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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) narrowly avoided the embarrassment of failing to get a majority of votes to keep the speaker's gavel on Friday, when the 119th Congress was sworn in. But a new report suggests that a faction of far-right House Republicans is likely to give him plenty of headaches over the next two years.

Politico reported Friday evening that Johnson securing the 218 votes necessary to be speaker came with conditions. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who is a member of the arch-conservative House Freedom Caucus, told the outlet that there would be potential "consequences" for the speaker if he failed to uphold his end of the bargain on certain sticking points.

A political cartoonist for The Washington Post is quitting her job — and posted an explanation on Substack accusing the paper of censoring her mockery of billionaires, including the paper's owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

"I’ve worked for the Washington Post since 2008 as an editorial cartoonist," wrote Ann Telnaes. "I have had editorial feedback and productive conversations — and some differences — about cartoons I have submitted for publication, but in all that time I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now."

President-elect Donald Trump continued swinging at Judge Juan Merchan hours after he was ordered to face sentencing in his New York fraud case on Jan. 10 – and also hurled furious attacks at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and special counsel Jack Smith.

The incoming president’s Friday evening sound-off on Merchan came as no surprise; Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a fiery rebuke of the justice earlier in the day, calling his boss’s prosecution a “witch hunt."

An Olympic sprinter was reportedly hit by a stun gun and arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday night, according to new reports.

Fred Kerley, who won a silver medal in the 100m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, approached four police officers investigating an incident with an "aggressive demeanor," Miami Beach police said, according to The Washington Post. Kerley had been inquiring about his vehicle, which was parked near the scene.

A federal judge on Friday refused to allow a Jan. 6 felon permission to travel to Washington D.C. to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, despite congressional support and a personal invitation from three Utah Republican lawmakers.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth appeared unmoved by former Rep. Chris Stewart’s (R-UT) endorsement of Russell Taylor’s character, his good conduct while on probation, and assistance to prosecutors. The judge found that the “unusually grave conduct” admitted to by Taylor, and the “sheer danger” he contributed to on the day of the Capitol attack, did not entitle him to attend an inauguration.

Stacey Plaskett, a Democratic congresswoman from the Virgin Islands, is sent to Congress as a territorial representative — but she has no right to vote in the election for speaker of the House, a fact she stood up and reminded the nation of during the roll call to confirm Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Friday.

Speaking to MSNBC's Joy Reid on Friday evening, Plaskett more starkly laid out the crisis of disenfranchisement facing citizens of the U.S. territories.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s increasing influence in the United States as a key ally of incoming President Donald Trump and around the world has stoked concerns among far-right figures in the United Kingdom.

And they’re not keeping their unease to themselves.

Social media commenters quickly condemned Apple CEO Tim Cook after a report he joined other billionaires in donating to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Axios reported Friday afternoon, citing anonymous sources, that Cook plans to personally donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee. Cook is worth about $2.3 billion, according to Forbes.

The man accused of perpetrating the Cybertruck bombing at Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas wrote a manifesto critical of the government — and may have had untreated mental health issues from his time in the Special Forces, reported NBC News.

Matthew Livelsberger, who was found dead with a gunshot wound in the burned-out remains of the pickup, was a Green Beret who lived in Colorado Springs. Previous reporting indicated his family described him as a "Rambo-type" person and an avid Trump supporter.

When Donald Trump returns to the White House in a matter of days, he will complete a rare GOP trifecta of the federal government, but his legislative agenda still faces tough obstacles in Congress, according to the Atlantic’s Russell Berman.

Taking into consideration the slugfest House Speaker Mike Johnson faced before narrowly retaining the speaker’s gavel Friday, Berman told readers that the vote “was a bad sign” for the future of Trump’s political priorities.

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance was in the hospital on Friday, Fox News reported.

"Fox has learned that Vice President-elect JD Vance went to George Washington Hospital this afternoon for a planned minor surgery," reported Chad Pergram on X. "Vance spokesman: 'The Vice President-elect is having long-planned, minor sinus surgery and will be back at work tomorrow.' Vance remains a senator for the time being. He was on CapHill earlier today as VP Harris swore-in new senators."

President-elect Donald Trump offered a very peculiar nomination announcement on his Truth Social platform Friday, seeming to attack the very person he appointed to a critical diplomatic role — and warning her to stay in line, even as he said she would deliver "great results" for the country.

"I am pleased to announce Morgan Ortagus as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, to the Honorable Steven Witkoff," wrote Trump. "Early on Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson. These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens. She will hopefully be an asset to Steve, a great leader and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon!"