It’s Political: Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”  And that was 100 years or more before Kevin McCarthy of California ran for Speaker of the House.

  McCarthy yesterday lost his 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th bids to become Speaker, even winning one less vote than he did on Tuesday. Twenty members of his party have remained steadfast in refusing to elect him. And just to grind it in, because it’s fun, Democratic leader Hakim Jeffries has collected more votes on every ballot than McCarthy.

  Television analysts were wearing out the term “Groundhog Day.” President Biden said, “To have a Congress that can’t function, it’s just embarrassing.”

  In the third round of nominations, Republican Rep. Kat Commack of Florida said the Democrats were enjoying watching the Republicans fight, “That much has been made clear by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol that is coming over there.” That prompted anger among the Democrats with some shouting, “Take back your words!”  

  In yesterday’s running, Jim Jordan of Ohio dropped out, but then the extremists nominated Byron Donald of Florida, who won the 20 dissenting votes that have been dubbed “the Taliban.” Indiana’s Victoria Spartz voted “present,” deducting a vote from McCarthy and dropping his total to 201. He needs 218 if everyone votes. 

  According to the Constitution, The House can’t do anything, not even swear in the members until the elect a speaker.

  While some of the Republicans claim this mess is a sign that “Washington is broken,” it’s clear that what is broken is the Republican Party under the yoke of Donald Trump, even though he supports McCarthy. The election-denying, QAnon-following right wing is preventing their party from operating the House even after winning the majority and promising to “take back America.”

  But it’s just possible … possible … that McCarthy knows how to play the long game when his party has no alternative and he could come out of this as Speaker of the House.

Heart Stopping: The collapse on the field Monday night of Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin  has sparked a debate about the danger of football in what has been a scary year for injuries. But little is likely to change about the sport that rakes in money and makes players rich.

  Despite reported “signs of improvement,” Hamlin is sedated, on a respirator, and still listed in critical condition. The NFL is wrestling with the question of whether or when to resume the suspended Buffalo-Cincinnati game that could be critical in the playoff shakedown.

The War Room: Russia now admits that 89 of its soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian strike on a school building used as a barracks. They blame their own troops for using cellphones, allowing the Ukrainians to find the concentration of signals.

  Ukraine claims the real figure is more like 400. The original number given by Russia was 63, but either way it’s a stunning admission of loss for a government that rarely admits failure.

  In the remote-control air battle, Ukraine also says Russia is beginning to run out of precision missiles used to attack water and power facilities. They say the Russians have enough left for two or three more major barrages. Gen. Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine’s deputy intelligence chief, says they are finding missile wreckage dated “2022,” indicating  them that Russia has run out of stockpiles.

  Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, “We have no doubt that the current masters of Russia will throw everything they have left and everyone they can muster to try to turn the tide of the war and at least postpone their defeat.”

The Spin Rack: Oregon has become the first state to allow adult use of psilocybin “magic” mushrooms. Silocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic that has been used for treating severe depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety about dying. — Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $20 million for “Bruce’s Beach,” once a Black-owned haven for Black beachgoers seized by the city of Manhattan Beach in 1923 and returned only last July to descendants of the owners, Willa, and Charles Bruce. The money is being paid to their great-grandsons, Derrick, and Marcus Bruce. — Rescuers in Northern California were amazed Monday when a family of four survived after their Tesla plunged off a 250 foot cliff onto the rocky Pacific shore. Neither the parents nor two small children were seriously hurt. Now, Dharmesh Patel, a 41-year-old doctor from Pasadena, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for deliberately driving off the cliff. — Eight members of a rural Utah family, including five children, were found shot to death inside a home in Enoch City. Police appear to believe the killer is among the dead. — Amazon is planning to eliminate 18,000 corporate and technology jobs. — The man accused of killing four University of Idaho college students got a new license plate for his car five days after the murders, according to reports.

Below the Fold: Actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who filmed a nude love scene for the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” are suing paramount, accusing the movie company of sexually exploiting them and distributing nude images of adolescent children.

  She was15 at the time and he was 16. They are now in their 70s.

  Both claim that the Franco Zeffirelli movie stunted their careers and caused them 55 years of anguish and distress since the film’s release. That’s not what Hussey said in 2018, when she told a Fox News interviewer that, “It wasn’t that big of a deal. And Leonard wasn’t shy at all! In the middle of shooting, I just completely forgot I didn’t have clothes on.”

 But they seem to have changed their story. We wonder whether that’s because of the nude scene or that they woke up and realized they were used as children in one of the worst movies of all time.

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