Breaking: Mass Shooting Overnight in Maine; New Speaker of The House Elected
House Republicans united to elect the little-known Louisiana member
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Hi everyone,
Sadly, we begin this morning with a tragedy here in the US.
Late Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, a man opened fire at a bowling alley and bar, killing at least 22 people and wounding 60.
The suspect was IDed as Robert Card, a firearms instructor with military experience. He was recently committed to a mental health facility according to law enforcement, and was still at large as of 12amET.
Latest overnight updates via CNN. We will be updating our Mo News Instagram feed throughout the day.
Mosheh, Jill & Lauren
🗞 MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA) ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
AND WE’VE GOT A SPEAKER
Some how, some way, after 22 days, we’ve got a new Speaker of the House. Meet Rep. Mike Johnson, a congressman from Louisiana. He managed to secure the vote of ALL House Republicans, minus one who was absent.
“THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE IS BACK IN BUSINESS”
It ends about three weeks of party infighting, when a small group of Republicans ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The House had been in chaos, pretty much paralyzed and unable to do any other business— as two wars— in the Mideast and Ukraine are raging— and as the short term spending bill is close to running out.
📺 At a press conference after the vote, Johnson said the GOP is now united and he wants to restore Americans’ trust in government.
WHO IS MIKE JOHNSON?
At 51, Johnson is the third-youngest speaker in more than a century and has the least experience in Congress of any speaker in the last 140 years. Johnson is conservative hard-liner and ally of former President Trump.
Johnson was first elected to Congress in 2016 and is currently serving his fourth term for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District.
He was previously House Republican Conference vice chair — making him the No. 5 House Republican in leadership.
Johnson previously served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest group of conservative House Republicans.
He also holds seats on the Judiciary and Armed Services committees.
Johnson spent nearly 20 years practicing constitutional law.
In his first speech after being elected, Johnson shared that he was the first in his family to get a college degree and that his father, a firefighter, was disabled in the line of duty. He and his wife Kelly, a former school teacher and now a Licensed Pastoral Counselor, are evangelical Christians (a theme of his address) and have four children.
HOW HE FLIPPED THE HOLDOUTS
The endorsements for Johnson started pouring in overnight, including from the failed speaker hopefuls Rep. Jim Jordan and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Johnson was reportedly able to unite the fractured conference through a combination of good timing, his conservatism and his reputation for having a pleasant demeanor.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING: He emerged as his colleagues were growing increasingly fatigued from the drawn-out speaker crisis; he had the backing of Trump and his close allies on the right.
He is well-liked, has few political enemies on the right, and represented a fresh face.
📍JOHNSON: ON THE ISSUES
THE 2020 ELECTION: Johnson led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the 2020 election results in four swing states won by Biden: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
He has was one of the 147 GOP lawmakers who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election on behalf of Trump.
He’s voiced opposition to additional aid for Ukraine.
Recently, he voted against the bill to keep the government open — the bipartisan measure that lead to McCarthy’s ousting.
He’s very conservative with a lifetime voting rate of 92% from the American Conservative Union.
Has is anti-abortion access and voted against codifying same-sex marriage.
6.5% of the bills Johnson has sponsored become law.
WHAT DEMS ARE SAYING
After Johnson was elected, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said, “Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. He’s doing a great job under difficult circumstances — and no amount of election denialism will ever change that reality.”
However, Jeffries said House Democrats will find “common ground” work with Republicans whenever possible for the “good of the country.”
Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign said Johnson’s election "cements the extreme MAGA takeover" of House GOP conference.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Is Johnson sure he wants this job? He’s now leading a divided Congress, and there’s plenty of big decisions ahead. Up next:
A looming Nov. 17 deadline for Congress to fund the government or risk a shutdown.
The White House is asking lawmakers to approve a $105 billion national security supplemental to support Israel and Ukraine amid their respective wars.
As Politico noted: “Now, Johnson — miraculously unscathed from the 22-day battle — must figure out how to achieve what McCarthy couldn’t: compromise that doesn’t prompt a mutiny.”
Good luck.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Trump fined $10,000 for violating gag order in civil fraud case (CNBC)
📌 California Gov. Newsom has surprise meeting with China’s leader Xi amid warm welcome in Beijing (AP NEWS)
📌 Michael Cohen returns to the stand for second day of testimony in Trump's fraud trial (CBS NEWS)
📌 Florida’s DeSantis bans pro-Palestinian group that espoused support for Hamas from state campuses (AXIOS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 The latest headlines from the war in the Middle East (CNN)
📌 Japan's Supreme Court hands down a landmark transgender rights decision (NPR)
📌 Netanyahu says Israel is preparing a ground invasion; fuel and other supplies run dangerously low in Gaza (CNBC)
📌 Turkey's Erdogan says Hamas is not terrorist organization, cancels trip to Israel (REUTERS)
📌 France to send ship to Gaza to support hospitals (WSJ)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Sam Bankman-Fried Set to Testify at His Fraud Trial (NY TIMES)
📌 Apple raises price of Apple TV+ to $9.99 a month (CNBC)
📌 Coca Cola CEO says company has outmaneuvered Ozempic because it’s been preparing for a low-calorie future for years (YAHOO)
📌 3-toed dinosaur footprints found on U.K. beach during flooding checks (CBS NEWS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Paris museum updates Dwayne Johnson wax figure with darker skin after backlash: 'made an honest mistake' (PEOPLE)
📌 Arizona Diamondbacks beat Phillies, will face Texas Rangers in World Series (CBS NEWS)
📌 Two London police officers have been dismissed over a stop and search of a Black athlete couple (AP)
📌 Red Sox hire former player Craig Breslow as chief baseball officer after firing Chaim Bloom, per report (CBS SPORTS)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: OCTOBER 26
1970: American boxer Muhammad Ali returned to the ring after more than three years, defeating Jerry Quarry; Ali had been barred from fighting after he refused the U.S. Army draft during the Vietnam War.
1981: Queen released 'Under Pressure,' featuring David Bowie.
1984: The Terminator was released in the U.S., making Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and establishing James Cameron (who later directed Avatar and Titanic) as a bankable filmmaker.
2001: President George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law drawn up in response to the 9/11 attacks.