda, Md. He was 100."

New York Times: "Russell Banks, whose vivid portrayals of working-class Americans grappling with issues of poverty, race and class placed him among the first ranks of contemporary novelists, died on Sunday at his home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He was 82."

January 7, 2023

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday honored 14 people who stood against election denialism in 2020 and fought the violent mob at the Capitol two years ago, telling them in a White House ceremony that history 'will remember your names, remember your courage, remember your bravery.' Speaking from the East Room, he awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to nine police officers -- three of whom died after protecting the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 -- and five local officials who were subjected to personal violence but resisted pressure to undermine the election in 2020. Together, Mr. Biden said, the individuals he honored represented the 'extraordinary Americans' whose service to the country helped thwart the efforts of ... Donald J. Trump and his allies as they sought to keep Mr. Trump in power." ~~~

     ~~~ An uplifting, emotionally-satisfying event, in contrast to ~~~

~~~ Chaos in the House

Lisa Mascaro & Fanoush Amiri of the AP: "Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected House speaker on a historic post-midnight 15th ballot early Saturday, overcoming holdouts from his own ranks and floor tensions that boiled over after a chaotic week that tested the new GOP majority's ability to govern.... Eager to confront President Joe Biden and the Democrats, he promised subpoenas and investigations. 'Now the hard work begins,' the California Republican declared. He credited ... Donald Trump for standing with him and for making late calls 'helping get those final votes.' Republicans roared in celebration when his victory was announced, chanting 'USA! USA!' Finally elected, McCarthy took the oath of office, and the House was finally able to swear in newly elected lawmakers who had been waiting all week for the chamber to formally open and the 2023-24 session to begin." The New York Times story, by Annie Karni, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Before McCarthy's swearing-in, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries introduced him. MB: A good speech:

     ~~~ Then Temp Speaker Kevin McCarthy addressed the House. MB: A good speech -- for an occasion in which you have eaten something poisonous & your doctor advises you to induce vomiting:

Paul Kane & Dylan Wells of the Washington Post: "In a scene seemingly more familiar to a developing world legislature, the House turned into a near-brawl late Friday after another failed vote to elect a speaker as Republicans held back one of their most senior members [Mike Rogers] from a potential clash with Matt Gaetz of Florida. Gaetz had just delivered the fatal last vote that left California's Kevin McCarthy one vote shy of the bare majority he needed to win the gavel, after the flamboyant Republican had spent the long roll call maneuvering to make himself the last vote that mattered.... Quickly the GOP leader and his closest allies ... homed in on Gaetz. Other Republicans came around as well, clearly trying to convince Gaetz to switch his vote [from 'present' to McCarthy] before the clerk and vote counters officially counted up the ballots and gaveled the vote shut.... Video and pictures from photographers show Rogers beginning to yell at Gaetz, when [Richard] Hudson [R-N.C.] grabbed Rogers, including across his mouth, and physically yanked him back and sent him away from the group." See video below. The story goes on to relate more of the various maneuvers. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Melanie Zanona of CNN reported on-air that Rogers told Gaetz, "You're finished." Ryan Nobles of NBC News said that earlier in the week Rogers had threatened to throw Gaetz off the Armed Services Committee, which Rogers will chair. ~~~

     ~~~ BTW, video of the set-top was available only because ... C-SPAN Unchained! Niall Stanage of the Hill (Jan. 5): "The failure to elect a Speaker so far in the House has one silver lining, at least for TV viewers. C-SPAN, the public service network that televises congressional proceedings and other matters, has full freedom to focus on whatever its camera operators find interesting -- for the moment. Under normal circumstances, the majority party imposes strictures on the kind of shots that can be filmed. The limits have held during periods of both Republican and Democratic control. But [this week], with everything in flux, C-SPAN camera operators have been able to pick up far more interesting details.... The new -- and presumably temporary -- freedom has been greeted with enthusiasm ... by a number of ... journalists and politics-watchers on Twitter[.]" ~~~

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times:"In yet another day of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California trying to become speaker of the House, this much was clear: The United States should brace for the likelihood of a Congress in perpetual disarray for the next two years. The recipe for the chaos already existed: A toxic combination of the Republicans' slim governing majority, an unyielding hard-right flank that disdains the normal operations of government and a candidate for speaker who has repeatedly bowed to that flank in his quest for power. But to see it play out repeatedly on the House floor this week has left little doubt that Congress as an entity would struggle to carry out even its most basic duties in the coming two years, such as funding the government, including the military, or avoiding a catastrophic federal debt default."

A House Divided Cannot Stand. Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "In full view of the C-SPAN cameras, the [Republican] party has shown itself this week to still suffer from the incoherence and ungovernability that has been central to Republican politics, with rare exception, since 2013."

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "This is what happens when a political party, year after year, systematically destroys the norms and institutions of democracy. This is what happens when those expert at tearing things down are put in charge of governing. The dysfunction has been building over years of government shutdowns, debt-default showdowns and other fabricated crises, and now anti-government Republicans used their new majority to bring the House itself to a halt. This is insurrection by other means: Two years to the day since the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol, Republicans are still attacking the functioning of government. McCarthy opened the door to the chaos by excusing Donald Trump's fomenting of the attack and welcoming a new class of election deniers to his caucus. Now he;s trying to save his own political ambitions by agreeing to institutionalize the chaos.... Finally, on the 15th ballot early Saturday morning, McCarthy's abject surrender secured him the speakership, at least temporarily. But it was the most pyrrhic of victories. To save himself, he sacrificed the Congress itself. The saboteurs won." ~~~

     ~~~ Thanks to Ken W. for the link. As Ken wrote, Milbank must have been reading Reality Chex.

Steve M. notes that the House Game Show is bad news for Fox "News": While Sean Hannity & Brian Kilmeade have supported Kevin McCarthy, Fox viewers are behind the flamethrowers. "They're told every day (on Fox and elsewhere) that the country is run by pedophile communists who want to turn all white people in America in second-class citizens, if not out-and-out slaves. No wonder they think blowing everything up seems like a neat idea.... But Rupert Murdoch wants a functional right-wing party that only embraces extremism in order to drive angry whites to vote for corporatist Republicans. It doesn't want insurrection or chaos or a government that literally ceases to function.... For years, Rupert Murdoch and other right-wing billionaires have assumed that they can tell rank-and-file right-leaning voters that they're living in one of the most brutally repressive societies in human history, and the voters will just ... vote for people whose main concern is cutting rich people's taxes. I suspect it won't work for much longer."

On Friday, the New York Times liveblogged Republican House members' intranecine squabbles that for three days have prevented them from selecting a speaker. (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni & Catie Edmondson: "After a humiliating three-day stretch of 11 consecutive defeats in an election that is now the most protracted such contest since 1859, [Kevin] McCarthy briefed Republicans on a morning conference call on concessions he had made to the ultraconservative rebels, including agreeing to conditions he had previously refused to countenance. Mr. McCarthy told the group, 'we're in a good position,' but noted that there was no deal yet, according to a person on the private call...." ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater: "There is an increased security presence outside the Capitol on Friday, two years after the Jan. 6 attack on Congress. More officers are stopping visitors and checking IDs."

     ~~~ Emily Cochrane: "Democrats, along with families of officers who lost their lives because of the Jan. 6 riot, are holding a somber vigil on the steps of the Capitol.... Some Democrats are wiping away tears as they listen to the party's incoming and outgoing leadership, Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi. It is still difficult for many in this building to be in the House and Senate chambers and be reminded of what they experienced on Jan. 6. ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater: "The event is billed as bi-partisan, but almost all of the attendees are Democrats. There is at least one Republican: Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a former FBI agent." MB: Not surprisingly, there is no honor among insurrectionists. ~~~

     ~~~ ** Annie Karni: "It appears that on the 12th vote, McCarthy has for the first time received more votes for speaker than Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic nominee. He still does not have the required majority." ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: McCarthy flipped 14 anti-McCarthy votes. Final (but unofficial) total: McCarthy 213, Jeffries 211, Jordan 4, Hern 3. There are a couple of pro-McCarthy votes & one Jeffries voter who are "out of the office" today. Still, with 7 no votes, McCarthy does not have enough to gain the speakership. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Whatever his other faults, the guy who nominated My Kevin in Round 13 -- James Comer, who unfortunately will chair the Oversight Committee -- is remarkably stupid. Besides spouting some Covid conspiracy theories & knocking Dr. Fauci, he insists on a balanced federal budget & causing international economic chaos by not paying the debt. I don't think he can handle the job of oversight chairman of the dog poop bin at the local park. ~~~

     ~~~ Maggie Astor: "David Trone of Maryland, a Democrat, was back to vote for Hakeem Jeffries this round after missing the last one, and received raucous applause from his fellow Democrats. He returned to the Capitol in hospital socks and slippers after having surgery this morning." ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: Looks like the final tally of the 13th vote for speaker is McCarthy 214 (one Republican returned from wherever he was), Jeffries 212 & Jordan 6. Still not enough for My Kevin to grab the brass gavel (and as Akhilleus suggested the other day, pound the thumb of his free hand). ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The House adjourned after the 13th roll call, to reconvene at 10 pm ET. ~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni & Catie Edmondson: "Representative Kevin McCarthy of California clawed his way closer to becoming House speaker on Friday, winning over a bloc of right-wing holdouts and pressing forward with a late-night vote that he hoped would allow him to finally clinch the post after a historic floor fight and 13 failed attempts. Lawmakers assembled at 10 p.m. to vote for a 14th time." ~~~

     ~~~ Emily Cochrane: "Part of the talks between Mr. McCarthy and his detractors have focused on curtailing government spending, though the details have yet to be made public. Here's a blistering statement, however, from Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee: 'This backroom deal not only contradicts Republican calls for transparency, but it also kills the 2024 government funding process before it has even started, all but guaranteeing a shutdown.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater: "On Friday, the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, many of the same hard-right lawmakers who served as top lieutenants to [Donald] Trump during the buildup to the assault spent the day blocking the bid of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California to be speaker and extracting major concessions from him." ~~~

     ~~~ Carl Hulse: "No alternative nominee for speaker from the Republicans, showing this is moving to a conclusion." ~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni: "The House is back to the floor for its 14th vote for speaker, and the one that Representative Kevin McCarthy is saying will finally clinch the deal for him." ~~~

     ~~~ Emily Cochrane: "It's all down to [Matt Gaetz] now." ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson: "Gaetz votes present and gets a big round of applause, but it's not enough to get [McCarthy] to the speakership." ~~~

     ~~~ Ali Velshi of NBC News: Rep. Mike Rogers lunged at Gaetz. Another rep grabbed Rogers & held his shoulder & face to stop him from physically attacking Gaetz. ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: The clerk read the roll: McCarthy 216, Jeffries 212, Jordan 2, Biggs 2. Clerk Cheryl Johnson: "No member-elect has received the majority of the votes cast. A speaker has not been elected." A motion to adjourn till Monday followed. Voice vote: "In the opinion of the chair, the noes have it.... The yeas & nays are ordered." ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson: "Hard to overstate how devastating of a blow this is to McCarthy, who seemed sure he had the vote sewn up this time."

     ~~~ Stephanie Ruhle of NBC News: "If this is democracy in action...." ~~~

     ~~~ Ali Velshi: McCarthy talked to Gaetz & walked away looking glum. ~~~

     ~~~ Ali Vitali of NBC News: When Nancy Pelosi went to the floor, she always knew she had the votes -- unlike McCarthy. ~~~

     ~~~ Ali Velshi: The motion to adjourn passed 218 to 215; then McCarthy, after talking to Gaetz, raised his hand, holding a red card & changed his vote to nay. A number of Republicans followed, so the nays have it. ~~~

     ~~~ Stephanie Ruhle said she got a note from a Democrat on the floor: "I think they got Gaetz." Gaetz will change his vote from "present" to McCarthy, Ruhle hears from a Democrat. Update: Now she hears McCarthy got "more of them" to change their votes from Somebody Else to "present." ~~~

     ~~~ Trump Saves McCarthy! Maggie Haberman: "... Donald J. Trump made a crucially timed call to Rep. Matt Gaetz on Friday night after the Florida congressman voted 'present' and sunk Kevin McCarthy's 14th effort to be elected House speaker.... CNN reported that Mr. Trump also called Rep. Andy Biggs, who switched from voting against Mr. McCarthy to voting 'present' on the 15th round." MB: Gaetz voted present in the 15th round.

     ~~~ Marie: At about the stroke of midnight, and on the 15th ballot, Kevin McCarthy appears to have received enough "present" votes from the Crazy Caucus to win the speakership. He won't get 218 votes -- a majority of the House -- but he'll get a majority of those voting. Rolled by the wingnuts & not even getting all their votes, McCarthy will be, at least technically, the speaker. But he's got a host of "junior speakers" who will pull his strings till they push him out. Presumably, there will one day be a portrait of My Kevin hanging on a wall in the Capitol. So that's nice. ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: McCarthy gains the speakership with 216 votes, 212 for Jeffries & 6 Republicans voting "present." At 12:38 am ET the clerk announced McCarthy had won the speakership, "having received a majority of the votes cast." ~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni: "Representative Kevin McCarthy of California won election early Saturday as House speaker in a historic five-day, 15-ballot floor fight, after giving major concessions to right-wing holdouts and weathering a dramatic late-night setback that underscored the limits of his power over the new Republican majority. Mr. McCarthy clawed his way to victory by cutting a deal that won over a sizable contingent of ultraconservative lawmakers on the 12th and 13th votes earlier in the day, and then wearing down the remaining holdouts in a tense session that dragged on past midnight, ultimately winning with a bare majority, after a spectacle of arm-twisting and rancor on the House floor." This item has been expanded into a full story, which is linked near the top of this page. ~~~

     ~~~ Okay, I'll give My Kevin Buck Owens, because he devoted most of his acceptance speech to promising to lead a gang who would ruin the country. As Phil Mattingly of CNN summarized the House's prospects, "Nobody thinks this is going to go well":

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of House proceedings Friday are here. NBC News updates for Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Among the representatives who were sworn in Saturday morning was George Santos (R-N.Y.). While My Kevin is issuing all those subpoenas he promised, he ought to slip in one for George: ~~~

~~~ David Wright of CNN: "The Federal Election Commission has flagged issues with contributions made to embattled Rep.-elect George Santos' campaign, according to a letter addressed to the New York Republican's fundraising committee this week. The commission has requested clarification and more information on certain donors and about apparent excessive contributions to Santos' winning 2022 campaign for his Long Island seat. The FEC letter informed Santos that the information listed for three of his listed donors -- 'Best Efforts/Best Efforts, 'NYCBS/MD' and 'NYCBS/Self Employed' -- is 'not acceptable' and that his campaign 'must provide the missing information.'... In addition, the FEC letter says that Santos' latest fundraising report 'discloses one or more contributions which appear to exceed' federal contribution limits, and it identifies three donors who each contributed at least $25,000 to his campaign. Candidates are allowed to receive a maximum of $5,800 from individuals during an election cycle. The FEC letter also notes that 'the amounts disclosed --- appear greater than the total amount the three (3) participant committees of the Joint Fundraising Committee can accept.'"

Oops! Aaron Schaffer & Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: "When the House Jan. 6 committee wrapped up its work in recent weeks, it posted hundreds of records online, including interview transcripts, audio recordings and text messages. Also buried in the massive cache was a spreadsheet with nearly 2,000 Social Security numbers associated with visitors to the White House in December 2020, including at least three members of Trump's Cabinet, a few Republican governors and numerous Trump allies. While the spreadsheet with the numbers was taken down Wednesday, the high-profile nature of the people whose data was exposed probably puts them at an 'elevated risk.'... Exposed individuals don't appear to have been notified about the leak.... 'Any release of such information was inadvertent,' [a January 6 committee aide said]."

State AG to Pursue Michigan's Fake Electors. Ed White of the AP: "The Michigan attorney general said Friday there's 'clear evidence' to pursue charges against pro-Donald Trump Republicans who claimed they were the state's presidential electors in 2020, despite Democrat Joe Biden's 154,000-vote victory. Dana Nessel [D] referred the matter to federal prosecutors last year, but no public action has been taken. A year later, she said it's time for state authorities to step in.”

James Bromwich & Ben Protess of the New York Times: "A New York judge declined on Friday to throw out the state attorney general's civil fraud case against ... Donald J. Trump, increasing the likelihood that he will face a trial this fall. In a sharply worded order, the judge, Justice Arthur F. Engoron of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, denied Mr. Trump's motion to dismiss the case, granting the attorney general, Letitia James, another victory in the matter. In September, Ms. James filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Trump, three of his adult children and their family business of overvaluing his assets by billions of dollars. In his written order, Justice Engoron said that some of the arguments repeatedly made by Mr. Trump's lawyers were 'frivolous,' and had been 'borderline frivolous even the first time defendants made them.' The judge also rejected a separate attempt by Mr. Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is named as a defendant in Ms. James's lawsuit, to dismiss the accusations against her."

Jonathan Allen of NBC News: "Matt Schlapp, one of the nation's most prominent conservative leaders and a top ally of ... Donald Trump, is being accused of sexually groping a male aide on Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker's campaign in October. 'He reached in between my legs and fondled me,' the former Walker staffer told NBC News in a telephone interview Thursday night. 'To my shame, I didn't say anything' to stop Schlapp. NBC News is withholding the staffer's name at his request.... A senior official on the Walker campaign confirmed that the aide shared the allegation with his supervisors at the time.... Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, is married to former Trump White House aide Mercedes Schlapp. His organization hosts [CPAC]...."

Kevin McGill of the AP: "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. The ban was instituted after a gunman perched in a high-rise hotel using bump stock-equipped weapons massacred dozens of people in Las Vegas in 2017. Gun rights advocates have challenged it in multiple courts. The 13-3 ruling at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals is the latest on the issue, which is likely to be decided at the Supreme Court. The decision doesn't have an immediate effect on the ban though because the case now moves back to the lower court to decide how to proceed."

Hannah Rabinowitz of CNN: "A Connecticut judge suspended the law license of a lawyer for right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones after he allegedly improperly released court documents from the Sandy Hook defamation case. The files included two years of Jones' text messages, medical records from some of the Sandy Hook families and other confidential discovery items. 'At a basic level, attorneys must competently and appropriately handle the discovery of sensitive materials in civil cases,' Judge Barbara Bellis wrote in a court order that suspended attorney Norman Pattis' license for six months. 'Otherwise, our civil system, in which discovery of sensitive information is customary and routine, would simply collapse.' Bellis said she 'flatly rejected' Pattis' assertion that his release of the confidential records was an 'inadvertent mistake,' writing that Pattis 'failed to provide even the minimal amount of attention and care required when it came to handling the plaintiffs' sensitive discovery materials.'" MB: I'm all surprised that Alex Jones has a shoddy lawyer.

Pam Belluck of the New York Times: "The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new Alzheimer's drug that may modestly slow the pace of cognitive decline early in the disease, but also carries risks of swelling and bleeding in the brain. The approval of the drug, lecanemab, to be marketed as Leqembi, is likely to generate considerable interest from patients and physicians. Studies of the drug -- an intravenous infusion administered every two weeks -- suggest it is more promising than the scant number of other treatments available. Still, several Alzheimer's experts said it was unclear from the medical evidence whether Leqembi could slow cognitive decline enough to be noticeable to patients." The Guardian's story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

California. The Bigots of Bakersfield Are as Dumb as the Town's Favorite Son, My Kevin. Max Lamoureux of Vice: "Two men set themselves on fire after dumping an accelerant on a California immigration services building and setting it ablaze, video shows. On Monday night, a Ring surveillance camera captured two men dressed in black with masks covering their faces walking up to Servicio de Inmigracion in Bakersfield, California. The two men proceed to dump the accelerant over the side of the building and parking lot in front. As one of the men continued to spread the fuel, the second squatted over a puddle of the accelerant and tried to light it on fire, the video shows. The fire ignited violently ... and the man sprinted away with his leg on fire. The second man panicked and fell down twice, and like his comrade, sprinted away from the scene of the crime on fire. The man could be heard screaming as he ran into the night."

Idaho. Ava Sasani of the New York Times: "Idaho's Supreme Court upheld the state's prohibition on abortion in a ruling Thursday night that said the State Constitution does not include a right to the procedure. The decision means the state's three abortion bans -- including one that outlaws the procedure from conception -- can remain in effect. The ruling came just hours after South Carolina's State Supreme Court went the other direction and overturned an abortion ban there, saying the state's constitutional right to privacy includes the right to abortion." New State Motto: Idaho, a great place to live if there's no chance you can accidentally get pregnant or accidentally get someone pregnant. Young people, fertile people: be safe, beware.

New Mexico. Christine Hauser of the New York Times: "Federal and local authorities in New Mexico are investigating whether several shootings since early December at the offices or homes of five elected Democratic leaders were connected and possibly politically motivated, officials said. No one was injured in the shootings in Albuquerque involving three residences, a workplace and a campaign office associated with a pair of county commissioners, two state senators and New Mexico's newly elected attorney general. Three of the shootings took place in December and two this month, the latest of which was on Thursday, the authorities said. The Albuquerque police chief, Harold Medina, said at a news conference on Thursday that there could be a pattern to the shootings, possibly tied to political affiliation."

South Carolina. Gerrymandering Out Black Voters. Caitlin Byrd of the [Charleston] Post & Courier: "South Carolina lawmakers drew the coastal 1st Congressional District held by Republican Nancy Mace in a way that discriminates against Black voters and must be recrafted by the end of March, a [three-judge] panel of federal judges has concluded. Mace's hold on the office is not immediately affected by the decision issued Jan. 6 but it likely means a much different congressional map will be in place in 2024 for voters in Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper counties.... The General Assembly has until March 31 to present an alternate map for the court's consideration."

Virginia. Paul Duggan & Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: "A 6-year-old boy shot and wounded an elementary school teacher Friday in Newport News, Va., in a classroom with other pupils present, authorities said. The female teacher, whose name was not disclosed, was shot with a handgun at about 2 p.m. at Richneck Elementary School, Newport News Police Chief Steve R. Drew said at a news briefing. He said the 6-year-old first-grader, who was taken into custody, had been involved in an altercation with the teacher. No students in the classroom were hurt. 'This was not an accidental shooting,' Drew said. Authorities said the teacher, a woman in her 30s, was hospitalized at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News and described her wounds as life-threatening." Neither this story nor the NYT story on the shooting recounts how staff found out about the shooting. The AP's story is here; no help on how the kid's apprehension went down.

Way Beyond

Kenya. AFP: "Police investigating the death of an LGBTQ+ rights campaigner whose body was discovered stuffed in a metal trunk have arrested a suspect, they said. Edwin Chiloba, a 25-year-old fashion designer and model, was found dead by the roadside earlier this week about 40km (25 miles) outside the Rift Valley town of Eldoret, media reports said.... [Peter] Kimulwo [of the directorate of criminal investigations] said the suspect was believed to have been a longtime friend of the victim, adding that police were also looking for people seen loading a metal container into a car at Chiloba's home."

Mexico. Richard Pérez-Peña of the New York Times: "Ten soldiers and 19 drug cartel members were killed and dozens of people were wounded in a series of gun battles surrounding the capture of the son of the notorious drug kingpin known as El Chapo, Mexican officials said on Friday. Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, who is said to be a leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel that his father once headed, was arrested on Thursday in what the government described as a major blow to one of the country's most notorious criminal organizations. But the scale and high cost of the operation were not made public until a day later, at a news conference led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador."

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces carried on despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's unilateral declaration of a 36-hour cease-fire that started at noon Friday to mark the Orthodox Christmas holiday. Moscow and Kyiv [and Washington] blamed each other for the continued shelling.... One of the most fiercely contested sectors during the Orthodox Christmas period was around the Ukrainian town of Kreminna, located about 30 miles north of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, the British Defense Ministry said Saturday.... The Biden administration announced Friday a $2.85 billion military aid package for Ukraine, the largest drawdown from U.S. defense stockpiles to date. Officials said the package will include additional howitzers and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. In his nightly address, [President] Zelensky praised the aid package and said the armored vehicles -- which Kyiv had long called for -- were 'exactly what [Ukraine] needed.' Russia is seeking to mobilize 500,000 additional troops, a senior Ukrainian military intelligence official said, according to the Guardian.... U.S. instructors will later this month start training Ukrainian troops to use Patriot missiles, the anti-air systems that the United States and Germany have pledged to supply to Ukraine." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Saturday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

News Lede

New York Times: "After weeks of unease over the murders of four University of Idaho students in a house near campus, the authorities this week released their most detailed account yet of the investigation that led them to arrest a criminology student from a nearby university. The documents detail an array of evidence about the suspect, Bryan Kohberger, 28, a graduate student at Washington State University, who said through a lawyer that he looks forward to being exonerated. The records also provided jarring new details about the night the four students were murdered, while raising fresh questions about a mystifying case in which authorities have not explained a possible motive. Here are 10 key revelations made public on Thursday."

January 6, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

The New York Times is liveblogging Republican House members' intranecine squabbles that for three days have prevented them from selecting a speaker. ~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni & Catie Edmondson: "After a humiliating three-day stretch of 11 consecutive defeats in an election that is now the most protracted such contest since 1859, [Kevin] McCarthy briefed Republicans on a morning conference call on concessions he had made to the ultraconservative rebels, including agreeing to conditions he had previously refused to countenance. Mr. McCarthy told the group, 'we're in a good position,' but noted that there was no deal yet, according to a person on the private call...." ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater: "There is an increased security presence outside the Capitol on Friday, two years after the Jan. 6 attack on Congress. More officers are stopping visitors and checking IDs."

     ~~~ Emily Cochrane: "Democrats, along with families of officers who lost their lives because of the Jan. 6 riot, are holding a somber vigil on the steps of the Capitol.... Some Democrats are wiping away tears as they listen to the party's incoming and outgoing leadership, Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi. It is still difficult for many in this building to be in the House and Senate chambers and be reminded of what they experienced on Jan. 6. ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater: "The event is billed as bi-partisan, but almost all of the attendees are Democrats. There is at least one Republican: Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a former FBI agent." MB: Not surprisingly, there is no honor among insurrectionists. ~~~

     ~~~ ** Annie Karni: "It appears that on the 12th vote, McCarthy has for the first time received more votes for speaker than Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic nominee. He still does not have the required majority." ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: McCarthy flipped 14 anti-McCarthy votes. Final (but unofficial) total: McCarthy 213, Jeffries 211, Jordan 4, Hern 3. There are a couple of pro-McCarthy votes & one Jeffries voters who are "out of the office" today. Still, with 7 no votes, McCarthy does not have enough to gain the speakership. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Whatever his other faults, the guy who nominated My Kevin in Round 13 -- James Comer, who unfortunately will chair the Oversight Committee -- is remarkably stupid. Besides spouting some Covid conspiracy theories & knocking Dr. Fauci, he insists on a balanced federal budget & causing international economic chaos by not paying the debt. I don't think he can handle the job of oversight chairman of the dog poop bin at the local park. ~~~

     ~~~ Maggie Astor: "David Trone of Maryland, a Democrat, was back to vote for Hakeem Jeffries this round after missing the last one, and received raucous applause from his fellow Democrats. He returned to the Capitol in hospital socks and slippers after having surgery this morning." ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: Looks like the final tally of the 13th vote for speaker is McCarthy 214 (one Republican returned from wherever he was), Jeffries 212 & Jordan 6. Still not enough for My Kevin to grab the brass gavel (and as Akhilleus suggested the other day, pound the thumb of his free hand). ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The House adjourned after the 13th roll call, to reconvene at 10 pm ET.

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of House proceedings Friday are here. NBC News updates are here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Some pretty late-posted links today.

Marie: As a second, slow-rolling insurrection unfurls in the House of Representatives, we remember the bloody insurrection of January 6, 2021, when the defeated sitting president* of the United States made a last-ditch effort to effect a coup that would prevent his elected successor from taking office. Many of the participants in the attempted coup of 2021, including the top candidate for speaker, are players in the current insurrection.

Michael Shear & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday will mark the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by awarding the Presidential Citizens Medal to a dozen people who resisted efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Biden will present the award, which is among the nation's highest civilian honors, at a ceremony at the White House, officials said. The award is given to people who have 'performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.' The group to be honored is a who's who of figures that defended the 2020 election results in the face of threats from Donald J. Trump and his most fervent supporters."

** Kyle Cheney & Nicholas Wu of Politico: "A handful of Republicans who remained in the Jan. 6 committee's sights throughout its investigation are now leading the effort to deny Kevin McCarthy the speakership -- using their power to bring the House to a standstill. During its last days of existence, the Capitol riot panel unleashed a massive trove of evidence with an unmistakable conclusion: At every stage of ... Donald Trump's bid to overturn the 2020 election results, a phalanx of hardline GOP lawmakers were egging him on. The committee's latest material, including 250 witness transcripts, often portrayed those House Republicans as drivers, enablers and even architects of Trump's Jan. 6 scheme. And several conservatives currently standing against Kevin McCarthy's bid for the top gavel, including House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), were among the handful of true believers in Trump's efforts."

"Disappearing" the Insurrection. Joe Heim of the Washington Post (Jan. 4): "Visitors on official guided tours of the U.S. Capitol are peppered with facts about its rich history.... But unless visitors ask, they probably won't hear a word from the red-coat-wearing guides about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by supporters of ... Donald Trump who were seeking to stop the certification of Joe Biden's electoral win. The attack is not mentioned in the Capitol Visitor Center's newly renovated exhibition hall, which provides a robust history of the building. Nor is it discussed in the seven-minute introductory film that visitors watch before the tour commences.... [Guides] have been told to only refer to Jan. 6 if questioned on a tour...." Democratic Representatives Madeleine Dean (Pa.) & Jamie Raskin (Md.) both oppose hiding this recent history. "... 'Don't say Jan. 6,' and that suppression of memory is the very opposite of neutral and objective.' Raskin said. Dean said some of the damage the insurrections did should have been left intact as a reminder of the coup attempt.

More Fake History, Bought & Paid-for. And Some Grifting, Too! Annie Gowan of the Washington Post: "Right-wing supporters of the 'Jan. Sixers' have formed prayer chains, instigated letter writing campaigns, organized vigils and raised millions for their legal defense -- all with the aim of supporting the 932 federally charged defendants they see as valiant patriots, prisoners of conscience persecuted for engaging in their First Amendment rights. They have persevered despite powerful evidence to the contrary -- including judges uniformly excoriating defendants, ongoing guilty pleas and investigations, as well as a recent congressional report showing the extremity of the violence, the detail of the planning and the failure of Trump and other White House officials to quell the riot. Since 2021, Jan. 6 defendants have raised more than $3.7 million on the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo.... 'It normalizes violence as an acceptable method for political disagreement. In effect, it endorses domestic terrorism. Not to mention that January 6th is a case study in radicalization and actions based completely on fantasy,' [says former GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman].... Much of the money flowing to the Jan. Sixers has been ostensibly to support [the insurrectionists'] families.... [But concerns were raised by] a recent NPR investigation into how one of the biggest nonprofits, the Patriot Freedom Project, was administered."

Katelyn Polantz & Tierney Sneed of CNN: "The estate of Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who died after responding to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, is suing two rioters involved in the attack and ... Donald Trump for his alleged role in egging it on.... Trump is already a defendant in several other civil January 6-related civil lawsuits, where he is arguing his presidency makes him immune from liability. The lawsuit from Sicknick's estate was filed the day before the Capitol attack's two-year anniversary.... Julian Khater and George Tanios, the two Capitol rioters named in the suit, pleaded guilty last summer to crimes related to the breach."

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: Caleb "Berry, 21, testified in federal court in D.C. against four fellow members of the Oath Keepers facing charges of seditious conspiracy -- the second such group to go on trial. Going further than other cooperators, Berry testified this week that the extremists hatched an explicit plan to enter the Capitol and stop the certification of Joe Biden's presidential victory -- which could be a boon to prosecutors case. But he also acknowledged he was not always truthful with investigators, as defense attorneys highlighted inconsistencies in his testimony. Those on trial have argued that there was no plan or conspiracy, only a spontaneous decision to follow the crowd into the building.... On [January 6, 2021, on] the east side of the building, Berry testified, [Kelly] Meggs [-- head of the Florida Oath Keepers --] led a huddle of Oath Keepers and told them that the election had been 'illegitimate and unconstitutional' and that 'we were going to try to stop the vote count.'" Meggs was convicted of seditious conspiracy in November 2022.

Lauren Burke & Victoria Bekiempis of the Guardian: "Two years after the January 6 insurrection, fresh fears are being raised over safety for lawmakers and staff at the US Capitol, especially as Republicans have stripped away some of the security measures installed in the wake of the deadly attack on Congress. House Republicans ... removed the metal detectors outside the House chamber ready for the first day of business of the 118th Congress on Tuesday, 3 January.... Metal detectors remain at the entrance of Congress for visitors and members of the public.... US Capitol Police reported 9,625 threats and directions of interest, which means actions or statements that cause concern, against members of Congress in 2021, compared with 3,939 in 2017."

Nixon Had an 18-Minute Gap; Trump's Is Eight Hours. Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "On Monday the now-shuttered House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection released more documents to the Depart[ment] of Justice and the public and now new questions are being raised about Donald Trump's activities on that day. As the Daily Beast's Jose Pagliery wrote, a renewed focus is taking place on the 8-hour gap when the former president's phone calls were not logged -- which could lead to a DOJ inquiry involving phone records people known to have been in contact with him based on their own testimony. As American University professor Chris Edelson, put it: 'The first thing one thinks of is the [Richard] Nixon tapes, the missing 18 minutes. It's never been resolved,' with regard to the Watergate scandal that brought his presidency down.... 'All you're left to surmise is that, for nefarious reasons, this particular president didn't want any record kept,' [Barbara Ann Perry of the University of Virginia said].... You can read more [at the Daily Beast]." Firewalled.

Recorded before My Kevin lost the 11th round of votes for speaker. But just as funny with 10 defeats:

Marie: This week's antics cause me to wonder if it would be better to dispense altogether with a House dominated by Miss Margie, Lorena Bobbitt & Frat Brat Gaetz than to seat this gang of anarchists, insurrectionists & misfits. Let every session begin with a prayer, a pledge, & a failed vote for speaker, followed by an adjournment.

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "After a humiliating three-day stretch of 11 consecutive defeats in an election that is now the most protracted such contest since 1859, [Kevin] McCarthy dispatched his emissaries to hammer out a deal with the ultraconservative rebels, including agreeing to conditions he had previously refused to countenance in a last-ditch effort to sway a critical mass of defectors. They included allowing a single lawmaker to force a snap vote at any time to oust the speaker, a rule that would effectively codify a standing threat that Mr. McCarthy would be at the mercy of the right wing at all times, and could be removed instantly if he crossed them.... Some of the changes left little doubt that the House would struggle to carry out even its most basic duties in the coming two years.... A House committee confirmed that, if no resolution were reached by next week, congressional aides working for committees could not be paid, since the House would lack authority to process payroll on Jan. 13, the next payroll deadline." ~~~

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall lose his own soul, and still not gain enough votes to become speaker of the House? -- Paul Krugman, in today's NYT column, linked below

     ~~~ Ransom for the Hostage-Takers. Marianna Sotomayor, et al., of the Washington Post: "... in a sign of progress, some Republicans are approaching a deal that could help Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) get closer to clinching the necessary 218 votes to take the gavel.... According to three sources familiar with the deal, several holdouts are on the verge of agreeing to it and will vote in favor for McCarthy, though when that might happen remained unclear. The expectation is that though McCarthy will not get all the votes necessary to become speaker, it will show considerable momentum for him." Politico's report is here. A related report by Andrew Prokop of Vox is here.

House Terrorists Cash in on Their Antics. Lachlan Markey of Axios: "House Republicans leading the fight against Rep. Kevin McCarthy's speaker bid are using the push to help finance their campaigns.... Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) campaign asked potential donors to 'support our fight with critical reinforcements' and in one email dubbed McCarthy 'Kiev Kevin.' Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) asked donors 'to turbocharge our emergency efforts to break the Establishment.' His campaign emails link to a payment processing page that claims 'every dollar helps secure the Speaker position.' An email from Rep. Bob Good's (R-Va.) campaign Thursday claimed that McCarthy 'spent millions of dollars trying to defeat conservatives in Republican primaries' and closed with a donation plea."

But Wait! Kevin Has a Helper! Maggie Haberman & Michael Bender of the New York Times: Donald "Trump has backed [Kevin] McCarthy's effort for weeks and held separate rounds of calls to holdouts who have adamantly opposed the move. The former president appeared surprised that some of his loyal lieutenants in the House were not responsive to him, according to two people familiar with the calls.... Mr. Trump, who often tries to avoid limiting any options for himself, stopped making aggressive calls after that. But he was forced to be more public in his support than aides had planned when he picked up his ringing cellphone on Tuesday and gave a muted comment to a reporter from NBC News [Garrett Haake], prompting questions about whether he still backed Mr. McCarthy. So he made a public declaration on Wednesday morning. But even that failed to move the roughly 20 House members who have dug in against Mr. McCarthy.... The weapon that Mr. Trump used to dominate his party for seven years -- fear of him -- has diminished."

Santos de Cartier. Sarah Rumpf of Mediaite: "... the C-SPAN cameras covering the unfolding drama on the House floor have frequently shown [Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.)], usually seated in the back of the chamber. As reported by Forbes staff writer Zach Everson, eagle-eyed observers identified Santos' watch as made by luxury retailer Cartier -- to be specific, a model from the 'Santos de Cartier' collection that currently retails for $7,800. This watch model includes two interchangeable straps, one in stainless steel and one in blue rubber, and photos from this week show Santos wearing the steel one Tuesday and the blue one Wednesday. 'The Santos watch was conceived by Louis Cartier in 1904 to help aviators tell time mid-flight,' the Cartier website proudly touts.... Counterfeit Cartiers of this style can be found for about $150.... Whether Santos watch is the real deal or a 'Canal Street Cartier' remains to be seen, but, as Everson concluded his article, '[e]ither way, the clock is likely ticking on his career in Congress.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yes, yes, Trump & Santos are disgusting, despicable scammers, but you'll have to admit they are also, in their oafish shambling, sources of great amusement. More on the Boy from Brazil linked under "Beyond the Beltway" below.

The Omen. Marie: The last time it took more ballots to elect a speaker was 1859, the year before the Civil War began.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Republican House members' efforts to select a speaker are here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The vote in Round 7 is essentially the same as it was in the previous two rounds: 212 votes for Jeffries, 201 for McCarthy, 19 for Donalds & 1 "present." Oh, and Gaetz voted for Trump. Gaetz should nominate Trump in the next round, and -- as Trump likes to say, "we'll see what happens." ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson & Annie Karni: "Representative Kevin McCarthy of California on Thursday lost a seventh vote for the speakership.... After losing a half-dozen consecutive votes in two humiliating days, Mr. McCarthy by Thursday had privately agreed to more demands from the right-wing dissidents, embracing measures that would weaken the speakership considerably and that he had previously refused to countenance. One would allow a single lawmaker to force a snap vote to oust the speaker...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The House held its 8th vote for speaker Thursday afternoon, and the results were essentially the same: 212 for Jeffries, 201 for McCarthy, 17 for Donalds, 2 for Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, 1 for Donald Trump, and 1 "present." The House is moving into the 9th round of votes. This has gone from ridiculous to borrrr-ing. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Okey-doke. The House held its 9th vote, and the results were Jeffries 212, McCarthy 200, Donalds 17, Hern 3, and 1 "present." One member has left for the day, so My Kevin came up one short of his results in the last several tries. We are now moving into Vote No. 10, apparently because My Kevin does not have the votes to adjourn. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The House was not supposed to be in session Friday, so members from both parties have, you know, other plans. But it looks as if the votes will go on Friday. So we'll see how these anticipated absentees affect the outcomes. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, here's a surprise: the totals on the 10th roll call were Jeffries 212; McCarthy 200, Donalds 13, Hern 7, & 1 voting "present." Apparently My Kevin & his crew are continuing to negotiate with the terrorists. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: CNN invited Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) on to talk about the House fiasco, and he addressed Erin Burnett as "young lady." (She's about 8 years younger that Troy.) When Burnett jovially replied that she would take the "young lady" remark as a compliment, Troy said, "Of course it was. This is my first time on the Clinton News Network." I've found a new person to despise. ~~~

     ~~~ The vote on the 11th roll call was Jeffries 212, McCarthy 200, Donalds 12, Hern 7, Trump 1, and 1 "present." The House adjourned till noon tomorrow, the second anniversary of Insurrection Day, a day that will live in infamy and one that My Kevin & so many other House members caused. ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in the House of Representatives are here. NBC News live updates of House proceedings are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

The Party of Nothing. Lisa Lerer & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "After two days of chaos and confusion on the House floor, Republicans have made it abundantly clear who is leading their party: absolutely no one.... With no unified legislative agenda, clear leadership or shared vision for the country, Republicans find themselves mired in intraparty warfare, defined by a fringe element that seems more eager to tear down the House than to rebuild the foundation of a political party that has faced disappointment in the past three national elections. Even as Donald J. Trump rarely leaves his Florida home in what so far appears to be little more than a Potemkin presidential campaign, Republicans have failed to quell the anti-establishment fervor that accompanied his rise to power. Instead, those tumultuous political forces now threaten to devour the entire party." (Also linked yesterday.)

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "... MAGAfreude is a real thing, and I'm feeling a bit of it myself. But liberals have never seemed remotely as interested in humiliating conservatives as conservatives are in humiliating liberals. And a substantial part of what has been going on in the House seems to be that some Republicans who expected to own the libs after a red wave election have acted out their disappointment by owning Kevin McCarthy instead.... One thing is sure, however: America is already less great than it was when Nancy Pelosi ran the House, and it's shrinking by the day."

** Michael Shear, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden on Thursday announced a far-reaching crackdown on people who seek refuge at the border with Mexico, dramatically expanding restrictions on asylum in the most aggressive effort of his administration to discourage migrants from crossing into the United States. In remarks at the White House that drew immediate condemnation from human rights organizations, Mr. Biden said his administration would deny people from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti the chance to apply for asylum if they cross the Mexican border without authorization between official ports of entry. He said people from those countries, who are among the many tens of thousands of migrants who try to cross the border every month, would be swiftly returned to Mexico instead.... Mr. Biden said that as many as 30,000 people per month from the four countries would be given the chance to migrate legally to the United States if they have the means to afford a plane ticket, get a sponsor, download an app, pass a background check and meet other requirements." ~~~

~~~ If only Joe had had the foresight to build a Great Wall.... ~~~

~~~ The Great Wall May Take a Great Fall. David Goodman of the New York Times: "Along a bend in the Rio Grande ... looms an 18-foot fence of galvanized steel a few feet from the muddy water's edge. The fence, constructed three years ago with private funds, was once at the center of a bitter national debate over border security, its builder touted by ... Donald J. Trump and promoted in a fraudulent scheme by Steve Bannon known as 'We Build the Wall' that resulted in criminal indictments and convictions. Now, the three-mile-long barrier is essentially orphaned, functionally useless -- because of a federally constructed border barrier a short distance behind it -- and, according to an engineering report commissioned by the Justice Department, at risk of falling over in a major flood and floating away. And because of its location and construction along the water's edge, federal officials worry that the fence could end up redirecting the Rio Grande in such a way that the land it sits on would end up as part of Mexico." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In the short run, people must be protected from injury by the falling wall. In the long run, after it falls, it must be transported to a park across the street from the Trump Presidential* Library (wherever that may be) & displayed -- roughly in the configuration in which it landed -- as a cautionary public exhibit. Too bad pieces of the wreckage of the Capitol building were not preserved, as Rep. Dean wanted, as they could be preserved in a building near the wall wreckage as another vivid example of the Trump legacy.

Kimmy Yam of NBC News: "A new law signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday will help memorialize the history of the U.S. government's incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, would reauthorize funds that help preserve the sites in which tens of thousands of Japanese Americans were detained, including Manzanar in California and Rohwer in Arkansas."

Noam Scheiber of the New York Times: "In a far-reaching move that could raise wages and increase competition among businesses, the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday unveiled a rule that would block companies from limiting their employees' ability to work for a rival. The proposed rule would ban provisions of labor contracts known as noncompete agreements, which prevent workers from leaving for a competitor or starting a competing business for months or years after their employment, often within a certain geographic area. The agreements have applied to workers as varied as sandwich makers, hair stylists, doctors and software engineers." (Also linked yesterday.)

Azmat Kahn of the New York Times: "In the chaotic final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, U.S. military analysts observed a white Toyota Corolla stop at what they believed was an Islamic State compound.... They tracked the car around Kabul for the next several hours. After it pulled into a gated courtyard near the airport, they authorized a drone strike. Hours later, U.S. officials announced they had successfully thwarted an attack. As reports of civilian deaths surfaced later that day, they issued statements saying they had 'no indications' but would assess the claims and were investigating whether a secondary explosion may have killed civilians. But portions of a U.S. Central Command investigation obtained by The New York Times [through an FOIA lawsuit] show that military analysts reported within minutes of the strike that civilians may have been killed, and within three hours had assessed that at least three children were killed. The documents also provide detailed examples of how assumptions and biases led to the deadly blunder.... Hina Shamsi, an [ACLU] lawyer representing families of victims, said the investigation 'makes clear that military personnel saw what they wanted to see and not reality, which was an Afghan aid worker going about his daily life.'"

Another Courtroom Loss for the Trumpster. Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge has ordered lawyers for ... Donald J. Trump to give the government the names of the private investigators who searched Mr. Trump's properties late last year for any remaining classified documents, part of what appeared to be a step by the Justice Department toward questioning the investigators about their efforts, two people familiar with the matter said. The order, issued on Wednesday by Beryl A. Howell, the chief judge of the Federal District Court in Washington, was the latest twist in a monthslong dispute between prosecutors and Mr. Trump's lawyers about how forthcoming the former president has been in returning classified material that he removed from the White House after he left office." CNN's report is here.

No, That's Not Sen. Markey. Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post: "Elon Musk said he would fix Twitter's problem with impostors. The blue check mark on my fake U.S. senator suggests he still has a long way to go. On Tuesday, @SenatorEdMarkey briefly went viral on Twitter.... The problem is, @SenatorEdMarkey is actually me, not the real Sen. Edward J. Markey. It's a test of Twitter's $7.99 per month Blue 'verification' service I made with the permission of the real Democrat fro Massachusetts. I wouldn't blame anyone for being confused: My test account has the senator's name and photo and a blue check mark that says it is 'verified.' But Twitter, it seems, isn't verifying much of anything. This is the second time I've been able to impersonate the senator.... Under Musk's leadership, Twitter users face a greater risk of seeing something fake and thinking it is real."

Of Climate Change & Kidneys. Gerry Shih of the Washington Post: "In recent years, scientists and groups including the International Labor Organization have increasingly warned about the deadly, yet often overlooked, link between exposure to extreme heat and chronic kidney disease. Exactly how heat scars and cripples the microscopic tubes in the organs is still debated, researchers say, but the correlation is clear. That link has been observed among workers toiling in rice fields in Sri Lanka and steamy factories in Malaysia, from Central America to the Persian Gulf. As the world grows hotter and climate change ushers in more frequent and extreme heat waves, public health experts fear kidney disease cases will soar among laborers who have no choice but to work outdoors."

Beyond the Beltway

Connecticut. Susan Haign & Dave Collins of the AP: "A Connecticut state representative, considered a rising political star, was killed when a wrong-way driver crashed head-on into his vehicle early Thursday morning as he returned home from the governor's inauguration ball, state police said. The other driver also died. Quentin Williams, a 39-year-old Democrat from Middletown, died in the crash that also happened just hours after he was sworn-in for a third term."

New York. Gwynne Hogan & Jon Campbell of Gothamist: "A dozen Democratic protesters gathered Thursday outside a small congressional office in Douglaston, Queens, calling on embattled Rep.-elect George Santos to step aside or -- at the very least face his constituents. Holding signs calling Santos a liar, and a miniature Pinocchio doll, the protesters met near a green awning above the office's entrance that once belonged to his predecessor, Rep. Tom Suozzi. The fact that the new representative had not set up his own district office they said was yet another sign that Santos was unresponsive to voters."

** South Carolina, et al. Kate Zernicke of the New York Times: "The South Carolina Constitution provides a right to privacy that includes the right to abortion, the state's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, saying 'the decision to terminate a pregnancy rests upon the utmost personal and private considerations imaginable.' The decision overturns the state's law banning abortions after roughly the sixth week of pregnancy. More broadly, it is a victory for abortion rights in the South, where states have severely restricted access. It is the first final ruling by a state Supreme Court on the state constitutionality of abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, which ended the right to abortion under the federal constitution that had been in force for half a century, and left the matter to the states. Abortion rights groups responded to that decision by filing suits in 19 states...."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Friday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Friday is here: "All eyes are on the unilateral cease-fire ordere by Russian President Vladimir Putin for Orthodox Christmas, which got underway on Friday, a temporary truce that was dismissed by Ukraine, the United States and Germany as a possible ploy for Russia to regroup and move more troops and equipment to the battlefield.... In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a real cease-fire would come only when Russian troops withdraw from the country.... President Biden said he thinks Putin is 'trying to find some oxygen' after 10 months of war and tens of thousands of casualties on the Russian side.... The United States and Germany will supply Ukraine with armored combat vehicles, including Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday in a joint statement, marking a significant policy shift after months of resisting Kyiv's pleas for tanks. A French official also confirmed that France would send AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine.... Russia and Belarus are building up a regional military force with plans to hold joint drills and combat aircraft exercises, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said Thursday."

Mexico. Natalie Kitroeff & Steve Fisher of the New York Times: "The Mexican authorities announced on Thursday that they had captured a son of the drug lord El Chapo in an early morning operation in Culiacán, a northwestern city that has long been the home base of the Sinaloa cartel. Security forces arrested Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the infamous crime lord known as El Chapo, and transferred him to a special prosecutor's office in Mexico City.... The capture of El Chapo's son, himself a prominent cartel leader, allows the government to claim a victory in its halting efforts to combat violence during one of the deadliest periods in Mexico's recent history."

Vatican. Jason Horowitz of the New York Times: "The Roman Catholic Church on Thursday laid to rest Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in front of a fog-shrouded St. Peter's Basilica with an extraordinary funeral presided over by his own successor, Francis, a final peculiarity to end a strange era in the modern church in which two popes, one resigned and one in power, one conservative and one liberal, coexisted in the tiny confines of the Vatican."

News Ledes

CNBC: "Payroll growth decelerated in December but was still better than expected, a sign that the labor market remains strong even as the Federal Reserve tries to slow economic growth. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 223,000 for the month, above the Dow Jones estimate for 200,000, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, 0.2 percentage point below the expectation. The job growth marked a small decrease from the 256,000 gain in November, which was revised down 7,000 from the initial estimate.... The relative strength in job growth comes despite repeated efforts by the Fed to slow the economy, the labor market in particular." MB: According to a banner on CNBC's main page, Dow futures gained 150 points on news of lower wages. Nice.

New York Times: "A powerful winter storm system moving across California on Thursday sent trees crashing into homes, knocked out electricity for tens of thousands of people and churned up dangerous surf along the coast as it brought more rain, wind and snow to the already saturated state. The storm, one of several that is expected to pound the West Coast this month, poured water into swollen rivers and dumped fresh snow on the Sierra Nevada. Further rounds of heavy precipitation were expected in California on Saturday, and again on Monday."