U.S. CAPITOL, seat of Congress (Shutterstock).

The 118th Congress will be seated on Tuesday with a new – if slender – Republican majority in the House of Representatives and a Democratic majority in the Senate.

First order of business for the House will be the selection of a new Republican leader, who will be Speaker of the House.

Kevin McCarthy is considered likely to get that post, third in succession to the presidency. However, if five members of his party choose another candidate, he will fall short, according to USA Today.

In the House, the GOP is expected to launch investigations into aspects of the Biden Administration.

Under the Constitution, the House originates all spending bills and the Senate approves treaties and members of the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court.

New Brazilian president is sworn in

FLAG OF BRAZIL

A veteran president was sworn in Sunday as the chief executive of Brazil. Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, who has served twice in that role, is considered left-wing and defeated the incumbent right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, according to United Press International.

Also in the news … Ukrainian forces fought back against Russian attacks on Sunday as their air defenses reportedly shot down 45 missiles and drones fired at the capital city of Kyiv, according to Reuters.

Sports: Chargers roll past the Rams

The Battle of Los Angeles on Sunday went to the Chargers, who defeated the Rams 31-10. Justin Herbert passed for 212 yards and two scores. On the ground, Austin Ekeler rambled for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

For the Rams, Baker Mayfield  passed for 132 yards and no scores, but he did have one sure TD pass dropped. Cam Akers rushed for 123 yards.

With the win, the Chargers are 10-6, while the Rams fell to 5-11. The regular season concludes with the Rams at the Seattle Seahawks and the Chargers at the Denver Broncos next week.

Weather: Rain and clouds

If rainy days and Mondays always get you down, watch out. The forecast for the West Orange County area calls for afternoon and evening showers on Monday with a daytime high of 59 and an overnight low of 50. Tuesday and Wednesday will be a bit warmer with a daytime high of 63. The rain should continue through Thursday, followed by partly cloudy conditions for the following week, with daytime highs in the mid-60s and overnight lows in the high 40s.