Good morning. If you want to take a break from the dysfunction in Westminster then cast your eyes to the dysfunction in Washington DC. The House of Representatives had been out of action for three weeks since the Republicans ousted their own speaker, Kevin McCarthy, until yesterday when they finally agreed upon Mike Johnson – their fourth nominee in that time.
He takes up an incredibly important and powerful role: the speaker oversees Congress, sets the legislative agenda and can completely derail the president’s plans. The person who occupies that role also becomes the second person in line to the presidency, after the vice-president. Without a speaker, the US government has been at a standstill, unable to legislate or allocate any spending – even to provide financial support to allies abroad.
After what feels like countless votes, endless deliberations and numerous nominees, the GOP have finally replaced McCarthy, but in doing so exposed the extent to which ideological divides, bad blood and resentment have taken over a party that was once known for its ruthless ability to consolidate power.
To understand what has been happening in Congress, I spoke to the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
US gun violence | At least 16 people were killed overnight when a man opened fire at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston, Maine. The shooter remained at large as authorities ordered people to stay off the streets. Lewiston police named Robert Card as a “person of interest” and said he should be considered “armed and dangerous”. This morning we are covering the situation live.
Israel-Gaza | Joe Biden has called for an immediate end to Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, saying: “Pouring gasoline on fire is what it’s like.” Biden said Hamas was “hiding behind” Palestinian civilians in Gaza and he had “no confidence” in their civilian casualty figures. The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, said a ground offensive was being prepared – “Hamas is doomed.”
University | Students in England are left with the equivalent of 50p a week to live on from their loans after paying for accommodation, the cost of which has soared by nearly 15% over the last two years, research has revealed.
AI | Artificial intelligence brings new dangers to society that must be addressed “head on”, Rishi Sunak will warn on Thursday, as the government admitted it could not rule out the technology posing an existential threat. The government is preparing to host an AI safety summit in Bletchley Park next week.
Media | Bidders for the Telegraph are concerned the Barclays’ £1bn “back door” offer could have a “chilling effect” on the official auction, according to a source close to the process. The family confirmed they would make a Middle Eastern-backed offer to keep control of the Telegraph and Spectator titles.
In depth: ‘They’re rudderless and they don’t seem to like each other’
Bullying, intimidation tactics and even death threats have marred the race to become speaker in a manner most unbecoming of what is known in US politics as the “grand old party”. Rather than being a bastion of stable government, the GOP has been self-destructing.
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How did this begin?
On 3 October the then speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted from office by a small number of hard-right members of his own party. It was the first time that has ever happened to a speaker of the house in US political history.
McCarthy was the speaker for just nine months, and only ascended to that role after a tortuous process that included 15 rounds of voting. He secured the job by offering various concessions to hard-right rebels in the Republican party, including a rule that said just one member could table a motion to vacate and oust him. Lo and behold, that is exactly what happened. McCarthy was pushed out by Matt Gaetz for the crime of passing a funding bill with Democratic support to avoid a government shutdown.
David says that the seeds of this crisis were sown after last year’s midterm elections when Republicans gained a majority in the House of Representatives by a very narrow margin: “It meant that a handful of members can call the shots and so it really gave power to the far right, particularly those aligned with Donald Trump.”
Upon McCarthy’s exit, campaigns began to nominate a new speaker. Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise (pictured above) – a man who once reportedly called himself “David Duke without the baggage” – was selected by the Republican conference. A day later he withdrew his candidacy after it became clear that he would not be able to shore up the amount of support needed to win the nomination.
Republicans then put forward Ohio congressman Jim Jordan as the second nominee. A passionate Trump supporter and co-founder and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Jordan represents the far right of the GOP and, as a result, could not win over enough moderate Republicans. After three rounds of voting, Jordan withdrew.
The race quickly became a melee, with nine candidates, many of whom had no national profile, throwing their hats in the ring to try their luck. Seven of those candidates had voted to overturn the 2020 election. “It was very fragmented with no obvious end in sight,” David says.
Tom Emmer emerged as a relatively moderate candidate (in that he did not vote to overturn the last presidential election) but also withdrew his candidacy within hours of being nominated after Donald Trump urged Republicans to oppose him. Republicans then put forward Mike Johnson, a man perhaps best known for leading efforts to have the 2020 election overthrown, a fact he was not keen to be reminded of by a reporter when his candidacy was announced. Johnson won in the end, with the support of all 220 Republicans who cast a ballot, his extreme views marking a win for the rightwing, Trump-supporting faction of the party.
“At this time of great crisis, it is our duty to work together, as previous generations of great leaders have, to face these great challenges and solve these great problems,” Johnson said after his victory.
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What’s been happening without a speaker?
“It effectively means the American government was operating with one hand tied behind its back,” David says. While the White House is still functional, and President Joe Biden has the power to take executive actions, the House of Representatives needs to be up and running to pass any legislation, including government spending bills.
The dysfunction has hampered the US’s ability to intervene internationally and domestically. Biden has requested $106bn for Israel, Ukraine and US border security and none of that could be passed until the House got a speaker.
That could now change, and Joe Biden welcomed Johnson’s election, saying: “Even though we have real disagreements about important issues, there should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can.”
For his part, the new Speaker has indicated a willingness to work with the Democrats on areas of mutual interest. Which is just as well, as there’s the small matter of another government shutdown looming next month. The House needs to have a speaker in order to pass the spending bills that allow government employees to be paid, without that, all but essential services cease to function – and thousands stop being paid. It was McCarthy’s work with Democrats to pass the last spending bill that brought him down. Can Johnson better navigate those choppy waters?
“All of this sends an alarming message to the world at a moment when democracy is under threat and wars are breaking out – many will be wondering if the US government is still fit for purpose,” David says.
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What has been the response from the rest of Washington?
Everyone has been watching this excruciatingly slow car crash unfold over the last three weeks with horror. Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie has called the speaker race an “embarrassment”. House Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (pictured above) said his party was growing “weary”. “So much of this is kids’ playground stuff, with a lot of bullying, ego clashes and ‘you’re my friend, you’re not my friend’,” says David. “It’s a sad state of affairs that it has come to this.”
Meanwhile, the spectre of Trump is still cast over the party. He is, by far, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and holds significant sway with the Republican voter base and the party itself.
It’s no surprise that the victorious candidate is a strong Trump supporter. Johnson, who practised constitutional law before entering politics, was the architect of a failed attempt by House Republicans to have the supreme court overturn the 2020 election result.
“There’s gloom, dismay and shaking of heads. It’s just so dysfunctional and I think a lot of people in Washington would say this is where eight years of Trump chaos gets you,” David says. “The Republicans are a party in civil war – they’re rudderless and they don’t seem to like each other.”
What else we’ve been reading
Guardian readers have shared their experiences of watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (pictured above) at the cinema. Some diehard swifties shared how they “screamed every word”, while others found it allowed for a much-needed nap. Nyima Jobe, newsletters team
To mark the 60th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, Steve Rose looks at how the president’s death was probably the genesis of the fake-news brand of media scepticism. Nazia Parveen, deputy newsletters editor
What’s it like to find your face on the body of someone else on a porn site? Helen Mort explains how she became the victim of deepfake pornography in new documentary My Blonde GF. Nyima
Only a lucky few couples agree on the optimum conditions for a good night’s rest. Emma Beddington explores how we can all get some much-needed shuteye despite different sleeping styles. Nazia
Scientists have discovered the root cause of why dozens of elephants were found dead in Zimbabwe and Botswana in 2020. The deaths caused global speculation and it’s hoped the discovery could save other animals. Nyima
Sport
Champions League | A winner from Felix Nmecha, pictured above left, dampened Newcastle’s knockout hopes as Borussia Dortmund took victory 1-0. Celtic were denied the win by Álvaro Morata’s header for Atlético Madrid, with the scoreline finishing 2-2. Erling Haaland’s double helped Manchester City see off Young Boys 3-1.
Football | The Premier League has reportedly recommended that Everton should be hit with a 12-point deduction if found guilty of breaching its financial fair play rules. Details of the charge have not been disclosed but are believed to relate to a tax issue connected to loans for Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore dock.
Cycling | The Tour de France for the first time will not finish in Paris. This is due to the 2024 Olympics being held in the capital. The Race will instead finish in Nice and the women’s race will conclude at L’Alpe d’Huez.
The front pages
Our Guardian print edition leads with “Fears of worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza as fuel runs short” – the picture story is a funeral for British-Israeli victims of the 7 October Hamas terror attack. “We are preparing for a ground invasion … Hamas is doomed” – Benjamin Netanyahu, on the front page of the Daily Telegraph, leaves no doubt as to intentions. “Labour rift deepens over calls for Gaza ceasefire” – that’s the Times. It’s more than a rift, claims the Daily Mail: “Labour tearing itself apart on Israel”. “Where is the hope amidst shared grief?” asks the Daily Express, which carries a picture of distraught, bloodied Palestinian children alongside another of grieving Israelis. The i has “Pause bombs to allow aid, Israel urged”. The Financial Times has a picture story about Iran’s place in all this but its top story is “Treasury rout deters US companies from borrowing”. In other, other news the Metro’s lead is “Blackmail sex cop: 220 girl victims” while the Sun chooses “Air rage drama on Ed flight” – that’s Sheeran, and he wasn’t the problem. The Daily Mirror reports “Bulger killer’s parole bid in secret”, about Jon Venables’ upcoming hearing.
Today in Focus
The rise of antisemitism in the UK
There has been a 1,350% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people in London, according to the Metropolitan police
Cartoon of the day | Nicola Jennings
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
When YouTuber and ex-marine Donny Dust suffered a heart attack at the age of 37, his outlook towards life dramatically shifted and he was forced to ask what was important.
He decided to live in a cave. Coming from an outdoors background, Donny knew this is what he needed. Living in rotation in a variety of caves, the main base had the luxury of a bed which he describes as “a big pile of grass and leaves”. Going through a separation and having a heart attack was difficult, but with the support of his sons Donny understood that “one day you will expire, you need to live the life that you want, find the value”. Now a well-known YouTuber and online personality, he offers advice on how to get the most out of life.
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
