What Happened Was...

A lightning fast comprehensive recap of the week's biggest events for Jan. 2nd - 8th, 2023

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), takes the gavel after securing the speakership on the 15th ballot on Saturday, January 7, 2023. (Tom Williams/via Getty Images)

Below is a catch-up of the significant events of this past week. You can check in with a minimal time commitment, read about the big stuff, and stay in the know before we’re on to the next. If you want more information on the past week's events, you might want to scroll through my Twitter feed for more detail on other topics I don’t mention below.

A lot happened this week in the House of Representatives and here at SHERO, we covered it all. For a detailed, live, play-by-play of each day’s events, you can review my Twitter feed for the week here. I also recommend that you review our coverage for the week:

Jan. 6th is Groundhog Day

Where Things Stand in the House

A Newly Elected Speaker?

Gun Violence This Week

There were 16 separate mass shooting incidents in the US last week, where 23 people were killed and 64 were injured. I document all mass shooting incidents for the week every Sunday, so please take a moment to review them and remember to keep up the fight for sensible gun reform. 

1. Sunday, January 1, 2023: Allentown, Pennsylvania

2. Sunday, January 1, 2023: Durham, North Carolina

3. Sunday, January 1, 2023: Miami Gardens, Florida

4. Sunday, January 1, 2023: Chicago, Illinois

5. Sunday, January 1, 2023: Ocala, Florida

6. Sunday, January 1, 2023: Columbus, Ohio

7. Tuesday, January 3, 2023: New Orleans, Louisiana

8. Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Washington, DC

9. Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Dumfries, Virginia

10. Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Baltimore, Maryland

11. Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Cedar City, Utah

12. Thursday, January 5, 2023: Miami Gardens, Florida

13. Thursday, January 5, 2023: New Orleans, Louisiana

14. Friday, January 6, 2023: San Francisco, California

15. Friday, January 6, 2023: Dallas, Texas

16. Sunday, January 8, 2023: Huntsville, Alabama

• Two years after rioters stormed the US Capitol, the Justice Department’s sprawling criminal investigation into Trump’s effort to block the peaceful transition of power enters a new phase with Special Counsel Jack Smith adding two right-hand prosecutors to an experienced team: Raymond Hulser, the former chief of the Justice Department’s public integrity section, and David Harbach, who conducted cases against former Sen. John Edwards and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

• Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) is now considering a bid for what is likely to be an open Senate seat in deep-blue California as a next step and weighing a campaign launch for Sen. Dianne Feinstein‘s seat, potentially even before her veteran Democratic colleague announces her plans for 2024.

• The Washington Post examined over 1,200 different scenarios for climate change over the coming century, and determined the best options to combat catastrophic climate change, based on the models produced by a key 2022 report.