Johnson reelected as House speaker by slim margin

US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson was reelected to the chamber's top job by a razor-thin margin that highlighted potential fissures among President-elect Donald Trump's Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Johnson appeared to initially fall short of the majority he needed to retain his job in a roll-call vote that lasted nearly two hours, but two Republican opponents switched their votes to support him after lengthy negotiations, with at least one reporting receiving a call from Trump himself.

Johnson won reelection with 218 votes - the minimum number needed. Republicans control the chamber by a razor-thin 219-215 majority.

Following the vote, Johnson vowed to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which are due to expire this year and roll back regulations.

"We're going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government," he said.

Other big challenges will loom, including addressing the nation's more than $36 trillion in debt, which Congress will need to act on later this year.

Trump congratulated Johnson following the vote. "Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary," he wrote on social media.

Meanwhile Donald Trump must be sentenced on Jan. 10 in the criminal case in which he was convicted on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, a judge ruled, adding that he is not inclined to impose a jail sentence.

Justice Juan Merchan said he denied Trump's motion to dismiss the case due to his presidential election victory. The judge said the Republican president-elect may appear for the sentencing, which will take place just 10 days before his inauguration either in-person or virtually.

Merchan wrote that a sentence of "unconditional discharge" - meaning no custody, monetary fine, or probation - would be "the most viable solution."

Trump was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26, but Merchan pushed that back indefinitely after Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.