The year in review: Top news stories of 2023 month-by-month

January began with turmoil in the U.S. House of Representatives, with Kevin McCarthy requiring 15 ballots to be elected speaker. 

He lasted nine months. 

• House adjourns as speaker stalemate drags on with 11 ballots cast over 3 days
• House speaker finally elected on 15th ballot — the most since before Civil War
• What Kevin McCarthy gave up to be elected Speaker of the House
• Rep. Matt Gaetz moves to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker
• Kevin McCarthy removed as House speaker in historic vote
• Timeline: Republicans' chaotic search for a new House speaker
• Kevin McCarthy: The exit interview ("Sunday Morning")

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In February, the U.S. Air Force shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had drifted across North American airspace. Officials later concluded with high certainty that the balloon never transmitted any intelligence to China. 

• Solving the mystery of the Chinese spy balloon ("Sunday Morning")
• The bizarre secret behind China's spy balloon ("Sunday Morning")

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In March, former President Donald Trump was indicted in New York, the first of his four criminal indictments this past year.

• Trump's 4 indictments in detail: A quick-look guide to charges, trial dates and key players for each case
• Historian on Trump indictment: "Our system is working … Nobody is above the law" ("Sunday Morning")
• Michael Cohen on the Trump indictment: "I expect complete and total mayhem" ("Sunday Morning")
• Historian on Trump indictment: "The most important criminal trial in American history" ("Sunday Morning")
• The 12 Days of Trump Court: A year of appearances, from unprecedented to almost routine
• Trump White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson on the price of speaking out ("Sunday Morning")
• Liz Cheney on Jan. 6 insurrection and the "ongoing threat" ("Sunday Morning")
• Mitt Romney on today's Republican Party ("Sunday Morning")

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In April, a trove of classified Pentagon documents began circulating on internet message boards. Twenty-one-year-old airman Jack Teixeira was arrested and charged with the leaks.

• What we know about Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman charged in Pentagon leaks case
• Alleged Pentagon leaker's intelligence unit "not currently doing its mission"
• Air Force watchdog finds alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira's unit "failed" to take action after witnessing questionable activity

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May brought the coronation of Charles III and Camilla as king and queen of the United Kingdom. Dress code? Formal.

• Charles III: The crowning of Britain's new king ("Sunday Morning")
• "Ring for the King": Bell ringers prepare for coronation of King Charles III ("Sunday Morning")
• King Charles III's charm offensive ("Sunday Morning")
• Charles III: What changes might we see from Britain's new king? ("Sunday Morning")
• Tina Brown on when Charles becomes King (YouTube Video)

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June saw two tragedies at sea: The implosion of the Titan submersible killed five; and the sinking of a fishing trawler off the Greek coast killed more than 500 migrants.

• Migrant boat disaster: What to know about the tragedy off the coast of Greece
• Hundreds more missing after migrant boat capsizes off Greek coast
• A second Titanic tragedy: The failure of OceanGate's Titan ("Sunday Morning")
• OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush talks Titan sub's design, carbon fiber hull, safety and more in 2022 interviews ("Sunday Morning")
• OceanGate suspends all exploration and commercial operations following Titan submersible implosion
• Titan submersible maker OceanGate faced safety lawsuit in 2018: "Potential danger to passengers"
• Coast Guard recovers "presumed human remains" and debris from Titan sub implosion

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The "Barbenheimer" phenomenon shattered box office records in July, drawing fans to theaters in droves, and in style.

• How "Barbenheimer" became the summer's most online movie showdown
• Christopher Nolan on J. Robert Oppenheimer, "the most important person who ever lived" ("Sunday Morning")
• "Barbie" filmmaker Greta Gerwig says she "still can't believe anybody let me do this" ("60 Minutes")
• Barbie gets a makeover ("Sunday Morning")
• "Barbenheimer" opening weekend raked in $235.5 million together

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Wildfires ripped across the Hawaiian island of Maui in August, leaving 100 dead.

• Survivor of Maui wildfire: "Everything we had in the past is gone" ("Sunday Morning")
• How did the Maui fire start? What we know about the cause of the Lahaina blaze
• Maui firefighters recount deadly wildfire inferno: "I knew that we had lost" ("60 Minutes")
• Some Lahaina residents return to devastated homes after wildfires: "It's unrecognizable" ("CBS Mornings")
• Mick Fleetwood says his restaurant has been lost in Maui wildfires: "We are heartbroken"
• Maui wildfire leaves behind "toxic air" that locals fear will affect their health for years to come
• Milestone in recovery from historic Maui wildfire
• West Maui back open for tourism following deadly wildfires, Hawaii officials announce
• CBS News special coverage: Maui Wildfires

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In September, the United Auto Workers began a strike against the "Big Three" auto makers, resulting in a record 25% wage increase over the next four-and-a-half years.

• Striking UAW auto workers want 4-day, 32-hour workweek, among other contract demands
• Why is the UAW on strike? These are their contract demands as they negotiate with the Big Three
• Biden says striking UAW workers deserve "fair share of the benefits they help create" for automakers
• President Biden joins United Auto Workers picket line
• UAW ends historic strike after reaching tentative deals with Big 3 automakers
• Hyundai, Honda and Toyota have all raised worker pay since UAW strike ended
• GM earned more than $3 billion in profit, even after hit from UAW strike
• UAW strike cut Ford sales by 100,000 vehicles, cost company $1.7 billion in profits

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The militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel in October, setting off a bloody conflict now nearing the end of its third month.

• Israel scrambles to respond to brazen Hamas assault that killed hundreds ("Sunday Morning")
• Gaza citizens flee from expected Israeli ground offensive ("Sunday Morning")
• Prospects of Mideast peace in the midst of horrifying violence ("Sunday Morning")
• Gen. David Petraeus: Hamas' attack on Israel was "far worse than 9/11" ("Sunday Morning")
• Yuval Noah Harari on the Hamas attack: Terrorists are "waging a war on our souls" ("Sunday Morning")
• Truckloads of humanitarian aid finally enter Gaza ("Sunday Morning")
• Israel's military intensifies shelling of Northern Gaza Strip ("Sunday Morning")
• Volunteers mobilize to aid Israeli hostage families ("Sunday Morning")
• Hamas' tunnels: Piercing a battleground beneath Gaza ("Sunday Morning")
• More Hamas-held hostages freed, as are Palestinian prisoners ("Sunday Morning")
• Palestinian pastor on war in Gaza: "It feels that even God is silent" ("Sunday Morning")

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The Texas Rangers won baseball's World Series in November, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first championship in franchise history.

• Texas Rangers beat Arizona Diamondbacks to claim their first World Series
• Texas Rangers' World Series win wasn't a dream, but their 2023 season was

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And at December's United Nations Climate Change conference, nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. A hopeful crowd cheered the announcement.

• 2023 is "virtually certain" to be the warmest year ever recorded, climate agency says
• COP28 climate conference president Sultan al-Jaber draws more fire over comments on fossil fuels
• COP28 climate summit OK's controversial pact that gathering's leader calls "historic"
• Will Utah's Great Salt Lake disappear? ("Sunday Morning")
• Coastal residents on climate change: "The ocean's coming for you" ("Sunday Morning")
• CBS News special coverage: Protecting the Planet - Climate Change
• About 3 million Americans are already "climate migrants," analysis finds
• Climate solutions from the Arctic, the fastest-warming place on Earth

       
Story produced by Robert Marston. Editor: Joseph Frandino.

Jane Pauley

Jane Pauley is anchor of the award-winning "CBS Sunday Morning," a role she began in September 2016. Pauley is the recipient of multiple Emmys, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement and the Gracie Allen Award from the Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television. Pauley is a member of the Broadcast and Cable Hall of Fame.

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