Kevin McCarthy playing an intense version of Let's Make a Deal.

The lead starts right now.

Promises and concessions as Kevin McCarthy's bid to become House Speaker comes down to

the wire in a group of Republican hardliners continue to push their demands.

Plus, those tragic Idaho college murders help police track down a suspected killer through

DNA evidence, the web, and his Hyundai Alantra.

And air pressure, passengers still trying to get their bags back after a holiday travel

meltdown.

How easy is it to get a refund if you were a stranded passenger?

The points guy is here, with answers.

Welcome to the lead, I'm Jake Tapp, where we begin today in our politics lead.

Time is running out.

For House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy and his dreams of wielding these speakers

gavel, making the possibility of a brutal floor fight increasingly likely.

And that's something that has not happened in the United States since 1923.

Right now, McCarthy is in deal making mode, we're told, working the phones, trying to

win over holdouts, giving in to some demands from some of the most extreme mega members

of the House Republican conference, including agreeing to lower the threshold on the

motion used to oust a House Speaker.

But with just hours to go before the vote, five Republican no votes, along with nine additional

McCarthy skeptics are making it clear that even with the concessions McCarthy's offering,

they're still not sold.

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