Crisis, chaos, confusion in the House

The vote for a speaker of the House dragged into day three. New details were released about the murders of four University of Idaho students. And doctors gave a positive update on Bills' safety Damar Hamlin.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. It's Thursday, which means it's time for – you guessed it – Thursday's news!

But first: New year, new you? If you're starting the new year with some wellness resolutions, the first thing you can do is ditch the multivitamins.

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Day 3: Still no House speaker

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And again. And again. And a few more times for good measure, if you're Kevin McCarthy. The House of Representatives made history Thursday, moving to a tenth ballot after more stalemated efforts to elect a speaker of the House – the most ballots in this normally pro forma election since just before the Civil War. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed a ninth ballot 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. GOP opponents have sunk his past nine attempts to get enough votes to win the job. The efforts to forge a compromise could weaken the job – if he gets it – and show that governing the Republican-led House is going to be challenging this year, with infighting consuming what's been a simple one-ballot vote for the past hundred years. 👉 Follow our coverage for the latest developments. 

• What can the House do without a speaker? Occupy offices, field calls, talk. But that's about it.

• Who is Byron Donalds? GOP rebels' new nominee for speaker.

• Popcorn and penalty kicks: Internet yuks it up over McCarthy's speaker bid.

• What's happening? A visual guide to the House speaker deadlock not seen for a century.

Bills safety Damar Hamlin awake and communicating

Damar Hamlin wanted to know who won the game. After the Bills safety woke up in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Wednesday night, one of the first things he did was to ask, in writing, if his team won Monday's Bills-Bengals game during which he was injured. "The answer is yes, Damar, you won the game of life," Dr. Timothy Pritts said. Doctors provided details of the NFL player's closely followed condition at a Thursday press conference, saying Hamlin woke up, followed commands and could communicate in writing. Hamlin remains intubated in critical condition after going into cardiac arrest during Monday's game. Here's the latest on Hamlin's condition.

• When Damar Hamlin collapsed, a mom whose son died on the football field grieved.

• Cardiac arrest can happen to kids. What parents should know.

• Will Bills-Bengals game be played? What's at stake in NFL playoff picture.

What everyone's talking about

• As job switchers chase higher wages, they may be leaving money behind.

• The oldest person in the U.S., Bessie Hendricks, dies at 115 in Iowa.

• Jan. 6 attack 2 years later: Trump still plagued by multiple investigations.

• Details emerge in death of LA man whose foot was found in Yellowstone pool.

• The CDC has abandoned pain patients with new opioid guidelines. | Opinion

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Biden unveils new steps to curb surge of migrants

In his boldest move yet to confront arrivals of migrants that have spiraled since he took office two years ago, President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. would immediately begin turning away people from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua who cross the border illegally from Mexico. Facing criticism that he's not done enough to stop illegal border crossings, Biden outlined what he called "orderly, safe and humane" ways to strengthen border control while expanding legal pathways to the United States. "Do not, do not just show up at the border," Biden said, even as he acknowledged the hardships that lead many families to make the dangerous journey north. "Stay where you are and apply legally from there." Keep reading.

A Christmas cease-fire?

It was not immediately clear whether hostilities would actually be halted, but Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his armed forces to hold a 36-hour cease-fire in Ukraine this weekend to mark the Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday on Saturday. Ukrainian officials have previously dismissed Russian peace moves as ploys to regroup and prepare for more attacks. When asked about the cease-fire, Biden said he was "reluctant to respond to anything Putin says. ... I think he’s trying to find some oxygen." Here's the latest.

Real quick

• Police: Man kills 7 family members, including 5 kids, at Utah home.

• 'Final goodbye': Thousands mourn Pope Benedict in unprecedented funeral.

• Man accused of chewing off man's ear said he thought victim was a robot.

• Police: Doctor arrested after intentionally driving family off California cliff.

• Sad scene turns to amazing rescue as couple frees 16 birds trapped in ice.

'Conveyer belt' of storms: Heavy rains, high winds, power outages and evacuations rolled across California on Thursday as a second massive storm in a week overwhelmed parts of the state and was blamed for at least two deaths. Live updates.

🌤 What's the weather up to at your house? Check your local forecast.

Police: Idaho murder suspect's DNA found at crime scene

The DNA of the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students was found on a knife sheath recovered at the crime scene, court documents unsealed Thursday revealed. Police said they zeroed in on suspect Bryan Kohberger, 28, through a combination of DNA evidence, trash collected from his parents' home, surveillance video, cellphone records and license plate readers that tracked his car on a cross-country drive. His phone had been tracked to nearby the students' house at least 12 times in the six months before the attack, authorities noted. Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ home in eastern Pennsylvania last week and was extradited to Idaho. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary in the Nov. 13 attack. More from the arrest documents.

• ​​​​A mystery, then a break in the case: Timeline of the investigation.

A break from the news

• 🎁 Start 2023 off in the right direction with these great gift ideas.

• 😴 Why do people snore? A look at the science behind the behavior.

• 👀 Is someone snooping on your phone? How to find out and stop it.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Short List: Speaker of the House votes, Damar Hamlin injury, Idaho student murders, Russia cease-fire. Thursday's news.