Hey, what's up family. Hello, happy 2023. It's Maria Inohosa from Futuro Media and PRX. Yes, this is in the thick and this is Julio Ricardo Varela. This is ITT Sound off. Maria is in the Futuro Media Punta Cana Studios. That's right. Just inaugurated. Very hot.

Hot studios. Oh, so hot. I'm talking temperature because you know what we brought down from New York is a sound blanket. Oh, so like one of the thickest blankets that you can imagine. That's what I have in my little enclosure here in our pantry. So it's really it's basically like a studio steam bath, beautiful studio steam bath sauna. It's the Punta Cana Studios of Futuro Media. Anyway, here we go 2023. Well, wait and also one other quick thing. If you hear something, it will probably be

birds or maybe just FYI. Okay, maybe meeting it. All right. Listen, family. It's great to be with you. We're going to get to our first topic. No surprise. It's what's happening in the House of Representatives where Republicans have been in a standoff over selecting a new house speaker. Now we're recording this on Friday morning. So as of now. There have been 11 rounds of votes. 11. You said 11. You know, some people are like I'm breaking out the popcorn and other people are like, I

cannot watch, but representative Republican Kevin McCarthy so far has failed to secure enough votes to win. Because there is this group of about 20 Republicans. I don't know. I don't know what we call them. And they are refusing to vote for him. They are part of the Republican party. Now there hasn't been a whole lot of clarity on what this group wants. But obviously they are very interested in causing chaos. They are very interested in disrupting which is a strategy. Political strategy. Yeah.

Pero claro, come on. We've been talking about that since the beginning of this show when we were talking about, you know, Russian interference and the importance to disrupt democracy in general. Okay. So here is what it looks like. Now basically, McCarthy is trying to secure a vote. I'm not sure. But he has as a result began to offer a lot of concessions to this very far right wing of the party.

Included making it easier for members of the house to remove the speaker.

It's like here, let me give you the news and you can hang me whenever you want. Wow. Okay. Also, like extraordinary amounts of influence over what kind of legislation can even come up for a vote. Okay.

So until a speaker is elected and this is where we're talking about causing chaos, right. So the House of Representatives can't do anything, including swearing in new members.

So everything is stuck. It's like on lockdown, like the real government shutdown on Thursday night, Molly, John, fast journalist and host of the fast politics podcast went on BBC news to talk about this internationally.

And this is what she had to say about the House speaker vote. Let's go to the tape.

Well, I don't think the voters like to watch this function. It's like a government shutdown. I mean, voters put you in the house to do government.

There is right now it's Schrodinger's house. There's no house. Right. It's not happening. It's not in session. It's neither not in session nor in session.

There is no one running it. Uh, so I don't think voters like this. And and it's also undermining the whole sort of Republican party and, you know, the way that politics works and.

And you know, and the longer it goes on, the less powerful Kevin McCarthy is if he becomes speaker.

Just a chichou. Maria. It's just a chichou. And let me just say two things. One, Kevin McCarthy.

Perhaps the world's biggest loser right now. Big L. I'm going to totally do a pop culture reference. I saw a tin cup again, Kevin Costner, uh, Cheach Medine.

And there's this famous scene where Kevin Costner, who's a golfer, keeps hitting the ball into the the lake at the US open.

And just goes to Cheach Medine and goes, give me another ball. Give me another ball. And he keeps hitting it into the water and keeps hitting it into the water.

Crazy honey. How are you? 11. Now this is a 12 guys. Now he's going to start worrying about qualifying for next year's open and the masters here.

He's lost this tournament. He'll end up selling Countess Maritai's renting golf carts to the rest of his life. Look at this.

I don't know. Even though what I'm feeling, right? This is the most painful thing I've ever seen. You know what's crazy, Jimmy?

If he doesn't finish the whole with this ball, he can't turn in a card. He's disqualified.

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