By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

NOTABLES

• WHITE HOUSE WEIGHS IN ON PARIS SHOOTING: "This is a terrible act of violence and one that we condemn in the strongest possible terms," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in an appearance on MSNBC this morning. "The thoughts and prayers of the president and the first lady and everybody here at the White House are with the families of those who were killed or injured in this attack. Our thoughts are with our allies in France right now. We're still, obviously in the very early stages of trying to figure out what exactly happened, who was responsible and what their motivation was." ABC NEWS.COM LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SHOOTING: http://abcn.ws/1DknXqZ ABC's TERRY MORAN and BRIAN ROSS reported on the latest for "Good Morning" America." WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1wq0ugG

• A THIRD TERM FOR THE SPEAKER: John Boehner narrowly survived a tense vote to win a third term as House Speaker yesterday, winning the support of 216 of his colleagues. He was elected with 216 votes, but 24 Republicans voted for someone else while one voted present. Rep. Daniel Webster won the most Republican votes aside from Boehner, pulling in 12 votes in his long shot bid for speaker. Boehner needed at least 205 votes from his 409 colleagues in order to win. http://abcn.ws/1DuYKHw

• BOEHNER'S REVENGE: After the vote for House Speaker yesterday, ABC's JOHN PARKINSON asked John Boehner about the 25 defectors that attempted to oust him. Boehner smiled and replied, "Stop that." But perhaps Boehner was already plotting his revenge when he ducked into his office suite in the Capitol. In addition to removing GOP Reps. Daniel Webster and Richard Nugent from their seats on the House Rules Committee, another Republican rebel, Rep. Randy Weber, told Bloomberg News that Boehner won't let him sponsor legislation related to the regulation of clean nuclear energy. http://bloom.bg/17ikJqX

THE ROUNDTABLE

ABC's RICK KLEIN: House Speaker John Boehner could brush off the challenge to his leadership on Tuesday - the two most prominent public would-be speakers combined for five votes, including their own - with relative ease. But the same dynamics will be much harder to ignore for establishment candidates in the presidential race. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, tells the story. As The Washington Post's Dan Balz smartly points out, King was part of the small minority of two dozen House Republicans who voted for someone other than Boehner on the first day of the new Congress. But in a few short weeks, presidential contenders we be parading into Iowa for a confab he's organizing, in 2015's first presidential cattle call. That's the GOP's 2016 conundrum: the broad middle, even the broad middle inside the Republican Party, doesn't figure to have the loudest and most influential voices along the way. http://wapo.st/1yAq3RK

ABC's JEFF ZELENY: The first piece of legislation of the new Congress, SB1, had barely been filed when the White House issued its first veto threat of the new year and the new divided government. President Obama's threat to veto the Keystone oil pipeline bill was a surprise to no one. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota, the lead supporter, touted the measure's bipartisan support from 63 senators. He said Republicans have always been prepared for a two-step plan: Passing it once and if it's vetoed, attaching the legislation to a spending bill later this year. The question is whether the Senate could ever muster 67 votes for a veto. It's unlikely, considering those moderate Red State Democrats are no longer in the Senate. But the early threat sent a signal to Democrats the president does plan to reject it - rather than leaving the door open to the possibility he could sign it - so there's no reason for them to support it when the bill comes up for a Senate vote later this month.

THE BUZZ

with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

114th CONGRESS' OPENING DAY: REPUBLICANS TAKE THE REINS ON CAPITOL HILL. Lawmakers devoted a day to pomp and circumstance Tuesday as the 114th Congress was sworn in. ABC's ERIN DOOLEY, ARLETTE SAENZ and JOHN PARKINSON round up the day's highlights including Vice President Joe Biden's cute (and awkward) close encounters with kids, the VP's phone call with Sen. Cory Gardner's grandma, and Sen. Mitch McConnell official swearing-in as Senate Majority Leader. http://abcn.ws/1zR0hUO

WHY YESTERDAY WAS THE BEST DAY EVER TO WATCH BIDEN BEING BIDEN. Vice President Joe Biden spent nearly two hours schmoozing - and smooching - with newly sworn-in senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon, producing some classic Biden moments and some trademark "Bidenisms." ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ and ERIN DOOLEY look at the best of Biden. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1xPtvVY

FELLOW SENATOR WELCOMES JONI ERNST TO CONGRESS WITH CASTRATION-THEMED GIFT. Nothing says congratulations like the gift of castration, right? Wrong. Unless you're newly-minted Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who rose to political stardom thanks, in no small part, to her famous castration-themed television ad. ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ and ERIN DOOLEY writes that fellow Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina reminded her of her roots with a gift on her first official day as a senator. http://abcn.ws/1Dh91tR

WHY CHRIS CHRISTIE'S DALLAS TRIP DRAWS SCRUTINY BEYOND A HUG. It was the hug heard 'round the world. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's embrace of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones Sunday evening set off a torrent of online mocking of the Garden State governor who roots not for the Giants, Jets or Eagles, but the Cowboys. ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE reports cyber-teasing, though, may be the least of the possible 2016 contender's problems as the appearance of a possible conflict of interest has cropped up in the wake of Sunday's football game and a Democratic group has asked the New Jersey State Ethics Commission to investigate. http://abcn.ws/1wSCt0F

WHO'S TWEETING?

@JohnJHarwood: Ex-Obama adviser Steinberg on Paris fallout in US: "Biggest impact on civil liberties/security debate. Will slow momentum for NSA/FBI curbs"

@CoralMDavenport: Great @GlennKesslerWP fact-check on #KeystoneXL job numbers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/01/06/will-keystone-xl-pipeline-create-42000-new-jobs/?hpid=z4 …

@BuzzFeedAndrew: Ben Carson's History Book Plagiarizes http://SocialismSucks.Net And Many Other Sources http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/ben-carson-book#.yvoBz6EWDd …

@jmartNYT: Jeb sitting down w a host of NYC finance types this week, including meeting at KKR http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/us/politics/jeb-bush-2016-presidential-campaign.html?_r=0 …

@markknoller: VP Biden today stages a ceremonial swearing-in for Mark Gilbert, new US Amb to New Zealand and Samoa. He's a former banker & DNC fundraiser.