KEVIN McCARTHY is the House Minority leader (Facebook).

Kevin McCarthy’s path to the post of Speaker of the House might have appeared to be smooth as soon as Republicans won control of the House of Representatives  in the Nov. 8 general election.

But the narrow edge that the GOP has came with complications which may make it difficult for McCarthy, who’s from Bakersfield, to get the job, which is second in succession to the presidency.

According to the Associated Press, when Congress convenes on Jan. 3, a handful of Republican dissidents might wish to reduce the power of the speaker, and use blocking McCarthy, the present minority leader, as a bargaining chip.

A majority of the House is 218, so five dissidents can stop McCarthy. No Democrats are considered likely to cross the aisle and vote for any Republican seeking the position.

At least 22 dead in Peruvian crisis

The death toll in Peru as the nation is gripped by a political crisis and rioting has reached 22.

FLAG OF PERU (U.S. State Department).

According to United Press International, the latest fatalities came when two demonstrators died after a confrontation with police.

The crisis arose as Dina Boularte, the interim president, refused demands for her to resign. She became president after former president Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve the Peruvian congress and was ousted. 

Protestors are demanding that a presidential election – scheduled for 2026 – be moved up to 2023.

Also in the news … Heavy snow is hitting areas of the Northeast, cutting off electrical power – and heating – to about 180,000 customers in New England and New York …

Sports: Vikes in greatest NFL comeback

In a rare Saturday game, another rare event took place. The  Minnesota Vikings rallied from a 33-0 deficit to win 39-33 in overtime over the Indianapolis Colts. It’s the biggest comeback in the league’s 102-year history. 

Greg Joseph’s field goal in overtime provided the winning points for the Vikings (11-3), who clinched the NFC North with the win. Kirk Cousins threw for 460 yards and four touchdowns; he was intercepted twice and sacked seven times.

Croatia third in World Cup: Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 in the third place game in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The first place game between France and Argentina will be played on Sunday at 7 a.m. Pacific time.

Weather: Sunny and then cloudy

The West Orange County area will get a variety of weather over the next few days. The forecast for Sunday is for sunny skies and a daytime high of 66, with an overnight low of 42. Monday should be mostly sunny with a high of 66, low of 45. By Tuesday, it’ll shift to partly cloudy with temps of 66 (43).