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This is What 21 McCarthy Holdouts got in Committee Assignments

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    House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

    Last month, over 20 House Republican lawmakers refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker. However, after 15 grueling rounds of voting McCarthy finally held the Speaker’s gavel.

    Not every holdout got exactly what he or she had asked for, some won plum committee assignments from McCarthy, here’s what we know so far:

    Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a vocal McCarthy foe during the speaker fight, flipped to “present” in the 14th round. Gaetz will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel and was appointed by the Speaker to the new weaponization subcommittee.

    Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona a former head of the Freedom Caucus and one of the five so-called “Never Kevins,” kept his position on the powerful Judiciary and Oversight committee. The Arizona Congressman was also named chairman of the Judiciary’s subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Ultimately, Biggs changed his vote to “present” on the final ballot for speaker, helping propell McCarthy over the finish line.

    Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, and will continue to serve on both the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. McCarthy also named Bishop to the Judiciary’s new subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”

    Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the vocal McCarthy critic who voted “present” on the 14th and 15th ballots, was awarded a seat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee. She will also continue to serve on the Natural Resources panel.

    Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, the freshman Congressman flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and won seats on the Homeland Security Committee and Budget committees.

    Rep. Mike Cloud of Texas flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The Lone Star state Congressman won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. McCarthy also named him to the new select committee investigating the origins of the Covid pandemic.

    Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, another lawmaker who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will serve on the Appropriations Committee for the first time.

    Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona will serve on the Homeland Security Committee.

    Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was nominated to run against McCarthy for speaker and flipped to him on the 12th ballot. Donalds was named by McCarthy as the “speaker’s designee” on the influential Steering Committee, which decides which lawmakers get committee gavels and seats. Donalds also won a coveted spot on the Financial Services Committee, a top panel known on Capitol Hill as an “A” committee.

    Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, one of the Never Kevins who flipped to “present” in the last round of voting, will serve on the Budget and Education and Workforce committees.

    Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and was reinstated by Republicans on two committees —Oversight and Natural Resources panels. He was named chairman of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

    Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland will continue to serve on the Appropriations panel. Harris, a physician, will be the chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration subcommittee.

    Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The freshman Congresswoman won a seat on the Oversight and Natural Resources panels.

    Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois will remain on the Agriculture Committee.

    Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of the “Never Kevins” who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, was named by the speaker as one of nine Republicans on the Rules Committee. Additionally, the South Carolina congressman will remain on the Financial Services panel and will serve on the Budget Committee too.

    Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee won a seat on the Financial Services Committee.

    Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who brokered a deal between conservatives and McCarthy, will remain on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Perry also won a new seat on the Oversight committee.

    Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, a “Never Kevin” who flipped to “present” on the final ballot, will continue to serve on Natural Resources.

    Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who helped Perry negotiate a deal with McCarthy, was tapped to serve on the Budget committee and the influential Rules Committee. The Lone Star state congressman will also keep his seat on the Judiciary panel.

    Rep. Keith Self of Texas will serve on the Foreign Affairs panel.

    Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who flipped from “present” to vote for McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel.

    Fox News Weatherman Attacked on NYC Subway

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      Photo via Pixabay images

      Fox News meteorologist Adam Klotz was attacked by a group of teens in the early hours of Sunday while riding the New York subway.

      Klotz was on his way home after watching the Giants-Eagles NFL playoff game at a Manhattan bar shortly before he noticed a group of teens harassing an “older gentleman,” and had set his hair on fire with what was presumably a marijuana joint. 

      In an Instagram video, Klotz said he intervened to protect the older man and that’s when the group turned their focus on him and began the brutal attack before fleeing at the 18th Street station in the Chelsea neighborhood.

      “I was like, ‘Yo, guys, cut that out.’ And they decided, ‘All right, if he’s not going to get it, you’re going to get it.’ And, boy, did they give it to me,” Klotz said.

      During an interview with “Fox & Friends” Klotz noted that he attempted to separate himself from the situation but the group followed him to another train car.

      “I get off that train after taking a punch,” Klotz said. “The whole group, the doors open again at another stop, the whole group just comes and bum rushes me, and suddenly I’m like, on the ground. I’m getting kicked in the side. I’m getting wailed on.

      “They were trying to knock me out, and then once you’re unconscious, and you’re getting punched like there’s no defense, so I was just doing my absolute best to cover my head,” he continued. 

      “So I kind of get knocked out, and now my side is black and blue. My knee, I can hardly bend because I was getting kicked and punched.”

      “What I want is some sort of change,” Klotz said. “I don’t want this to happen to somebody else, and I don’t think necessarily just these kids getting in trouble, like, where’s the structural things? Like, put some cops down there.” 

      Klotz was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and the three members of the group were eventually apprehended by the cops. However, the group was released into parental custody and no charges were pressed due to their ages.

      Despite the shocking attack, Klotz has remained in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery.

      This story is breaking. Click refresh for the latest updates.

      CNN Inks Deal With Major Prediction Market Backed by Trump Jr.

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      CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

      CNN is reportedly entering a new partnership with prediction-market company Kalshi that would weave Kalshi’s real-time odds and forecasts into CNN’s on-air and digital coverage—an alliance that also has the effect of placing the network in a business relationship with Donald Trump Jr.

      Axios first reported the deal Tuesday, citing sources who said Kalshi will appear “across its television, digital, and social channels.” Under the arrangement, Kalshi’s prediction data would be featured on CNN programming as a live “real-time data ticker,” with additional segments built around prediction-market oriented content touching politics, news, culture, and weather. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is also expected to incorporate Kalshi’s numbers into his data-driven analysis, according to the report.

      The collaboration would represent Kalshi’s first major partnership with a national news organization—an important milestone for a company that has sought to position itself as a go-to source for fast-moving probability estimates about cultural and political events. In practice, prediction markets function like real-time sentiment gauges: prices (or implied probabilities) move up and down as participants buy and sell contracts tied to specific outcomes, translating collective bets into a snapshot of what the market thinks is most likely at a given moment. For a television newsroom, that kind of constantly updating “odds board” can be a compelling visual—especially during election cycles and major breaking-news moments—because it packages uncertainty into an easy-to-read number.

      But the most politically sensitive dimension of the reported partnership is who else is tied to Kalshi.

      As Media Matters’ Matthew Gertz noted, Donald Trump Jr. announced in January 2025 that he had joined Kalshi as a “strategic advisor.” Trump Jr. framed the company as a disruptive force in the U.S. market for event-based trading, touting Kalshi’s legal fights and its efforts to build mainstream legitimacy. “I’m excited to be part of what they’re building,” he said at the time, casting Kalshi as a pioneering player in an industry that has long operated in a gray area in the United States.

      That makes CNN’s reported move notable for more than its graphics package. If Kalshi data becomes a recurring on-air feature—particularly in political coverage—CNN would be elevating a product linked to a prominent partisan figure: the son of a president and a central surrogate in Republican politics. Even if Trump Jr. has no day-to-day role in editorial decisions at CNN, his publicly announced advisory position creates an unavoidable headline: a major news network integrating a data feed from a company whose strategic advisor is one of the most recognizable names in national GOP politics.

      The questions are as much about perception as they are about logistics. Prediction-market numbers can be useful as one input among many—alongside polling, modeling, and reporting—but they can also be misunderstood by audiences as “what will happen” rather than “what traders think might happen,” especially when those percentages are presented like sports odds. And with Trump Jr. connected to the company supplying the data, critics are likely to scrutinize when and how CNN uses the ticker, whether the network discloses the advisory relationship on-air, and how often the data appears in politically charged segments.

      For Kalshi, the upside is obvious: a prominent distribution channel that could normalize prediction markets and introduce the brand to a much larger audience. For CNN, the draw is fresh, visually dynamic data—something that fits modern broadcast pacing and could complement its analytics-heavy style, particularly in elections and major news events. But the addition of Donald Trump Jr. to the equation ensures the partnership won’t be viewed as just another data collaboration.

      Common Sense Alert: Major Hollywood Director Warns Of AI Threat To World!

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        Image via Pixabay free images.

        Are you concerned about the long-term impacts of artificial intelligence?

        Watch Amanda explain the situation below:

        Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

        Trump-backed Candidate Wins Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Primary

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        Kari Lake speaking with supporters at a "Stand for Freedom" rally at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

        Former television news anchor-turned-staunch Trump supporter Kari Lake has been declared the winner of Arizona’s highly competitive gubernatorial primary.

        With an estimated 94% of ballots counted, Lake has 46.78% of the vote, compared to Karrin Robson with 44.03%. Lake will now face off against Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs in the November 8th general election in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched races in the country.

        Early Wednesday, Lake prematurely declared victory in the GOP primary while addressing supporters.“I wanted to come out here tonight, I wanted to say, ‘Wow, we already have the final results,’” she said. “But we know how our election systems work and they don’t work well. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m standing here.”

        With three-quarters of the vote in, Robson led Lake by eight. However, Arizona is a state where mail-in ballots get tabulated first. Then, Election Day votes are counted. The process is the same in Florida. The result, depending on the order chosen by a given state, created red and blue mirages in 2020, given Democrats’ tendency to vote by mail and Republicans’ overwhelming desire to vote on Election Day.

        Two years ago, that phenomenon lead to Biden leading Trump by four points in increasingly reddish Florida early on election night before Trump overtook him by a relatively decisive three-point margin. For Lake — who won the Election Day count in some precincts by as much as 40 points — the result was the same.

        The highly anticipated race set up a proxy war between former President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence. Trump, who has become a kingmaker of sorts within the GOP threw his support behind Lake. Meanwhile, Pence and current Arizona Governor Doug Ducey chose Robinson.

        Trump’s endorsements have become a sort of gauge of his own power within the GOP as he toys with launching a third presidential campaign.

        Navarro Recommends Trump For Nobel Prize

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        White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has made it clear: President Donald J. Trump’s bold restructuring of global trade deserves the world’s highest economic recognition — the Nobel Prize in Economics.

        Appearing on Fox Business, Navarro praised Trump’s unwavering commitment to putting America first at the negotiating table:

        “Since President Trump has essentially taught the world trade economics, he might be up for the Nobel on economics. This is a fundamental restructuring of the international trade environment. The largest market in the world has drawn a line: you will not cheat us anymore,” Navarro said.

        Under Trump’s leadership, the United States has replaced decades of bad deals with fair and reciprocal agreements. Tariffs — dismissed by critics — have functioned as tax cuts for the American economy, and inflation has stayed under control.

        America First Wins on the World Stage
        The Trump administration’s trade strategy is delivering results at lightning speed. Landmark agreements have been secured with the United Kingdom, European Union, and Japan, and negotiations are underway with China — the world’s second-largest economy — to ensure fair play and accountability.

        Navarro summed it up:

        “These deals are happening now fast and are incredibly effective.”

        Nominations Rolling In
        Trump’s bold leadership isn’t just earning results — it’s earning global recognition. Multiple leaders and officials have nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize:

        • U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter (GA) and Darrell Issa (CA) for his groundbreaking Middle East peace agreements, including progress toward resolving tensions between Israel and Iran.
        • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who presented Trump with a formal letter of nomination after the President’s push for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
        • Pakistani officials praised Trump’s role in de-escalating disputes with India (despite later disagreements over separate actions in the region).

        The Trump Standard vs. the Obama Surprise
        While Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize just months into his first term without any major achievements, President Trump has delivered historic results — and still doubts the globalist establishment will give him the recognition he’s earned.

        “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo,” he wrote in a June Truth Social post, also naming conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East.

        “No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that’s all that matters to me!” Trump added.

        Leonard Leo Pledges $1 Billion To Combat ‘Liberal Dominance’ In Corporate America, Media

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        Image via Pixabay free images

        Leonard Leo, a billionaire activist often credited as the architect of the conservative supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court, has announced a $1 billion investment aimed at countering what he calls “liberal dominance” in corporate America, the media and entertainment sectors.

        In a rare interview with the Financial Times, Leo detailed his plans through his nonprofit group, the Marble Freedom Trust, which will focus its resources on the private sector. “We need to crush liberal dominance where it’s most insidious,” Leo said, explaining that the initiative will build talent and capital pipelines in industries where he believes left-wing extremism is most pervasive.

        Leo also emphasized targeting companies and financial institutions that he claims are influenced by “woke” ideology. “Expect us to increase support for organizations that call out companies and financial institutions that bend to the woke mind virus spread by regulators and NGOs,” he said, vowing that these entities would face consequences for prioritizing “extreme left-wing ideology” over consumers:

        Leo has spent more than two decades at the influential Federalist Society, guiding conservative judges into the federal courts and the Supreme Court itself. In 2018, conservative justice Clarence Thomas joked that Leo was the third most important person in the world.

        Leo’s efforts culminated under Trump’s presidency, when three Federalist Society-backed judges were appointed to give conservatives on the Supreme Court a 6-3 supermajority, and profound influence over US law. The court has since then ruled to overturn the right to an abortion, among other long-sought rightwing causes.

        In 2020, after Trump lost the election, Leo stepped back from running the daily operations of the Federalist Society, while remaining its co-chair.

        The following year, Leo founded Marble, with a $1.6bn donation from electronic device manufacturing mogul Barre Seid, to be a counterweight to what he said was “dark money” of the left. He spent about $600mn in its first three years, according to public financial disclosures.

        During the interview, Leo identified several potential targets for his campaign, including banks, China-friendly corporations and companies that have institutionalized diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) frameworks, as well as those adhering to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing principles.

        He added that his goal is to find “very leveraged, impactful ways of reintroducing limited constitutional government and a civil society premised on freedom, personal responsibility and the virtues of Western civilization.”

        Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

        Trump Intentionally Drives Dems Crazy With Third Term Talk

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        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Trump knows exactly how to drive Democrats crazy…

        Trump has occasionally suggested he may run for a third term and even has “Trump 2028” hats in the Oval Office, much to the chagrin of his Democrat rivals.

        On Monday, Trump declined to rule out running again when asked by a reporter which has prompted a fresh wave of meltdowns from liberal lawmakers and pundits.

        The President made the admission while aboard Air Force One as it headed to South Korea on Tuesday night, or late Wednesday morning, local time.

        “I would say that, if you read it, it’s pretty clear,” Trump said, referring to the Constitution during an in-flight gaggle with reporters. “I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad. I mean, it’s too bad. But we have a lot of great people.”

        On Monday, Trump also said Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marc Rubio would be great Republican presidential nominees, setting up a potential rivalry between the two ahead of 2028.

        A number of Republicans have claimed that Trump could in theory serve another term in the White House, potentially even as Vice President.

        Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) suggested that the president “might be able to go around the Constitution” to serve a third term.

        “If you read the Constitution, it says it’s not [possible],” Tuberville stated. “But if he says he has some different circumstances that might be able to go around the Constitution. But that’s up to him. We got a long way to go before that happens.”

        Serving a third term is not “up to” the president.

        A reporter then said, “But you’re open to it?”

        “Well, I think that there’s going to be– have to have to be an evaluation from President Trump’s viewpoint to the Constitution,” the senator replied. “There will be a lot of legal aspects to it. Will it happen? It’s very unlikely. But, don’t ever close the book on President Trump.”

        His former adviser, Steve Bannon, has ralso epeatedly claimed Trump can serve another term and that “there’s a plan” in place, and that the president will win in 2028.

        However, despite some calls for Trump to potentially amend the Constitution, House Speaker Mike Johnson soundly rejected the proposal earlier this week.

        “I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about the constrictions of the Constitution,” the speaker said. “I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution, because it takes 10 years to do that.”

        Despite the glaring Constitutional issues associated with President Donald Trump serving a third term- which Trump has openly admitted to- Democrats still can’t pass on an opportunity to stage a meltdown over the matter.

        California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is “deeply concerned” about remarks from President Donald Trump and his close allies about possibly seeking a third term in 2028.

        Newsom, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender himself, was asked by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl if he takes such talk seriously.

        “They’re not screwing around,” Newsom said.

        Trump Announces 10% Global Tariff While Blasting SCOTUS Ruling

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        President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)

        President Donald Trump strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision that ruled he does not have the authority to levy sweeping tariffs under a specific emergency powers law, saying he will pursue “alternatives” to tariffs under the emergency law.

        “Other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected,” Trump said during a White House press briefing Friday afternoon. “We have alternatives. Great alternatives. Could be more money. We’ll take in more money, and we’ll be a lot stronger for it. We’re taking in hundreds of billions of dollars. We’ll continue to do so.”

        The president also announced he is imposing a 10% “global tariff” following the court’s decision.

        “Today I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under section 122 over and above our normal tariffs already being charged,” Trump said. “And we’re also initiating several section 301 and other investigations to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies.”

        The Supreme Court blocked Trump’s tariffs levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in what amounts to a consequential test of the executive branch’s authority. 

        Trump called the ruling “deeply disappointing,” saying he was “ashamed” of certain members of the court.

        “I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” the president said. “In actuality, I was very modest in my ask of other countries and businesses because… I wanted to be very well-behaved.

        “I didn’t want to do anything that would affect the decision of the court, because I understand the court. I understand how they are very easily swayed. I want to be a good boy. I have very effectively utilized tariffs over the past year to make America great again,” he said.

        This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

        Trump Says Americans May Soon Pay ‘No Income Tax’

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        President Donald Trump on Tuesday floated the idea that Americans could see their federal income taxes drastically reduced—or potentially eliminated—if tariff revenue continues to rise, calling the amounts collected under his administration “so great… so enormous” that the government may be able to abandon the current system.

        Speaking to reporters in a post–cabinet meeting press gaggle, Trump said, “at some point in the not too distant future you won’t even have income tax to pay,” arguing that tariff-driven revenue could eventually replace money now raised through taxes on wages and personal income.

        “Whether you get rid of it or just keep it around for fun or have it really low, much lower than it is now, but you won’t be paying income tax,” Trump added.

        If pursued, the proposal would amount to one of the biggest shifts in the U.S. tax structure in generations. The federal income tax is a central funding source for Washington, while tariffs—taxes on imported goods—have historically played a smaller role in modern federal budgeting. Trump, however, has repeatedly praised an older era of American finance, when the federal government relied more heavily on customs duties and other consumption-style taxes.

        “It’s time for the United States to return to the system that made us richer and more powerful than ever before,” the president said in January. “Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich foreign nations, we should be tariffing and taxing foreign nations to enrich our citizens.”

        Trump has previously previewed narrower versions of the same concept. Earlier in his second administration, he floated eliminating income tax for individuals earning under $150,000, again describing tariffs as the replacement revenue stream. That idea—like full repeal—would still require major legislative action and raise large questions about how the federal government would maintain funding levels for defense, Social Security and Medicare administration, interest payments on the national debt, and other functions now supported by income-tax receipts.

        The president has also framed the idea as a common-sense bargain rather than a technical redesign of federal finance. Asked by podcaster Joe Rogan whether he was serious about eliminating personal income taxes, then-candidate Trump replied, “Yeah, sure, why not?” and suggested tariffs could fund government operations “instead of wage taxes.”

        Even if the White House embraces the concept, the path to implementation is steep. Eliminating or dramatically shrinking the income tax would require rewriting large sections of the tax code—changes that must pass Congress and withstand scrutiny from budget scorekeepers and lawmakers concerned about deficits, household costs, and the economic consequences of sharply expanding tariffs. Those hurdles could be especially high amid tight margins in the House, where leadership often struggles to keep large coalitions together on complex fiscal votes.

        Trump’s views on taxation have also shifted over time. During his brief exploration of a 1999 presidential run under the Reform Party banner, Trump considered a one-time “net worth” tax for people with wealth over $10 million—an approach that contrasts with his current push to shift more of the federal tax burden toward imports.

        While outright abolition of the income tax has traditionally been a fringe policy idea, Trump’s increasingly explicit endorsement has pushed it closer to mainstream political debate—especially as tariffs become a larger and more central feature of his economic message.