Short Takes – 1-2-23

McCarthy offers concessions to detractors with House Rules package. TheHill.com article. And negotiations continue. Pull quote: ““I think what he’s trying to do is the bare minimum that he needs to try and get to where he can get the votes. And that’s not indicative of somebody that really wants to embrace new ideas, reject the status quo and unify all members in the conference,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who has not committed to voting either for or against the GOP Leader, told The Hill on Sunday.”

1 dead, 9 hurt in Alabama shooting near New Year’s Eve party. TheHill.com article. Cringeworthy pull quote: “The shooter and the person killed appeared to know each other, Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine told reporters near the scene. “It would give some comfort to all of us downtown that this was not just a random shooting,” Prine said.”

COVID variant XBB.1.5 now accounts for 40 percent of cases in the US: CDC. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““However, it is important to emphasize that although infections may now be more likely, COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to remain effective at preventing hospitalization and severe disease even against Omicron as well as possibly reducing the risk of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC or long COVID),” the researchers noted in their article.”

Lawmaker, Public-Interest Groups Call for Transparency at GAO’s Foresight Center. GovExec.com article. Pull quote: ““GAO’s efforts to engage both the public and private sector to identify the issues of import to and the needs of future Congresses is an exercise to be lauded,” he said. “But just as we require the executive branch to identify its trusted public sector advisors through the Federal Advisory Committee Act—which also requires meetings and records be available to the public—GAO should, too.””