U.S. and world news for Jan. 4

House trying again: The House of Representatives tries again today to elect a Speaker of the House. Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy failed to be elected by the Republican majority despite three ballots yesterday. Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York got more votes than McCarthy each time, but not the majority needed to be selected. Yesterday marked the first time in 100 years that the House failed to select a speaker on the first ballot. Right-wing Republicans who oppose McCarthy have vowed not to back down and McCarthy says he won’t drop out. The House cannot conduct any business until it has a speaker.

Santos lies again: Republican Congressman Elect George Santos from New York has been caught in another lie. He is already under local, state, federal and foreign investigation regarding misrepresentations and financial dealings. Last night, Santos put out a press release saying that he had been sworn in as a congressman by the Speaker of the House when, in fact, no one was sworn in yesterday and there was no Speaker of the House.

Benedict praised: Pope Francis spoke about the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during his general audience at the Vatican this morning, praising him as an individual as well as a leader of the church. Francis presides at tomorrow’s funeral for Benedict.

Hamlin’s condition: Buffalo Bills’ football player Damar Hamlin remained in the intensive care unit at Cincinnati Medical Center according to a statement released this morning by the football team. His condition was described as critical. Hamlin was on a ventilator for help in breathing. A family member reported that his heart actually stopped twice, once on the football field and again at the hospital.

Cellphone use: Russia says that the New Year’s Day missile attack on its soldiers in the Donetsk region of Ukraine was the result of Russian soldiers using cellphones that Ukrainian missiles were able to lock onto. Russia now admits to 89 of its soldiers having been killed in the attack.

Mega Millions: There was no winner of the jackpot in last night’s Mega Millions drawing, but there were an estimated 2.9 million winning tickets for various smaller amounts including three winners of $4 million each. The jackpot prize money is expected to reach $940 million in the next drawing, scheduled for Friday night.