McCarthy fights for his job as critics push to oust him

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Tuesday 10.03.23

Late-night TV hosts returned to the air Monday, five months after production came to a halt due to the writers' strike. As usual, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel humored their audiences with witty zingers — but also expressed solidarity with workers beset by unemployment due to Hollywood's crippling strikes. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy talks to reporters on Monday at the US Capitol.

House

Rep. Matt Gaetz is attempting to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the role this week after he worked with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown on Saturday. The Florida Republican offered a motion to vacate the chair on Monday, adding that he has "enough Republicans" to either push McCarthy from the speakership or make him cut a deal with Democrats to remain in power. McCarthy is expected to make a procedural move in an attempt to kill the measure potentially as soon as today, sources tell CNN. It's not yet clear how the challenge to McCarthy will play out, but the effort represents the most serious threat to his speakership to date.

Amber Alert

Charlotte Sena, the 9-year-old girl who was abducted while on a camping trip at a New York state park on Saturday has been found and is in good health. Her disappearance sparked an around-the-clock search involving hundreds of personnel from multiple agencies, including the FBI. Ultimately, a ransom note with fingerprints led law enforcement to a camper belonging to a 47-year-old male suspect. They found Charlotte hidden in a cabinet inside the man's camper. She was taken to a hospital where she was evaluated and reunited with her parents. Police have detained the suspect and canceled an Amber Alert that had been issued when she disappeared.

Trump trial

Former President Donald Trump will be in court for a second day today after he showed up Monday for the start of the $250 million civil fraud trial against him. Even though he did not have to appear at the Manhattan courthouse, the former president used the opportunity to bolster his presidential campaign. Asked why he showed up in person Monday, Trump returned to a familiar refrain: "Because I want to watch this witch hunt myself." The fraud trial will consider just how much Trump, his eldest sons, and their businesses will have to pay, and whether they could be banned from engaging in commercial real estate transactions in New York or borrowing from New York banks.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis has suggested for the first time that some people in same-sex unions could be blessed by Catholic priests. On the topic of homosexual unions, the pontiff has previously reiterated that the Church only recognizes marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but a letter from the Vatican dated September 25 appears to show some willingness to open the door to such blessings. This is a seeming reversal of previous statements in March, when the Pope said the Church could not bless same-sex unions, because they could "not bless sin." The latest development appears to be a nod to a decision made by the German Church, in which same-sex unions received a Catholic blessing from several priests.

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Space junk

Satellite TV company Dish Network has been hit with a $150,000 fine for failing to properly dispose of one of its satellites, marking the first time federal regulators have issued such a penalty. Dish responded in a statement, saying the satellite at issue was "an older spacecraft" launched in 2002 that was exempt from the FCC's rule. Space debris is becoming an increasingly pressing issue for satellite operators. It's estimated that there are nearly 700,000 pieces of uncontrolled garbage larger than 1 centimeter in Earth's orbit. Experts say these objects could pose a risk of colliding with active satellites, the International Space Station or other pieces of debris — further exacerbating the risk of in-space collisions.

Hunter Biden arraignment
Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, is scheduled to appear in federal court today to be arraigned on gun charges. The hearing will mark an extraordinary moment: the first time that a child of a sitting president will appear in court to fight criminal charges.

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Courage, resilience, unity are the things we must not lose.

— Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying this week that "victory will come" in the country's war against Russia. Meanwhile, a pro-Russian politician this week won Slovakia's parliamentary election, in what could pose a challenge to NATO and EU unity on Ukraine.

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