Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., stands as he is nominated for a twelfth time in the House chamber as the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif. 20th District) gained some momentum on Friday afternoon in his bid to become the House speaker, flipping more than a dozen votes in his favor.
Still, McCarthy was defeated again in his 13th attempt to win the position, despite the positive sign for him as 15 Republicans who were refusing to back him changed their minds.
McCarthy remained several votes short of the simple majority he needed to secure the position.
Following his defeat in 13 rounds of voting, the most in more than a century, McCarthy expressed confidence that he would be able to get the win by Friday evening, telling reporters he “has the votes.”
The House voted to adjourn until 10 p.m. ET Friday evening as McCarthy and his allies continue to work to secure the speakership.
Authorities on Thursday were trying to determine who sent letters filled with fentanyl or other substances to local election offices, an attack that appears to have targeted multiple states in the latest instance of threats faced by election workers around the country.
The White House said Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza starting on Thursday, as the Biden administration said it has secured a second pathway for civilians to flee fighting.
Columnist and political analyst Jonathan Harris joined Cheddar News to break down what stood out from Wednesday's third Republican presidential primary debate.
Mississippi's largest county ran out of ballots during Wednesday's governor's election as some voters say they had to wait for up to an hour for new ballots to be printed before they could cast their votes.
Republican presidential candidates used the third debate of the GOP primary campaign to show their support for Israel and display at least some willingness to criticize Donald Trump.
The National Zoo's three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji. on Wednesday began their long trip to China, leaving behind an empty panda exhibit with no certainty that pandas ever would again take up residence there.