(WASHINGTON) — The abortion drug mifepristone is safe enough that retail pharmacies can provide the drug so long as a certified health care provider prescribes it and if that pharmacy meets certain requirements, according to new rules published Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
If pharmacies jump on board, the decision by the FDA could expand access to the drug in states where it’s already legal. Doctors, for example, might be more willing to get certified to prescribe the drug because they would no longer have to stock it themselves and could write a prescription much as they would any other medication.
The new rule also opens the door for a fresh round of legal challenges. Abortion rights supporters were expected to use the latest regulatory update to make the case that under the law, only the FDA — not state governments — can decide which medication is safe enough to be sold in pharmacies.
In a statement, Evan Masingill, CEO of GenBioPro, which manufactures the generic version of the abortion pill, called the FDA action “a step in the right direction” to increase access and one that would “minimize the burden” on the health care system.
“Despite the FDA’s expert judgment, some states have restricted access to medical abortion care, so unfortunately today’s announcement will not provide equal access to all people,” Masingill said. “GenBioPro looks forward to working with prescribers and pharmacies to increase access to medical abortion care for all people.”
Mifepristone, also sold under the brand name Mifeprex, is approved by the FDA to end a pregnancy up to 10 weeks. The single tablet works by blocking the hormone progesterone and is typically paired with a second drug, misoprostol, which causes cramping to empty the uterus. Only mifepristone though is subject to a special regulatory framework used by the FDA to minimize the risks of certain drugs.
An estimated half of abortions now rely on the medication, while the rest are surgical.
The FDA did not issue a formal statement Tuesday, but was expected to update information about the drug online. Since 2021, the FDA has said mifepristone is safe enough for certified providers to prescribe via telehealth and mail the drug directly to the patient. The FDA, though, didn’t have a plan to green light retail pharmacies to provide the drug until this week, restricting distribution access mostly to abortion clinics who could keep the drug in stock.
Kirsten Moore, director of the Expanding Medication Abortion Access Project, said it’s not clear how quickly Americans might see an impact or how sweeping those changes might be. Pharmacies would have to raise their hand to become certified to fill prescriptions for the drug, and even then some pharmacists might refuse to dispense the pill personally because of religious objections.
Still, she said, the FDA action signals an intention by the federal government to treat the drug more like other medications.
“This is a product that’s been very niche for a long time,” Moore said. “But this is definitely a step in the direction of mainstreaming this drug.”
Opponents of abortion rights said a top priority this year is challenging the FDA’s approval of the drug in court and trying to convince the government to crack down on unregulated sites selling the pill online. In one closely watched case in a federal court in Texas, the Alliance for Defending Freedom argued the FDA overstepped its authority in greenlighting the drug more than two decades ago.
Supporters of abortion rights counter that the FDA’s power to decide which drugs can be sold to consumers is rooted in federal law and that states don’t have the power to block it.
In an interview last month prior to the FDA’s announcement, Kristan Hawkins, president of the anti-abortion rights group Students for Life, said she believed there’s enough political support in some conservative states to crack down on illegal sales of mifepristone. But she acknowledged that widespread availability of mifepristone has made the job harder for the anti-abortion rights movement even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“I think when it comes to chemical abortion, we have an uphill battle,” she said.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — In the aftermath of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s shocking collapse and cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, expert medical organizations highlighted the importance of bystanders learning to perform lifesaving CPR.
“All of us need to learn CPR. People don’t realize that if someone is unconscious and not breathing and doesn’t appear to be alive, that CPR is essential,” Dr. Benjamin Abella, director of the Center for Resuscitation Science at the University of Pennsylvania, told ABC News.
During a cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating properly. More than 350,000 people suffer from cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, according to the American Heart Association. Of those cardiac arrests, 70% happen in homes and nearly 20% happen in public settings.
But less than half of those who have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are given CPR by people nearby — even though it can double their chance of survival, research shows. Only about 10% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survive, according to the AHA.
The AHA has guidelines outlining the steps people should take if they see someone suffering a cardiac arrest.
The first step is recognizing that someone is in cardiac arrest and calling 911. Someone might be in cardiac arrest if they collapse suddenly, lose consciousness, are not breathing on their own, are gasping for air or do not have a pulse. Next, bystanders should start CPR immediately, the AHA says, which can restore and maintain blood flow through the person’s body until professional help arrives. If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available, you should place it on the person while continuing CPR.
AEDs can help restore a normal heartbeat in some cases of cardiac arrest. You can often find AEDs in public spaces such as offices, stores and airports. They provide step-by-step instructions and voice prompts to assist someone in cardiac arrest.
Following these steps can improve the chances of survival and recovery for people who have a cardiac arrest out of the hospital.
There are free online resources from medical organizations such as NewYork-Presbyterian and the AHA that teach people the basics of CPR. Training is also widely available in the United States. In a survey of nearly 10,000 people in the U.S. in 2015, 65% reported having CPR training at some point.
When performing CPR, you should push on the chest with at least 100 compressions per minute. That’s applying compressions to the beat of songs like “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees or “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga. NewYork-Presbyterian curated a playlist of songs on Spotify that fit the necessary rhythm.
Many people who witness a cardiac arrest, though, don’t step in to perform CPR.
There are racial disparities among the individuals who commonly receive bystander CPR. Black and Hispanic adults are less likely to get CPR from bystanders than white adults, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. People in the United States are less likely to initiate CPR for people with cardiac arrest in low-income, predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods than in high-income white neighborhoods, the study showed.
People said they’d be reluctant to perform CPR, even if they’re trained, out of fear of causing additional harm. But Good Samaritan laws in place in all 50 U.S. states protect civilians who step in to help during an emergency from legal liability in many cases.
Shelbi A. Swyden, MD, is an emergency medicine resident at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is a part of the ABC News Medical Unit.
ABC News’ Nicole Wetsman contributed to this report.
Michael Bublé‘s 2011 Christmas album is #1 in Germany and the United Kingdom — on top of his album Higher hitting #1 earlier in 2022. He took to TikTok to say he “basically cried” after getting two #1 albums in the same year.
Wham!‘s “Last Christmas” is again the U.K.’s #1 song, reports Billboard. The song finally hit #1 in 2021, 36 years after it was released.
Paula Abdul pulled a fast one on TikTok by pretending she can spin a basketball on a finger. She revealed influencer Crissa Jackson, who was hiding behind her, was actually performing the stunt.
Jennifer Lopez shared her favorite moments of 2022 on Instagram — including some never-before-seen looks at her engagement ring and wedding to Ben Affleck.
Lewis Capaldi had a fantastic response to a fan who said their father mistook him for Susan Boyle. He joked, “i dreamed a dream that ppl stopped telling me i looked like women in their 60s.”
Lewis also released a clip of a never-before-heard demo and joked his label will be fine with the leak. The singer hinted he’ll be sharing more demos “that will probably never see the light of day.”
Madonnarevealed she visited Kibera, Kenya, with her children, and they created a mural of broken glass to honor entrepreneur Kennedy Odede and Shining Hope for Communities, the organization he launched to help young girls in his community.
Meghan Trainor is unhappy that a TikTok filter didn’t predict she’ll get pregnant in 2023. She shot the video with husband Daryl Sabara, who teased her for not getting her desired answer.
Kelly Clarkson stripped down Katy Perry‘s “The One That Got Away” for her daytime talk show, turning it into an acoustic heartbreak anthem.
Bruce Springsteen fans can now relive his 1999 reunion with the E Street Band. The Boss just released a Reunion Tour performance from July 18, 1999, to nugs.net.
Bruce writes that the concert is “the earliest Reunion tour performance yet to appear in the Live Archive series,” noting it “captures Bruce and the E Street Band recommitting to their mission at the second show of a 15-night homecoming run.”
The night’s set opens with the outtake “I Wanna Be With You” and features such songs as “Sherry Darling,” “Jungleland,” “Trapped,” “Murder Incorporated” and “The River,” as well as hits like “Born To Run,” “Thunder Road” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.” It also features “Loose End” and “Stand On It,” from Tracks, as well the song “Freehold,” described as Bruce’s “hilariously candid confessional about growing up in New Jersey.”
The Reunion Tour was the first set of regular dates by Bruce and the E Street Band in 11 years. After launching it in Europe in April 1999, he brought it to the U.S. that July, opening with the 15-night stand at New Jersey’s Continental Airlines Arena.
(WASHINGTON) — Republicans are facing a leadership drama as they take control of the House Tuesday.
As the 118th Congress convenes, the first order of House business is the election of a new speaker — and current Republican leader Kevin McCarthy could be stymied by a group of hardliners demanding concessions.
Because the GOP holds only a slim majority, a small number of defections could stop McCarthy from gaining the office he’s long sought.
Here’s how the story is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 03, 5:46 PM EST
Frustration was growing as voting wound down
House lawmakers adjourned until Tuesday as some of them grew restless following the three rounds of unsuccessful voting for a new speaker.
Signs of frustration mounted during the third vote, with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., saying he was backing McCarthy “because I’m interested in governing.”
The voting took place as lawmakers had family and friends in town, and it was unclear at the time how deep into the night voting would go.
McCarthy had vowed to keep voting until there was a speaker, but the motion to adjourn shortly before 6 p.m. drew little opposition.
-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Benjamin Siegel
Jan 03, 5:35 PM EST
House adjourns, will resume Wednesday
The House overwhelmingly chose late Tuesday afternoon to adjourn until noon on Wednesday after a motion from Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., was adopted by voice vote
That decision came after three unsuccessful rounds saw no member-elect chosen as speaker, including McCarthy.
It’s the first time in a century that the speaker vote has taken multiple rounds.
Jan 03, 5:39 PM EST
McCarthy defector calls for ‘huddle’ to sort out speaker vote
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who changed his vote for speaker in the third round, said on social media that “continuous votes aren’t working.”
Donalds supported McCarthy during the first two rounds of voting, but then switched his choice to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. On Twitter, Donalds indicated that he does not believe McCarthy has the support to ultimately become speaker.
“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps…but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds wrote.
“When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”
“Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy,” he added.
Jan 03, 5:07 PM EST
McCarthy loses a supporter — and 3rd round of speaker vote
In the third round of voting, 20 Republican lawmakers voted against McCarthy for speaker — the highest amount so far. Those votes went to Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
In the first two rounds, 19 Republicans voted for a different candidate. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., voted for McCarthy two times before changing his vote to Jordan.
McCarthy received 202 votes in the latest round, making it the third time he’s trailed Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats have already elected Jeffries to be their caucus leader in the new Congress.
Jan 03, 4:33 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC: ‘Their secret candidate nominated me’
“We stay in until we win,” McCarthy said as he headed back onto the House floor ahead of the third round.
After huddling with Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Patrick McHenry and a few others off the floor, McCarthy told ABC News on his way back to the House floor that the prolonged vote was exactly what he was expecting to happen.
“This isn’t about me; this is about the conference now,” he said.
“If anybody wants to earn something, committee slots or others, you go through the conference to do that. You don’t get it by leveraging people. It just doesn’t happen,” he added.
McCarthy disputed that he hasn’t shown any progress throughout the afternoon.
“They put [Rep.] Jim Jordan [up as a candidate for speaker]. Remember how they all said they had a secret candidate. Their secret candidate nominated me, so where do they go now?”
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Allison Pecorin
Jan 03, 4:34 PM EST
McCarthy gets new defector in third round of voting
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., switched his vote for speaker after voting for McCarthy in the first two rounds.
Donalds, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, backed Rep. Jim Jordan in the third round of voting. If every candidate who voted for Jordan on the second ballot does so again, the Ohioan will get at least 20 votes.
Jan 03, 4:37 PM EST
Historic 3rd speaker vote underway in the House
Ahead of the House entering a third vote for the speakership, Rep. Pete Aguilar again nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats, prompting “Hakeem” chants from their side of the chamber, as Republicans remain in disarray.
“For unity in Congress and progress in our country, Democrats are united behind Hakeem Jeffries. I recommend Hakeem Jeffries as our speaker,” Aguilar said to applause.
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas nominated Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, again, despite Jordan losing in prior votes, his saying he didn’t want the position and asking Republicans to unite around McCarthy.
“Now, Jim has said he doesn’t want that nomination, and Jim has been down here nominating Kevin, and I respect that. Again, I have no personal animus toward Kevin,” Roy said. “But we do not have the tools or the leadership yet to stop the swamp from rolling over the American people. Jim has been doing it, he has a track record for doing that, and for those reasons, I’m nominating Jim Jordan for speaker of the House.”
Jan 03, 4:15 PM EST
Scalise says McCarthy critics are obstructing legislation
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., McCarthy’s No. 2, slammed McCarthy’s critics as obstructionists to legislative efforts to tackle issues like immigration and energy reserves.
“We all came here to get things done. To get big things done. To solve the problems. And I hope when we get through today that all the members on both sides of the aisle will get together to solve the problems,” he said when nominating McCarthy before the third round of voting.
However, he said, “we can’t start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy” as speaker.
Scalise’s speech came after Jordan nominated McCarthy. Both men have been floated as potential alternatives if McCarthy is unable to win the majority needed to clinch the speakership.
Jan 03, 4:00 PM EST
Scalise seems to be drafting McCarthy nomination speech
ABC News’ Ben Siegel, on the House floor, spotted Steve Scalise seemingly drafting a nomination speech for Kevin McCarthy.
This would mark another twist as Republicans still struggle to coalesce around any single candidate.
Jan 03, 3:58 PM EST
White House ‘willing to work’ with GOP in new Congress but avoids weighing in on leadership fight
After two failed votes to select a House speaker on Capitol Hill, the White House said it is “certainly not going to insert ourselves” into that process but are
“looking forward to working” with the new Republican-controlled House.
Asked by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce what the president wants to work on with Republicans once the House GOP leadership is in place, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didn’t offer any specifics on what policies it wants to be first on the agenda.
“He’s willing to work with Republicans who are willing to continue to deliver for the American people,” she said. “He is very optimistic on what lies ahead and how we are going to move our country forward.”
And when asked whether it may be more difficult to work with Republicans after the ongoing leadership fight, Jean-Pierre repeated President Joe Biden’s optimism and noted bipartisan legislation that was passed in his first two years.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Jan 03, 3:31 PM EST
Jordan says he told Gaetz not to nominate him as speaker
Right after Rep. Jim Jordan spoke on the House floor following the first vote — to support McCarthy in the next round — Rep. Matt Gaetz turned the tables and enthusiastically nominated Jordan to be speaker.
But Jordan told ABC News afterward that he told Matt Gaetz not to nominate him. Jordan would go on to pick up 19 votes in the second ballot.
Gaetz had said weeks ago he thought Jordan would be a good choice for speaker.
-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Katherine Faulders
Jan 03, 3:27 PM EST
McCarthy loses 2nd ballot as 19 Republicans vote for Jordan
Kevin McCarthy has fallen short of the votes needed to win House speaker for a second time.
Once again, 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy — this time unanimously backing Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
Jordan had urged his colleagues to back McCarthy as he nominated the California congressman for speaker. But Rep. Matt Gaetz stood up to nominate Jordan, calling him the “most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference.”
The House vote was identical to the first round: McCarthy again won 203 votes compared to Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ 212 votes.
Jan 03, 2:45 PM EST
Jordan wins enough votes to deny McCarthy speakership in 2nd vote
Enough Republicans have already voted for Jordan to deny McCarthy the speakership in a second ballot.
Just after Jordan rose to renominate McCarthy before the start of the second round of voting, nine Republicans backed the Ohioan before vote counting even got halfway through the alphabet.
Jordan was able to flip a number of Republicans who opposed McCarthy on the first ballot but didn’t vote for him, including Biggs, who voted for himself during the initial round of voting.
Jan 03, 2:31 PM EST
Gaetz nominates Jordan after Jordan urges colleagues to back McCarthy
After Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio took to the floor to encourage Republicans to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker, Rep. Matt Gaetz got up to nominate Jordan for the position.
“I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision than we have ever heard from the alternative,” the Florida congressman said.
“Jim Jordan is humble. Perhaps today, humble to a fault,” Gaetz continued. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad. Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of themselves for more than a decade to get it.”
In the first round of voting, Jordan received six votes.
Jan 03, 2:28 PM EST
Jim Jordan nominates McCarthy in 2nd round of voting
After receiving six votes of his own on the first ballot, Rep. Jim Jordan nominated Kevin McCarthy in the second round of voting for House speaker.
“I rise to nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House,” Jordan said, prompting applause from several Republican members.
“We need to rally around him, come together, and deal with these three things, because this is what the people sent us here to do,” he added, ticking through Republican priorities in the new Congress.
“We owe it to them, the American people, the good people of this great country, to step forward to come together, get a speaker elected so we can address these three things. I hope you’ll vote for Kevin McCarthy and that’s why I’m proud to nominate him for speaker of the House,” Jordan said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Good, one of the original “Never Kevin” members, said off the House floor that he plans to vote for Jordan on the second ballot despite Jordan’s call to support McCarthy — and expects other detractors will follow.
-ABC News’ Will Steakin
Jan 03, 2:20 PM EST
‘Optics are terrible’: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on GOP speaker battle
ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl weighed in after the first ballot vote for House speaker.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy fell well short of the majority needed to clinch the position. He received 203 votes, while Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 212. Nineteen lawmakers voted for someone else.
“The optics for Republicans is terrible,” Karl told ABC’s David Muir following the vote.
“They’ve taken control, they’ve won control of the House by a narrow majority, and [in the] first act of this Republican House, more votes went to the liberal Democrat candidate for speaker than went for Kevin McCarthy. Think about that David,” Karl said.
Jan 03, 2:13 PM EST
McCarthy to ABC News: Vote against him ‘exactly what we thought it’d be’
McCarthy told ABC News, after stepping off the House floor, that the current vote against him was “exactly what we thought it’d be.”
McCarthy added that this vote could go on for days and that “we got a number of members who are trying to fight for their own personal items” instead of for the country.
When asked how he what he can do to persuade the large number of members who voted against him by voting for others, McCarthy said he needs to convince them that “they don’t win gavels by trying to threaten or leverage somebody … I don’t think that’s what their constituents elected.”
-ABC News’ Will Steakin
Jan 03, 1:54 PM EST
McCarthy falls short in first speaker vote
After the first round of voting, no member obtained the 218 votes needed to become House speaker, but Democrat Hakeem Jeffries earned more votes than Kevin McCarthy — on the first day of a new Republican-controlled House.
Jeffries received 212 votes to McCarthy’s 203. Far-right Republican Andy Biggs of Arizona received 10 votes, and there were nine votes for others, including six for Rep. Jim Jordan, and, in a surprise move, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas voted for Florida’s Byron Donalds.
Nineteen Republicans broke from McCarthy, who could only afford to lose four, marking a stunning defeat by 15 votes. Despite having a majority this Congress, McCarthy got fewer votes this time than the last time he ran for speaker against Nancy Pelosi.
For the first time since 1923 — and the first time since floor proceedings have been televised — the speaker’s vote appears headed towards a second ballot.
While McCarthy has signaled he’s up for more voting rounds, he faces a steep hurdle in a second vote with so many lawmakers to win over — and the potential for Republicans to nominate another member, such as No. 2 Steve Scalise.
Jan 03, 1:37 PM EST
McCarthy gets quick standing ovation after voting for himself
After standing to cast a voice vote for himself, Kevin McCarthy smiled as he got a round of applause from his GOP supporters – even as it appeared that he would lose the first ballot for speaker.
McCarthy faced enough defections from his conference – with some voting for Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona or Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – to likely not prevail in the first tally.
But the quick standing ovation for McCarthy was both indicative of the support he still has in the House Republican Conference and the challenges of a slim Republican House majority.
Jan 03, 1:41 PM EST
Appears McCarthy will not have votes on first ballot to be elected
The majority of House Republicans applauded when Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to nominate Kevin McCarthy — but more than a dozen, most of them sitting by the center aisle in the second to last row of the chamber, sat on their hands. The applause for McCarthy was hardly thunderous.
And with every vote against McCarthy, the sounds of murmuring in the chamber grew, as it also grew more obvious that McCarthy will not have the votes on the first ballot to be elected speaker.
In contrast, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., had a sustained standing ovation when he nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY. Once the applause died down, Aguilar declared, “Today, House Democrats are united” — prompting even louder and more sustained applause from Democrats — while McCarthy sat silently and stone-faced on the other side of the aisle.
As McCarthy entered the rear of the chamber through the center door about 15 minutes earlier, he did so quietly and with little fanfare. Most people on the floor seemed not to notice. He walked all the way down to the area in front of the clerk before somebody went to talk to him, and it was a staffer for Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.
-ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl
Jan 03, 1:00 PM EST
Tense roll call vote begins
A tense roll call vote for speaker is beginning.
In alphabetical order, members are being asked to say aloud whom they are voting for as speaker.
-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel
Jan 03, 12:53 PM EST
Aguilar declares Democrats ‘united’ behind Hakeem Jeffries
Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., has nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be the House minority leader.
Jeffries has made history as the first Black leader to be elected leader a congressional caucus. He was elected by Democrats in late November after Rep. Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down from the role.
“Today, madam clerk, House Democrats are united by a speaker who will people over politics,” Aguilar declared, an apparent dig at Republicans as the party struggles to unite behind a candidate for speaker.
“Hakeem Jeffries has worked his entire life to improve economic opportunity for all people. He’s committed to strengthening the American dream by lowering costs for working families, building safer communities by taking weapons of war off streets and by creating good-paying jobs in industries of the future.”
“He does not traffic in extremism,” Aguilar continued. “He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice impeached so-called former president. Madam clerk, he does not bend a knee to everyone who would seek to undermine our democracy because, madam clerk, that’s not what leaders do.”
Jeffries and Pelosi greeted each other on the House floor on Tuesday morning.
Jan 03, 12:46 PM EST
Stefanik introduces McCarthy as GOP nominee for speaker
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Kevin McCarthy on the House floor as the GOP nominee for speaker.
Stefanik, a McCarthy ally, touted the Californian’s efforts to bolster House Republicans’ ranks by campaigning for diverse candidates from coast to coast.
“Since the day Kevin was elected as our leader, House Republicans have only gained seats and won,” she said. “Kevin knows what we stand for, he knows when to engage in the fight, and he knows how to build consensus.”
“His relentless effort has yielded an extraordinary House Republican majority,” she added. “Today’s House Republican Conference is the most diverse Republican conference in our nation’s history.”
And while her speech was mostly focused on building up McCarthy, Stefanik also offered a dig at his detractors, boasting that “Kevin McCarthy has earned this speakership of the ‘People’s House.'”
Jan 03, 12:44 PM EST
Magnetometers at House chamber entrances removed
Ahead of the vote for speaker, the magnetometers placed outside the doors of the House chamber in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have been removed, as the new GOP majority demanded.
The GOP’s new proposed House rules had called for removing the magnetometers.
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin and Nicole Moeder
Jan 03, 12:33 PM EST
VP Kamala Harris swears in new senators
As House Republicans enter the 118th Congress in disarray over who will hold the speaker’s gavel, the Democrat-controlled Senate opened with Vice President Kamala Harris swearing in new members and those who won reelection in November.
Among the new faces in the chamber are Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, Alabama’s Katie Britt and Missouri’s Eric Schmitt.
Arizona’s Mark Kelly and Georgia’s Raphael Warnock were sworn in for their first full, six-year terms.
Despite losing majority control in the House, Democrats expanded their advantage in the Senate by one seat.
Jan 03, 10:39 AM EST
McCarthy tells Republicans ‘I earned this job’: Source
In a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Kevin McCarthy made a last-ditch case for speaker.
“I’m not going to go away. I’m going to stand until the last four friends stand with me,” he told the GOP members, according to a source in the room.
“I earned this job,” McCarthy said. “We earned this majority, and goddammit we are going to win it today.”
Jan 03, 10:33 AM EST
Rep.-elect George Santos arrives near House office
Rep.-elect George Santos, who has faced controversy and national attention for lying about or embellishing details of his background, was spotted by reporters in Congress Tuesday morning.
Santos was walking toward his office in the Longworth House Office Building, accompanied by a staffer, when he stopped and turned the other way once he saw reporters.
He declined to answer most questions, but told ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa he will vote for Kevin McCarthy for speaker.
Santos faced calls for accountability from some Republicans, but not from current Republican House leadership. He has said he will serve out his term in the House.
New members of the House will not be sworn in until a speaker is elected.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Oren Oppenheim
Jan 03, 10:20 AM EST
McCarthy ready to battle for speaker’s gavel, sources say
As Republicans met behind closed doors ahead of the speaker vote, it appeared Kevin McCarthy still did not have the votes needed to be elected.
Sources close to the Republican leader say he’s ready to battle it out. It could go into multiple rounds of votes — something that hasn’t happened in 100 years — and the floor fight could drag on for hours, if not days. The longest battle for speaker was in 1856, and it took two months and 133 votes to resolve.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, who opposes McCarthy’s bid, has warned, “We may see the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, D.C. before a speaker is elected.”
All of this overshadows the start of the new Congress where Republicans have a majority in the House for the first time since 2018.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott
Jan 03, 9:43 AM EST
McCarthy arrives for GOP meeting: ‘We are going to have a good day’
Rep. McCarthy has arrived for a closed-door meeting with his fellow Republicans.
“We are going to have a good day today,” McCarthy said as he walked by reporters, who asked if he had the votes for speaker.
The California congressman then laughed as a reporter asked if he’d support Rep. Steve Scalise for speaker should he fail to get enough votes.
Jan 03, 9:42 AM EST
‘Follow Kevin McCarthy’ sign posted outside speaker’s office
Hours before the vote to elect a new House speaker, a sign has appeared in front of the speaker’s office with the message: “Follow Kevin McCarthy.”
McCarthy was set to shore up more support for his speaker bid in a closed-door meeting with the Republican caucus this morning. He faces opposition from a group of hard-line conservatives, who could sink what is his second attempt to hold the gavel.
The California congressman’s belongings have been brought into the speaker’s suite, but if he doesn’t get enough votes, he’ll have to move out.
Jan 03, 8:52 AM EST
GOP conference to hold last-minute meeting before speaker vote
The House Republican conference will meet behind closed doors at 9:30 a.m., just hours before the speaker vote begins at noon.
While McCarthy might be able to garner more support in a last-ditch appeal, his detractors have boasted that they’ll be able to muster the necessary opposition to block his bid.
Rep. Scott Perry, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who is leading the group of hard-line conservatives opposing McCarthy’s bid, released a new statement Tuesday morning blasting the California congressman.
“In his 14 years in Republican Leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” Perry said.
Jan 03, 8:36 AM EST
McCarthy’s rise from California politics to GOP leader
Kevin McCarthy began his career as a staffer to then-Rep. Bill Thomas before chairing the California Young Republicans and later the Young Republican National Federation.
He was first elected to office in 2002, serving in the California state Assembly until 2007, when was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, he was dubbed one of the “young guns” of the next generation of conservative leadership.
McCarthy tried to become speaker in 2015 but his chance evaporated after resistance from the same kind of conservatives who are trying to block his path Tuesday. When Democrats took control of the House in 2018, McCarthy was elected House minority leader.
Jan 03, 8:26 AM EST
McCarthy’s bid for speaker unclear as new Congress set to begin
Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker of the House is still clouded in uncertainty as lawmakers head to Capitol Hill for the first day of the 118th Congress.
McCarthy and his staffers spent the day Monday setting up the speaker’s office but he may have to move his belongings out if he fails to clinch the votes needed to secure the position.
A few dozen members piled into McCarthy’s office throughout the day Monday to go over last-minute strategy. ABC News spotted three McCarthy critics during the afternoon meeting: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert and Scott Perry.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a McCarthy supporter, told ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, “the problem is the people need to realize the art of the deal. They are all Trump supporters, and you can’t be successful if you’re not willing to take the wins when you get them” when asked about those in her party who are trying to tank McCarthy’s bid.
Rep. Jim Jordan, whose name has been floated around as a potential speaker candidate, said he believes McCarthy “can get there.”
McCarthy, however, didn’t directly answer reporter’s questions about how the vote could go, telling them, “I hope you all have a very nice New Year’s” as he exited the Capitol on Monday night.
As an arena-headlining, Grammy-winning global music superstar, Billie Eilish has accomplished a whole lot in her young career. Now, she can cross another dream off her list: re-enacting a scene from The Office.
The “bad guy” artist — and well-known The Office fanatic — guests on the upcoming episode of the Office Ladies podcast, hosted by cast members Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who played the characters Pam Beesly and Angela Martin, respectively.
In a clip from the episode, Fischer and Kinsey ask Eilish if she’d like to recreate dialogue from the season 1 episode “The Alliance,” to which she enthusiastically agrees. Eilish reads for the character Phyllis while Fischer and Kinsey reprise their roles for a scene in which the three of them are planning an office birthday party.
Eilish previously guested on the An Oral History of The Office podcast, during which she revealed she’d watched the entire series 14 times. She also sampled dialogue from the show on her debut album and tested her The Office knowledge with Dwight Schrute himself, Rainn Wilson.
In other news, Eilish has shared a video of her covering the Ben Folds song “Still,” which you can watch now via her TikTok.
(NOTE CONTENT) Director Franco Zeffirelli‘s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is remembered as an Oscar-winning classic, but now it’s at the center of a multimillion lawsuit against Paramount Pictures from its two leads.
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who played the famously star-crossed lovers, were respectively 15 and 16 when they filmed the movie. Variety reports the two actors are now suing the production for child abuse, claiming they were deceived into filming a nude scene.
The actors, now in their 70s, claimed the director, who died in 2019, assured them that Whiting’s bare buttocks and Hussey’s breasts wouldn’t be visible on film. The pair claim the filmmaker assured them their modesty would be protected by flesh-colored garments and, when those were scrapped, certain camera angles.
“What they were told and what went on were two different things,” their manager, Tony Marinozzi, alleged, according to the trade. “They trusted Franco. At 16, as actors, they took his lead that he would not violate that trust they had. Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do? There are no options. There was no #MeToo.”
The pair also claimed they experienced “mental anguish” and “emotional distress” in the decades since the movie debuted.
According to the trade, the actors’ attorney, Solomon Gresen, said in a statement, “Nude images of minors are unlawful and shouldn’t be exhibited. These were very young naive children” who were “violated in a way they didn’t know how to deal with.”
The pair are reportedly seeking damages “believed to be in excess of $500 million.”
(Note Language) Angela Simmons is starting off 2023 in great spirits. In a recent post on her Instagram Story, the entrepreneur said she’s “happier than she’s ever been.” She failed to disclose the source/sources of her joy, but many believe Yo Gotti may have something to do with it.
The rapper and Simmons ended 2022 sharing photos that seemingly confirmed they’re in a relationship. The announcement was met with a slew of comments from many who suggested Yo Gotti manifested the bond.
In his 2015 single “Down in the DM,” he rapped, “And I just followed Angela (Simmons) / Boy, I got a crush on Angela Simmons / They like, ‘Damn Gotti, you bold’ / F*** it, I’m gon’ let the world know (goals).”
He also expressed his interest in his 2017 song “Save It For Me,” which he dropped after she announced her engagement to the late father of her son, Sutton Joseph Tennyson.
“Passed my number to Angela / I thought I had her / Her n***a cuffed her, married, it made me madder,” he rapped. “I respect it, I’m moving on, but the truth is I want her badder / Maybe me sayin’ her name made him move faster.”
In September 2022, the two were spotted celebrating Simmons’ 35th birthday; now they’re making things official on Instagram.
“You are all I need and more,” Simmons captioned their New Year’s Eve photos. “Ain loss a crush since High School,” Yo Gotti wrote.
Summer Walker is now a mother of three. The singer recently gave birth to twins, helping her accomplish her goal of having more than one child before she turns 30 years old.
“I really reached my goal of hella kids before 30,” Walker wrote on her Instagram Story. “I’m so happy lol.” She added that all three of her children are “so sweet.”
Walker became a mother in 2021, when she welcomed her daughter with producer and ex London on da Track. While many knew she and her ex-boyfriend Larry were expecting, the singer surprised fans over the weekend with the news that she welcomed not one but two children.
“I’m so proud of myself,” she wrote. “Just sharing to inspire other women, cause I know once you carry twins to almost 42 weeks, especially with one breech, people will try to steer you towards induction or C-section.”
“You can do it, this was my second home birth all natural 7 hrs, no tearing,” she continued. Summer then thanked Larry, her spirit guides, godparents, birth team and elders for helping her along the way.
