Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

The road ahead for House Republicans

Oct 18, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio is seen on the House floor as lawmakers hold a second vote to elect a new speaker in Washington.

Oct 18, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio is seen on the House floor as lawmakers hold a second vote to elect a new speaker in Washington.

Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Reuters
Willis Sparks
By Willis SparksOctober 18, 2023
Willis Sparks
Willis Sparks is a senior editor for GZERO Daily. He is also a Director in the Global Macro practice at Eurasia Group, where he has worked since 2005. He has made speeches on international politics on every continent except Antarctica. Willis holds degrees from Brown University, the Juilliard School, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. He also holds an honorary degree from the Moscow Art Theatre School. A native of Macon, Georgia, Willis has worked as a stuntman at New York's Metropolitan Opera. As a child, he declined an opportunity to spend an afternoon riding the Great American Scream Machine, a rollercoaster, with Ronald McDonald, for money. He has never regretted that decision.
See Full Bio
Make us preferred on Google

With the current balance of power in the US House of Representatives, no Republican can become speaker without winning at least 217 of the party’s 221 members. Jim Jordan of Ohio became the latest to give it a shot, but he fell short by 20 votes on Tuesday and then by 22 votes on Wednesday.

These numbers suggest he’s not going to get there. Some Republicans who voted for others fear hardliner Jordan would endanger their chances of winning reelection in moderate districts. Some dislike Jordan personally. There’s also probably some overlap between these two groups. These are the lawmakers who have blocked Jordan’s path.

Given the fates of ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California and failed wannabe replacement Steve Scalise of Louisiana, it appears no one can unite this GOP House caucus. At least for now.

There is an alternative. Once again, the need to respond to the Israel crisis and to bargain with Democrats to avoid yet another threatened government shutdown next month has reignited talk that Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, now acting as the temporary speaker, will be given the job for some set period (perhaps one to three months) while Republicans try again to work out their differences.
politicsus-canadahouse of representativesgopjim jordanusaspeaker of the house

Latest Videos

The US-China battle for global dominanceplay icon
Ian Explains

The US-China battle for global dominance

Trump and Xi meet at the White House
Puppet Regime

Trump and Xi meet at the White House

Brazil's razor-close presidential race
ask ian

Brazil's razor-close presidential race

A global food crisis looms. Can earth save the Earth?
The Debrief

A global food crisis looms. Can earth save the Earth?

How AI could accelerate global development
UN General Assembly

How AI could accelerate global development

How AI safety must evolve as agentic AI advances
UN General Assembly

How AI safety must evolve as agentic AI advances

More For You

Bosnians take to the polls, Nigeria’s fake government agency, China cracks down on AI companions

People walk past near a campaign billboard featuring Milorad Dodik, Aco Stanisic, Savo Minic, Zeljka Cvijanovic and Damjan Skipina, candidates of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) in Bosnia and Herzegovina's 2026 general election, in Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

People walk past near a campaign billboard featuring Milorad Dodik, Aco Stanisic, Savo Minic, Zeljka Cvijanovic and Damjan Skipina, candidates of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) in Bosnia and Herzegovina's 2026 general election, in Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 29, 2026.

REUTERS/Amel Emric
EU vs. Russia on the ballot in BosniaBosnians will head to the polls this weekend for elections in one of the world’s most complicated political systems. Voters will elect three national presidents representing three main ethnic groups – one Bosniak, one Croat, and one Serb. Collectively, they serve as the country’s head of state. But the biggest [...]

UK and France end trial on new immigration deal, China adds massive tariffs to Brazilian beef, Soccer drama threatens UK-UAE relations

In this drone view an inflatable dinghy carrying migrants makes its way towards England in the English Channel, Britain.

In this drone view an inflatable dinghy carrying migrants makes its way towards England in the English Channel, Britain, August 6, 2024.

REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe
One in, one out, all done: UK and France scrap migration pactLast year the two countries struck a landmark deal to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel from France in small boats: for each undocumented migrant that the UK returned to France, British authorities would accept an asylum applicant with known family links in [...]

Israel-bound flight hijacking sparks terrorism concerns, AI leaders sign “morally binding” regulation agreement, Burkina Faso wants to keep its gold

A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, on the tarmac as it arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel.

A plane, carrying passengers who were on the FlyDubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency signal, on the tarmac as it arrives at the Ben Gurion International Airport, in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 30, 2026.

REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Attempted hijacking suspected in Dubai-Israel flight chaos A flight from Dubai to Israel plunged nearly 20,000 feet on Wednesday during a blood-spattered fight in the cockpit. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had tried to stab the pilot in an attempt to hijack the plane and crash it. Passengers and crew intervened to land the plane [...]

Malaysia sends Rohingya back to Myanmar, Andy Burnham lays out vision for Labour Party, Indians protest over women’s safety

Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the U.N. refugee agency after being evicted from their homes, at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the U.N. refugee agency after being evicted from their homes, at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia July 27, 2026.

REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain
Malaysia sends Rohingya back to Myanmar despite security concernsThe Malaysian government started repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar today with the goal of sending about 5,000 home over the next few weeks. Since 2017, millions of Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, have fled Myanmar amid widespread persecution under both [...]