Trump Wins New Hampshire; Haley Says Race Is Just Getting Started
Hamas rejects hostage deal while Israeli forces experience deadliest day since Oct. 7
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Good morning,
The Oscar nominations are out and “Oppenheimer” leads the pack with 13 noms.
Next is “Poor Things,” the fantasy film starring Emma Stone, with 11 noms and then Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 10. Here’s the full list.
“Barbie” sits at 8, but Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were snubbed for Best Actress and Best Director nominations respectively, while Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken. Ironic, given the film’s message. Though, Gosling called out the Academy.
The 96th Academy Awards will take place on March 10. Jimmy Kimmel will host.
🏆 Win or lose, it’s an honor just to be nominated… right?
Have a good one!
Mosheh, Jill, Lauren & Emily
📌 TRUMP WINS AGAIN BUT HALEY IS PLANNING FOR A LONG RACE
Donald Trump’s momentum continues to build. He won a decisive victory in the New Hampshire GOP primary on Tuesday, becoming the first GOP presidential candidate to ever win both of the first 2 states—Iowa and New Hampshire—in a competitive primary. But it was a slightly closer margin of victory than late polls indicated, which means Nikki Haley says she isn’t going anywhere.
On the Democratic side, President Biden won New Hampshire’s largely symbolic Democratic primary as a write-in candidate. He had refused to campaign or officially appear on the ballot due to an internal party dispute.
HALEY’S MESSAGE
Haley spoke to supporters just minutes after the election was called for Trump. She argued that only two states have voted thus far, that her results improved from Iowa to New Hampshire, and that she is the last Republican alternative to Trump standing. In short: Why should she get out now?
She has ratcheted up her attacks on Trump and continually cites polls that show her defeating Biden by a significant margin, while Trump remains neck and neck. At one point, she said that the first party to drop their 80 year-old candidate will win.
Mo News producer Emily Gross was at Haley’s HQ last night. She reports attendees were yelling “Geriatric” and “No one in ‘Depends” after mentions of Biden and Trump.
TRUMP’S MESSAGE
Trump took aim at Haley, saying she is acting like she won in New Hampshire and Iowa, and that she had a “very bad night.” He said in his speech that he “won’t let her get away with bullsh**,” and then further expressed his frustration over on his Truth Social platform, repeatedly posting that she is a “birdbrain” and insisting she finished “LAST!”
Trump has gotten a slew of endorsements from Republican leaders in recent days, including former 2024 presidential rivals, as well as several members of Congress. Even former GOP critics are now backing him again, as it appears Republican voters are set to make him the nominee for the third straight presidential election.
REALITY CHECK
Despite her spin, Haley still has to find a path to win the Republican nomination. Her challenge right now is that her popularity continues to dip among registered Republicans. Exit polls last night show that 70 percent of Trump voters were Republicans, while 70 percent of Haley voters were independents or Democrats.
Bottom Line: Haley has proven that she is capable of winning voters who will be important come the November election, but she has to become the GOP nominee first. That requires winning states and picking up more delegates than Trump.
How long she stays in the race will likely come down to money (will donors continue to support her?) and pressure from Republican party leaders who are increasingly coalescing around Trump. Haley is vowing to stay in the race until (at least) her home state of South Carolina — where she is trailing Trump by 30-40 points in recent polls.
A couple weeks later comes Super Tuesday on March 5. That is where more than a dozen states, including California and Texas are set to vote. Early polls show Trump currently dominating there too.
🇮🇱 ISRAEL’S DEADLIEST DAY SINCE OCTOBER 7
Netanyahu meeting with families of hostages Jan. 21. Via: Times of Israel.
IDF’s DEADLIEST DAY OF WAR
24 Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday — the deadliest day for Israeli soldiers inside Gaza since the war began 100+ days ago. It comes amid increasing calls for a ceasefire from the West.
How it happened: IDF soldiers were set to destroy two buildings in Southern Gaza about 600 meters from the border.
Hamas operatives reportedly fired an RPG missile at one of the buildings soldiers were operating in. It had been rigged up with around 20 mines for detonation, as part of the army’s efforts to establish a buffer zone between Israel and Gaza.
The RPG fire likely set off the mines, causing the structures to collapse and killing at least 21 of the soldiers.
In total, over 220 IDF soldiers — many reservists — have been killed in Gaza since the ground operation began.
It comes as intense fighting took place near the south Gaza city of Khan Younis, the last major Hamas stronghold. The group’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, is believed to be directing the fighting from an underground bunker there.
LATEST HOSTAGE-CEASEFIRE DEAL A NO-GO
Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposal for the release of the remaining 136 hostages in exchange for a two-month ceasefire. The deal also included the release of some Palestinian prisoners in Israel, the gradual return of civilians into Gaza City, and some senior Hamas leaders being able to leave Gaza for other countries.
While it was the most extensive offer Israel has yet proposed, it did not go as far as permanently ending the war, and ensuring the terror group remains in charge of Gaza — key Hamas demands.
BEHIND THE NEGOTIATIONS
The U.S. with Qatar and Egypt are working to broker a deal to get hostages out and discuss the war in Gaza and wider regional tensions.
We reported that their proposal included a 90-day pause in fighting and the pushing-back of Israeli military operations in exchange for all hostages in Gaza.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin makes 1st public appearance since secretive hospitalization (ABC NEWS)
📌 Alaska Airlines CEO say 'many' loose bolts were found on Max 9 planes following near-disaster (NBC NEWS)
📌 Alabama plans the first nitrogen gas execution this week in largely secret process experts say raises concerns about cruelty (CNN)
📌 Southern California’s record-breaking rains has city officials warning of the "fragile state" of the infrastructure (CBS NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Turkish parliament approves Sweden’s NATO membership bid (CNN)
📌 Pentagon has no more money for Ukraine as it hosts a meeting of 50 allies on support for Kyiv (AP)
📌 Mexico pushes for U.S. accountability in deadly gun violence surge (AXIOS)
📌 ‘Very strong’ 7.1 magnitude quake rattles part of western China (AP)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 The Los Angeles Times plunges into ‘chaos’ as brutal layoffs loom and senior editors call it quits (CNN)
📌 Behind Netflix’s WWE streaming strategy (CNBC)
📌 Where and when billions of cicadas will emerge this spring (and over the next decade), in one map (VOX)
📌 Excessively flatulating passenger causes American Airlines flight to turn around (PEOPLE)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Condé Nast union workers walk out following layoff announcement (AXIOS)
📌 Charles Osgood, ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ host, dies at 91 (NBC NEWS)
📌 Emma Stone obsessed with becoming Jeopardy contestant (VARIETY)
📌 Billy Joel set to release first single in nearly two decades (NBC)
📌 Justin Timberlake debuting first new song in years (ET)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 24
1935: Canned beer is served for the first time in partnership between the American Can Company and the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company.
1982: At Super Bowl XVI, Diana Ross sang the U.S. national anthem.
1984: Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh computer from Apple, including the floppy disk.
2006: Walt Disney announced the purchase of the animation studio Pixar.