Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy has been elected as speaker of the House of Representatives. It took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to secure the House’s gavel.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy elected as US House Speaker

After four contentious days, 15 rounds of voting, and the fifth longest contest in history, the United States House of Representatives has finally chosen California Republican, Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker of the Congress as it convenes for its 118th session.&nbsp;

The 15th round vote took place between late Friday and early Saturday (January 7) after what can only be described as days of drama and a series of events on Capitol Hill as McCarthy scrambled to secure enough votes for the gavel following painstaking negotiations. The Republican lawmaker from California won after the longest election bid for the 435-member chamber speaker in 164 years.&nbsp;

McCarthy’s journey to the gavel

The deadlock began on January 3 when the Congress convened for the new session and the voting for the next House speaker, typically the first order of business, commenced. Notably, even weeks prior to the first round of voting, McCarthy’s bid to take the top post in the chamber was uncertain at best.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kevin-mccarthy-loses-14th-round-of-voting-us-house-still-without-speaker-550188">Kevin McCarthy finally elected House speaker after 15 rounds of voting spread across four days</a>

After the midterm elections, last year, the Republicans took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. Subsequently, in the same month after a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. However, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate.&nbsp;

In fact, while the person typically is a member of the House, it is not required. It opens the speaker's candidacy to a range of lawmakers including Senators, former president Donald Trump and incumbent president Joe Biden, though none of them has won a majority yet. Once the chamber had the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, the Democrats nominated their leader Hakeem Jeffries for the speaker while the Republicans nominated Kevin McCarthy.&nbsp;

What followed can only be described as chaos, as McCarthy scrambled to garner the majority, which is typically at least 218 votes. However, he was unable to do so, making it the first time in a century that the House did not elect its speaker after one round of voting. This successfully halted major functions in Washington as not only does the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mccarthy-elected-house-speaker-after-15-votes-and-days-of-negotiations-550226">McCarthy elected House speaker after 15 votes and days of negotiations</a>

McCarthy’s bid for the speakership faced a range of hurdles but predominantly it was a small group of hardliners from his own party. While this situation is not necessarily unique it proved to be quite a roadblock for the California Republican since he was unable to secure a majority even after multiple rounds of voting.&nbsp;

What happened on late Friday and early Saturday?

Kevin McCarthy became the House speaker after 15 rounds of voting and tense negotiations for days with a small but critical group of lawmakers of the Republican party who demanded concessions that essentially resulted in diluting his power as the speaker. After the 14th round of voting the 57-year-old Californian lawmaker who seemed confident earlier faced humiliation after Representative Matt Gaetz withheld his vote.&nbsp;

In the 14th of voting, McCarthy managed to garner, 216 votes while the Democratic candidate for speaker Jeffries received 212. Meanwhile, Republican Andy Biggs received support from 2 representatives, as did Republican Jim Jordan. However, with six Republicans choosing another candidate and the other six withholding their vote McCarthy was one vote away from victory.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-adjourned-as-republican-speaker-nominee-kevin-mccarthy-loses-sixth-ballot-549530">US House adjourned as Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy loses sixth ballot</a>

After an hour-long recess lawmakers returned for a 15th round of voting marking the first time in over a century and a half in US history. Subsequently, the decision was up to Florida lawmaker, Gaetz, who had initially walked out of the chamber when his name was first called during the 14th round and voted “present” for the 15th round.&nbsp;

However, Gaetz withheld his vote in the previous round which prompted a scuffle where a clip shows several lawmakers approaching the Florida representative on the House floor after McCarthy spoke to him and the situation escalated to a point where a Republican Mike Rogers had to be physically pulled away from nearly lunging at Gaetz.&nbsp;

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Amid a series of discussions and negotiations on the floor between Republican lawmakers on the House floor, Representative Andy Biggs (Arizona), Representative Elijah Crane (Arizona) and Representative Bob Good (Virginia) changed their votes to “present” ultimately lowering the threshold which McCarthy needed to win with the same amount of votes received. &nbsp;

Who was opposing him?

Here are the 20 Republican lawmakers that opposed McCarthy’s bid for the gavel as of Thursday, prior to the negotiations with the California Republican and his allies, after which some voted “present” and some switched their votes mostly around the 11th and 12th ballot conducted on Friday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-will-the-us-house-have-a-speaker-before-it-convenes-549146">Explained: Will the US House of Representatives have a speaker when it convenes?</a>

According to a report by CBS, the Republican lawmakers were, Andy Biggs (Arizona), Dan Bishop (North Carolina), Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Representative-elect Josh Brecheen (Oklahoma), Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Representative-elect Eli Crane (Arizona), Byron Donalds (Florida), Matt Gaetz (Florida), Bob Good (Virginia), Paul Gosar (Arizona), Andy Harris (Maryland), Representative-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Florida), Mary Miller (Illinois), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania), Matt Rosendale (Montana), Chip Roy (Texas), and Keith Self (Texas).&nbsp; 
 
What are some of the concessions made?

In a dramatic shift after several rounds of voting, McCarthy and his allies managed to flip at least a dozen votes before the 14th round of voting on Friday. According to a report by CNN, one of the most significant ones includes a provision that any member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, which would make it easier to trigger what is essentially a no-confidence vote for the speaker.&nbsp;

Additionally, the report also spoke about provisions about pairing the efforts to raise the nation’s debt ceiling with spending cuts. This comes after Republicans have repeatedly shut down much of the government and pushed the world’s largest borrowers to the brink of default in efforts to extract steep spending cuts.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-logjam-day-4-of-voting-for-us-house-speaker-today-550101">US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today</a>

However, they have not been able to do so as Democrats in the Senate and the White House have long opposed spending cuts. Another provision includes moving 12 appropriations bills individually rather than one “omnibus” year-end spending package which rolls everything into one bill which conservatives have railed against for a few years now as they believe it evades oversight, said a report by CNN.&nbsp;

McCarthy has also reportedly agreed to cap spending for the upcoming fiscal year at 2022’s levels which would amount to a significant cut in spending affecting defence and domestic programmes amid high inflation and population growth in the US. The incumbent speaker has agreed to restore the Holman rule, which could lead to salary cuts for government officials and also said that he would create an investigative committee to probe the “weaponization” of the federal government, said a report by CNN.&nbsp;

These concessions along with others effectively lower McCarthy’s power as the US House speaker which Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Chuck Schumer, warned would “will cause a government shutdown or a default with devastating consequences to our country.” In a statement after McCarthy’s win, Schummer said, “Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s dream job could turn into a nightmare for the American people…To get the votes, he surrendered to demands of a fringe element of the Republican party.”

What happened in the House after McCarthy won?

After the results were announced the Republican conference was seen clapping and hugging McCarthy as he passed them on the House floor who subsequently expressed relief and said, “I’m glad it’s over”. The Republican lawmaker received the gavel at 1:00 am (local time) and said, “I never thought we'd get up here.” The Republican lawmaker was then sworn into office along with other members of Congress marking the end of the weeks of deadlock.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-adjourns-without-electing-speaker-mccarthy-loses-3rd-us-house-speaker-vote-549229">US House adjourns without electing speaker; McCarthy loses 3rd US House speaker vote</a>

In his speech, he also spoke about holding the government accountable, “It's time for us to be a check and provide some balance to the president’s policies”, referring to the incumbent President Joe Biden and his administration. He added, “We commit to stop wasteful Washington spending, to lower the price of groceries, gas, cars, housing, and stop the rising national debt.”&nbsp;

“We'll also address America's long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the Chinese communist party,” said McCarthy and went on to speak about China and how the new House of Representatives wants the US to win against Beijing in the economic competition.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“As for the Chinese communist party, we will create a bipartisan select committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to China, and then we will win this economic competition,” said the new House speaker. In his first speech after becoming the speaker, addressing his colleagues he said, “Now the hard work begins.”&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Leader of House Minority and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries made history by becoming the first black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. The Democrat from New York will take over as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stepping down. He was selected by the Democratic caucus after the midterm elections in November. Notably, the 52-year-old is also the first leader of the House Democrats to be born after the end of World War II.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/who-is-hakeem-jeffries-the-first-black-lawmaker-nominee-for-house-speaker-know-everything-about-him-549423">Who is Hakeem Jeffries? The first black lawmaker nominee for house speaker, know everything about him</a> 
 
Addressing Jeffries, McCarthy said, “our debates will be passionate and they will never be personal.” On the other hand, the minority leader also delivered a speech about the Biden administration and Democratic Party’s accomplishments including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.&nbsp;

He also went on to acknowledge his predecessor and said, “Without question in my mind, Speaker Emerita Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time…Throughout her time in Congress, she's been a legendary legislator, a fabulous facilitator and a no-nonsense negotiator.” The House is now adjourned until 5:00 pm (local time) Monday.&nbsp; 
 
Biden and Trump congratulate the new House speaker&nbsp;

In a statement after the vote, the US president congratulated the new speaker and said, “Jill and I congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his election as Speaker of the House. As I said after the midterms, I am prepared to work with Republicans when I can and voters made clear that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well.”

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Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump also took to his social media platform Truth social and said, “ The 'Speaker' selection process, as crazy as it may seem, has made it all much bigger and more important than if done the more conventional way.” He added, “Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy and our GREAT Republican Party!” reported CNN.&nbsp;

 
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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After four contentious days, 15 rounds of voting, and the fifth longest contest in history, the United States House of Representatives has finally chosen California Republican, Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker of the Congress as it convenes for its 118th session.

After four contentious days, 15 rounds of voting, and the fifth longest contest in history, the United States House of Representatives has finally chosen California Republican, Kevin McCarthy as the next speaker of the Congress as it convenes for its 118th session. The 15th round vote took place between late Friday and early Saturday (January 7) after what can only be described as days of drama and a series of events on Capitol Hill as McCarthy scrambled to secure enough votes for the gavel following painstaking negotiations. The Republican lawmaker from California won after the longest election bid for the 435-member chamber speaker in 164 years. McCarthy’s journey to the gavel The deadlock began on January 3 when the Congress convened for the new session and the voting for the next House speaker, typically the first order of business, commenced. Notably, even weeks prior to the first round of voting, McCarthy’s bid to take the top post in the chamber was uncertain at best. ALSO READ | Kevin McCarthy finally elected House speaker after 15 rounds of voting spread across four days After the midterm elections, last year, the Republicans took over the House with a narrow majority of 222-213 from the Democrats and the outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi. Subsequently, in the same month after a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference, McCarthy emerged as the leader of the House for his party. However, the members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate. In fact, while the person typically is a member of the House, it is not required. It opens the speaker's candidacy to a range of lawmakers including Senators, former president Donald Trump and incumbent president Joe Biden, though none of them has won a majority yet. Once the chamber had the minimum number of members present to proceed or quorum, the Democrats nominated their leader Hakeem Jeffries for the speaker while the Republicans nominated Kevin McCarthy. What followed can only be described as chaos, as McCarthy scrambled to garner the majority, which is typically at least 218 votes. However, he was unable to do so, making it the first time in a century that the House did not elect its speaker after one round of voting. This successfully halted major functions in Washington as not only does the lawmaker preside over the lower chamber of Congress they would also be next in line for the presidency. ALSO WATCH | McCarthy elected House speaker after 15 votes and days of negotiations McCarthy’s bid for the speakership faced a range of hurdles but predominantly it was a small group of hardliners from his own party. While this situation is not necessarily unique it proved to be quite a roadblock for the California Republican since he was unable to secure a majority even after multiple rounds of voting. What happened on late Friday and early Saturday? Kevin McCarthy became the House speaker after 15 rounds of voting and tense negotiations for days with a small but critical group of lawmakers of the Republican party who demanded concessions that essentially resulted in diluting his power as the speaker. After the 14th round of voting the 57-year-old Californian lawmaker who seemed confident earlier faced humiliation after Representative Matt Gaetz withheld his vote. In the 14th of voting, McCarthy managed to garner, 216 votes while the Democratic candidate for speaker Jeffries received 212. Meanwhile, Republican Andy Biggs received support from 2 representatives, as did Republican Jim Jordan. However, with six Republicans choosing another candidate and the other six withholding their vote McCarthy was one vote away from victory. ALSO READ | US House adjourned as Republican speaker nominee Kevin McCarthy loses sixth ballot After an hour-long recess lawmakers returned for a 15th round of voting marking the first time in over a century and a half in US history. Subsequently, the decision was up to Florida lawmaker, Gaetz, who had initially walked out of the chamber when his name was first called during the 14th round and voted “present” for the 15th round. However, Gaetz withheld his vote in the previous round which prompted a scuffle where a clip shows several lawmakers approaching the Florida representative on the House floor after McCarthy spoke to him and the situation escalated to a point where a Republican Mike Rogers had to be physically pulled away from nearly lunging at Gaetz. Kevin McCarthy confronts Matt Gaetz during 14th House Speaker vote. #118thCongress pic.twitter.com/nMa9bm0KSN — CSPAN (@cspan) January 7, 2023 × Amid a series of discussions and negotiations on the floor between Republican lawmakers on the House floor, Representative Andy Biggs (Arizona), Representative Elijah Crane (Arizona) and Representative Bob Good (Virginia) changed their votes to “present” ultimately lowering the threshold which McCarthy needed to win with the same amount of votes received. Who was opposing him? Here are the 20 Republican lawmakers that opposed McCarthy’s bid for the gavel as of Thursday, prior to the negotiations with the California Republican and his allies, after which some voted “present” and some switched their votes mostly around the 11th and 12th ballot conducted on Friday. ALSO READ | Explained: Will the US House of Representatives have a speaker when it convenes? According to a report by CBS, the Republican lawmakers were, Andy Biggs (Arizona), Dan Bishop (North Carolina), Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Representative-elect Josh Brecheen (Oklahoma), Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Representative-elect Eli Crane (Arizona), Byron Donalds (Florida), Matt Gaetz (Florida), Bob Good (Virginia), Paul Gosar (Arizona), Andy Harris (Maryland), Representative-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Florida), Mary Miller (Illinois), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania), Matt Rosendale (Montana), Chip Roy (Texas), and Keith Self (Texas). What are some of the concessions made? In a dramatic shift after several rounds of voting, McCarthy and his allies managed to flip at least a dozen votes before the 14th round of voting on Friday. According to a report by CNN, one of the most significant ones includes a provision that any member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, which would make it easier to trigger what is essentially a no-confidence vote for the speaker. Additionally, the report also spoke about provisions about pairing the efforts to raise the nation’s debt ceiling with spending cuts. This comes after Republicans have repeatedly shut down much of the government and pushed the world’s largest borrowers to the brink of default in efforts to extract steep spending cuts. ALSO WATCH | US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today However, they have not been able to do so as Democrats in the Senate and the White House have long opposed spending cuts. Another provision includes moving 12 appropriations bills individually rather than one “omnibus” year-end spending package which rolls everything into one bill which conservatives have railed against for a few years now as they believe it evades oversight, said a report by CNN. McCarthy has also reportedly agreed to cap spending for the upcoming fiscal year at 2022’s levels which would amount to a significant cut in spending affecting defence and domestic programmes amid high inflation and population growth in the US. The incumbent speaker has agreed to restore the Holman rule, which could lead to salary cuts for government officials and also said that he would create an investigative committee to probe the “weaponization” of the federal government, said a report by CNN. These concessions along with others effectively lower McCarthy’s power as the US House speaker which Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Chuck Schumer, warned would “will cause a government shutdown or a default with devastating consequences to our country.” In a statement after McCarthy’s win, Schummer said, “Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s dream job could turn into a nightmare for the American people…To get the votes, he surrendered to demands of a fringe element of the Republican party.” What happened in the House after McCarthy won? After the results were announced the Republican conference was seen clapping and hugging McCarthy as he passed them on the House floor who subsequently expressed relief and said, “I’m glad it’s over”. The Republican lawmaker received the gavel at 1:00 am (local time) and said, “I never thought we'd get up here.” The Republican lawmaker was then sworn into office along with other members of Congress marking the end of the weeks of deadlock. ALSO WATCH | US House adjourns without electing speaker; McCarthy loses 3rd US House speaker vote In his speech, he also spoke about holding the government accountable, “It's time for us to be a check and provide some balance to the president’s policies”, referring to the incumbent President Joe Biden and his administration. He added, “We commit to stop wasteful Washington spending, to lower the price of groceries, gas, cars, housing, and stop the rising national debt.” “We'll also address America's long-term challenges, the debt and the rise of the Chinese communist party,” said McCarthy and went on to speak about China and how the new House of Representatives wants the US to win against Beijing in the economic competition. “As for the Chinese communist party, we will create a bipartisan select committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to China, and then we will win this economic competition,” said the new House speaker. In his first speech after becoming the speaker, addressing his colleagues he said, “Now the hard work begins.” Meanwhile, Leader of House Minority and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries made history by becoming the first black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. The Democrat from New York will take over as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stepping down. He was selected by the Democratic caucus after the midterm elections in November. Notably, the 52-year-old is also the first leader of the House Democrats to be born after the end of World War II. ALSO READ | Who is Hakeem Jeffries? The first black lawmaker nominee for house speaker, know everything about him Addressing Jeffries, McCarthy said, “our debates will be passionate and they will never be personal.” On the other hand, the minority leader also delivered a speech about the Biden administration and Democratic Party’s accomplishments including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also went on to acknowledge his predecessor and said, “Without question in my mind, Speaker Emerita Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time…Throughout her time in Congress, she's been a legendary legislator, a fabulous facilitator and a no-nonsense negotiator.” The House is now adjourned until 5:00 pm (local time) Monday. Biden and Trump congratulate the new House speaker In a statement after the vote, the US president congratulated the new speaker and said, “Jill and I congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his election as Speaker of the House. As I said after the midterms, I am prepared to work with Republicans when I can and voters made clear that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well.” ALSO READ | US announces $3 billion in aid package for Ukraine, including Bradley armoured vehicles Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump also took to his social media platform Truth social and said, “ The 'Speaker' selection process, as crazy as it may seem, has made it all much bigger and more important than if done the more conventional way.” He added, “Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy and our GREAT Republican Party!” reported CNN. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kevin McCarthy becomes US House speaker after historic 15 rounds of voting: Here's what happened

Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy has been elected as speaker of the House of Representatives. WION tells you about the challenges and road ahead for him.

New US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy: Challenges & the road ahead

The state Supreme Court of Idaho ruled on Thursday that the Constitution of Idaho did not implicitly lay down abortion as a basic right, rejecting a number of lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood,&nbsp;a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. The decision was a setback for those opposing Idaho legislation that went into effect in August, including one that banned abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy unless necessary to save the life of the mother or the unborn child, or if rape or incest had occurred.

“This is a dark day for the state of Idaho. But our fight is far from over,” Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a statement.

In an effort to stop new abortion restrictions, Planned Parenthood and a family doctor filed three lawsuits against the governor and legislative leaders. One of the statutes enables future relatives of an unborn child to bring a lawsuit against a medical expert who performs an abortion. Another made it unlawful for medical professionals to conduct an abortion upon the detection of electrical activity. The&nbsp;third essentially outlawed all abortions while allowing medical professionals to defend themselves in court by demonstrating that the procedure was performed to save the patient's life.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-proposes-up-to-332-per-cent-hike-for-h1-b-other-visa-fees-549726">US proposes up to 332 per cent hike for H1-B, other visa fees</a>

The high court justices observed that Planned Parenthood contended the regulations violate constitutional principles including equal protection and due process.

Pressure on abortion clinics in neighbouring Oregon, where abortion rights are protected, has intensified as a result of the Idaho laws.

The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a law that prohibits abortion once heart activity is found, finding that the restriction violates a right to privacy guaranteed by the state constitution.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-kevin-hern-an-anti-mccarthy-and-republicans-alternative-for-us-house-speakership-549925">Who is Kevin Hern, an anti-McCarthy and Republicans' alternative for US House speakership?</a>

The South Carolina court said that the state has the ability to restrict a woman's right to privacy, which shields her from government meddling in her decisions, but such restriction must give her enough time to discover she is pregnant and "take reasonable efforts to terminate the pregnancy."

The Roe v. Wade ruling, which upheld an abortion right under the US Constitution, was overruled by the US Supreme Court last year, leading to the creation of the Idaho statutes.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The state Supreme Court of Idaho ruled on Thursday that the Constitution of Idaho did not implicitly lay down abortion as a basic right, rejecting a number of lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally.

The state Supreme Court of Idaho ruled on Thursday that the Constitution of Idaho did not implicitly lay down abortion as a basic right, rejecting a number of lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. The decision was a setback for those opposing Idaho legislation that went into effect in August, including one that banned abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy unless necessary to save the life of the mother or the unborn child, or if rape or incest had occurred. “This is a dark day for the state of Idaho. But our fight is far from over,” Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a statement. In an effort to stop new abortion restrictions, Planned Parenthood and a family doctor filed three lawsuits against the governor and legislative leaders. One of the statutes enables future relatives of an unborn child to bring a lawsuit against a medical expert who performs an abortion. Another made it unlawful for medical professionals to conduct an abortion upon the detection of electrical activity. The third essentially outlawed all abortions while allowing medical professionals to defend themselves in court by demonstrating that the procedure was performed to save the patient's life. Also read | US proposes up to 332 per cent hike for H1-B, other visa fees The high court justices observed that Planned Parenthood contended the regulations violate constitutional principles including equal protection and due process. Pressure on abortion clinics in neighbouring Oregon, where abortion rights are protected, has intensified as a result of the Idaho laws. The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a law that prohibits abortion once heart activity is found, finding that the restriction violates a right to privacy guaranteed by the state constitution. Also read | Who is Kevin Hern, an anti-McCarthy and Republicans' alternative for US House speakership? The South Carolina court said that the state has the ability to restrict a woman's right to privacy, which shields her from government meddling in her decisions, but such restriction must give her enough time to discover she is pregnant and "take reasonable efforts to terminate the pregnancy." The Roe v. Wade ruling, which upheld an abortion right under the US Constitution, was overruled by the US Supreme Court last year, leading to the creation of the Idaho statutes. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US: Idaho Supreme Court upholds near-total abortion ban after Planned Parenthood lawsuit

The US House of Representatives elected GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California as speaker in a dramatic 15th vote. Watch this video to know more.

US House Speaker stalemate ends, heated exchange between Kevin McCarthy and Matt Gaetz

House Speaker stalemate ends, heated exchange between Kevin McCarthy and Matt Gaetz

WION Fineprint: Republican leader Kevin McCarthy elected as US House Speaker

Since last week, several cities across the United States’ California have been witnessing heavy rains and flash floods which have led to power outages and at least two fatalities, so far. Additionally, on Friday, after two days of heavy rains and strong winds, thousands of homes across the state were left without power.&nbsp;

These heavy rains and high winds have been attributed to an overlapping weather phenomenon called “atmospheric river” and “bomb cyclone” which have also caused flash floods, landslides, and uprooting affecting road travel. Notably, this comes after the region battled a megadrought in early December prompting strict water restrictions.&nbsp;

What are ‘atmospheric rivers’?&nbsp;

As the name suggests atmospheric rivers are storms which dump massive amounts of rain in one region causing flash floods and landslides. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describe them as “rivers in the sky” as they are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport water vapour outside of the tropics.&nbsp;

Notably, the amount of water vapour is at least 15 times the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River and when they make landfall, this water vapour can be released in the form of rain or snow. Additionally, atmospheric rivers can be at least 350 miles (563 km) wide and up to 1,600 miles (2575 km) long.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/california-thousands-without-power-as-stormy-weather-lashes-region-550183">California: Thousands without power as stormy weather lashes region</a>

According to forecasters, this particular incident is a result of the low-pressure system churning over the eastern Pacific. The NOAA also noted that not all atmospheric rivers cause damage, in fact, they often provide much-needed rain and snow to a region which is often crucial to the water supply and is a key feature in the global water cycle. However, they are closely tied to both flooding and water supply, particularly in Western US.

Another&nbsp;term to describe the phenomenon, particularly in the US West Coast context is called "pineapple express", which brings&nbsp;a strong atmospheric river to the region from the tropics near Hawaii, which is what California is experiencing at the moment. As the atmospheric rivers which typically originate from the Pacific Ocean, in this case, are beginning from Hawaii which is also the US'&nbsp;leading producer of pineapples, hence the name.&nbsp;

What are ‘bomb cyclones’?

Meanwhile, a bomb cyclone is a quickly intensifying storm marked by a drop in pressure of 24 millibars in 24 hours. They are also often associated with atmospheric rivers and typically form in winter when cold and warm air masses collide. Due to the nature of the storm, meteorologists used terms like “explosive cyclogenesis” or “bombogenesis” since the drop in pressure is seen as akin to dropping a bomb.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bomb-cyclone-slams-california-with-high-winds-flooding-549833">Bomb cyclone slams California with high winds, flooding</a>

What is happening in California?

As mentioned earlier, the state had been battling a megadrought, however, amid the cycles of wet and dry both intensified by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-climate-change-will-make-bomb-cyclones-more-frequent-547415">climate change</a> captured a mega storm in order to ease the destructive droughts. The state is essentially forced to battle extremes with high temperatures, heat and wildfires followed by drought and now flash floods. According to a report by Reuters, scientists say warmer air and temperatures which have been attributed to climate change have led to more absorption and dumping of rain over regions, in this case, California.&nbsp;

What has happened till now?

Several cities across California including San Francisco Bay and Sacramento over the New Year’s weekend witnessed massive power outages following heavy rains and high winds. At the time, the National Weather Service (NWS) had also predicted up to three feet of fresh snow in Sierras and widespread rainfall. However, with little to no respite during the week, since Wednesday, at least two people had been killed including a toddler after a tree crushed his mobile home in the northern region of the state.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-state-of-emergency-declared-in-california-as-storm-turns-into-bomb-cyclone-549786">WION Climate Tracker: State of emergency declared in California as storm turns into bomb cyclone</a>

As of Friday morning, at least 60,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity across several counties in northern California, said a report by Reuters citing the data from Poweroutages.us. Meanwhile, the utility crew in the area scrambled to restore power. The continuous storms led San Francisco to witness at least 26 cm of rain starting from the day after Christmas to January 4 which was the wettest 10-day stretch since 1871, said the NWS.&nbsp;

Will the situation get better?

It might not get better anytime soon. The weather agency said the next wave of the storm will hit the northwestern corner of California late on Friday and move towards the San Francisco Bay Area and central coast over the weekend. Additionally, the NWS has also predicted a “likely stronger” atmospheric river storm for Monday (January 9) while the current weather pattern might continue till at least mid-January.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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Since last week, several cities across the United States’ California have been witnessing heavy rains and flash floods which have led to power outages and at least two fatalities, so far.

Since last week, several cities across the United States’ California have been witnessing heavy rains and flash floods which have led to power outages and at least two fatalities, so far. Additionally, on Friday, after two days of heavy rains and strong winds, thousands of homes across the state were left without power. These heavy rains and high winds have been attributed to an overlapping weather phenomenon called “atmospheric river” and “bomb cyclone” which have also caused flash floods, landslides, and uprooting affecting road travel. Notably, this comes after the region battled a megadrought in early December prompting strict water restrictions. What are ‘atmospheric rivers’? As the name suggests atmospheric rivers are storms which dump massive amounts of rain in one region causing flash floods and landslides. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describe them as “rivers in the sky” as they are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport water vapour outside of the tropics. Notably, the amount of water vapour is at least 15 times the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River and when they make landfall, this water vapour can be released in the form of rain or snow. Additionally, atmospheric rivers can be at least 350 miles (563 km) wide and up to 1,600 miles (2575 km) long. ALSO READ | California: Thousands without power as stormy weather lashes region According to forecasters, this particular incident is a result of the low-pressure system churning over the eastern Pacific. The NOAA also noted that not all atmospheric rivers cause damage, in fact, they often provide much-needed rain and snow to a region which is often crucial to the water supply and is a key feature in the global water cycle. However, they are closely tied to both flooding and water supply, particularly in Western US. Another term to describe the phenomenon, particularly in the US West Coast context is called "pineapple express", which brings a strong atmospheric river to the region from the tropics near Hawaii, which is what California is experiencing at the moment. As the atmospheric rivers which typically originate from the Pacific Ocean, in this case, are beginning from Hawaii which is also the US' leading producer of pineapples, hence the name. What are ‘bomb cyclones’? Meanwhile, a bomb cyclone is a quickly intensifying storm marked by a drop in pressure of 24 millibars in 24 hours. They are also often associated with atmospheric rivers and typically form in winter when cold and warm air masses collide. Due to the nature of the storm, meteorologists used terms like “explosive cyclogenesis” or “bombogenesis” since the drop in pressure is seen as akin to dropping a bomb. ALSO WATCH | Bomb cyclone slams California with high winds, flooding What is happening in California? As mentioned earlier, the state had been battling a megadrought, however, amid the cycles of wet and dry both intensified by climate change captured a mega storm in order to ease the destructive droughts. The state is essentially forced to battle extremes with high temperatures, heat and wildfires followed by drought and now flash floods. According to a report by Reuters, scientists say warmer air and temperatures which have been attributed to climate change have led to more absorption and dumping of rain over regions, in this case, California. What has happened till now? Several cities across California including San Francisco Bay and Sacramento over the New Year’s weekend witnessed massive power outages following heavy rains and high winds. At the time, the National Weather Service (NWS) had also predicted up to three feet of fresh snow in Sierras and widespread rainfall. However, with little to no respite during the week, since Wednesday, at least two people had been killed including a toddler after a tree crushed his mobile home in the northern region of the state. ALSO WATCH | WION Climate Tracker: State of emergency declared in California as storm turns into bomb cyclone As of Friday morning, at least 60,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity across several counties in northern California, said a report by Reuters citing the data from Poweroutages.us. Meanwhile, the utility crew in the area scrambled to restore power. The continuous storms led San Francisco to witness at least 26 cm of rain starting from the day after Christmas to January 4 which was the wettest 10-day stretch since 1871, said the NWS. Will the situation get better? It might not get better anytime soon. The weather agency said the next wave of the storm will hit the northwestern corner of California late on Friday and move towards the San Francisco Bay Area and central coast over the weekend. Additionally, the NWS has also predicted a “likely stronger” atmospheric river storm for Monday (January 9) while the current weather pattern might continue till at least mid-January. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: What are ‘atmospheric rivers’, wreaking havoc with heavy rains, floods in the US?

If only you had a dime for every time US picked Pakistan as a friend and then dropped it again. US and Pakistan have had a rather bouncy past, one riddled with blame-games as well as mutual agreements. But when US agrees or blesses Pakistan with aid, its always for a larger cause. Now, US is sympathizing with Pakistan yet again but why? Watch Game Plan with Shivan Chanana.

How US treats Pakistan as a ping-pong ball

U.S. lawmakers will try for a fourth day Friday to elect a speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives as a group of 20 conservatives continued to block Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the post. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has reaction from Capitol Hill.

WION-VOA Co-Production: Conservatives Deny McCarthy Speakership for Third Day

In the United States, uncertainty is not just limited to the US House of Congress, Chinese owned TikTok also faces an uncertain year ahead as Republicans in the Congress demand tied to scrutiny for the highly popular video sharing app.

US: Country bans TikTok app on all federal government-owned devices

The newly-elected US House of representatives has again failed to elect their speaker after 11 rounds of voting in the last three days. GOP members are now warning that the impasse could have been implications on national security related issues.

US House Logjam: Day 4 of voting for US house speaker today

US House Speaker stalemate drags on, Kevin McCarthy loses 11th speaker vote

US President Joe Biden has attempted a balancing act on a sensitive issue - migration - and the US President has warned undocumented migrants to stay away from the US border. But, he has opened doors for limited legal migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

US President Biden's balancing act on migration, to allow 30,000 migrants to enter by air per month

A rejuvenating 'horror-movie-style' mask, an overpriced gaming console, audio sunglasses, never heard of these? It's because they all flopped. But these failures are now being celebrated at the "Gallery of Flops" at the annual CES consumer electronics extravaganza in Las Vegas.

The 'Gallery of Flops' celebrates failures in tech at CES 2023

A single Iranian drone shot down in Ukraine has been found to be containing parts manufactured by more than dozen American companies, reported CNN citing an assessment made by Ukranian intelligence. The report said that out of 52 components obtained from the Iranian drone, 40 were found to be manufactured by American companies. The rest 12 were manufactured by companies in other western companies and China.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. After sustained gains in first few months, Russian forces has to retreat in the face of Ukrainian counteroffensive. This resulted in Ukraine recapturing thousands of square kilometres of lost land. Russia then resorted to missile and drone attacks.

Iran-made drones have been used by Russia by hundreds in the ongoing conflict. Iran has admitted to providing drones to Russia but has claimed that these drones were provided before the start of Ukraine conflict. International critics are a bit sceptical of this assertion.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-reports-fresh-strikes-as-putins-unilateral-ceasefire-starts-550022">Ukraine reports fresh strikes as Putin's unilateral ceasefire starts</a>

US has been imposing sanctions on Iran for years to prevent it from acquiring high-end material and equipment. But now US is planning to ensure better enforceability of these sanctions by asking companies to better monitor where their products end up and if any third party is selling those to bad actors.&nbsp;

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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A single Iranian drone shot down in Ukraine has been found to be containing parts manufactured by more than dozen American companies, reported CNN citing an assessment made by Ukranian intelligence.

A single Iranian drone shot down in Ukraine has been found to be containing parts manufactured by more than dozen American companies, reported CNN citing an assessment made by Ukranian intelligence. The report said that out of 52 components obtained from the Iranian drone, 40 were found to be manufactured by American companies. The rest 12 were manufactured by companies in other western companies and China. Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. After sustained gains in first few months, Russian forces has to retreat in the face of Ukrainian counteroffensive. This resulted in Ukraine recapturing thousands of square kilometres of lost land. Russia then resorted to missile and drone attacks. Iran-made drones have been used by Russia by hundreds in the ongoing conflict. Iran has admitted to providing drones to Russia but has claimed that these drones were provided before the start of Ukraine conflict. International critics are a bit sceptical of this assertion. Also Read | Ukraine reports fresh strikes as Putin's unilateral ceasefire starts US has been imposing sanctions on Iran for years to prevent it from acquiring high-end material and equipment. But now US is planning to ensure better enforceability of these sanctions by asking companies to better monitor where their products end up and if any third party is selling those to bad actors. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Iranian drone found to contain part made by US companies: Report

A former owner of a Colorado funeral facility was given a 20-year federal prison sentence for cheating the relatives&nbsp;of the deceased by dissecting 560 bodies and selling body parts without their consent. In July 2022, 46-year-old Megan Hess admitted guilt to fraud. She ran Donor Services, a company that deals with body parts, and Sunset Mesa, a funeral home in Montrose, Colorado.&nbsp;

The 20-year term given to the accused was the maximum allowed under law. Her 69-year-old mother, Shirley Koch, also pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to 15 years in jail.&nbsp;Koch's central role was chopping up the bodies, as per court records.&nbsp;

"Hess and Koch used their funeral home at times to essentially steal bodies and body parts using fraudulent and forged donor forms," prosecutor Tim Neff said in a court filing.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-california-police-more-likely-to-use-force-against-black-people-claims-report-549398">US: California police more likely to use force against Black people, claims report</a>

"Hess and Koch's conducUS: California police more likely to use force against Black people, claims reportt caused immense emotional pain for the families and next of kin."

The federal case got impetus by a 2016-2018 Reuters investigative series about the sale of body parts in the United States, a dark, growing&nbsp;industry. Former workers told Reuters that Hess and Koch conducted unauthorised dismemberments of dead bodies, and a few weeks after a 2018 story was published, the FBI raided the operations.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;US&nbsp;backs Pakistan amid frayed ties with Taliban

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Prosecutors stressed the "macabre nature" of Hess' scheme and called&nbsp;it one of the most significant body parts cases in recent US&nbsp;history.

Hess' lawyer said she has been unfairly stigmatised as a "witch," a "monster" and a "ghoul," when instead she is a "broken human being" whose actions can be attributed to a traumatic brain injury at the age of 18. In court on Tuesday, Hess declined to speak to the judge.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A former owner of a Colorado funeral facility was given a 20-year federal prison sentence for cheating the relatives of the deceased by dissecting 560 bodies and selling body parts without their consent.

A former owner of a Colorado funeral facility was given a 20-year federal prison sentence for cheating the relatives of the deceased by dissecting 560 bodies and selling body parts without their consent. In July 2022, 46-year-old Megan Hess admitted guilt to fraud. She ran Donor Services, a company that deals with body parts, and Sunset Mesa, a funeral home in Montrose, Colorado. The 20-year term given to the accused was the maximum allowed under law. Her 69-year-old mother, Shirley Koch, also pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to 15 years in jail. Koch's central role was chopping up the bodies, as per court records. "Hess and Koch used their funeral home at times to essentially steal bodies and body parts using fraudulent and forged donor forms," prosecutor Tim Neff said in a court filing. Also read | US: California police more likely to use force against Black people, claims report "Hess and Koch's conducUS: California police more likely to use force against Black people, claims reportt caused immense emotional pain for the families and next of kin." The federal case got impetus by a 2016-2018 Reuters investigative series about the sale of body parts in the United States, a dark, growing industry. Former workers told Reuters that Hess and Koch conducted unauthorised dismemberments of dead bodies, and a few weeks after a 2018 story was published, the FBI raided the operations. Also watch | US backs Pakistan amid frayed ties with Taliban Prosecutors stressed the "macabre nature" of Hess' scheme and called it one of the most significant body parts cases in recent US history. Hess' lawyer said she has been unfairly stigmatised as a "witch," a "monster" and a "ghoul," when instead she is a "broken human being" whose actions can be attributed to a traumatic brain injury at the age of 18. In court on Tuesday, Hess declined to speak to the judge. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US: Former Colorado funeral home owner sentenced to 20 years’ jail for selling human body parts

Week after week, scientists have been witnessing an onslaught by Covid's Omicron variants in the United States, with BQs — BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appearing to be edging out all the others to seize a modest lead, as reported by the CNN.&nbsp;The upshot has been a steady increase in cases and hospitalisations that never seemed to reach the zenith&nbsp;of this summer's BA.5 wave and was certainly nothing like the tsunami of sickness brought on by the original Omicron strain a year ago.&nbsp;

On Friday, the COVID-19 mutant dashboard from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed a new contender that would soon take the lead: XBB.1.5.

According to the CDC, XBB.1.5 increased from roughly 4% to 41% of new infections during the month of December 2022, more than doubling its portion of the COVID-19 pie each week for the previous four. As per CDC's calculations, XBB.1.5 is responsible for 75% of new infections in the Northeast region of the US.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-all-for-coordinated-approach-for-ever-changing-covid-scenario-549304">EU nations agree on pre-departure Covid test for flyers from China, formal decision on Wednesday</a>

“For a few months now, we haven’t seen a variant that’s taken off at that speed,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, director of Covid-19 sequencing at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s virology lab, who spoke to CNN.&nbsp;

This Omicron sublineage, according to virologists and epidemiologists, possesses characteristics that could lead to a new wave of COVID-19 cases in the US, however, it is yet unknown how massive&nbsp;that wave will be or whether it would put more people at risk for hospitalisation.

Also watch |&nbsp;California: Miracle survival after Tesla car crash, all four passengers rescued successfully

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XBB.1.5 appears to have emerged in the United States, despite recent worries that a new Covid-19 threat could come from China's continuous growth, according to specialists. According to GISAID, a global initiative to catalogue and track coronavirus variations, it was initially discovered in New York and Connecticut in late October.

Apart from being highly immune evasive, XBB.1.5 has an additional feature that seems to be helping to fuel its growth. It has a key mutation at site 486, which allows it to bind more tightly to ACE2, the doors the virus uses to enter our cells.

The majority of scientists agreed that although XBB.1.5 has the potential to spread more diseases, it won't necessarily be very serious. However, Americans have been sluggish to get the booster jabs. Only 15% of Americans who are eligible have received an updated booster, according to CDC data. Only around 1 in 3 seniors, or those 65 and older, have had a booster shot.&nbsp;

Experts point out that other antivirals, like Paxlovid and Remdesivir, should still be useful even though antibody therapies won't be effective against this sublineage.

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Week after week, scientists have been witnessing an onslaught by Covid's Omicron variants in the United States, with BQs — BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appearing to be edging out all the others to seize a modest lead, as reported by the CNN.

Week after week, scientists have been witnessing an onslaught by Covid's Omicron variants in the United States, with BQs — BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 appearing to be edging out all the others to seize a modest lead, as reported by the CNN. The upshot has been a steady increase in cases and hospitalisations that never seemed to reach the zenith of this summer's BA.5 wave and was certainly nothing like the tsunami of sickness brought on by the original Omicron strain a year ago. On Friday, the COVID-19 mutant dashboard from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed a new contender that would soon take the lead: XBB.1.5. According to the CDC, XBB.1.5 increased from roughly 4% to 41% of new infections during the month of December 2022, more than doubling its portion of the COVID-19 pie each week for the previous four. As per CDC's calculations, XBB.1.5 is responsible for 75% of new infections in the Northeast region of the US. Also read | EU nations agree on pre-departure Covid test for flyers from China, formal decision on Wednesday “For a few months now, we haven’t seen a variant that’s taken off at that speed,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, director of Covid-19 sequencing at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s virology lab, who spoke to CNN. This Omicron sublineage, according to virologists and epidemiologists, possesses characteristics that could lead to a new wave of COVID-19 cases in the US, however, it is yet unknown how massive that wave will be or whether it would put more people at risk for hospitalisation. Also watch | California: Miracle survival after Tesla car crash, all four passengers rescued successfully XBB.1.5 appears to have emerged in the United States, despite recent worries that a new Covid-19 threat could come from China's continuous growth, according to specialists. According to GISAID, a global initiative to catalogue and track coronavirus variations, it was initially discovered in New York and Connecticut in late October. Apart from being highly immune evasive, XBB.1.5 has an additional feature that seems to be helping to fuel its growth. It has a key mutation at site 486, which allows it to bind more tightly to ACE2, the doors the virus uses to enter our cells. The majority of scientists agreed that although XBB.1.5 has the potential to spread more diseases, it won't necessarily be very serious. However, Americans have been sluggish to get the booster jabs. Only 15% of Americans who are eligible have received an updated booster, according to CDC data. Only around 1 in 3 seniors, or those 65 and older, have had a booster shot. Experts point out that other antivirals, like Paxlovid and Remdesivir, should still be useful even though antibody therapies won't be effective against this sublineage. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Omicron offshoot XBB.1.5 may cause new Covid spike in the US, confirms CDC

Taking a major step towards stopping Venezuelans from entering the United States, President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced that the Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans, who have been illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, will be immediately turned away by the authorities.

The administration will instead provide entry to 30,000 people from the four nations every month for a period of two years and will provide them with the eligibility to legally work in the US, as long as they have entered legally and have eligible sponsors and clear background checks.

The four nations are among the countries from where there has been a sharp increase in migrant border crossings with no easy procedure to send the migrants to their own countries.&nbsp;

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-proposes-up-to-332-per-cent-hike-for-h1-b-other-visa-fees-549726">US proposes up to 332 per cent hike for H1-B, other visa fees</a>

The announcement has come as a big change to immigration rules and the new change will stand even if a public health law, which permits US authorities to send back asylum seekers, is scrapped by the US Supreme Court.

Speaking about the new change in immigration rules, Biden on Thursday said that the country's immigration system is "broken" and added that the new plan would be "safe and humane" to decrease the crowd of immigrants at the US-Mexico border.

"It's safe and it's humane, and it works," said Biden in his address from the White House.&nbsp;

He added that previously comprehensive legislation was sent by him to Congress to overhaul "what has been a broken immigration system for a long time."

"But Congressional Republicans have refused to consider my comprehensive plan," he added, as he blamed "extreme Republicans" for the impasse.

WATCH|&nbsp;WION Fineprint: US sends a message to adversaries and allies, submarines visited Indian Ocean

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"We have a big agenda... but one important part of that agenda is strengthening our border between our nations," Biden stated.

Appealing people to legally apply for entering the US, he said, "Do not just show up at the border."&nbsp;

As per the new policy, 360,000 people will be able to enter the US lawfully from the four nations every year. However, currently, more people are attempting to cross the border from these countries, with numbers reaching 82,286 in only November.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Taking a major step towards stopping Venezuelans from entering the United States, President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced that the Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans, who have been illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, will be immediately turned away by the authorities.

Taking a major step towards stopping Venezuelans from entering the United States, President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced that the Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans, who have been illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, will be immediately turned away by the authorities. The administration will instead provide entry to 30,000 people from the four nations every month for a period of two years and will provide them with the eligibility to legally work in the US, as long as they have entered legally and have eligible sponsors and clear background checks. The four nations are among the countries from where there has been a sharp increase in migrant border crossings with no easy procedure to send the migrants to their own countries. ALSO READ| US proposes up to 332 per cent hike for H1-B, other visa fees The announcement has come as a big change to immigration rules and the new change will stand even if a public health law, which permits US authorities to send back asylum seekers, is scrapped by the US Supreme Court. Speaking about the new change in immigration rules, Biden on Thursday said that the country's immigration system is "broken" and added that the new plan would be "safe and humane" to decrease the crowd of immigrants at the US-Mexico border. "It's safe and it's humane, and it works," said Biden in his address from the White House. He added that previously comprehensive legislation was sent by him to Congress to overhaul "what has been a broken immigration system for a long time." "But Congressional Republicans have refused to consider my comprehensive plan," he added, as he blamed "extreme Republicans" for the impasse. WATCH| WION Fineprint: US sends a message to adversaries and allies, submarines visited Indian Ocean "We have a big agenda... but one important part of that agenda is strengthening our border between our nations," Biden stated. Appealing people to legally apply for entering the US, he said, "Do not just show up at the border." As per the new policy, 360,000 people will be able to enter the US lawfully from the four nations every year. However, currently, more people are attempting to cross the border from these countries, with numbers reaching 82,286 in only November. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden govt to turn away Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians at US border

Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida emerged as an alternative for conservative holdouts who are refusing to back Kevin McCarthy's quest for House speaker as Republicans battled for a second day to elect a speaker. In the three rounds of voting that took place on Wednesday (4 January), Donalds received 20 votes to McCarthy's 201,&nbsp;preventing&nbsp;McCarthy from receiving the 218 votes necessary to be elected speaker of the full House. Republicans opposed to McCarthy nominated a broad selection of candidates on Tuesday, including former New York representative Lee Zeldin and representatives Andy Biggs of Arizona and Jim Jordan of Ohio. Donalds switched his vote from McCarthy to Jordan on Tuesday's final vote, siding with the rebel Republicans.

<h2>Byron Donalds: Early days&nbsp;</h2>

Donalds, 44, was chosen to serve Florida's 19th District, in the state's southwest, for a second term in November. To succeed retiring Republican Rep. Francis Rooney, Donalds won a nine-way GOP (another way of referring to the Republican party)&nbsp;primary and defeated his Democratic challenger in his first election in 2020.

A Brooklyn native who graduated from Florida State University in 2002, he was brought up&nbsp;by a single mother. He was working as a financial adviser when then-Gov. Rick Scott named him to the board of trustees of a public college, raising his ranks in Florida's GOP circles. Erika Donalds, his wife, is a supporter of the state's school choice movement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/data-lab-us-allows-abortion-pill-access-at-pharmacies-significance-amid-uss-shifting-abortion-landscape-549698">Data lab: US allows abortion pill sale at pharmacies; its significance amid shifting abortion landscape</a>

Donalds acknowledged being detained as a young man on a marijuana distribution allegation that was subsequently dropped, and he claimed to have reformed his life after that episode. In 2012, he campaigned unsuccessfully for the US House; four years later, he was elected to the Georgia House.

<h2>House speaker votes</h2>

Donalds told CBS in December 2021 that McCarthy had "done tremendous things" for House Republicans. “So right now, the question is, who’s going to be the person that’s going to take us to the next level?” Donalds said. “Kevin’s proven he can do that.”

Donalds supported McCarthy in the first two rounds of voting on Tuesday before backing Jordan in the third. Donalds tweeted as a result, saying, “reality is … McCarthy doesn’t have the votes.”

“This will take time, Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people,” Donalds added. “Debate is healthy.”

Also watch |&nbsp;Mexico sends 200 military personnel to the U.S. border city of Juarez

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Donalds cast votes in favour of himself on Wednesday when his name was put up for nomination. After one of those votes, Donalds appeared on Fox to advocate for leadership that&nbsp;“actually reflects where the American people are, and that leadership is something that is earned here in the nation’s Capitol, not just given.”

<h2>What do other representatives think of Byron Donalds?</h2>

On Tuesday, only one member—Rep. Chip Roy of Texas—voted in favour of Donalds for speaker before switching to Jordan. Roy stated in his address on Wednesday presenting Donalds that the sophomore stood for a change for both Washington and the Republican Party.

“Here we are, and for the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed into the nomination for speaker of the House,” Roy said, referring to Donalds and Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries. “This country needs a change. This country needs leadership that does not reflect this city, this town that is badly broken.”

There are now only four Black Republicans in the House, including Donalds.

Donalds was referred to as a "prop" by Cori Bush, a Black Democratic congresswoman from Missouri.

“Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy. His name being in the mix is not progress — it’s pathetic,” she tweeted.

Furthermore,&nbsp;Nominating Donalds in the fifth round, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado said the House’s job “is not to coronate the biggest fundraiser, or rubberstamp the status quo or keep on going along to get along. It’s to use our votes to elect a speaker who will enable us to get our country back on track.”

While speaking to reporters on the capitol steps,&nbsp;Donalds on Wednesday called the ongoing debate “an invigorating day for America.” He also noted that&nbsp;“there’s a lot of members in the chamber who want to have serious conversations about how we can bring this all to a close and elect a speaker.”

“Once we get this organized and figured out, we’ll get back to business,” he said. “It’s only Day Two, y’all. Settle down. We’re going to be all right.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida emerged as an alternative for conservative holdouts who are refusing to back Kevin McCarthy's quest for House speaker as Republicans battled for a second day to elect a speaker.

Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida emerged as an alternative for conservative holdouts who are refusing to back Kevin McCarthy's quest for House speaker as Republicans battled for a second day to elect a speaker. In the three rounds of voting that took place on Wednesday (4 January), Donalds received 20 votes to McCarthy's 201, preventing McCarthy from receiving the 218 votes necessary to be elected speaker of the full House. Republicans opposed to McCarthy nominated a broad selection of candidates on Tuesday, including former New York representative Lee Zeldin and representatives Andy Biggs of Arizona and Jim Jordan of Ohio. Donalds switched his vote from McCarthy to Jordan on Tuesday's final vote, siding with the rebel Republicans. Byron Donalds: Early days Donalds, 44, was chosen to serve Florida's 19th District, in the state's southwest, for a second term in November. To succeed retiring Republican Rep. Francis Rooney, Donalds won a nine-way GOP (another way of referring to the Republican party) primary and defeated his Democratic challenger in his first election in 2020. A Brooklyn native who graduated from Florida State University in 2002, he was brought up by a single mother. He was working as a financial adviser when then-Gov. Rick Scott named him to the board of trustees of a public college, raising his ranks in Florida's GOP circles. Erika Donalds, his wife, is a supporter of the state's school choice movement. Also read | Data lab: US allows abortion pill sale at pharmacies; its significance amid shifting abortion landscape Donalds acknowledged being detained as a young man on a marijuana distribution allegation that was subsequently dropped, and he claimed to have reformed his life after that episode. In 2012, he campaigned unsuccessfully for the US House; four years later, he was elected to the Georgia House. House speaker votes Donalds told CBS in December 2021 that McCarthy had "done tremendous things" for House Republicans. “So right now, the question is, who’s going to be the person that’s going to take us to the next level?” Donalds said. “Kevin’s proven he can do that.” Donalds supported McCarthy in the first two rounds of voting on Tuesday before backing Jordan in the third. Donalds tweeted as a result, saying, “reality is … McCarthy doesn’t have the votes.” “This will take time, Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people,” Donalds added. “Debate is healthy.” Also watch | Mexico sends 200 military personnel to the U.S. border city of Juarez Donalds cast votes in favour of himself on Wednesday when his name was put up for nomination. After one of those votes, Donalds appeared on Fox to advocate for leadership that “actually reflects where the American people are, and that leadership is something that is earned here in the nation’s Capitol, not just given.” What do other representatives think of Byron Donalds? On Tuesday, only one member—Rep. Chip Roy of Texas—voted in favour of Donalds for speaker before switching to Jordan. Roy stated in his address on Wednesday presenting Donalds that the sophomore stood for a change for both Washington and the Republican Party. “Here we are, and for the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed into the nomination for speaker of the House,” Roy said, referring to Donalds and Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries. “This country needs a change. This country needs leadership that does not reflect this city, this town that is badly broken.” There are now only four Black Republicans in the House, including Donalds. Donalds was referred to as a "prop" by Cori Bush, a Black Democratic congresswoman from Missouri. “Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy. His name being in the mix is not progress — it’s pathetic,” she tweeted. Furthermore, Nominating Donalds in the fifth round, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado said the House’s job “is not to coronate the biggest fundraiser, or rubberstamp the status quo or keep on going along to get along. It’s to use our votes to elect a speaker who will enable us to get our country back on track.” While speaking to reporters on the capitol steps, Donalds on Wednesday called the ongoing debate “an invigorating day for America.” He also noted that “there’s a lot of members in the chamber who want to have serious conversations about how we can bring this all to a close and elect a speaker.” “Once we get this organized and figured out, we’ll get back to business,” he said. “It’s only Day Two, y’all. Settle down. We’re going to be all right.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Who is Byron Donalds? The latest Republican nominee for House speaker pitted against Kevin McCarthy

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The newly-elected US house of representatives have so far failed to elect their speaker even after six rounds of voting in the last two days. The voting will now take place when the house convenes next.

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Mifepristone, a medication used for abortions, can now be purchased from US pharmacies owing to a decision of the Joe Biden administration.&nbsp;The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised retail&nbsp;pharmacies to dispense mifepristone as long as a licensed medical professional writes the prescription and the pharmacy complies with specified criteria. In light of the US Supreme Court's decision to overrule <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/roe-vs-wade-reversed-us-supreme-court-ends-constitutional-right-to-abortion-491416">Roe v. Wade</a> and a woman's long-established&nbsp;right to decide who controls her body, this new&nbsp;development is of much&nbsp;pertinence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>What is mifepristone? Why is it important?</h2>

Pharmacies can now sell the abortion drug mifepristone, according to a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As reported by the&nbsp;BBC, mifepristone is frequently used in combination with another medicine called misoprostol to induce a medical abortion. Mifepristone inhibits progesterone, a hormone required for a pregnancy to proceed. It is used to stop pregnancies up to 10 weeks’ gestation when combined with&nbsp;misoprostol (70 days or less since the first day of the last menstrual period).&nbsp;

It is crucial to note&nbsp;that women will require a prescription in order to buy mifepristone.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wasnt-my-fault-donald-trump-on-the-midterm-loss-blames-abortion-548875">'Wasn’t my fault..': Donald Trump on the midterm loss, blames 'abortion'</a>

Many pregnant women living in places where abortion is now prohibited as a result of the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade are likely to turn to medication abortion, by using the abortion pill. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA began allowing the pills to be sent via mail.

There are two safe methods of terminating a pregnancy: an in-person procedure and the abortion pill. According to the <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2022/02/medication-abortion-now-accounts-more-half-all-us-abortions">Guttmacher Institute</a>, a research organisation that specialises in sexual and reproductive health, medication abortions presently account for half of all abortions performed in the United States.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe aria-label="Interactive area chart" data-external="1" frameborder="0" height="564" id="datawrapper-chart-aErEp" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/aErEp/1/" style="border: none;" title="As of 2020, medication abortions account for the majority of all US abortions" width="undefined"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

*Hover over the visualisation/click on it for the figures*

The abortion pill is anticipated to become an even more significant choice now that in-clinic abortion services are prohibited or threatened in more than half of the US states.

<h2 data-editable="headlineText">Maternal and infant death rates are higher in states that ban or restrict abortion, report says</h2>

US states that now ban or restrict abortions have far higher rates of maternal and newborn mortality than those that maintain access to abortion care, whether it be during pregnancy, at birth, or after delivery.

Also watch |&nbsp;US&nbsp;FDA allows the sale of abortion pills at retail pharmacies

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Following this summer's Roe v. Wade ruling by the Supreme Court, the researchers compared rates depending on states' existing abortion access rules as of November utilising the most recent data available, from 2020 and earlier, on deaths and other health effects.

Maternal mortality rates were 62% higher in states with restricted access to abortion services in 2020 than in ones with unrestricted access. States with new abortion restrictions had a double-digit rise in maternal mortality between 2018 and 2020,&nbsp;according to the report released Wednesday by <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2022/dec/us-maternal-health-divide-limited-services-worse-outcomes">the research foundation Commonwealth Fund</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>How many clinics offer abortions in the United States, and how has that number varied over time?</h2>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe aria-label="Stacked Bars" data-external="1" frameborder="0" height="541" id="datawrapper-chart-aJ5U4" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/aJ5U4/2/" style="border: none;" title="Total number of abortion providers down since 1982 in the US" width="600"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

*Hover over the visualisation/click on it for the figures*

Since the 1980s, the overall number of abortion providers has sharply declined. There were 2,908 facilities in the US that performed abortions in 1982, including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals, and 714 doctor's offices, according to Guttmacher. The figures stand at 261 doctor's offices, 518 hospitals, and 808 clinics now.&nbsp;

<h2>Mifepristone and&nbsp;abortion rights activists</h2>

Abortion rights activists and doctors’ groups have welcomed the move.&nbsp;“Today’s news is a step in the right direction for health equity,” Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.

“Being able to access your prescribed medication abortion through the mail or to pick it up in person from a pharmacy like any other prescription is a game changer for people trying to access basic health care,” Johnson added.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists were quoted by the BBC as saying,&nbsp;“Although the FDA’s announcement today will not solve access issues for every person seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this vital drug.”

In contrast,&nbsp;Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the anti-abortion organisation SBA Pro-Life America, asserted that the most recent FDA action puts women's safety and the lives of unborn children in danger.

“State lawmakers and Congress must stand as a bulwark against the Biden administration’s pro-abortion extremism,” she said in a statement.

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Mifepristone, a medication used for abortions, can now be purchased from US pharmacies owing to a decision of the Joe Biden administration. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone as long as a licensed medical professional writes the prescription and the pharmacy complies with specified criteria.

Mifepristone, a medication used for abortions, can now be purchased from US pharmacies owing to a decision of the Joe Biden administration. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone as long as a licensed medical professional writes the prescription and the pharmacy complies with specified criteria. In light of the US Supreme Court's decision to overrule Roe v. Wade and a woman's long-established right to decide who controls her body, this new development is of much pertinence. What is mifepristone? Why is it important? Pharmacies can now sell the abortion drug mifepristone, according to a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As reported by the BBC, mifepristone is frequently used in combination with another medicine called misoprostol to induce a medical abortion. Mifepristone inhibits progesterone, a hormone required for a pregnancy to proceed. It is used to stop pregnancies up to 10 weeks’ gestation when combined with misoprostol (70 days or less since the first day of the last menstrual period). It is crucial to note that women will require a prescription in order to buy mifepristone. Also read | 'Wasn’t my fault..': Donald Trump on the midterm loss, blames 'abortion' Many pregnant women living in places where abortion is now prohibited as a result of the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade are likely to turn to medication abortion, by using the abortion pill. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA began allowing the pills to be sent via mail. There are two safe methods of terminating a pregnancy: an in-person procedure and the abortion pill. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organisation that specialises in sexual and reproductive health, medication abortions presently account for half of all abortions performed in the United States. × *Hover over the visualisation/click on it for the figures* The abortion pill is anticipated to become an even more significant choice now that in-clinic abortion services are prohibited or threatened in more than half of the US states. Maternal and infant death rates are higher in states that ban or restrict abortion, report says US states that now ban or restrict abortions have far higher rates of maternal and newborn mortality than those that maintain access to abortion care, whether it be during pregnancy, at birth, or after delivery. Also watch | US FDA allows the sale of abortion pills at retail pharmacies Following this summer's Roe v. Wade ruling by the Supreme Court, the researchers compared rates depending on states' existing abortion access rules as of November utilising the most recent data available, from 2020 and earlier, on deaths and other health effects. Maternal mortality rates were 62% higher in states with restricted access to abortion services in 2020 than in ones with unrestricted access. States with new abortion restrictions had a double-digit rise in maternal mortality between 2018 and 2020, according to the report released Wednesday by the research foundation Commonwealth Fund. How many clinics offer abortions in the United States, and how has that number varied over time? × *Hover over the visualisation/click on it for the figures* Since the 1980s, the overall number of abortion providers has sharply declined. There were 2,908 facilities in the US that performed abortions in 1982, including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals, and 714 doctor's offices, according to Guttmacher. The figures stand at 261 doctor's offices, 518 hospitals, and 808 clinics now. Mifepristone and abortion rights activists Abortion rights activists and doctors’ groups have welcomed the move. “Today’s news is a step in the right direction for health equity,” Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement. “Being able to access your prescribed medication abortion through the mail or to pick it up in person from a pharmacy like any other prescription is a game changer for people trying to access basic health care,” Johnson added. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists were quoted by the BBC as saying, “Although the FDA’s announcement today will not solve access issues for every person seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this vital drug.” In contrast, Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the anti-abortion organisation SBA Pro-Life America, asserted that the most recent FDA action puts women's safety and the lives of unborn children in danger. “State lawmakers and Congress must stand as a bulwark against the Biden administration’s pro-abortion extremism,” she said in a statement. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Data lab: US allows abortion pill sale at pharmacies; its significance amid shifting abortion landscape

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