Morning rundown: Damar Hamlin in critical condition; House speaker election in limbo

KARAH RUCKER: A NEW CONGRESS WILL TAKE SHAPE TODAY AS MEMBERS ARE SWORN IN. THE HOUSE WILL NOW BELONG TO REPUBLICANS BUT CAN THE PARTY AGREE ON A SPEAKER TO LEAD?

THIS IS YOUR MORNING RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

NFL’S DAMAR HAMLIN IN CRITICAL CONDITION

FIRST WE BEGIN WITH THE LATEST CONDITION ON BILLS’ SAFETY DAMAR HAMLIN. DURING THE MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME AGAINST CINCINNATI LAST NIGHT…HAMLIN TOOK A HIT BEFORE COLLAPSING ON THE FIELD.

THE BILLS SAY HAMLIN SUFFERED “CARDIAC ARREST.”

HIS HEARTBEAT WAS REVIVED BUT HAMLIN IS CURRENTLY SEDATED, ON A BREATHING TUBE, AND IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL ACCORDING TO THE BILLS ORGANIZATION.

UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDS HOUSE SPEAKER VOTE

TODAY A NEW CONGRESS WILL CONVENE…KICKING OFF TWO YEARS OF DIVIDED GOVERNMENT AFTER REPUBLICANS WON THE HOUSE IN THE MIDTERM ELECTION.

THE SENATE STAYS WITH DEMOCRATS.

EYES WILL BE ON THE HOUSE TODAY TO SEE WHETHER THE NEW PARTY-MAJORITY CAN AGREE ON CONGRESSMAN KEVIN MCCARTHY AS HOUSE SPEAKER.

A VOTE WILL TAKE PLACE AT NOON…BUT AS OF NOW, IT’S UNCERTAIN IF MCCARTHY HAS ENOUGH GOP-SUPPORT TO TAKE THE GAVEL.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS ON HOLD UNTIL A NEW LEADER IS ELECTED. INCLUDING THE SWEARING-IN OF LAWMAKERS…SETTING UP KEY-COMMITTEES, OR VOTING ON ANY LEGISLATION.

GENEALOGY USED IN IDAHO MURDERS

CAPT. Anthony Dahlinger | Moscow Police Department: “The police department believes that the person we have in custody, which would be Kohberger, is the one who is responsible for these crimes. We are still continuing to investigate and certainly we’re looking into all aspects. But he has been named as our suspect and we believe he is the one that is responsible.”

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS SAY BRYAN KOHBERGER WAS IDENTIFIED AS THEIR MURDER SUSPECT THROUGH DNA TESTING USING GENEALOGY DATABASES.

KOHBERGER WAS ARRESTED FRIDAY AND CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE KILLINGS OF FOUR UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO STUDENTS.

THE ATTORNEY FOR KOEBERGER SAYS HE IS EAGER TO BE EXONERATED. 

TODAY, HE’LL BE BACK IN COURT TO FACE CHARGES. THE FIRST STEP IN HIS EXTRADITION BACK TO IDAHO.

DOZENS OF RUSSIAN SOLDIERS KILLED

THE RUSSIA/UKRAINE WAR HAS ONLY INTENSIFIED TWO-FOLD SINCE THE NEW YEAR.

RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE CARRIED OUT AN ATTACK USING ROCKET SYSTEMS FROM THE U.S. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KILLING OF 63 SOLDIERS.

UKRAINE HAS SAID THE NUMBER OF RUSSIAN CASUALTIES IS CLOSER TO 400. RUSSIA RESPONDED BY SENDING IRANIAN MADE DRONES TO UKRAINE’S CAPITOL.

UKRAINE SAYS SINCE THE NEW YEAR, MORE THAN 80 DRONES HAVE BEEN INTERCEPTED AND SHOT DOWN BEFORE HITTING THE CITY. 

NYE TIMES SQUARE ATTACKER ARRESTED

Keechant L. Sewell | NYPD Commissioner: “Officers assigned to the New Year’s Eve detail were at the corner of West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue, outside of a security screening zone, when unprovoked, a 19-year-old male approached an officer and attempted to strike him over the head with a machete. The male then struck two additional officers in the head with a machete.”

THE SUSPECT ACCUSED OF ATTACKING NEW YORK POLICE WITH A MACHETE ON NEW YEARS EVE HAS BEEN ARRESTED…AND CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER.

19-YEAR-OLD TREVOR BICKFORD WAS ALREADY ON THE FBI’S TERRORIST WATCH LIST BEFORE CARRYING OUT THE ATTACK ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS.

HE ASPIRED TO JOIN THE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN AND CALLED THE U.S. HIS “ENEMY” IN A DIARY.

HE ALSO WROTE WHAT SEEMS TO BE A SUICIDE NOTE THE DAY OF THE ATTACK. OFFICIALS HAVE NOT CALLED IT A TERRORIST ATTACK.

THOSE ARE YOUR TOP HEADLINES ON THIS TUESDAY MORNING.

THANKS FOR WATCHING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WHERE WE STRIVE TO DELIVER JOURNALISM WITHOUT AGENDA.