KARAH RUCKER: POPE BENEDICT IS BEING LAID TO REST TODAY. SEVERE STORMS BATTER CALIFORNIA. AND IT’S DAY THREE OF VOTING FOR A HOUSE SPEAKER.

THIS IS YOUR MORNING RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

MCCARTHY’S CONCESSIONS FOR SPEAKERSHIP

Cheryl Johnson, House Clerk: “The Honorable Kevin McCarthy of the state of California has received 201. The Honorable Byron Donalds of the state of Florida has received 20, with one recorded as present. No member-elect having received a majority of the votes cast. A Speaker has not been elected.”

HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MCCARTHY IS SAID TO BE OFFERING MORE CONCESSIONS TODAY TO TRY AND WIN OVER THE HANDFUL OF REPUBLICANS VOTING AGAINST HIM FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

TODAY WILL MARK DAY THREE — AND ROUND SEVEN — OF VOTING FOR A SPEAKER.

Rep. Lauren Boebert | (R) Colorado: “Let’s stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against us. Even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off. I think it actually needs to be reversed. The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.”

MCCARTHY’S LATEST CONCESSIONS INCLUDE A RULES CHANGE TO ALLOW JUST ONE MEMBER TO CALL FOR A VOTE TO OUST A SITTING SPEAKER.

HE WILL ALLOW MORE OF THE HOLDOUT-REPUBLICANS TO SERVE ON THE POWERFUL “HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE.”

THAT MEANS THEY’LL BE ABLE TO HELP DICTATE WHICH BILLS COME TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE.

AND BILLS THE HOLD-OUTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR WILL BECOME A PRIORITY. WHICH INCLUDE PROPOSING TERM LIMITS AND A BORDER SECURITY PLAN.

WE’LL LEARN IF IT’S ENOUGH TO WIN THEM OVER AS VOTING CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON.

8 FAMILY MEMBERS SHOT, KILLED IN UTAH

Rob Dotson | Enoch City Manager: “We all know this family. Many of us have served with them in church, in community and have gone to school with these individuals and so this community at this time is hurting.”

A SMALL TOWN IN UTAH IS GRAPPLING WITH A DEVASTATING DISCOVERY. EIGHT FAMILY MEMBERS WERE FOUND SHOT DEAD INSIDE OF THEIR HOME. FIVE OF WHICH WERE CHILDREN.

AUTHORITIES DON’T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY SUSPECTS AT LARGE.

POLICE FOUND THE FAMILY AFTER SOMEONE CALLED IN FOR A WELFARE CHECK.

A MOTIVE FOR THE KILLINGS IS STILL UNKNOWN AS OFFICIALS BEGIN A LENGTHY INVESTIGATION.

Rob Dotson | Enoch City Manager: “There’s time, it’s going to take hours and hours and hours to make a determination of what happened inside this home.”

EXTRADITION OPENS DOOR FOR AFFIDAVIT

WE’RE ANOTHER STEP CLOSER TO RECEIVING DETAILS ABOUT THE IDAHO MURDERS. ALLEGED KILLER BRYAN KOHBERGER ARRIVING BACK TO IDAHO LAST NIGHT.

WHICH MEANS THE PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT COULD SOON BE UNSEALED.

HERE’S KOHBERGER’S LATEST MUGSHOT. TAKEN AFTER HE ARRIVED AT AN IDAHO JAIL.

UNDER STATE LAW…A DEFENDANT MUST BE IN THE STATE BEFORE AN AFFIDAVIT IS PUBLICLY RELEASED.

THAT LEGAL DOCUMENT TYPICALLY INCLUDES FACTS THAT POLICE USE IN ORDER TO ISSUE AN ARREST.

WITH EXTRADITION COMPLETE…ANSWERS COULD BE AROUND THE CORNER.

CALIFORNIA STORM CAUSES FLOODING, MUDSLIDES

Pat King | Pacifica Resident: “We’re scared. Yeah, we’re scared. We’re getting more sandbags and just buckling down the best we can. We don’t know what to do. We’re just waiting for the storm to pass. We’re just hanging on the best we can.”

A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA HAS ALREADY TURNED DEADLY…WITH DANGEROUS CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT.

WIDESPREAD FLOODING, POWER OUTAGES, IMPASSABLE ROADS, AND MUDSLIDES ALL THREATEN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.

A STATE OF EMERGENCY ALREADY DECLARED.

A TODDLER DIED AFTER A TREE FELL ON A HOME. AND A 19 YEAR OLD DIED DRIVING ON A FLOODED ROAD.

AREAS PRONE TO MUDSLIDES HAVE BEEN EVACUATED.

OFFICIALS CALLING IT ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL STORMS CALIFORNIA HAS FACED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

Mary Ellen Carroll | Department of Emergency Management Executive Director: “The most important thing people can do is to keep themselves out of harm’s way, which means to the extent possible, please do not travel or go outside. We advise that includes staying off the roads. If you have to be out and you encounter a flooded area, please do not drive through it.”

CHINA’S DATA ON COVID IN QUESTION

THE WORLD IS WATCHING CHINA…CONCERNED OVER A HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF COVID CASES.

EYEING THE VIRUS AND HOPING IT DOESN’T SPREAD LIKE HOW IT DID IN 20-20.

RIGHT NOW…HOSPITALS IN BEIJING ARE AT CAPACITY. THERE’S NO MORE BED SPACE FOR PATIENTS WITH COVID DESPITE AMBULANCES BRINGING MORE PEOPLE IN.

THE SHARP INCREASE IN CASES COINCIDES WITH THE EASING OF COVID-RESTRICTIONS IN THE COUNTRY.

MANY GOVERNMENTS INCLUDING THE U.S. ARE REQUIRING TRAVELERS FROM CHINA TO TEST NEGATIVE FOR COVID.

PRESIDENT BIDEN OPENLY VOICED CONCERN…

AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION BLUNTLY SAID BEIJING IS UNDER-REPORTING DEATHS AND OTHER COVID-DATA.

JUST TODAY CHINA REFUTED THOSE CLAIMS AND SAID “THE SITUATION IS CONTROLLABLE.”

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR POPE BENEDICT

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ATTENDED THE VATICAN TODAY…AS FORMER POPE BENEDICT WAS LAID TO REST WITH A “FUNERAL MASS.”

POPE FRANCIS PRESIDED OVER THE FUNERAL…PAYING TRIBUTE TO HIS PREDECESSOR.

Andrew Messer | TRAVELED FROM U.S. FOR FUNERAL: “He is a real inspiration for the seminarians of my generation and we all read his works in seminary and a lot of his books are assigned to us to read and as a man who lived through the council and changed the church as much as he did, it is just really amazing to be here.”

POPE BENEDICT HAD HUMBLY STEPPED DOWN NEARLY 10 YEARS AGO. HE WAS THE FIRST TO DO SO IN SIX CENTURIES.

POPE BENEDICT DIED ON DECEMBER 31ST. HE WAS 95 YEARS OLD.

THOSE ARE YOUR TOP HEADLINES ON THIS THURSDAY MORNING.

THANKS FOR WATCHING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WHERE WE STRIVE FOR JOURNALISM WITHOUT AGENDA.