Andy Borowitz: McCarthy Asks Whatever Joker Hid His Gavel to Give It Back

Kevin McCarthy’s tenure as Speaker of the House got off to an awkward start as the California congressman asked “whatever joker” hid his gavel to return it at once.

“O.K., guys, you’ve had your fun,” McCarthy said, his voice barely audible over the derisive hoots of his fellow-Republicans. “I’m going to count to ten, and then I expect to have my gavel back.”

“Kev knows how count to ten?” Representative Matt Gaetz asked, after which members of the Freedom Caucus egged him on by chanting, “Gaetz! Gaetz! Gaetz! Gaetz!”

“C’mon, Matt, stop being such an ass,” McCarthy retorted.

“I know you are, but what am I?” the Florida congressman shot back.

Seemingly losing his patience, McCarthy leapt from the podium and attempted to throttle Gaetz before the two were separated by congresswomen Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In the scuffle’s aftermath, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio defended whoever hid the Speaker’s gavel. “Was today a little messy?” Jordan said. “Yes. But this was democracy at its best.” https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report

Big Majority of Republicans Still Want Loyalty to Trump

A new CBS News poll found that most Republican voters expect the party to follow Donald Trump’s policies and 2020 views, if not the former president himself.

The results indicate 35% of Republicans think party loyalty to Trump is “very important,” and another 30% called it “somewhat important.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-news-poll-inflation-cooperation-and-investigation/

Republicans Signal Cuts To Social Security, Medicare With New House Majority

House Republicans are making clear that they intend to seek cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare with their new majority in the 118th Congress. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/social-security-medicare-cuts-republicans_n_63bc41fbe4b0b2e15069b0ae

IRS Funding Repeal Could Cost Over $100 Billion, Encourage Tax Cheating

Legislation currently under consideration in the House would rescind most of this new funding, leaving funds that have already been obligated as well as money earmarked exclusively for taxpayer services or business system modernization (but not funding for operational support, which could be used for those purposes). CBO estimates it would rescind roughly $71 billion and result in about $186 billion of lost revenue through 2032. As a result, it would increase deficits by about $114 billion over a decade. https://www.crfb.org/blogs/irs-funding-repeal-could-cost-over-100-billion-encourage-tax-cheating

‘We were duped’: How George Santos raised money from wealthy GOP donors while lying about his resume

A member of George Santos’ political team had a plan to raise money for the Republican congressman’s campaign: Impersonate the chief of staff of now House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Wealthy donors received calls and emails from a man who said he was Dan Meyer, McCarthy’s chief of staff, during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles… His name was actually Sam Miele, and he worked for Santos raising money for his campaign.

The impersonation of the top House Republican’s chief of staff adds to an emerging picture of a winning congressional campaign propelled by fabrications and questionable tactics. Santos now finds himself in the sights of investigators and in danger of losing his political career even after he’s been sworn into office. In raising money for his campaign, Santos fed donors the same falsehoods he gave voters.

“We were duped,” said a Republican political strategist close to GOP donors and the leadership of the Republican Jewish Coalition. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/09/george-santos-raised-money-from-wealthy-gop-donors-while-lying-about-his-resume.html

Trump pushes for primary challenges against McConnell and others who 'vote with him'

Donald Trump issued his latest attack against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), encouraging Republicans to pose primary challenges against the Kentucky Republican and any GOP lawmaker who votes with him.

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump criticized McConnell for his vote to pass the government omnibus spending bill late last year, repeating previous accusations that the Senate minority leader allowed Democrats to push through several of their agenda items along with the annual budget. Trump also repeated insults he has previously directed at McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

“If he waited just ten days, the now 'United Republican Congress' could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT. Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-pushes-for-primary-challenges-against-mcconnell

Judge Orders Trump’s Deposition Unsealed

A judge has ordered the unsealing of key excerpts of Donald Trump’s deposition in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against him. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.590045/gov.uscourts.nysd.590045.15.2.pdf

A Decade of Global Tumult Likely Ahead

Prepare for Russia’s coming crack-up. Plan for a Chinese military assault on Taiwan. Temper the optimism about peak carbon emissions. Brace for the further spread of nuclear weapons. Buckle in for even greater global volatility ahead.

These are just some of the forecasts that emerged this past fall when the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security surveyed the future, asking leading global strategists and foresight practitioners around the world to answer our most burning questions about the biggest drivers of change over the next ten years. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/atlantic-council-strategy-paper-series/welcome-to-2033/

How Trump's allies stoked Brazil Congress attack

Across several episodes of his podcast and in social media posts, Steve Bannon and his guests stoked up allegations of a "stolen election" and shadowy forces. He promoted the hashtag #BrazilianSpring, and continued to encourage opposition even after Mr Bolsonaro himself appeared to accept the results.

Mr. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, was just one of several key allies of Donald Trump who followed the same strategy used to cast doubt on the results of the 2020 US presidential election.

And like what happened in Washington on 6 January 2021, those false reports and unproven rumors helped fuel a mob that smashed windows and stormed government buildings in an attempt to further their cause. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64206484

Jim Jordan to Chair New Subcommittee

Russia’s Wagner group ramping up operations outside of Ukraine, U.S. warns

Top U.S. officials are increasingly tracking the movements and efforts of a Russian private military group outside of Ukraine as Moscow continues to use the organization to launch influence operations in Africa and Europe.

Last month the Biden administration downgraded classified intelligence saying Russia is relying on the Wagner group in Ukraine to recruit prisoners and launch offensives in the city of Bakhmut.

But U.S. officials are also gathering intelligence related to the group’s activities in countries such as the Central African Republic, Mali and Serbia, according to cables obtained by POLITICO, where Russia is using Wagner to fight anti-Putin sentiment and defend government mining interests with troops and weapons. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/09/russias-wagner-group-ramping-up-operations-outside-of-ukraine-u-s-warns-00076859

Just One House Republican Marked January 6

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was the only Republican to attend Democrats' event marking the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. https://twitter.com/bensiegel/status/1611384730347360262

‘Nobody Is in Charge’: A Ragged G.O.P. Stumbles Through the Wilderness

From the halls of Congress to the Ohio Statehouse to the back-room dealings of the Republican National Committee, the party is confronting an identity crisis unseen in decades. With no unified legislative agenda, clear leadership or shared vision for the country, Republicans find themselves mired in intra-party warfare, defined by a fringe element that seems more eager to tear down the House than to rebuild the foundation of a political party that has faced disappointment in the past three national elections.

Even as Donald Trump rarely leaves his Florida home in what so far appears to be little more than a Potemkin presidential campaign, Republicans have failed to quell the anti-establishment fervor that accompanied his rise to power. Instead, those tumultuous political forces now threaten to devour the entire party. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/us/politics/republican-party-leadership.html

Shootings in Albuquerque share target: elected Democrats

Bullets flew through one home’s front door and garage. At another home, three bullets went into the bedroom of a 10-year-old girl in a series of shootings that had at least one thing in common: They all targeted the homes or offices of elected Democratic officials in New Mexico.

The shootings began Dec. 4 when eight rounds were fired at the home of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa. Seven days later, someone fired more than a dozen shots at former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley’s home.

Just this week, multiple shots were fired at the home of state Sen. Linda Lopez — a lead sponsor of a 2021 bill that reversed New Mexico’s ban on most abortion procedures — and at the office of state Sen. Moe Maestas, an attorney who co-sponsored a bill last year to set new criminal penalties for threatening state and local judges. It didn’t pass. https://apnews.com/article/politics-albuquerque-new-mexico-state-government-831e1d985a1795eea69ac6489f0698e

Michael Flynn restored to Twitter on Jan. 6 anniversary

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn had his Twitter account reinstated on Friday as the United States marked the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Twitter suspended the account of the retired Army lieutenant general two days after the violent assault on the capitol. Flynn had more than 1 million followers at the time and had used the platform to become a top spreader of false information about the 2020 election. Twitter cited its policy against ‘coordinated harmful activity’ for the suspension. https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-01-06/michael-flynn-twitter-jan-6-anniversary-8672056.html

Half of Earth’s glaciers could melt even if key warming goal is met, study says

A sweeping study of all the world’s glaciers outside of the Greenland and the Antarctic ice sheets has found that nearly half of them will melt by century’s end, even if the world meets its most ambitious global warming goal.

The study, published Thursday in the journal Science, finds that even with just 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming above preindustrial levels, some 104,000 of the world’s more than 215,000 mountain glaciers and ice caps will melt, raising global sea levels by a little shy of four inches.

A rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius beyond preindustrial temperatures is now extraordinarily difficult to avoid, suggesting that a change of this magnitude may be nearly unstoppable. But with every additional increment of temperature increase, the study finds, the outlook becomes worse.

Human societies rely on these ice masses for water supplies, often heavily, as in the case of the thick glaciers of the high mountains of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, sometimes called the planet’s third pole. Glaciers in this region feed water into massive river systems including the Indus and Ganges. An estimated 1.9 billion people worldwide depend on glaciers for water, the research notes.

The new study goes beyond prior research in seeking to project the individual fates of all 215,000 or more of the world’s catalogued glaciers, and added techniques to account for some of their special attributes. For instance, and especially in the poles, many glaciers flow far outward into the sea and even partially float on its surface. This means they can be melted not only by warm air but also by warming ocean water.

In some mountain areas, meanwhile, some glaciers are covered with dirt and rocky debris — which, if thick enough, can insulate and protect glaciers. But such debris is actually a vulnerability if the layer is thin, since the sun heats darker surfaces faster than would happen with bare, reflective ice.

The new study suggests a greater overall glacier vulnerability than prior work — especially at lower emissions scenarios consistent with a 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius (2.7 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature goal. At these temperatures, the research suggests, glaciers could have a 14 to 23 percent larger overall contribution to sea level rise than prior studies found. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/05/glaciers-melt-this-century-warming/

The New York Young Republican Club offered its support to embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY)

Said club president Gavin Wax: “This is politics. Politics is about power. Democrats and the left understand this, and they circle the wagons against any of their controversial members, whether it’s for lying or other things. If he resigned, we would lose the seat. And we will lose the vote. Simple as that.”

Wax added that a lot of Santos’s fabrications are based on “kernels of truth.” https://www.liherald.com/glenhead/stories/a-light-in-the-tunnel-for-george-santos-new-york-young-republicans-club-offer-their-support,157589

Russian state TV celebrates 'brave' Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz for undermining Ukraine

Russian state-funded media played clips of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Fox News host Tucker Carlson because the conservative personalities oppose additional U.S. aid for Ukraine.

Like many conservatives in the U.S., Russian state television criticized the leader for wearing a sweater and cargo pants.

I didn't go to the speech because I didn't want to be part of a photo op, Hawley said in a video clip included in the report.

A Russian correspondent noted that 86 Republicans refused to attend Zelenskyy's speech

The Russian media report also included a clip of Carson mocking the speech. "They clap like seals," Carlson opined. "So, no matter what the man in cargo pants said, 'Send more money. I command you! Send me more money!'"

The correspondent referred to Boebert and Gaetz as "brave" for attending the speech despite objections to military aid. "Gaetz and Boebert didn't chap the palms of their hands [clapping]," the reporter observed. "They demonstrably remained seated and didn't jump up."

"Until Congress receives a full audit on where our money has already gone, I will not support sending additional money to this war," -- Rep. Boebert: Watch the video clip of Boebert at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aBtHnrNUFY&t=2s

Judge Scolds Trump Legal Team and Lets James’s Lawsuit Proceed

Republicans Who Voted To Overturn The 2020 Election Get Top Committee Posts

Of the 17 members tapped for chair posts, 11 voted to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election. They defended their decision to do this by telling the same lie about widespread voter fraud that just hours earlier had fueled the deadly insurrection at the Capitol and sent these lawmakers into hiding for their lives.

These 11 Republicans are Reps. Glenn Thompson (Pa.) for the agriculture committee, Mike Rogers (Ala.) for armed services, Jodey Arrington (Texas) for budget, Virginia Foxx (N.C.) for education and workforce, Mark Green (Tenn.) for homeland security, Jim Jordan (Ohio) for the judiciary, Roger Williams (Texas) for small business, Sam Graves (Mo.) for transportation and infrastructure, Mike Bost (Ill.) for veterans, Jason Smith (Mo.) for ways and means, and Frank Lucas (Okla.) for science, space and technology. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/house-republican-committee-chairman-overturn-2020-election_n_63bc65cee4b0b2e15069eb74

Biden’s Approval Rate Keeps Ticking Up

The latest Economist/YouGov survey finds President Biden’s net approval is now positive, 46% to 45%. https://www.economist.com/president-joe-biden-polls

Women can be prosecuted for taking abortion pills, says Alabama attorney general

Supreme Court lets New York enforce gun law during lawsuit

The Supreme Court is allowing New York to continue to enforce a sweeping new gun law banning guns from ‘sensitive places’ such as schools and playgrounds for now while a court challenge plays out,” the AP reports.

The justices on Wednesday turned away a plea by the law’s challengers. The gun owners wanted the high court to lift a federal appeals court order that temporarily put on hold a lower court decision blocking portions of the law. The appeals court hasn’t finished its review of the case, and justices are often reluctant to weigh in under those circumstances. The justices could still consider the case and the law more generally in the future. https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-politics-new-york-city-f5dc99fc3c348456beb8b9694948e18e

THE DAILY GRILL

Calling GOP Rep. George Santos a joke, a disgrace, abnormal and a pathological liar, local Republican officials in New York state on Wednesday said the newly elected congressman needed to immediately resign, accusing him of running a campaign of “deceit and lies.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/11/watch-live-nassau-county-gop-officials-make-major-announcement-about-embattled-rep-george-santos.html

VERSUS

I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living. I will NOT resign! — George Santos @Santos4Congress https://twitter.com/Santos4Congress/status/1613234542650982400