Daily Briefing: Who won the Republican debate?

Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY

January 11, 2024 at 6:10 a.m.·5 min read

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slugged it out Wednesday in the final debate before next week's Iowa Republican caucus. Also in the news: Donald Trump faced a friendly crowd at a Fox News town hall in Des Moines and forecasters are warning more foul weather is in store.

👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. This adventure-loving 92-year-old Utah woman has been named the world's oldest female water-skier.

Now, here's Thursday's news.

In Haley vs DeSantis, neither GOP candidate pulled punches

The two GOP candidates battling for second place in the Republican presidential primary − Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis − had a chance Wednesday night to show their party they were the best alternative to the frontrunner, Donald Trump, at the CNN GOP debate in Iowa.

But the biggest blow of the night happened off stage, when Trump critic and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the 2024 presidential race just hours before his competitors began exchanging jabs.

Trump sitting pretty: With a close to 50% lead in most Iowa polls, Trump's fate in the caucuses appeared sealed well before his competitors took the stage.
DeSantis comes out swinging: Recent polls show the two governors within mere percentage points of each other in the Hawkeye state. DeSantis pushed Haley on the defensive on topics such as immigration, foreign policy and education.
Haley leans on DeSantisLies.com: The former U.N. ambassador mentioned the site DeSantisLies.com over a dozen times throughout the two-hour long debate, using it as a blanket way to defend against attacks from her opponent.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, right, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, both speaking at the at the CNN Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.

Donald Trump Fox town hall takeaways: Attack Haley, DeSantis, and Biden

Former President Donald Trump had a much easier night than his Republican rivals. A mostly friendly crowd at a Fox News town hall in Des Moines asked Trump very few challenging questions, allowing the GOP frontrunner to tee off on Haley and DeSantis as they argued with each other over on CNN. Trump also seized opportunities to attack President Joe Biden. The former president also acknowledged, again, that he wants to be a dictator for a day and that his businesses made more than $8 million from foreign governments during his years in the White House. Read more

Who will Chris Christie endorse? GOP rivals respond to campaign suspension.
Vivek Ramaswamy was on a podcast during the Iowa Republican debate. Here's what happened.

Former President Donald Trump speaks as Fox News hosts a town hall at the Iowa Events Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Des Moines, IA.

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On today's The Excerpt podcast, Haley and DeSantis trade barbs in the latest Republican debate. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

UN top court hears genocide allegation as Israel focuses fighting in central Gaza

The United Nations’ top court began hearings Thursday for South Africa’s allegation that Israel’s war with Hamas amounts to genocide against Palestinians. Israel strongly denies the claim. Although the case is likely to take years to resolve, South Africa is asking the International Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israeli military operations in Gaza have lately focused on the southern city of Khan Younis and urban refugee camps in the territory's center. Read more

Israeli sympathizers take part in a demonstration during a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on a genocide complaint by South Africa against Israel, in The Hague, on January 11, 2024.

Snow in the West and flooding in the Northeast with more foul weather ahead

Forecasters say more bad weather is in store after storms that battered nearly every corner of the United States and caused at least five deaths in Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. The Northeast is cleaning up after drenching rains, flooding and fierce winds that stranded vehicles, shuttered schools and knocked out power. The storm hit the Northeast on Tuesday night and moved out Wednesday. Another storm could bring heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast from Friday night into Saturday, forecasters said. Read more

Flood waters inundate a playground in Lodi, N.J., on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.

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Pete Carroll out as Seattle Seahawks coach in stunning end to 14-year run leading team

Pete Carroll's 14-year run as the Seattle Seahawks coach is over, marking a stunning end to the most successful chapter in franchise history. The Seahawks announced Wednesday that Carroll would move on to an advisory role. Carroll helped the franchise win its only Super Bowl in the 2013 season, compiled a 137-89-1 record in the regular season and led the organization to the playoffs 10 times. His 170 career regular-season wins leave him tied for 15th in league history and put him behind only Bill Belichick, Andy Reid and Mike Tomlin among active coaches. Read more

Photo of the day: The SAG Awards 2024 nominations are here

Barbenheimer still rules, with "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" taking the Screen Actors Guild Awards by storm as they tied with four nominations each. Other contenders are "Killers of the Flower Moon," "The Color Purple" and "American Fiction." The SAG nominations were announced Wednesday morning by Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani on Instagram Live. The show, which will stream live on Netflix on Feb. 24 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, is an important bellwether for the upcoming Oscars on March 10. Read more

Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Killers of the Flower Moon."

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Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP debate, Donald Trump, Israel-Hamas war, winter storm: Daily Briefing

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