Republican McCarthy offers deal to end standoff in House speaker fight

Kevin McCarthy leaves the House floor after the House voted to adjourn for the evening (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

The contours of a deal that could make Republican leader Kevin McCarthy the US House speaker have begun to emerge after three gruelling days and 11 failed votes in a political spectacle unseen in a century.

The drama has left Republicans in disarray and exposed anew the fragility of American democracy.