Daily Briefing: The House speaker stalemate

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
·6 min read
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The House returns Friday to try again to end the stalemate over choosing a new speaker after days of voting with no conclusion. Also in the news: Today marks the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the NFL will not resume or replay the Monday's Bills-Bengals game that was stalled after Damar Hamlin's collapse.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Staying home with a sick person? Here's what to do.

Happy Friday. Here's the news.

Speaker vote stretches past 11th ballot

GOP lawmakers expressed muted optimism that a deal was getting closer with a rebellious Republican faction to install House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy as speaker in return for significant concessions. McCarthy has now failed in 11 ballots since Tuesday, as a solid core of some 20 Republicans say they will continue to oppose him because he is too much a part of the establishment.

One thing to know: The House remains paralyzed with members-elect not sworn in, lacking security clearances and the lower chamber remains unable to conduct any legislative business.

  • Some of the roughly 20 Republicans declining to vote for McCarthy as the next House speaker are depicting their work as a historic effort to re-tip the balance of power in Washington.

  • What can the House members-elect do? They can use the time to negotiate on House rules so that lawmakers can adopt them after picking a speaker. Officials and their staffs can still field calls from their constituents in this time.

  • Who is Byron Donalds? In a fourth-round vote Wednesday, the 20 representatives standing in the way of a McCarthy speakership shifted their votes to Donalds, a second-term congressman from Florida who is considered an ascendent figure in the GOP.

  • The once-in-a-century political confusion didn’t stop social media users, reporters and lawmakers from joking about the contentious climate on Capitol Hill.

Democrats stand and vote "no" to adjournment in the House chamber as the House meets for the third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
Democrats stand and vote "no" to adjournment in the House chamber as the House meets for the third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.

'Conveyer belt' of storms keep hitting California

The San Francisco Bay Area gets a short rest before another storm – part of a series that could last into next week – hits on Friday. Heavy rains, high winds, power outages and evacuations rolled across California this week as a massive storm overwhelmed parts of the state and was blamed for at least two deaths. San Francisco recorded the wettest ten-day period since 1871, with 10.33 inches of rain falling between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4, the National Weather Service said. The deluge on drought-parched ground in some parts of California led to fears of mudslides; winds that could down weakened trees; and runoff that could overwhelm urban areas with flooding. Read more

A vehicle drives on a flooded road in Sebastopol, California, on January 5, 2023.
A vehicle drives on a flooded road in Sebastopol, California, on January 5, 2023.

More news to know now

🌤 What's the weather this weekend? Check your local forecast here.

Jan. 6 Capitol attack 2 years later

Two years after the deadly Capitol assault on Jan. 6, 2021, the special House committee examining the attack delivered a dramatic coda to its 18-month investigation when it accused former President Donald Trump of inciting the deadly insurrection and asked the Justice Department to prosecute him on the incendiary charge, along with three other allegations of criminal wrongdoing. Trump’s potential legal exposure has only grown more perilous and his future political viability has been thrust into the unknown. Read more

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.

Economy added 223,000 jobs in December

Hiring slowed modestly in December as employers added 223,000 jobs to close out an otherwise booming year, possibly foreshadowing the deeper pullback and recession that many economists expect in 2023. The unemployment rate fell from 3.7% to 3.5%, the Labor Department said in its latest jobs report released Friday. Most economists expect the U.S. to slip into a mild recession this year as the Fed’s rate increases take a growing toll on spending and growth. Such forecasts have further weakened consumer and business confidence. Yet despite the hurdles, the labor market has been remarkably resilient, repeatedly defying forecasts for a more dramatic slowdown. Read more

On Friday, the U.S. government issues the December jobs report. Analysts forecast that 210,000 jobs were gained in December, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged.
On Friday, the U.S. government issues the December jobs report. Analysts forecast that 210,000 jobs were gained in December, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged.

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NFL won't resume Bills-Bengals Week 17 game

The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals will not resume or replay their game that was suspended Jan. 2 following the collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin, the NFL announced. Both teams will finish the 2022 regular season with one fewer game played than every other team in the league. Not having to carve out time to replay the Bills-Bengals game will allow the NFL to begin the playoffs next weekend as scheduled, a factor that played into the league's decision. The Monday night matchup between the Bills and Bengals was one of the biggest games of the season because of the huge playoff implications. Read more

  • Damar Hamlin asked in writing if team won the game, doctors said.

Buffalo Bills' Siran Neal (33) and Nyheim Hines react after teammate Damar Hamlin was injured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Cincinnati.
Buffalo Bills' Siran Neal (33) and Nyheim Hines react after teammate Damar Hamlin was injured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Cincinnati.

📷 Photo of the day: All the movies you'll want to watch in 2023 📷

Harrison Ford reimagines the adventures of "Indiana Jones" for a final time. An epic tale of a lost dog in "Dog Gone." "Magic Mike's Last Dance" takes Mike Lane to the London theater scene. From "Ant-Man 3" to "Scream VI," here are most-anticipated cinematic releases in 2023.

Harrison Ford returns for one last whip-cracking franchise adventure in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
Harrison Ford returns for one last whip-cracking franchise adventure in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

One more thing

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin McCarthy, California rain, Damar Hamlin, Jan. 6, inflation: Daily Briefing