Key takeaways: Rep. Jim Jordan has been unable to secure enough votes to win the speaker’s gavel. Rep. Buck believes a temporary speakership is the…
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House Republicans are pushing back against an outside pressure campaign by conservative media and supporters of Rep. Jim Jordan's speaker bid, which has included anonymous and vaguely threatening text messages, cussing out of staffers, and robocalls to voters. Rep. Bacon and his wife have received death threats, and Rep. Womack and Rep. Gimenez have spoken out against the campaign. Jordan has failed twice to get the votes needed to become speaker, and the pressure appears to be backfiring.
The U.S. has determined that a deadly blast at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was most likely caused by a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Egypt has allowed limited humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, but it is unclear if it will be enough to prevent further casualties. Joe Biden is visiting Israel in hopes of preventing a wider conflict in the Middle East.
At least 200 people were killed in an explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, with the US assessing that it was likely caused by a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The incident has been met with shock and sorrow from around the world, with the UN calling for an independent investigation and the US urging both sides to de-escalate the conflict.
A woman was taken into custody Wednesday after attempting to approach former President Donald Trump during his civil fraud trial in New York City. The trial is part of a $250 million civil action brought against the former president by the New York Attorney General, and Trump has already been found liable for fraud. The woman was taken into custody and it is unknown if she will face any charges for her attempt to speak to Trump.
House Republicans have failed to elect a permanent speaker for the second time, with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) falling short of the 217 votes needed to win the gavel. Some Republicans are now looking to expand the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) in order to break the deadlock, but it remains unclear if this will be enough to elect a new speaker. The House has been leaderless since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stepped down in October, and it is unclear how long it will take for the chamber to elect a new speaker.
Joran van der Sloot, the chief suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, has pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud charges in a U.S. federal court and admitted to bludgeoning Holloway to death on an Aruban beach. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was extradited from Peru to the U.S. in June of 2023. The plea deal brings closure to the Holloway family, who have been searching for answers since Natalee's disappearance in 2005.
The House of Representatives is voting for the next Speaker after Kevin McCarthy failed to win more than 218 votes on three ballots. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio has failed to garner the necessary support to become the next Speaker of the House, losing 20 Republicans on the first ballot and requiring a third ballot if those who voted against him do not change their minds. Jordan has flipped one of his holdouts, but it is unclear if he will be able to win the necessary support to become the next Speaker.