THE SHOW NOTES: 12th Times The Charm!
Welcome! Job growth exceeded expectations dropping the unemployment rate to 3.5%.
BANNED: Tailgating won't be permitted at the college football national championship.
NEW: Bills safety Damar Hamlin spoke for the first time today.
HEADLINE: Why C-SPAN’s Camera Work Is Suddenly So Interesting - Vice
STAT: 1 in 4 U.S. flights was canceled or delayed between January and September 2022 - Axios
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Clip of the day:
McCarthy’s Deal
Multiple reports have surfaced that a deal has allegedly been reached between Kevin McCarthy and Chip Roy in McCarthy’s bid for speaker. While Roy’s potential support would likely bring additional hardliners with him, it is still unclear if McCarthy has the votes necessary on a 12th ballot.
Quote: Following the news leak, McCarthy said "I'm not telling you we have an agreement, I am telling you we are in a good position."
Details: Despite the seemingly good news for McCarthy, even the most diehard McCarthy allies want answers from their leader after 11 failed votes. Representing 80 fellow House Republicans, Ann Wagner (R-MO) demanded McCarthy hold a conference meeting and provide answers on the direction of the vote. McCarthy declined and only offered to do a conference call which Wagner deemed “a bit cowardly, if you ask me.”
Leakers: On the “cowardly” conference call, McCarthy became convinced that reporters joined the call and exclaimed, “Reporters get off this call, Jake Sherman is out there saying we have a deal and that’s not true!”
Where things stand now: The potential deal between McCarthy and some of the hardliners may be his last shot at securing the votes as the weekend approaches. If McCarthy’s five major concessions that we covered yesterday are unable to move the needle, it would seem his time has passed.
What’s next: The House reconvenes at noon.
BREAKING: Maybe we don’t have a deal?
The Jobs Report
223K jobs were added to the economy in December which exceeded expectations by 23K. The number was a drop from the 256K added in November but still drove the unemployment rate down to 3.5%.
Despite the mildly favorable economic news, Bloomberg (paywall) is reporting that 35% of Americans are using credit cards or personal loans to cover basic expenses after tapping out their personal savings accounts and retirement funds. That number is drastically up from 21% in April of 2021.
Americans For Prosperity
My friends at Americans for Prosperity hate dysfunctional government almost as much as I do. Unlike think tanks that produce esoteric term papers, Americans for Prosperity is focused on policy solutions that will directly improve people’s lives. They have the largest network of community activists in the country and need your help. Learn more at AmericansForProsperity.org/Erick
The rest of the news:
NFL rules Bills-Bengals a 'no contest' and AFC title game may be at neutral site as owners prepare to vote on 'inequities' - Yahoo
Automakers are cautiously optimistic for a 2023 rebound after worst new vehicle sales in more than a decade - CNBC
2024's Senate surprise - Axios
Ram unveils new Revolution electric truck as critics call Tesla’s cybertruck 'outdated' - Washington Examiner
The Dolphins Reportedly May Fire Mike McDaniel, Which Would Be Such An Egregious, Idiotic Overreaction - Barstool
EPA Proposes New Air Pollution Rules to Limit Soot From Power Plants, Vehicles - WSJ (paywall)
Tweets that caught my eye:
Market snapshot:
I must admit I like the idea of Matt Gaetz leaving congress....
I respect former Rep Trey Gowdy about as much as any politician, and will until or unless something becomes indicative otherwise. He said; "the 20 should step up and vote for McCarthy and move on. Neither Gaetz nor Roy, or any other will resign in any regards. Gaetz has recently and apparently dodged some big bullets of his own. They call Mc two-faced, but in reality most politicians are, and most of them lie.
Many of the DT haters should be pulling out their bibs and preparing for the Big Crow eating buffet soon.