Good to see everyone here joining us for the beat. I hope you had a great holiday. I was out last week, as Nicole just mentioned. I do feel refreshed, excited to be back with you tonight as we deal with all sorts of things, including some serious news items and some fun by the end of the hour. Let me tell you, we do have a pretty special show right now, the latest in legal developments, Congress preparing what could be a damning final

January 6th report. Later tonight, I'll be joined by one of the people who's actually interviewed

President Obama more than almost anyone on the planet. So, get comfortable for the hour.

If you have been spending time with Turkey or family or away from the news, that's great. I did

some of that, too, but I will get you up to speed.

Our top story right now is the headache that's truly facing House Republicans,

who rode that red trickle or whatever one calls it into a reality that is about math.

You remember the midterms, they sold high expectations, they didn't close

on that, they did win back the house and win the gavel. But the red trickle means it's a very

narrow majority, and that affects exactly what's happening in Washington right now tonight.

Just over a month before they take over, they have to figure out how or even if this current version of the Republican Party can find

united leadership with a narrow vote and a rebellious maga cadre of newer members. Indeed,

some of those people, the younger members who are already in Congress or joining are already

threatening to block the speaker bid of the current leader, Kevin McCarthy, who's still

the odds-on favorite to become Speaker. Now, the numbers are not yet dire for him. I'll walk you through

exactly what we know. In public, right now, about five Republican lawmakers, five, have announced

their opposition. So the real question is whether they could build the momentum that might actually

throw the whole Speaker's race in doubt.

Now, this is Washington.

I said momentum, and in normal human affairs, sports, real life, momentum is something that happens, right?

In Washington, it's not always a natural dynamic, but part of political choreography,

to create the appearance of momentum. I say that as part of the top story, because some of the

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