During his acceptance speech Saturday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, “now the hard work begins.” But before the House of Representatives can get to work, it needs to approve a rules package. This resolution will govern how the chamber operates for the next two years. Negotiations over what’s in it are a big reason why it…

The arrest of Ovidio Guzman, the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader “El Chapo,” sparked speculation he could be extradited to the United States to join his father in an American prison. Guzman, thought to be one of the leaders of the Sinaloa organization, was captured in northern Mexico in a bloody operation that led…

New war game simulations show that if China invades Taiwan and a full-fledged war breaks out, China would likely lose. However, the cost of such a war would also leave the U.S., Japan and Taiwan militarily and economically devastated.   The war gaming was conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). CSIS said…

Ever since Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., finally won the votes to become the new speaker of the House, there’s been a barrage of bipartisan speculation that the concessions he made will have long-term repercussions on how we govern. One change gives a single lawmaker the power to oust the speaker, which “strengthens the smallest caucus…

An outgoing senator leaves a Senate vacancy to fill; a ban on bump stocks has been struck down by an appeals court; and children who are obese are now recommended to take weight-loss medication. These stories and more highlight your midday rundown for Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. Sen. Ben Sasse steps down Republican Sen. Ben…

As Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tries to become the next House speaker, he is negotiating with his opponents on a series of demands that include plum committee positions, campaign spending and making it easier to vote the speaker out if they aren’t happy with the their performance. But there’s another demand that’s not getting as…

The Idaho and South Carolina State Supreme Courts made opposing rulings on two similar abortion bills, a scenario that is only possible because of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. In Idaho, justices upheld a nearly total ban, while justices in South Carolina struck down a heartbeat bill. The Idaho Supreme Court upheld a near total…

Vladimir Putin’s proposed cease-fire in Ukraine was over before it started. Ukraine flatly rejected the idea, and reports from the frontline said both sides were firing artillery even after the supposed cease-fire was supposed to start. Ukrainian leadership and President Joe Biden both think Putin’s cease-fire was a ruse to buy Russia time to reinforce…

After the midterm elections, Republicans were starting to distance themselves from Donald Trump and his ultra-conservative followers. For a while there, moderates had hope that their fractured party could actually come together and get things done. Not so fast. At least twenty members of Congress — almost all allies of the Freedom Caucus PAC —…

Last month the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case from a Colorado web designer who doesn’t want to work on same-sex weddings. Using a photo shoot scene from the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a hypothetical, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson suggested the designer’s argument could be used to endorse racial discrimination.…