The week can get hectic and busy, and it’s easy to feel like things slipped through your fingers.
But we’ve got a remedy: We’ll get you up to speed with five brief nuggets from the most shared Washington Examiner stories, plus one in-depth explainer on the biggest news in Washington this week.
News Nuggets
1) Mitt Romney says he’s “considering” running for president again. The 2012 GOP nominee told a group of donors in New York that they can “go tell your friends” he’s considering a third try at the White House.
2) FBI and Justice Department lawyers are recommending felony charges for retired Gen. David Petraeus. Attorney General Eric Holder will have to decide whether to indict the former CIA director for classified documents found on the computer of his ex-mistress, Paula Broadwell.
3) French police killed two Charlie Hebdo terrorism suspects after a hostage standoff. They also freed hostages from a kosher market, and are on high alert for more attacks. Cartoonists around the world came together in solidarity for the slain cartoonists, penning a slew of cartoons against the extremists.
4) As many as half of Obamacare subsidy recipients may owe refunds to the IRS. A study by a Vanderbilt University professor indicates the average subsidy was $208 too high, and subsidies may need recalculating.
5) University of Virginia fraternities are accepting a punishment based on a false accusation. The U.Va. Interfraternity Council has accepted new terms to resume social activities on campus, even in light of the collapse of Rolling Stone’s cover story.
Big Story: The Failed Revolt Against House Speaker John Boehner
The Ohio Republican came into this week’s House leadership elections knowing he would face a challenge from Tea Party conservatives, with members such as Louie Gohmert of Texas and Ted Yoho of Florida openly running for his post.
Boehner received a similar challenge in 2012, with the more right-wing members of his caucus claiming he didn’t share the conviction and conservatism of incoming Tea Partiers.
Numerous individuals publicly declared their intention to vote against Boehner in the days leading up to Tuesday’s vote, but in the end, the effort fell short. Only 24 House Republicans voted for someone other than Boehner.
But House leadership was admittedly rattled by the influx of phone calls they received during the process.
One member who said he received a barrage of calls was Rep. Raul Labrador. “Many constituents from Idaho contacted me to let me know that I should not support him,” he said in a statement after voting for Boehner.
Another was House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, who said Wednesday that “we’ve never been lobbied quite like that.”
Some incoming congressman who had promised to oppose Boehner changed their minds, including Rep. Mia Love, a freshman Republican from Utah.
Love’s vote for Boehner sparked an outcry she attempted to calm by releasing a statement to the Examiner. “There were no qualified or notable campaigns for speaker within the Republican Party other than John Boehner,” Love said.
Boehner and House leadership sparked further outcry when they moved immediately after the election to push those who voted against him off certain committees.
But the speaker said the decisions weren’t final.
“We’re going to have a family conversation, which we had this morning, about bringing our team together,” he said.
Finally, in a news conference, Boener defended his conservative credentials, saying it hurts to be called “spineless, or a squish” and described himself as the most “anti-establishment speaker we’ve ever had”.
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