Axios

A Connecticut judge has suspended the law license of the attorney representing far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in response to his allegedly improper handling of court documents in a Sandy Hook defamation case.

Why it matters: Attorney Norman Pattis improperly released court documents that included two years' worth of Jones' texts, several of the Sandy Hook families' medical records and other sensitive information, according to Judge Barbara Bellis.

President Biden on Friday awarded Presidential Citizens Medals to 12 individuals who "made exemplary contributions to our democracy" around the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Driving the news: Biden bestowed the medals — one of the highest civilian honors — during a ceremony on the two-year anniversary of the Capitol riot. Recipients include members of the Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police, election workers, and state and local officials.

Fifteen Republican holdouts changed their votes to support House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid on Friday, marking the first major breakthrough in what is now the longest speaker contest of the post-Civil War era.

Driving the news: Most of the gains for McCarthy came during the chamber's 12th straight ballot and after he made several concessions to his far-right detractors this week — though it wasn't enough for him to secure the gavel Friday afternoon. Another holdout — Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) — flipped during the 13th round.

Multiple shootings have occurred at the homes and offices of elected Democratic officials in New Mexico in the last month, Albuquerque police said.

Why it matters: While police are still trying to determine if the incidents are connected, they are the latest attacks that have targeted elected officials, and come amid a rising number of threats against politicians.

In an heated closed-door virtual meeting, leading Hispanic lawmakers pressed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to explain Biden’s new immigration policies, with some angry lawmakers making comparisons to policies promulgated by Stephen Miller.

Why it matters: Republicans already plan to make immigration a focus and have threatened an impeachment inquiry into Mayorkas— if the House can move past the Speaker stalemate. Now, Mayorkas is once again facing heat from the left.

Employers finished the year with a burst of hiring: The economy added 223,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate fell back to a half-century low of 3.5%, the Labor Department reported on Friday.

Why it matters: The labor market is still chugging along with healthy demand for workers, the latest sign that the economy is holding up despite recession fears.

On the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, House Democrats said the speakership fight waged by 20 House GOP rebels is a sign of how little progress has been made toward unity.

Between the lines: "The whole campus is aware of this juxtaposition of these two dates and what they're attempting to do, which is to disrupt our democracy," said Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.).

The arrest in Mexico of Ovidio Guzmán, a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, sparked deadly riots in the northern state of Sinaloa Thursday, ahead of President Biden's visit to the country next week.

Details: Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya said clashes left at least seven security force members dead and 21 others injured, along with eight civilians, following the arrest of the 32-year-old Guzmán, described by the U.S. State Department last month as a "high-ranking member" of the Sinaloa Cartel that his father previously led, per Reuters.

A new National Geographic documentary is examining life inside a factory that makes American flags and whose employees are primarily refugees and immigrants.

Why it matters: The American far right has adopted the U.S. flag as one of its main symbols and waved it during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Others say the American flag has been co-opted and holds more uniting values, especially for immigrants.

Hillary Clinton will join Columbia University as a professor of practice at the School of International and Public Affairs and a presidential fellow at Columbia World Projects, President Lee C. Bollinger announced Thursday.

Driving the news: Clinton will focus on global politics and policy in her new role in a bid to "develop innovative policy solutions" and facilitate efforts to "renew democracy and foster effective engagements with women and youth," according to a press release.

The House voted to adjourn Thursday night until Friday at noon after House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy lost a speakership bid for an 11th time. The ongoing Republican failure to reach a consensus has ground the chamber's work to a halt.

The big picture: The House spectacle this week has put GOP infighting on display and may be a preview of what's to come in the 118th Congress, which ushers in a return of a divided government.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) blasted fellow far-right lawmaker Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) on Thursday for opposing Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) muddled bid for House speakership.

Why it matters: Thursday marks the third day the House has adjourned without electing a speaker — and the 11th time McCarthy has failed to earn enough votes. Boebert is one of dozens of Republicans that have turned on him despite former President Trump's calls to support him.

Sandra Garza, the longtime partner of the fallen U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, filed a lawsuit Thursday against former President Trump and two other defendants charged with assaulting Sicknick during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Driving the news: The lawsuit, filed by lawyers for Garza and Sicknick’s estate, seeks $10 million in damages. It alleges wrongful death and conspiracy to violate civil rights. Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes after clashing with rioters during the Jan. 6 attack.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow's (D-Mich.) surprise retirement announcement has exposed the polar realities each party is facing in Michigan, a perennial battleground where the MAGA movement was firmly repudiated in 2022.

Why it matters: Michigan has become ground zero for Democratic talent, boasting a deep bench of rising stars — mostly women — whom party insiders view as equally qualified to ascend to the Senate, House or even the governorship in 2026.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff is planning to travel to Germany and Poland this month with Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Biden’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, according to people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: The foreign trip will present an opportunity for Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris' husband, to speak out against antisemitism on a global stage in two countries where the worst acts of the Holocaust were committed.

House Republicans leading the fight against Rep. Kevin McCarthy's speaker bid are using the push to help finance their campaigns.

Why it matters: The three-day deadlock has brought the House to a standstill and prevented newly elected members from being sworn in. For some members, though, the fight itself has a financial upside.