Today's Liberal News

Kevin McCarthy finally finds enough concessions to drag himself across the finish line

It took 15 votes and a near a near fistfight, but after a string of humiliating losses, Kevin McCarthy managed a humiliating victory. He has the résumé entry he’s been working toward for years: speaker of the House. Luckily for him, he doesn’t seem to care about anything but the title—because, after all of the concessions he made to get the title, he sure won’t be wielding much of the power generally presumed to go with it.

Live coverage: A bruised and weakened McCarthy finally emerges with the gavel

This really isn’t how a government should operate. Not this government, anyway. The clusterfuck, however, is continuing. Here we go again, into ballot 15 in the quest to elect a Speaker of the House.

UPDATE: Saturday, Jan 7, 2023 · 5:39:19 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

There won’t be a rules vote tonight after all. It will be Monday, giving Democrats plenty of time to remind all the non-maniac Republicans how McCarthy gave away all their shit.

McCarthy’s 14th defeat brings chaos to new levels as House Republicans raise the bar on ‘disarray’

In the fourteenth round of his failure to bribe his way into the speaker’s chair, Kevin McCarthy missed by one vote. Then McCarthy went up to Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert and tried to get them to change their votes. Whatever Gaetz said in reply, it snapped McCarthy around as he was walking down the aisle and Rep, Mike Rogers had to be restrained—as in grabbed by the head—to keep him from plunging into the seats to get at Gaetz.

Stunning images captured of GOP lawmakers scrambling during House speaker vote

As fun as it’s been to watch Rep. Kevin McCarthy lose again and again and again, it’s been even more fun to see some of the photos captured on the floor of Congress: Republicans scrambling and kowtowing while Democrats smile slyly, for example, or New York Republican Rep. George Santos slithering around on the periphery, hoping to find a place to fit in.

This week has been a doozy; with 13 votes and counting, McCarthy has consistently come up short.

Fox News tried to undermine Pete Buttigieg’s marriage. His reply is a masterclass in the high road

The nation is reflecting on and mourning the events of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and of course, in anticipation of the anniversary of this stain on national history, Fox News has been eager to question why Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten Buttigieg, traveled with him overseas. 

Huh?

Somehow, yes. That is, in fact, what Fox News host Bret Baier tried to pull on Thursday, Jan. 5.

The January 6 Attack Is Not Over

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.On the second anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, Joe Biden decorated Americans for courage during the unrest, while on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives remained in limbo as many of the same people who tried to overturn the 2020 election bickered over electing a speaker.

I’m Sorry, but This COVID Policy Is Ridiculous

Cases have surged in China since it dropped its zero-COVID policy in December, and the latest models now suggest that at least 1 million people may die as a result. Many countries have responded by policing their borders: Last week, the CDC announced that anyone entering the United States from China would be required to test negative within two days of departure; the U.K., Canada, and Australia quickly followed suit; and the European Union has urged its member states to do the same.

Why Beijing Wants Jimmy Lai Locked Up

HONG KONG—When Beijing imposed the national-security law on Hong Kong in 2020, its goal was not simply to stifle free expression and lock up dissenters. The idea was to subordinate every institution in the city, leaving the “one country, two systems” framework that granted autonomy to the Chinese territory an empty slogan. Henceforth Beijing would no longer tolerate criticism from Hong Kong, or protests on its streets.

When a Single Conversation Can Mean Life or Death

In a hayloft overlooking the soy fields, dirt roads, and rustic houses that make up their isolated religious colony, eight women gather for a discussion. The eldest ones lead. The youngest two braid each other’s hair. They talk and talk and talk for hours, trying to reach a decision before the men who hurt them return the next day. Often, the women nitpick one another’s words—why they’re chosen, how they’re used, and what they mean.

“We Need Ceasefires Everywhere”: Bishop William Barber’s Message of Peace for Ukraine & the World

Russian President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally declared a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Putin’s overture, however, saying that Russia wants to use Christmas as a pretext to stop Ukrainian advances in the Russian-occupied Donbas region. Putin’s declaration comes after about 1,000 U.S.

Two Years After Jan. 6, Capitol Attack Casts Long Shadow Over GOP That Allows Extremism to Fester

Friday marks two years since the January 6 Capitol insurrection, when President Donald Trump incited thousands of supporters to violently storm Congress, attempting to overturn the 2020 election. The attack on the Capitol briefly shut down Congress as lawmakers fled for their safety from the mob, which included members of the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and other violent extremist groups.

Should Football Be Banned? Former NFL Player Donté Stallworth & Sports Reporter Bill Rhoden Weigh In

Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday during an NFL game. He remains in critical condition. After making a routine tackle against an opposing Cincinnati Bengals player, the 24-year-old safety collapsed on the field. Stunned players from both teams cried, prayed and hugged as Hamlin received CPR from medical personnel before being taken to the hospital.

David Dayen: Biden Will Need to Use Executive Action for Democrats to Get Things Done in 2023

With Republicans now controlling the House of Representatives and vowing to fight President Biden’s agenda, journalist David Dayen says Democrats will need to get comfortable using executive action, as a raft of major legislation passed in the previous Congress will need to be put into action by the administration. “The next year, the next two years, isn’t going to be about legislative action,” says Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect.

Kevin ends the day with a ‘win’—an adjournment, after losing the 11th round

There’s much discussion of would-be House Speaker and 10-time failure Kevin McCarthy reaching a deal with is opposition—not to actually win, mind you, but to lose by less. Also to get some people to vote “present.” They’ve got to be careful there, because of the planned absences among Republicans (as many as three). It could end in the inadvertent election of the guy who’s won the popular vote 10 times now, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries.

George Santos’ past is coming to haunt him, including these tweets about landlord ‘rights’

If anyone is having a rough start to the new year, I’m willing to bet it’s Rep.-elect George Santos. The openly gay MAGA Republican is swimming in controversy, and (somehow) it’s not about being just a Trump supporter, or a gay Republican, or even his defeat of an openly gay Democrat in New York’s 3rd District race, which includes parts of Long Island and Queens.