In a dominant victory, former President Donald Trump walks away the winner in Iowa. And the two largest supermarket chains in the country are sued over their proposed merger. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.
Trump easily wins Iowa caucuses; DeSantis & Haley battle for second
It did not take long for a winner to be decided in Monday’s Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses. Just a half-hour into the first 2024 Republican presidential contest, former President Donald Trump was declared the victor by multiple news outlets.
“This has been an incredible experience,” Trump said. “This is the third time we’ve won, but this is the biggest one.”
The former president won by a record-setting margin, getting over half the votes as Iowans braved life-threatening temperatures to voice their opinions. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in a distant second with 21%, edging out former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley with 19%.
Following the results, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy ended his bid for the presidency, saying he’s endorsing Trump for the White House. Next, the GOP candidates set their sights on New Hampshire for the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23.
After winning big in Iowa on Monday night, Jan. 15, Trump is once again expected to be in court Tuesday, Jan. 16, as a civil damages trial begins in New York concerning a defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll. Following those proceedings, the former president is set to fly to New Hampshire for a rally.
U.S. condemns Iran’s attack on Iraq near American consulate
U.S. officials are condemning an attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp on Iraq’s Kurdistan region that struck near the U.S. consulate on Monday night, Jan. 15. The IRGC took responsibility, saying it launched ballistic missiles to destroy an Israeli spy site.
The Kurdistan Regional Security Council said four people were killed in the attack, and six others were wounded. In a statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. strongly condemns Iran’s missile strikes in Iraq, which undermine Iraq’s stability. The IRGC also claimed it hit ISIS targets in Syria. A White House official said the U.S. has tracked the missiles that impacted northern Iraq and Syria and said no U.S. personnel or facilities were targeted.
Israel moving to a new phase of war in Gaza
It has been more than 100 days into the Israel-Hamas war, and the death toll has reached 24,000, according to Palestinian authorities. Now, Israel has announced it is changing pace.
The country’s defense minister said on Monday, Jan. 15, that Israeli forces have finished “intensive” ground operations in Northern Gaza, and that phase in the south is coming to an end soon. It comes as world pressure to limit mass casualty events continues to mount.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that starvation looms over Gaza, adding that the humanitarian situation is beyond words.
“The onslaught on Gaza by Israeli forces over these 100 days has unleashed wholesale destruction and levels of civilian killings at a rate that is unprecedented during my years as secretary-general,” Guterres said.
Still, the fighting is not over yet, as Israeli officials say keeping the pressure on Hamas in Gaza is the only way to free 132 hostages. And there are still talks on what post-war Gaza looks like, with the U.S. saying that the Palestinian Authority should have a role in governance, something Israel disagrees with.
Swatting incident at the White House
Firefighters and EMS responded to the White House after a 911 caller reported a fire had broken out with someone trapped inside on Monday morning, Jan. 15. When crews arrived on the scene, there was no fire; according to officials, it was a swatting incident.
It is still unclear who called in the fire, but the Secret Service said that any fire at the White House would be immediately detected, and there was no fire. President Biden was at Camp David in Maryland when the call came in. Though law enforcement did not respond in this instance, the incident falls in line with a wave of swatting attempts on congressional leaders, judges, and other elected officials in recent weeks.
Washington state sues to block Kroger, Albertsons merger
A proposed $25 billion merger between the two largest supermarket chains in the U.S. is now facing some opposition. On Monday, Jan. 15, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Kroger and Albertsons, attempting to block the merger. Ferguson argued that the deal would leave shoppers with fewer choices and lead to higher prices.
The two supermarket chains issued a joint statement, calling Ferguson’s decision to file a lawsuit “premature” since the merger is still under review by the Federal Trade Commission. The deal was announced in 2022, and last year, Kroger said it would sell more than 400 stores to help the merger get approved. The supermarket chains said a merger is necessary to compete with retail giants like Walmart and Amazon.
Big night for Elton John, ‘The Bear,’ and ‘Succession’ at the Emmys
Award season continued in Hollywood Monday night, Jan. 15, with the 75th annual Emmy Awards, following a four-month delay due to the actors’ and writers’ strikes. On a night honoring the best in television, it was a legendary musician who made history. Elton John won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special for his Disney+ farewell concert. With the win, John officially became an EGOT, a performer who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
It was another big night for “Succession” as the HBO show won outstanding drama series for its final season, and outstanding comedy series went to the FX series “The Bear.” Both shows topped all others, taking home six awards apiece.
