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Tuesday, January 23, 2024

1/23 WAKE-UP CALL: Dixville Notch Votes For Haley


New Hampshire's long-celebrated, first-in-the-nation primary could have the last word on the 2024 Republican nomination battle. As voters prepare to trudge to polling places through snow-covered New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump is poised for what could be a decisive win over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Despite mounting criminal charges and fierce opposition from old-guard Republicans, Trump has built a formidable lead in a Granite State race that has boiled down to a one-on-one contest with the former United Nations ambassador. Since his win last week in the Iowa caucuses, Trump has made it clear that he believes a "big resounding" win in New Hampshire should force opponents to concede the entire GOP race. And Trump isn't alone. In the past eight days, three ex-challengers - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy - have fallen in line to endorse Trump.

➤DIXVILLE NOTCH VOTES FOR HALEY:  As Dixville Notch goes, so goes New Hampshire? That’s what former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will be hoping after the tiny village near the Canadian border carried on its five-decade-old tradition of midnight voting early Tuesday. All six eligible voters in the precinct — four registered Republicans and two undeclared voters — pulled the lever for Haley, 52, who is desperate for a shock victory in the Granite State to halt what many observers see as former President Donald Trump’s unstoppable march to the GOP nomination. Trump, meanwhile, will be hoping that recent primary history repeats itself. Dixville Notch has not predicted the outcome of a Republican New Hampshire primary since 2008, when then-Sen. John McCain of Arizona won the village, the primary, and the eventual GOP nomination.

➤SUPREME COURT HANDS BIDEN A WIN: The Supreme Court granted the Biden administration’s emergency request to reinstate federal authority over the U.S.-Mexican border in Texas, setting aside a lower-court order that blocked the U.S. Border Patrol from removing concertina wire Texas officers installed to deter migrants from crossing a 29-mile stretch of the Rio Grande. The court divided 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the majority. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh sided with Texas.

The court’s action restores the Border Patrol’s authority while the protracted dispute between the Biden administration and the Republican government of Texas plays out in the lower courts. As is typical in emergency matters, the court’s summary order included no reasoning from either the majority or minority of the justices. The White House welcomed the court’s action. “Texas’ political stunts, like placing razor wire near the border, simply make it harder and more dangerous for frontline personnel to do their jobs,” said assistant press secretary Angelo Fernández Hernández. The Justice Department declined to comment. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in a post on X, called the wire an “effective deterrent” to illegal crossings. “I will continue to defend Texas’ constitutional authority to secure the border,” he said.

➤21 ISRAELI SOLDIERS KILLED:  The reservists were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza on Monday when a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson, said. Hours later, the military announced that ground forces had encircled  Gaza's second largest city, Khan Younis, where dozens of Palestinians have been killed in heavy fighting in recent days.

➤U-S, UK FORCES STAGE RAIDS: U.S. and British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes on Monday in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have said their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. 

The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.

➤EFFORT TO END WAR: Arab countries are working on a proposal for postwar Gaza that would create a pathway toward a Palestinian state in exchange for Saudi recognition of Israel, according to Arab officials.  The first joint plan by Arab states to end the war in Gaza, the proposal was submitted to Israel via the U.S. and is still being finalized, Saudi and Egyptian officials said. Israel so far has rejected it, with the creation of a Palestinian state the main sticking point. Israeli officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The war, which began after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, has Gaza’s already desperate humanitarian situation deteriorating into chaos, residents and aid groups said, citing logjams in food deliveries and a battlefield that overlaps the places offering help. The enclave is home to most of the world’s hungriest people, according to a consortium of U.N. agencies and nonprofit relief groups.

➤DOW SURGES: The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged past 38000 for the first time. Investors have been encouraged by the start of earnings season and signs that the economy remains strong. Does that mean the moment for small-cap stocks is over? In late 2023, shares in smaller companies were among the biggest beneficiaries of the growing optimism that the Fed would pull off a soft landing and start cutting interest rates. The new year has been a reality check. Hotter-than-expected economic data have forced investors to push back their expectations on when rate cuts could start, raising questions about whether small-caps’ gains are sustainable.

➤7 SHOT DEAD IN JOLIET:  The suspect law enforcement officials in Joliet, Illinois, were searching for after seven people were found dead from gunshot wounds in two homes on Monday has died, police said. Investigators earlier said they were looking for a suspect they identified as Romeo Nance, 23, (right) after they discovered the bodies of five victims in one home and another two in a nearby residence on West Acres Road Monday morning. Late Monday night, the police said Nance had been located by U.S. Marshals near Natalia, Texas, and it was “believed that Nance took his own life with a handgun following a confrontation with Texas law enforcement officials.”

➤JUDGE ORDERS THE UNSEALING OF DIVORCE CASE OF TRUMP SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN GEORGIA ACCUSED OF AFFAIR: A judge has ordered the public release of court records in the divorce case involving special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who is handling the election case against Donald Trump and others. The divorce case includes allegations of an affair between Wade and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, but the newly unsealed records do not reference these claims. The judge postponed the decision on whether Willis will be questioned in the divorce case and delayed her scheduled deposition. The election case accuses Trump and 18 allies of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.



➤CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY LAUNCH WEEKLONG STRIKE ACROSS 23 CAMPUSES: Nearly 30,000 professors, librarians, coaches, and other workers at California State University, the largest public university system in the U.S., have gone on strike for a week to demand higher wages. The strike follows unsuccessful contract negotiations, with Cal State officials offering a 5% pay raise this year, effective Jan. 31, which is well below the 12% increase sought by the union. The strike could impact classes for the system's 450,000 students unless faculty members choose to cross picket lines.

➤ALZHEIMER'S RISKS CAN BE DETECTED 15 YEARS IN ADVANCE WITH BREAKTHROUGH BLOOD TEST: Breakthrough research by neurological scientists from Sweden's University of Gothenburg reveals that a simple blood test can detect symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) up to 15 years in advance. The test focuses on the residue of a protein called phosphorylated Tau 217 (pTau 217), commonly associated with AD, and is conducted using an assay created by the company ALZpath. The test provides a less invasive and more cost-effective alternative to spinal taps for assessing a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's. ALZpath's pTau217 test can help healthcare providers identify the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain, a key characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

✞MLK SON DIES: Dexter Scott King (right), the third child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died Monday after a "valiant battle with prostate cancer," the King Center said in a statement. King, 62, was named after an Alabama church where his father served as pastor and was 7 years old when the Civil Rights Movement icon was assassinated in 1968, according to the King Center. King went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, and worked as chairman of the King Center and president of the King Estate. He devoted his life to perpetuating his father's legacy and protecting the intellectual property he left behind, the King Center said.  "The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this," Martin Luther King III said in a statement about his brother's death. "Please keep the entire King family in your prayers."

✞'PAWN STARS' SON DIES: Adam Harrison, the son of "Pawn Stars" creator and star Rick Harrison, has died at the age of 39 Laura Herlovich, a representative for the family, said in a statement to USA TODAY Monday that Harrison allegedly died of a fentanyl overdose. "The fentanyl crisis in this country must be taken more seriously," Rick Harrison said in a statement to TMZ via a representative. On Friday, Rick Harrison shared a photo of his son Adam and himself at a restaurant as a tribute on his Instagram account. "You will always be in my heart! I love you Adam," Harrison wrote, followed by a broken heart emoji.

➤BERTINELLI SAYS SHE WAS ‘BASICALLY GHOSTED’ BY THE FOOD NETWORK: Valerie Bertinelli revealed on Instagram Saturday (January 20th) that she won’t be returning for another season of the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship, despite hosting the show for 12 seasons. This comes after she revealed in April of last year that her show, Valerie’s Home Cooking, was cancelled after 14 seasons. Explaining how she found out about Kids Baking Championship, Bertinelli wrote on X, “There were never any talks, so no talks could be stalled. I got an inkling I might not be asked back when I saw I was not in the holiday specials. I got a text by a third party on Friday that told me I would not be back. LOL I was basically ghosted.” According to Deadline, Khloe Kardashian commented on her Instagram post, “Wait!!! What!!!!! I need to sign a petition. I looooove this show and watch it daily. I record it and all. I love you and Duff together, and it will be hard to imagine it without you. The way you are with the children is magical. Your understanding and advice to them is key.”

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS STAR JOEL EMBIID DROPS 70 ON SPURS IN WIN: Joel Embiid scored 70 points to surpass Wilt Chamberlain and set a new franchise record for points in a single game, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 133-123 victory over the San Antonio Spurs and rookie Victor Wembanyama on Monday at Wells Fargo Center. In addition to setting a new personal and franchise record, Embiid also surpassed Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo's 64 points against the Indiana Pacers for the most points in a single game by a player this season.

🏈LIONS REACH DEAL WITH VETERAN TE ZACH ERTZ: The Detroit Lions have signed a contract with veteran tight end Zach Ertz following an injury to tight end Brock Wright during the divisional round victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Wright's uncertain availability for the NFC Championship Game, Ertz's addition provides depth to the Lions' tight end position.

⚾PIRATES, AROLDIS CHAPMAN AGREE TO 1-YEAR, $10M DEAL: Left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman and the Pittsburgh Pirates have reached a one-year, $10.5 million contract. Chapman, known for his high-velocity fastball, played a crucial role in the Texas Rangers' World Series championship victory last year, recording an average fastball speed of over 99 mph and tallying 103 strikeouts in 58⅓ innings.
➤TUESDAY'S WEATHER:




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