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Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday evening that she struck a deal with a group of seven rebel Democrats to limit the terms of senior Democratic leaders, paving the way for her election as House Speaker in January. If the deal is approved by the Democratic caucus, members will be allowed to serve in senior leadership positions for three terms, with an option of a fourth term if they have the support of two-thirds of their fellow Democratic lawmakers. It will retroactively apply to the two leadership terms she and her counterparts, Minority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, and Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina, served from 2007 to 2011. That would allow them to serve as House Speaker, majority leader and majority whip for a maximum of four more years. To become an official rule, the Democratic caucus will have to give their approval. In a statement, Pelosi said she expects it to come up for a vote on February 15, but that she is "comfortable with … [Read more...] about Nancy Pelosi secures votes to be speaker again with term-limit deal

Oprah Winfrey is talking about how she said goodbye to her late mother, Vernita Lee. Lee died at age 83 at her home in Milwaukee on Thanksgiving Day. Winfrey told People she was able to spend time with her mother in her final days, and searched for inspiration about what to say as the end neared. "I just thought, 'What is the truth for me? There isn't going to be an answer in a book. What is it that I need to say?' I was praying for a way in," she said. Winfrey explained that she always sees her life's events as teaching moments. She said, "There's not a thing that happens to me, that I don't look at it as a teaching, learning, experience. I knew my mother was dying. I got a call from my sister (Patricia, who Lee gave up for adoption in 1963) that she thought it was the end. I was planning to go to launch Michelle Obama's book, 'Becoming,' in Chicago. I hopped on a plane and I went early—I surprised my mother." Winfrey said her mother was sitting in a warm … [Read more...] about Oprah Winfrey opens up on saying goodbye to her late mother, Vernita Lee

House Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows is out of the running to replace John Kelly as chief of staff. President Trump wants the North Carolina Republican to stay in Congress. "Congressman Mark Meadows is a great friend to President Trump and is doing an incredible job in Congress," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. "The president told him we need him in Congress so he can continue the great work he is doing there." Meadows had been a contender for the role, after Mr. Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, dropped out of the running. Ayers and Mr. Trump couldn't come to an agreement on a time commitment for the post, and the president was forced to revisit other options. Meadows has been a staunch defender of Mr. Trump in the House, and the two already have a strong relationship. Mr. Trump will still need defenders in the House when Democrats take control of Congress in January.  "I've had the best job in the world, representing the people of western … [Read more...] about Mark Meadows out of the running for White House chief of staff

MIAMI -- American diplomats affected by mysterious health incidents in Cuba showed damage in the inner ear shortly after they complained of weird noises and sensations, according to their earliest medical exams, publicized Wednesday. The detailed findings were published in a medical journal nearly two years after what the U.S. calls "health attacks" began — and they shed no new light on a possible culprit. "What caused it, who did it, why it was done — we don't know any of those things," said Dr. Michael Hoffer of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who led the exams. The U.S. said since late 2016, 26 people associated with the embassy in Havana suffered problems that include dizziness, ear pain and ringing, and cognitive problems such as difficulty thinking — a health mystery that has damaged U.S.-Cuba relations. The Miami researchers examined 25 of those people, who reported hearing a piercing noise or experiencing a sensation of pressure before their … [Read more...] about U.S. diplomats had inner-ear damage after mysterious Cuba incidents, doctors say

A judge in Oklahoma on Tuesday upheld a law that requires a 72-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions, the latest in a wave of state-level legislation that restricts access to abortion. Prior to the ruling, Oklahoma already had among the most restrictive laws for abortion access.  The nearly 70,000-square-mile state has only four abortion clinics, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization focused on reproductive health. By comparison, there are 50 in Washington, a similarly sized state. Women seeking an abortion in Oklahoma must undergo counseling with "information designed to discourage her from having an abortion," according to Guttmacher. After that, the 72-hour waiting period begins. Women under the age of 18 must also receive parental or guardian consent. Because there are only four clinics in the state, women could have to travel up to four-and-a-half hours for their first appointment only to drive back home during the waiting period. Because of … [Read more...] about Oklahoma judge upholds 72-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions