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Members of the House of Representatives stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at the opening session of the 114th Congress on Jan. 6, 2015.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)
Welcome to the 114th Congress
A lot went down. 1) Snow made for an ugly opening day. 2) John Boehner fought off a conservative rebellion to win a third term as U.S. House speaker. He obviously cried. 3) Mitch McConnell became the U.S. Senate's majority leader, three decades after arriving in the capital city as the junior senator from Kentucky. 4) Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid missed opening day because his doctor said so. 5) Obama got into the mix by threatening to veto the Keystone pipeline bill, one of the top priorities of the brand-new Republican Congress (he's going to meet with congressional leaders next week). 6) Joe Biden was Joe Biden.
Nearly 450 people wrote letters to get McDonnell a break
Prosecutors wanted 10 years. They got two. Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell will spend 24 months in federal prison after asking for mercy at his own sentencing hearing on public-corruption convictions. McDonnell was found guilty in September of trading access to the power of the governor's office for more than $165,000 in loans and high-end gifts. The judge received almost 450 letters attesting to McDonnell's integrity. "I want to thank the court and Judge Spencer for the mercy he showed me today," McDonnell said shortly after the sentencing. "I am a fallen human being. I have made mistakes in my life. ... But I have never betrayed my sacred oath of office while I served the commonwealth." He must report to prison by Feb. 9.
Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, center, talks to his sister, Eileen Reinaman, right, as they arrive at federal court for the third day of jury deliberations in his corruption trial on Sept. 4 in Richmond, Va. McDonnell and his wife Maureen are charged with doing special favors for Jonnie Williams, the former CEO of dietary supplements maker Star Scientific Inc., in exchange for $165,000 in gifts and loans.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Steve Helber, AP)
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Here are tech toys you didn't know you needed from CES
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is in full swing today. There's plenty of what you'd expect — the world's lightest laptop, 4K TVs that are thinner than your smartphone, a tablet that's as big as your TV. This is not a list of those things. This is a list of the unexpected new toys for grown-ups and kids alike. Think logging into your device with your face and smart belts that shame you for not exercising more. Check out these things you didn't even know you needed.
Hall of Fame class for the history books
Four players were elected into baseball's Hall of Fame today, the first time since 1955 that many players were chosen for induction. Three out of four of them were pitchers. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz represent the first time in history that three pitchers were elected in their first year of eligibility. Their greatest accomplishment, writes USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale, is that they achieved great success at the height of baseball's steroid era. Second baseman Craig Biggio rounds out the group. Biggio missed out on the Hall of Fame last year by two ballots. This was his third year on the ballot.
Gay or not, their husbands are causing controversy
Their husbands aren't gay, they just happen to be married to women and attracted to men. A TLC one-hour special called My Husband's Not Gay features four Mormon men who talk about their lifestyle decisions — causing controversy even before the show airs on Sunday. The couples refer to it as SSA: Same Sex Attraction. The show promotes a "dangerous idea that gay people can and should choose to be straight in order to be a part of their faith communities," says Josh Sanders, who started a Change.org petition. GLAAD says on their site that the show is "downright irresponsible." "No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to," the group says. As one man on the show says, "Just like I can't choose not to be gay, I can't choose not to be a person of faith."
Prett and Jeff, from the TLC special "My Husband's Not Gay."(Photo: TLC)
Extra Bites
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
Brick factory workers warm themselves on a fire during a winter morning at a factory in Lalitpur, Nepal, on Jan. 6.(Photo: Narendra Shrestha, European Pressphoto Agency)
Have you seen it? Lions love Christmas trees. #catnip
A British Zoo is once again inviting residents to turn in their used Christmas trees to be used as playthings for the zoo's African Lions. Jen Markham has the story.
Video provided by Buzz60 Newslook
Murderous Nazi super cows were so aggressive they were turned into sausages. Hitler was involved.
No, we're not trying to break your heart. But this dog was abandoned at a train station along with a suitcase.
McDonald's opened a new cafe. It serves tofu.
Hundreds of retirees share their secrets to a happy marriage.
Watch old people react to Kim Kardashian's nude photos.
Short on time? Listen to today's top stories:
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Susan Davis, Gregory Korte, David Jackson, Catalina Camia, Mike Snider, Maria Fowler, USA TODAY; USA TODAY Washington; Paul White, Bob Nightengale, Ted Berg, USA TODAY Sports; Jennifer Jolly, Special for USA TODAY; Nick Ochsner, WVEC-TV, Hampton-Norfolk, Va.; James R. Carroll, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal
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