January 16, 2024 (Lincoln, Neb.) –&nbsp; Today, Director Rob Jeffreys announced multiple leadership changes at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS).&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We are a solutions-driven agency, continually exploring opportunities to do our work better,” said Jeffreys. “These changes will draw on the tremendous skills and experience of our agency leaders and provide opportunities for them to develop their leadership in new environments. It’s about having the right people in the right places.”

Changes to facility leadership are outlined below.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Effective January 22, 2024:

Robert Madsen, the deputy director for prison operations, has assumed oversight of all nine state correctional facilities. He will also lead the newly-developed multi-disciplinary prison operations team, focused on the safety and security of NDCS facilities.

Dawn-Renee Smith, the deputy director for rehabilitative services, will continue to oversee programs, reentry and classification. Additional responsibilities include oversight of research and the correctional industries program. She will also serve as chair of the multi-disciplinary rehabilitative services team, focused on programming, reentry and community engagement.&nbsp;

“The shifting of duties in our deputy positions, for both prisons and rehabilitative services, will allow for more effective management of those areas and will allow us to build more robust teams from within,” said Dir. Jeffreys. “In particular, we want to grow our community outreach and reentry services. This staffing alignment will help us accomplish that mission.”

Dir. Jeffreys announced additional changes within his executive team, to foster closer collaboration among the legislative, communications, and intelligence and investigations divisions. Leaders of these divisions, reporting to the director, include: Legislative Coordinator Alex Timperley; Director of Strategic Communications Dayne Urbanovsky; and, Assistant Deputy Director- Intelligence &amp; Investigations Rich Cruickshank.

NDCS&nbsp; has recently posted a position for a chief inspector. The person in that role will also report to the director and will serve as a resource for constituents and direct internal investigations.

January 16, 2024 (Lincoln, Neb.) –&nbsp; Today, Director Rob Jeffreys announced multiple leadership changes at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS).&nbsp;&nbsp;“We are a solutions-driven agency, continually exploring opportunities to do our work better,” said Jeffreys. “These changes will draw on the tremendous skills and experience of our agency leaders and provide opportunities for them to develop their leadership in new environments. It’s about having the right people in the right places.”Changes to facility leadership are outlined below.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Effective January 22, 2024:<ul>
 <li>Shaun Settles, warden of the Community Corrections Center – Omaha (CCC-O) will become warden at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI)&nbsp;</li><li>Craig Gable, warden of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI) will become warden of the Community Corrections Center – Omaha (CCC-O)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Effective January 29, 2024:<ul>
 <li>Barb Lewien, warden of the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC) will become warden at the Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP)</li><li>James Jansen, warden of the Community Corrections Center – Lincoln (CCC-L) will become warden of the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC)&nbsp;</li><li>Michele Wilhelm, warden of the Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP) will become warden of the Community Corrections Center – Lincoln (CCC-L)</li>
 </ul>Robert Madsen, the deputy director for prison operations, has assumed oversight of all nine state correctional facilities. He will also lead the newly-developed multi-disciplinary prison operations team, focused on the safety and security of NDCS facilities.Dawn-Renee Smith, the deputy director for rehabilitative services, will continue to oversee programs, reentry and classification. Additional responsibilities include oversight of research and the correctional industries program. She will also serve as chair of the multi-disciplinary rehabilitative services team, focused on programming, reentry and community engagement.&nbsp;“The shifting of duties in our deputy positions, for both prisons and rehabilitative services, will allow for more effective management of those areas and will allow us to build more robust teams from within,” said Dir. Jeffreys. “In particular, we want to grow our community outreach and reentry services. This staffing alignment will help us accomplish that mission.”Dir. Jeffreys announced additional changes within his executive team, to foster closer collaboration among the legislative, communications, and intelligence and investigations divisions. Leaders of these divisions, reporting to the director, include: Legislative Coordinator Alex Timperley; Director of Strategic Communications Dayne Urbanovsky; and, Assistant Deputy Director- Intelligence &amp; Investigations Rich Cruickshank.NDCS&nbsp; has recently posted a position for a chief inspector. The person in that role will also report to the director and will serve as a resource for constituents and direct internal investigations.

NDCS announces multiple leadership changes

WASHINGTON (AP) — A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his family were at Camp David.

Fire engines and other emergency vehicles responded to a report just after 7 a.m. that the White House was ablaze and a person was trapped inside, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to talk about the fake emergency call and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Within minutes, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and U.S. Secret Service personnel determined that it was a false report and called off the response.

Someone who was reached at the callback number for the 911 report indicated they did not place it, the person said, indicating it was likely spoofed.

Biden returned to the White House on Monday afternoon after spending part of the weekend at the presidential retreat in Maryland and participating in a service event in Philadelphia to mark&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/martin-luther-king-jr" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr. Day</a>.

The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump in New York and the criminal election subversion case against him in Washington, D.C. have both been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/swatting-calls-marjorie-taylor-greene-rick-scott-d568818925c99c8cf17467f737b99e97">targeted</a>&nbsp;in recent days. Also, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith was the subject of a fake emergency call Christmas Day.

Swatting is the act of making a prank call to emergency services to prompt a response at a particular address. The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up.

Some of the recent calls have featured the voice of a man calling himself “Jamal,” claiming he had shot his wife because she was sleeping with another man and saying he was holding the boyfriend hostage, demanding $10,000.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-new-york-closing-arguments-b36abe2fd695d0172e71f8ef9c5ee7f3">In New York</a>, authorities responded to a bomb threat at the Long Island home of Judge Arthur Engoron early Thursday morning, the day after the judge issued a ruling preventing the former president from delivering his own closing statements in the civil fraud case against him. Nothing amiss was found.

The false report came days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-swatting-threats-fe70d2254f2da4a1cb9e6e55c79e1d40">fake emergency call</a>&nbsp;reporting a shooting at the home of U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump’s Capitol attack criminal case in Washington, D.C.

Smith was also the target of fake shooting report at his home, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Smith and his family have been the subject of numerous threats and intimidating messages since he was appointed and Trump began posting messages about them online, prosecutors have said in court documents.

WHAT OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN TARGETED?

Public officials targeted by swatting range from Republican U.S. Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-greene-swatting-georgia-christmas-2081fd3835512cc3180aa1171fc5913d">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia to Maine Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-trump-ballot-swatting-08f1d0e39ee7b111d51045bb9ea48094">Shenna Bellows</a>, a Democrat who removed Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-79373b5043976588b599fc00ede049e8">Constitution’s insurrection clause</a>.

Other high-profile targets in recent days include U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

In Greene's case, a man called the Georgia suicide hotline Christmas morning, claiming that he had shot his girlfriend at Greene’s home and was going to kill himself next, police said. The call was quickly transferred to police, who determined it was a swatting attempt after contacting a private security detail for Greene, who has been targeted multiple times.

In Wu's case, a male caller claimed the same day claiming he had shot his wife and had tied her and another man up at the Boston mayor's address. Wu, a Democrat, has also been targeted by many swatting calls since she took office in 2021.

Hundreds of cases of swatting occur annually, with some using caller ID spoofing to disguise their number. And those targeted extend far beyond public officials.

Police have for months reported a huge surge in fake claims about active shooters at schools and colleges. There have also been reports of hundreds of swatting incidents and bomb threats against synagogues and other Jewish institutions since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;began.

The FBI said earlier this year that it had started the process of creating a national database in to track swatting incidents nationwide. The agency said Thursday that investigators take seriously the widespread increase in threats, and every hoax “puts innocent people at risk, is a waste of law enforcement’s limited resources, and costs taxpayers.”

Such calls have proven dangerous and even outright deadly.

In 2017, a police officer in Wichita, Kansas, shot and killed a man while responding to a hoax emergency call.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8d48bc5c4db63afb97457d4080c02612">Earlier this year</a>, the city agreed to pay $5 million to settle a related lawsuit, with the money to go to the two children of 28-year-old Andrew Finch.

In 2015, police in Maryland shot a 20-year-old man in the face with rubber bullets after a&nbsp;<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-man-gets-2-years-after-swatting-victim-was-shot">fake hostage situation was reported</a>&nbsp;at his home.

In addition to putting innocent people at risk, police and officials say they worry about diverting resources from real emergencies.

No arrests have been made in the recent threats, but some lawmakers have moved for heftier penalties.

Ohio earlier this year made it a felony offense to report a false emergency that prompts response by law enforcement. And Virginia increased the penalties for swatting to up to 12 months in jail. Similar bills are pending in other states and Congress.

In Georgia, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones promised “an end to this madness” after his home in a small town south of Atlanta was swatted on Wednesday, only to have a bomb threat called in to his office on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705413308466.png" alt="FILE - A firetruck is parked outside of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2007. A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning. President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David at the time. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - A firetruck is parked outside of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2007. A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning. President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David at the time. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his family were at Camp David.Fire engines and other emergency vehicles responded to a report just after 7 a.m. that the White House was ablaze and a person was trapped inside, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to talk about the fake emergency call and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Within minutes, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and U.S. Secret Service personnel determined that it was a false report and called off the response.Someone who was reached at the callback number for the 911 report indicated they did not place it, the person said, indicating it was likely spoofed.Biden returned to the White House on Monday afternoon after spending part of the weekend at the presidential retreat in Maryland and participating in a service event in Philadelphia to mark&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/martin-luther-king-jr" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr. Day</a>.The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump in New York and the criminal election subversion case against him in Washington, D.C. have both been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/swatting-calls-marjorie-taylor-greene-rick-scott-d568818925c99c8cf17467f737b99e97">targeted</a>&nbsp;in recent days. Also, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith was the subject of a fake emergency call Christmas Day.Here's a look at the spike in threats:WHAT IS ‘SWATTING’?Swatting is the act of making a prank call to emergency services to prompt a response at a particular address. The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up.Some of the recent calls have featured the voice of a man calling himself “Jamal,” claiming he had shot his wife because she was sleeping with another man and saying he was holding the boyfriend hostage, demanding $10,000.WHO IN THE COURTS HAS BEEN TARGETED?<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-new-york-closing-arguments-b36abe2fd695d0172e71f8ef9c5ee7f3">In New York</a>, authorities responded to a bomb threat at the Long Island home of Judge Arthur Engoron early Thursday morning, the day after the judge issued a ruling preventing the former president from delivering his own closing statements in the civil fraud case against him. Nothing amiss was found.The false report came days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-swatting-threats-fe70d2254f2da4a1cb9e6e55c79e1d40">fake emergency call</a>&nbsp;reporting a shooting at the home of U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump’s Capitol attack criminal case in Washington, D.C.Smith was also the target of fake shooting report at his home, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Smith and his family have been the subject of numerous threats and intimidating messages since he was appointed and Trump began posting messages about them online, prosecutors have said in court documents.WHAT OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN TARGETED?Public officials targeted by swatting range from Republican U.S. Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-greene-swatting-georgia-christmas-2081fd3835512cc3180aa1171fc5913d">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia to Maine Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-trump-ballot-swatting-08f1d0e39ee7b111d51045bb9ea48094">Shenna Bellows</a>, a Democrat who removed Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-79373b5043976588b599fc00ede049e8">Constitution’s insurrection clause</a>.Other high-profile targets in recent days include U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.In Greene's case, a man called the Georgia suicide hotline Christmas morning, claiming that he had shot his girlfriend at Greene’s home and was going to kill himself next, police said. The call was quickly transferred to police, who determined it was a swatting attempt after contacting a private security detail for Greene, who has been targeted multiple times.In Wu's case, a male caller claimed the same day claiming he had shot his wife and had tied her and another man up at the Boston mayor's address. Wu, a Democrat, has also been targeted by many swatting calls since she took office in 2021.HOW WIDESPREAD IS THE PROBLEM?Hundreds of cases of swatting occur annually, with some using caller ID spoofing to disguise their number. And those targeted extend far beyond public officials.Police have for months reported a huge surge in fake claims about active shooters at schools and colleges. There have also been reports of hundreds of swatting incidents and bomb threats against synagogues and other Jewish institutions since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;began.The FBI said earlier this year that it had started the process of creating a national database in to track swatting incidents nationwide. The agency said Thursday that investigators take seriously the widespread increase in threats, and every hoax “puts innocent people at risk, is a waste of law enforcement’s limited resources, and costs taxpayers.”DO FALSE THREATS POSE OTHER RISKS?Such calls have proven dangerous and even outright deadly.In 2017, a police officer in Wichita, Kansas, shot and killed a man while responding to a hoax emergency call.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8d48bc5c4db63afb97457d4080c02612">Earlier this year</a>, the city agreed to pay $5 million to settle a related lawsuit, with the money to go to the two children of 28-year-old Andrew Finch.In 2015, police in Maryland shot a 20-year-old man in the face with rubber bullets after a&nbsp;<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-man-gets-2-years-after-swatting-victim-was-shot">fake hostage situation was reported</a>&nbsp;at his home.In addition to putting innocent people at risk, police and officials say they worry about diverting resources from real emergencies.WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE COULD THIS PROMPT?No arrests have been made in the recent threats, but some lawmakers have moved for heftier penalties.Ohio earlier this year made it a felony offense to report a false emergency that prompts response by law enforcement. And Virginia increased the penalties for swatting to up to 12 months in jail. Similar bills are pending in other states and Congress.In Georgia, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones promised “an end to this madness” after his home in a small town south of Atlanta was swatted on Wednesday, only to have a bomb threat called in to his office on Thursday.

White House is latest 'swatting' site—after series of fake 911 calls

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that affirmed his grip on the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

In what was the lowest-turnout caucus in a quarter-century, participants endured life-threatening cold and dangerous driving conditions to meet in hundreds of schools, churches and community centers across the state. But those who ventured out delivered a roughly 30-point win for Trump that smashed the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding Bob Dole's nearly 13-percentage-point victory in 1988.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished a distant second, just ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

The results left Trump with a tighter grip on the GOP nomination, though it could take several more months for anyone to formally become the party’s standard bearer. The magnitude of Trump’s victory, however, posed significant questions for both DeSantis and Haley. Neither candidate appeared poised to exit the race, though they leave Iowa struggling to claim making much progress in trying to become Trump’s strongest challenger.

Having repeatedly vowed vengeance against his political opponents in recent months, Trump offered a message of unity in his victory speech.

“We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” he said. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”

The GOP contest moves swiftly to New Hampshire, which will hold the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. A shrinking field will compete there after conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign after a disappointing fourth place finish and endorsed Trump.

DeSantis first heads to South Carolina on Tuesday, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal. He will head later in the day New Hampshire.

“Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” DeSantis told supporters.

Haley plans to compete vigorously in New Hampshire, where she hopes to be more successful with the state’s independent voters.

“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire and in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” she said.

In a preview of a remarkable balancing act Trump may have to manage in the months ahead, he was expected to be in court in New York on Tuesday. A jury is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-lawsuit-defamation-trial-aacfe35372690da0e26d0a273046baf2">poised to consider whether he should pay additional damages</a>&nbsp;to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. It's just one of multiple legal challenges facing the former president.

After visiting the court, Trump will fly to New Hampshire to hold a rally Tuesday evening.

Trump has made courtroom visits a part of his campaign — heading to court voluntarily twice last week while his opponents campaigned in Iowa — in a strategy designed to portray him as a victim of a politicized legal system. Among Republican voters, at least, the approach is working.

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:31 p.m. CST based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in the caucuses. Both showed Trump with an insurmountable lead.

Initial results from eight counties showed Trump with far more than half of the total votes counted as of 7:31 p.m., with the rest of the field trailing far behind. These counties included rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that had yet to report.

The Associated Press determined at 11:17 p.m. CST that DeSantis finished a distant second to Trump. With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted, DeSantis led Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points. With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley wasn't doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.

Trump showed significant strength among Iowa's urban, small-town and rural communities, according to AP VoteCast. He also performed well with evangelical Christians and those without a college degree. And a majority of caucusgoers said they identify with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

One relative weakness for Trump comes in the suburbs, where only about 4 in 10 supported him.

Iowa has been an uneven predictor of who will ultimately lead Republicans into the general election. George W. Bush’s 2000 victory was the last time a Republican candidate won in Iowa and went on to become the party’s nominee.

But Trump’s success tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from a flawed front-runner. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.

The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether states have the ability to block Trump from the ballot for his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. And he’s facing criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.” And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”

Trump’s legal challenges appear to have done little damage to his reputation. Many of his supporters view the charges through a political lens.

About three-quarters of Iowans responding to AP VoteCast said the charges against Trump are political attempts to undermine him, rather than legitimate attempts to investigate important issues.

“God called us to do that to support Trump,” said 64-year-old David Lage, donning a captain’s hat at Trump's victory party.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705403037488.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that affirmed his grip on the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;We want to thank the great people of Iowa!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/O8Y28bRKyk">pic.twitter.com/O8Y28bRKyk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1747110077373235645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In what was the lowest-turnout caucus in a quarter-century, participants endured life-threatening cold and dangerous driving conditions to meet in hundreds of schools, churches and community centers across the state. But those who ventured out delivered a roughly 30-point win for Trump that smashed the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding Bob Dole's nearly 13-percentage-point victory in 1988.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ron DeSantis: &quot;We&#39;ve got our ticket punched out of Iowa.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VcMKSBE8QQ">pic.twitter.com/VcMKSBE8QQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1747119572740690012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished a distant second, just ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.The results left Trump with a tighter grip on the GOP nomination, though it could take several more months for anyone to formally become the party’s standard bearer. The magnitude of Trump’s victory, however, posed significant questions for both DeSantis and Haley. Neither candidate appeared poised to exit the race, though they leave Iowa struggling to claim making much progress in trying to become Trump’s strongest challenger.Having repeatedly vowed vengeance against his political opponents in recent months, Trump offered a message of unity in his victory speech.“We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” he said. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Nikki Haley: &quot;When you look at how we&#39;re doing in New Hampshire in South Carolina and beyond I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican Primary a two person race.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/R6MuCh17Lg">pic.twitter.com/R6MuCh17Lg</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1747119894070538480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The GOP contest moves swiftly to New Hampshire, which will hold the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. A shrinking field will compete there after conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign after a disappointing fourth place finish and endorsed Trump.DeSantis first heads to South Carolina on Tuesday, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal. He will head later in the day New Hampshire.“Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” DeSantis told supporters.Haley plans to compete vigorously in New Hampshire, where she hopes to be more successful with the state’s independent voters.“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire and in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” she said.In a preview of a remarkable balancing act Trump may have to manage in the months ahead, he was expected to be in court in New York on Tuesday. A jury is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-lawsuit-defamation-trial-aacfe35372690da0e26d0a273046baf2">poised to consider whether he should pay additional damages</a>&nbsp;to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. It's just one of multiple legal challenges facing the former president.After visiting the court, Trump will fly to New Hampshire to hold a rally Tuesday evening.Trump has made courtroom visits a part of his campaign — heading to court voluntarily twice last week while his opponents campaigned in Iowa — in a strategy designed to portray him as a victim of a politicized legal system. Among Republican voters, at least, the approach is working.The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:31 p.m. CST based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in the caucuses. Both showed Trump with an insurmountable lead.Initial results from eight counties showed Trump with far more than half of the total votes counted as of 7:31 p.m., with the rest of the field trailing far behind. These counties included rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that had yet to report.The Associated Press determined at 11:17 p.m. CST that DeSantis finished a distant second to Trump. With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted, DeSantis led Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points. With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley wasn't doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.Trump showed significant strength among Iowa's urban, small-town and rural communities, according to AP VoteCast. He also performed well with evangelical Christians and those without a college degree. And a majority of caucusgoers said they identify with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.One relative weakness for Trump comes in the suburbs, where only about 4 in 10 supported him.Iowa has been an uneven predictor of who will ultimately lead Republicans into the general election. George W. Bush’s 2000 victory was the last time a Republican candidate won in Iowa and went on to become the party’s nominee.But Trump’s success tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from a flawed front-runner. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether states have the ability to block Trump from the ballot for his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. And he’s facing criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.” And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”Trump’s legal challenges appear to have done little damage to his reputation. Many of his supporters view the charges through a political lens.About three-quarters of Iowans responding to AP VoteCast said the charges against Trump are political attempts to undermine him, rather than legitimate attempts to investigate important issues.“God called us to do that to support Trump,” said 64-year-old David Lage, donning a captain’s hat at Trump's victory party.___

🎥 Trump celebrates landslide Iowa win; DeSantis edges Haley

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iran said late Monday it had launched strikes against a “spy headquarters and gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups” shortly after missiles hit an upscale area near the U.S. consulate in Irbil, the seat of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The security council of the Kurdish regional government said in a statement that four civilians were killed and six injured in the strikes.

Peshraw Dizayi, a prominent local businessman with a portfolio that included real estate and security services companies, was killed in one of the strikes along with members of his family, according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by former Iraqi member of parliament Mashan al-Jabouri, who said that one of the missiles had fallen on Dizayi’s “palace, next to my house, which is under construction on the road to the Salah al-Din resort.”

Soon after, a statement from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/persian-gulf-tensions-us-iran-revolutionary-guard-ea0aa5d3bc2b7472cb633bb3e123a993" target="_blank">Iran’s Revolutionary Guards</a>&nbsp;on state media said it had struck “terrorist operations” including Islamic State targets in Syria “and destroyed them by firing a number of ballistic missiles.” Another statement claimed that it had hit a headquarters of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/islamic-state-group" target="_blank">The Islamic State extremist group</a>&nbsp;claimed responsibility earlier this month for two suicide bombings targeting a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 U.S. drone strike. The attack in Kerman killed at least 84 people and wounded an additional 284 at a ceremony honoring Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Last month, Iran accused Israel of killing a high-ranking Iranian general, Seyed Razi Mousavi, in an airstrike on a Damascus neighborhood.

An Iraqi security official said Irbil was targeted with “several” ballistic missiles but did not give further details. An official with an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia said 10 missiles fell in the area near the U.S. consulate. He said the missiles were launched by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

A U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that had not been made public said the U.S. tracked the missiles, which hit in northern Iraq and northern Syria, and no U.S. facilities were struck or damaged in the attacks. The official said initial indications were that the strike were “reckless and imprecise.”

In 2022, Iran claimed responsibility for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-missile-attack-erbil-iraq-us-consulate-7a4ea6281fe6191a4e4b640c58c7fd49" target="_blank">missile barrage that struck in the same area</a>&nbsp;near the sprawling U.S. consulate complex in Irbil, saying it was retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard.

The strikes come at a time of heightened tensions in the region and fears of a wider spillover of the ongoing war in Gaza.

Since the outbreak of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7</a>, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have launched near-daily drone attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, which the groups have said was in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel, and in an attempt to force U.S. troops to leave the region.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705371154639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iran said late Monday it had launched strikes against a “spy headquarters and gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups” shortly after missiles hit an upscale area near the U.S. consulate in Irbil, the seat of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.The security council of the Kurdish regional government said in a statement that four civilians were killed and six injured in the strikes.Peshraw Dizayi, a prominent local businessman with a portfolio that included real estate and security services companies, was killed in one of the strikes along with members of his family, according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by former Iraqi member of parliament Mashan al-Jabouri, who said that one of the missiles had fallen on Dizayi’s “palace, next to my house, which is under construction on the road to the Salah al-Din resort.”Soon after, a statement from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/persian-gulf-tensions-us-iran-revolutionary-guard-ea0aa5d3bc2b7472cb633bb3e123a993" target="_blank">Iran’s Revolutionary Guards</a>&nbsp;on state media said it had struck “terrorist operations” including Islamic State targets in Syria “and destroyed them by firing a number of ballistic missiles.” Another statement claimed that it had hit a headquarters of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, in the Kurdish region of Iraq.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/islamic-state-group" target="_blank">The Islamic State extremist group</a>&nbsp;claimed responsibility earlier this month for two suicide bombings targeting a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 U.S. drone strike. The attack in Kerman killed at least 84 people and wounded an additional 284 at a ceremony honoring Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani.Last month, Iran accused Israel of killing a high-ranking Iranian general, Seyed Razi Mousavi, in an airstrike on a Damascus neighborhood.An Iraqi security official said Irbil was targeted with “several” ballistic missiles but did not give further details. An official with an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia said 10 missiles fell in the area near the U.S. consulate. He said the missiles were launched by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity.A U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that had not been made public said the U.S. tracked the missiles, which hit in northern Iraq and northern Syria, and no U.S. facilities were struck or damaged in the attacks. The official said initial indications were that the strike were “reckless and imprecise.”In 2022, Iran claimed responsibility for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-missile-attack-erbil-iraq-us-consulate-7a4ea6281fe6191a4e4b640c58c7fd49" target="_blank">missile barrage that struck in the same area</a>&nbsp;near the sprawling U.S. consulate complex in Irbil, saying it was retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard.The strikes come at a time of heightened tensions in the region and fears of a wider spillover of the ongoing war in Gaza.Since the outbreak of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7</a>, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have launched near-daily drone attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, which the groups have said was in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel, and in an attempt to force U.S. troops to leave the region.——-

Iran launches missile strikes near the US consulate in Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-navy-seals" target="_blank">U.S. Navy SEALs</a>&nbsp;on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a U.S. defense official said Monday.

The official said crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia. The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-seals-missing-somalia-coast-boarding-mission-41a5cf55805f8aa0ff2c4d5626690529" target="_blank">The SEALs</a>&nbsp;were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both are missing.

The team boarding the small boat was facing about a dozen crew members. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. The weapons were confiscated, and the boat was sunk, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing open holes in the hull.

U.S. officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search.

The U.S. Navy has conducted regular&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-middle-east-e4bde7250333a85445fe9a9f0f1c64a8" target="_blank">interdiction missions</a>&nbsp;in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Officials have said that the SEAL mission was not related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b" target="_blank">Operation Prosperity Guardian</a>, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11" target="_blank">conducted in Yemen</a>&nbsp;over the past two days.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-navy-seals" target="_blank">U.S. Navy SEALs</a>&nbsp;on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a U.S. defense official said Monday.The official said crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia. The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-seals-missing-somalia-coast-boarding-mission-41a5cf55805f8aa0ff2c4d5626690529" target="_blank">The SEALs</a>&nbsp;were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both are missing.The team boarding the small boat was facing about a dozen crew members. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. The weapons were confiscated, and the boat was sunk, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing open holes in the hull.U.S. officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search.The U.S. Navy has conducted regular&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-middle-east-e4bde7250333a85445fe9a9f0f1c64a8" target="_blank">interdiction missions</a>&nbsp;in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.Officials have said that the SEAL mission was not related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b" target="_blank">Operation Prosperity Guardian</a>, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11" target="_blank">conducted in Yemen</a>&nbsp;over the past two days.

2 missing Navy SEALs were on mission to confiscate Iranian missile parts

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;was released from the hospital Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prostate-cancer-treatment-surgery-radiation-study-508ac3025e164ff629b180ebb6113df0">surgery for prostate cancer</a>&nbsp;he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.

He is expected to work from home as he recovers.

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-hospital-defense-secretary-biden-fe9060f1e277db706d3cee6cae1d2562">on Dec. 22</a>&nbsp;and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care.

Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain resulting from the infection and so he could get physical therapy.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin's failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his Pentagon chief</a>.

During Austin's time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">a series of military strikes</a>&nbsp;late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-houthi-yemen-ships-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-716770f0a780160e9abed98d3c48fbde">assaults on commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-secrecy-disclosure-6ff0ee7eddfde1231453f96774788642">The lack of transparency</a>&nbsp;about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-white-house-pentagon-lloyd-austin-8e888aaed905e2327501a237139c6f0e">administration and Defense Department reviews</a>&nbsp;on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24355772-cabinet-heads-memo">ordered Cabinet members</a>&nbsp;to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin's secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief's job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his job</a>, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704767147747.png" alt="Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visits the USS Gerald R. Ford underway in the Eastern Mediterranean, Dec. 20, 2023.&nbsp;Photo By:Chad J. McNeeley, DOD" />
 <figcaption>Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visits the USS Gerald R. Ford underway in the Eastern Mediterranean, Dec. 20, 2023.&nbsp;Photo By:Chad J. McNeeley, DOD</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;was released from the hospital Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prostate-cancer-treatment-surgery-radiation-study-508ac3025e164ff629b180ebb6113df0">surgery for prostate cancer</a>&nbsp;he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.He is expected to work from home as he recovers.Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-hospital-defense-secretary-biden-fe9060f1e277db706d3cee6cae1d2562">on Dec. 22</a>&nbsp;and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care.Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain resulting from the infection and so he could get physical therapy.President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin's failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his Pentagon chief</a>.During Austin's time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">a series of military strikes</a>&nbsp;late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-houthi-yemen-ships-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-716770f0a780160e9abed98d3c48fbde">assaults on commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-secrecy-disclosure-6ff0ee7eddfde1231453f96774788642">The lack of transparency</a>&nbsp;about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-white-house-pentagon-lloyd-austin-8e888aaed905e2327501a237139c6f0e">administration and Defense Department reviews</a>&nbsp;on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24355772-cabinet-heads-memo">ordered Cabinet members</a>&nbsp;to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.Austin's secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief's job is safe.It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his job</a>, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

Defense Secretary working from home after surgery he kept secret

(Lincoln) Nebraska Treasurer and active farmer Tom Briese has submitted a comment letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opposing a proposed rule change by the NY Stock Exchange (NYSE) to adopt listing standards of so-called Natural Asset Companies (NACs). &nbsp;

Unlike other types of publicly traded companies, the purpose of NACs is to hold the rights to ecological performance of a defined area. According to the NYSE summary, agriculture is contributing to the loss of natural habitat and soil degradation and&nbsp;is one of several “significant threats to life on earth and the economy.”&nbsp;

“As a farmer myself, and a public servant of a state that relies heavily on agriculture, I object to the characterization of production agriculture in this way. The proposed rule would enable, encourage, and facilitate large scale investment in the corporate ownership of the right to manage areas in a manner that may be detrimental to agriculture,” Briese said in his letter.&nbsp;

After an unusually short 21-day public comment period, the SEC announced it was reopening the public comment period until January 18th. &nbsp;

Submissions can be made at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro/sr-nyse-2023-09" target="_blank">https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro/sr-nyse-2023-09</a>&nbsp;

(Lincoln) Nebraska Treasurer and active farmer Tom Briese has submitted a comment letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opposing a proposed rule change by the NY Stock Exchange (NYSE) to adopt listing standards of so-called Natural Asset Companies (NACs). &nbsp;Unlike other types of publicly traded companies, the purpose of NACs is to hold the rights to ecological performance of a defined area. According to the NYSE summary, agriculture is contributing to the loss of natural habitat and soil degradation and&nbsp;is one of several “significant threats to life on earth and the economy.”&nbsp;“As a farmer myself, and a public servant of a state that relies heavily on agriculture, I object to the characterization of production agriculture in this way. The proposed rule would enable, encourage, and facilitate large scale investment in the corporate ownership of the right to manage areas in a manner that may be detrimental to agriculture,” Briese said in his letter.&nbsp;After an unusually short 21-day public comment period, the SEC announced it was reopening the public comment period until January 18th. &nbsp;Submissions can be made at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro/sr-nyse-2023-09" target="_blank">https://www.sec.gov/rules/sro/sr-nyse-2023-09</a>&nbsp;

Treasurer Briese Submits Comments Opposing Natural Asset Companies Listing on NY Stock Exchange 

The Kearney Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) was dispatched to a report of smoke coming from a residence at 1212 B Avenue at 03:29 this morning. Prior to the arrival of KVFD, a Kearney Police Officer advised that there was heavy smoke coming from the structure and a window had broken. Dispatch also advised that they could not confirm if there were occupants in the home or not. 

Upon arrival, KVFD initiated fire attack and a primary search of the structure. A short time later, firefighters located and removed one occupant from the structure. CHI Good Samaritan EMS received the patient just outside of the structure and began a patient assessment. The occupant, an adult female, was pronounced deceased a short time thereafter. 

KVFD members continued fire attack and a search of the structure. The fire was extinguished, and no additional occupants were located during the search. KVFD was assisted by Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, Kearney Police Department, Nebraska Public Power District and Northwestern Energy. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal was called to assist KVFD with the origin and cause investigation. 

The fire remains under investigation. However, the initial investigation indicates the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical event inside of the structure. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victim.&nbsp;

Kearney Volunteer Fire DepartmentThe Kearney Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) was dispatched to a report of smoke coming from a residence at 1212 B Avenue at 03:29 this morning. Prior to the arrival of KVFD, a Kearney Police Officer advised that there was heavy smoke coming from the structure and a window had broken. Dispatch also advised that they could not confirm if there were occupants in the home or not. Upon arrival, KVFD initiated fire attack and a primary search of the structure. A short time later, firefighters located and removed one occupant from the structure. CHI Good Samaritan EMS received the patient just outside of the structure and began a patient assessment. The occupant, an adult female, was pronounced deceased a short time thereafter. KVFD members continued fire attack and a search of the structure. The fire was extinguished, and no additional occupants were located during the search. KVFD was assisted by Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, Kearney Police Department, Nebraska Public Power District and Northwestern Energy. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal was called to assist KVFD with the origin and cause investigation. The fire remains under investigation. However, the initial investigation indicates the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical event inside of the structure. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victim.&nbsp;

One fatality reported in Sunday morning house fire in Kearney

By Office of U.S Congressman Mike Flood

MADISON, NEBRASKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;U.S. Congressman Mike Flood wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture after news their inspection team failed to show up at a pork production plant in Madison, Nebraska.

“I am writing in response to troubling reports that United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety&nbsp;and&nbsp;Inspection Service (FSIS) inspectors are not reporting to work at the Tyson Foods Pork Plant in Madison, Nebraska. Let me be clear, this is unacceptable and must be remedied immediately,” wrote Congressman Flood in his letter.

“If our communities can show up to work, the USDA can too. Our pork producers are ready and waiting; our plant wants to operate; the USDA must step up to the plate and fulfill its mission to serve rural America.”

Nebraska’s pork industry finishes over 5.43 million hogs per year, returning over $1.06 billion in cash receipts. As of 2021, Nebraska’s pork industry and related activity supported 17,866 jobs and more than $978 million in personal income.

A copy of his full letter can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://flood.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/flood.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/madisonporkplant.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

By Office of U.S Congressman Mike FloodMADISON, NEBRASKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;U.S. Congressman Mike Flood wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture after news their inspection team failed to show up at a pork production plant in Madison, Nebraska.“I am writing in response to troubling reports that United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety&nbsp;and&nbsp;Inspection Service (FSIS) inspectors are not reporting to work at the Tyson Foods Pork Plant in Madison, Nebraska. Let me be clear, this is unacceptable and must be remedied immediately,” wrote Congressman Flood in his letter.“If our communities can show up to work, the USDA can too. Our pork producers are ready and waiting; our plant wants to operate; the USDA must step up to the plate and fulfill its mission to serve rural America.”Nebraska’s pork industry finishes over 5.43 million hogs per year, returning over $1.06 billion in cash receipts. As of 2021, Nebraska’s pork industry and related activity supported 17,866 jobs and more than $978 million in personal income.A copy of his full letter can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://flood.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/flood.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/madisonporkplant.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

Congressman Flood: USDA Must Keep Pork Production Moving in Madison

Today’s annual&nbsp;University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine&nbsp;Martin Luther King Jr. Day program, sponsored by the Nebraska Medicine Inclusion and Diversity Office and the UNMC Office of Inclusion, will be a virtual event due to the weather.

Med center colleagues, as well as members of the public, can access the event&nbsp;<a href="https://unmc.zoom.us/j/95179778879?pwd=cE5xUk40UnRRbFBYdHpPbUo2RWdxZz09" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

The program begins at noon. Pre-registration no longer is required.

Leadership will open the program with the welcome and statement of occasion, followed by keynote speaker&nbsp;by Walter Vincent Brooks, African American journalist, social research investigator and community activist.&nbsp;

Brooks is the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://trust-no-shadows-after-dark.com/" target="_blank">“Trust No Shadows After Dark: African American Genocide in the United States of America,”</a>&nbsp;which can be purchased at Aframerican Book Store, 3226 Lake St., for those interested.

The third annual Unsung Hero Award recipients will be announced during the program. The Unsung Hero Award celebrates colleagues at Nebraska Medicine, UNMC and/or Clarkson College who give back and serve others through volunteerism, service, outreach, mentorship or encouragement, either in their workplace or their community.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program is open to Nebraska Medicine colleagues, UNMC students and employees, as well as community members.

UNMCToday’s annual&nbsp;University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine&nbsp;Martin Luther King Jr. Day program, sponsored by the Nebraska Medicine Inclusion and Diversity Office and the UNMC Office of Inclusion, will be a virtual event due to the weather.Med center colleagues, as well as members of the public, can access the event&nbsp;<a href="https://unmc.zoom.us/j/95179778879?pwd=cE5xUk40UnRRbFBYdHpPbUo2RWdxZz09" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;The program begins at noon. Pre-registration no longer is required.Leadership will open the program with the welcome and statement of occasion, followed by keynote speaker&nbsp;by Walter Vincent Brooks, African American journalist, social research investigator and community activist.&nbsp;Brooks is the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://trust-no-shadows-after-dark.com/" target="_blank">“Trust No Shadows After Dark: African American Genocide in the United States of America,”</a>&nbsp;which can be purchased at Aframerican Book Store, 3226 Lake St., for those interested.The third annual Unsung Hero Award recipients will be announced during the program. The Unsung Hero Award celebrates colleagues at Nebraska Medicine, UNMC and/or Clarkson College who give back and serve others through volunteerism, service, outreach, mentorship or encouragement, either in their workplace or their community.The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program is open to Nebraska Medicine colleagues, UNMC students and employees, as well as community members.

Today’s UNMC/Nebraska Medicine annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program now virtual 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voting is set to begin Monday night in icy Iowa as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-winter-weather-caucus-campaign-events-canceled-a4fd8a5550a05166534f7b330560cbc9">neither life-threatening cold</a>&nbsp;nor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-election-fraud-documents-1d8d88542e6257ad957cf2fc03e190ae">life-changing legal trouble</a>&nbsp;can slow his march toward the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.

The Iowa caucuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2024/election-2024-our-very-complicated-democracy/iowa-caucus-election-2024-presidential-race-episode-1.html">which are the opening contest</a>&nbsp;in the months-long Republican presidential primary process, begin at 8 p.m. EST. Caucus participants will gather inside more than 1,500 schools, churches and community centers to debate their options, in some cases for hours, before casting secret ballots.

While Trump projects confidence, his onetime chief rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-iowa-caucuses-election-2024-b41c967b94fda070dfb70dfb1bdcfa44">fighting for his political survival</a>&nbsp;in a make-or-break race for second place.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</a>, the only woman in the race, stands in DeSantis' way. The two have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-haley-trump-iowa-republican-caucuses-2024-67f83ae02b266e3a62c3db1ea0800167">competed aggressively in recent weeks to emerge as the clear alternative</a>&nbsp;to the former president, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">has alienated many Americans</a>&nbsp;and could end up being a convicted felon by year’s end.

"I absolutely love a lot of the things (Trump) did, but his personality is just kind of getting in his way,” said Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said he supported Trump in the past two elections, but will caucus for DeSantis on Monday.

Polls suggest Trump enters the day with a massive lead in Iowa as Haley and DeSantis duel for a distant second. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are also on the ballot, as is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.

With the coldest temperatures in caucus history expected and dangerous travel conditions in virtually every corner of the rural state, the campaigns are bracing for a low-turnout contest that will test the strength of their support and their organizational muscle. The final result will serve as a powerful signal for the rest of the nomination fight to determine who will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.

After Iowa, the Republican primary shifts to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina over the coming weeks before moving into the rest of the country this spring. The ultimate nominee won't be confirmed until the party's national convention in July, but with big wins in the opening contests, Trump will be difficult to stop.

Trump's political strength heading into the Iowa caucuses, which come 426 days after he launched his 2024 campaign, tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from him. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including two indictments for his efforts to overturn the election and a third indictment for keeping classified documents in his Florida home.

In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country. And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting words like “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”

“Trump is a Christian. He’s trustworthy. He believes in America. And he believes in freedom,” said 71-year-old Kathy DeAngelo, a retired hospital administrative employee waiting in subzero weather to see Trump on Sunday. “He's the only one.”

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before the caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second. Trump is also viewed more favorably than the other top contenders by likely caucusgoers, at 69% compared with 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.

On the eve of the caucuses, Trump predicted he would set a modern-day record for an Iowa Republican caucus with a margin-of-victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole earned in 1988. He also sought to downplay expectations that he would earn as much as 50% of the total vote.

Whether he hits that number or not, his critics note that roughly half of the state’s Republican voters will likely vote for someone not named Trump.

“Somebody won by 12 points and that was like a record. Well, we should do that," Trump said Sunday during an appearance at a Des Moines hotel. "If we don’t do that, let 'em criticize us, right? But let’s see if we can get to 50%.“

“Brave the weather and go out and save America," he later added.

The temperature in parts of Iowa on Monday could dip as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 26 degrees Celsius) while snow drifts from Friday's blizzard still make travel hazardous across the rural state where unpaved roads are common.

Forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frost bite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”

Over the weekend, signs positioned on key roadways warned motorists in large flashing orange letters: “TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.”

And the winter weather, intimidating even for Iowa, will make an already unrepresentative process even less representative.

Many elderly Iowans, who are the backbone of the caucus, are wondering how they will make it to their sites. And only a tiny portion of the participants will be voters of color, given Iowa's overwhelmingly white population, a fact that helped convince Democrats to shift their opening primary contest to South Carolina this year.

Iowa's caucuses are also playing out on Martin Luther King Day, which is a federal holiday.

Last month, some presidential campaigns were expecting close to 200,000 Republican voters to participate in the caucus. On the eve of the contest, many now wonder whether the 2024 turnout will exceed the 118,411 Republicans who showed up in 2012.

Still, each of the campaigns is claiming a powerful get-out-the-vote operation that will ensure their supporters show up.

Haley rallied a room packed with Iowans and out-of-state volunteers on Sunday in Ames, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki.”

The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor repeated her frequent call for GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”

Nearly 200 miles away in Dubuque, DeSantis dismissed questions about his position in the polls as he courted voters.

“I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog,” the Florida governor said. “I think that that’s better.”

Meanwhile, not all voters were excited about their options.

Jake Hutzell, 28, hasn’t participated in a caucus before, and he isn’t sure that he will Monday, either. He follows politics, but he said he’s part of a generation that’s skeptical any of it makes a difference.

“There’s never been anyone I feel strongly about,” the Dubuque resident said. “If I’m going to throw my name behind who I think should be the president, I would like to very feel very strongly about it.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voting is set to begin Monday night in icy Iowa as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-winter-weather-caucus-campaign-events-canceled-a4fd8a5550a05166534f7b330560cbc9">neither life-threatening cold</a>&nbsp;nor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-election-fraud-documents-1d8d88542e6257ad957cf2fc03e190ae">life-changing legal trouble</a>&nbsp;can slow his march toward the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Donald Trump: &quot;You must go caucus tomorrow...You can&#39;t sit home. If you&#39;re sick as a dog...even if you vote and then pass away, it&#39;s worth it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tdjwqau6fW">pic.twitter.com/tdjwqau6fW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1746704464407343408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Iowa caucuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2024/election-2024-our-very-complicated-democracy/iowa-caucus-election-2024-presidential-race-episode-1.html">which are the opening contest</a>&nbsp;in the months-long Republican presidential primary process, begin at 8 p.m. EST. Caucus participants will gather inside more than 1,500 schools, churches and community centers to debate their options, in some cases for hours, before casting secret ballots.While Trump projects confidence, his onetime chief rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-iowa-caucuses-election-2024-b41c967b94fda070dfb70dfb1bdcfa44">fighting for his political survival</a>&nbsp;in a make-or-break race for second place.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</a>, the only woman in the race, stands in DeSantis' way. The two have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-haley-trump-iowa-republican-caucuses-2024-67f83ae02b266e3a62c3db1ea0800167">competed aggressively in recent weeks to emerge as the clear alternative</a>&nbsp;to the former president, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">has alienated many Americans</a>&nbsp;and could end up being a convicted felon by year’s end."I absolutely love a lot of the things (Trump) did, but his personality is just kind of getting in his way,” said Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said he supported Trump in the past two elections, but will caucus for DeSantis on Monday.Polls suggest Trump enters the day with a massive lead in Iowa as Haley and DeSantis duel for a distant second. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are also on the ballot, as is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.With the coldest temperatures in caucus history expected and dangerous travel conditions in virtually every corner of the rural state, the campaigns are bracing for a low-turnout contest that will test the strength of their support and their organizational muscle. The final result will serve as a powerful signal for the rest of the nomination fight to determine who will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.After Iowa, the Republican primary shifts to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina over the coming weeks before moving into the rest of the country this spring. The ultimate nominee won't be confirmed until the party's national convention in July, but with big wins in the opening contests, Trump will be difficult to stop.Trump's political strength heading into the Iowa caucuses, which come 426 days after he launched his 2024 campaign, tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from him. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including two indictments for his efforts to overturn the election and a third indictment for keeping classified documents in his Florida home.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country. And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting words like “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”Republican voters have been undeterred.“Trump is a Christian. He’s trustworthy. He believes in America. And he believes in freedom,” said 71-year-old Kathy DeAngelo, a retired hospital administrative employee waiting in subzero weather to see Trump on Sunday. “He's the only one.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705318898624.png" alt="Nikki Haley during a campaign rally Sunday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Nikki Haley during a campaign rally Sunday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before the caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second. Trump is also viewed more favorably than the other top contenders by likely caucusgoers, at 69% compared with 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.On the eve of the caucuses, Trump predicted he would set a modern-day record for an Iowa Republican caucus with a margin-of-victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole earned in 1988. He also sought to downplay expectations that he would earn as much as 50% of the total vote.Whether he hits that number or not, his critics note that roughly half of the state’s Republican voters will likely vote for someone not named Trump.“Somebody won by 12 points and that was like a record. Well, we should do that," Trump said Sunday during an appearance at a Des Moines hotel. "If we don’t do that, let 'em criticize us, right? But let’s see if we can get to 50%.““Brave the weather and go out and save America," he later added.The temperature in parts of Iowa on Monday could dip as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 26 degrees Celsius) while snow drifts from Friday's blizzard still make travel hazardous across the rural state where unpaved roads are common.Forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frost bite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”Over the weekend, signs positioned on key roadways warned motorists in large flashing orange letters: “TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.”And the winter weather, intimidating even for Iowa, will make an already unrepresentative process even less representative.Many elderly Iowans, who are the backbone of the caucus, are wondering how they will make it to their sites. And only a tiny portion of the participants will be voters of color, given Iowa's overwhelmingly white population, a fact that helped convince Democrats to shift their opening primary contest to South Carolina this year.Iowa's caucuses are also playing out on Martin Luther King Day, which is a federal holiday.Last month, some presidential campaigns were expecting close to 200,000 Republican voters to participate in the caucus. On the eve of the contest, many now wonder whether the 2024 turnout will exceed the 118,411 Republicans who showed up in 2012.Still, each of the campaigns is claiming a powerful get-out-the-vote operation that will ensure their supporters show up.Haley rallied a room packed with Iowans and out-of-state volunteers on Sunday in Ames, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki.”The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor repeated her frequent call for GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”Nearly 200 miles away in Dubuque, DeSantis dismissed questions about his position in the polls as he courted voters.“I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog,” the Florida governor said. “I think that that’s better.”Meanwhile, not all voters were excited about their options.Jake Hutzell, 28, hasn’t participated in a caucus before, and he isn’t sure that he will Monday, either. He follows politics, but he said he’s part of a generation that’s skeptical any of it makes a difference.“There’s never been anyone I feel strongly about,” the Dubuque resident said. “If I’m going to throw my name behind who I think should be the president, I would like to very feel very strongly about it.”___

🎥Trump predicts he will break Bob Dole's record in Iowa caucus victory

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the latest attack roiling global shipping</a>&nbsp;amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.

The attack on Sunday marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-14-2024-3af5b75f744b92c5517b287baf20b55b">the Israel-Hamas war</a>, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.

The Houthis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran</a>&nbsp;that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”

The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement.

The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.

“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."

The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.

The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.

U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.

Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.

For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.

Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.

“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.

Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.

Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.

Meanwhile, the White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.

The comments exposed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-netanyahu-israel-palestinians-gaza-fe150c19cdcc4737f4a9e22a695490ed">growing differences</a>&nbsp;between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.

Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians — an older woman and her adult son — in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.

The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-uninhabitable-un-humanitarian-israel-palestinians-famine-9d92816bdb8d82d023bc4bd18f67d8a3">pushed a quarter of the population into starvation</a>.

Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.

“We believe it’s the right time for that transition. And we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on “Face the Nation.”

Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.

The war has sent tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">soaring across the region</a>, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a wave of U.S. airstrikes</a>&nbsp;last week.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said his group won’t stop until a cease-fire is in place for Gaza.

“We are continuing, and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people,” Nasrallah said in a speech, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern border areas.

In other developments, tens of thousands of people in Europe and the Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-hostages-cease-fire-london-karachi-2632ad0e7285e55f2c222dc69100014a">took to the streets</a>&nbsp;Sunday to mark the 100th day of the war. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.

In Israel, supporters of the hostages and their families wrapped up a 24-hour protest in Tel Aviv calling on the government to win their immediate release.

The unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-774ab3c3d57fd7bcc627602eaf47fd98">allegations of genocide against Israel</a>&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-65b087102893dd06222370b10f0b4e4d">denies the accusations</a>&nbsp;and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.

Israel has also been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">U.S. diplomatic and military support.</a>&nbsp;Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction.

“It’s been 100 days, yet we will not stop until we win,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.

But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. During a visit to the region last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his calls on Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and increase the supplies of desperately needed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">left entire neighborhoods in ruins</a>.

Kirby, the White House spokesman, acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive. But he said there was more to do.

“We’re not saying let your foot up off the gas completely and don’t keep going after Hamas,” he said. “It’s just that we believe the time is coming here very, very soon for a transition to this lower intensity phase.”

The deadly Hezbollah missile strike in northern Israel renewed concerns about a second front erupting into full-blown war.

It came shortly after the Israeli army said it killed three Lebanese militants who tried to infiltrate Israel.

Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it had struck Lebanon in response to the missile strike. Israeli officials said a woman in her 70s and her son, in his 40s, were killed in the town of Yuval.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703990687604.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the latest attack roiling global shipping</a>&nbsp;amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.The attack on Sunday marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-14-2024-3af5b75f744b92c5517b287baf20b55b">the Israel-Hamas war</a>, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.The Houthis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran</a>&nbsp;that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement.The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.Meanwhile, the White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.The comments exposed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-netanyahu-israel-palestinians-gaza-fe150c19cdcc4737f4a9e22a695490ed">growing differences</a>&nbsp;between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians — an older woman and her adult son — in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-uninhabitable-un-humanitarian-israel-palestinians-famine-9d92816bdb8d82d023bc4bd18f67d8a3">pushed a quarter of the population into starvation</a>.Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.“We believe it’s the right time for that transition. And we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on “Face the Nation.”Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.The war has sent tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">soaring across the region</a>, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a wave of U.S. airstrikes</a>&nbsp;last week.Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said his group won’t stop until a cease-fire is in place for Gaza.“We are continuing, and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people,” Nasrallah said in a speech, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern border areas.In other developments, tens of thousands of people in Europe and the Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-hostages-cease-fire-london-karachi-2632ad0e7285e55f2c222dc69100014a">took to the streets</a>&nbsp;Sunday to mark the 100th day of the war. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.In Israel, supporters of the hostages and their families wrapped up a 24-hour protest in Tel Aviv calling on the government to win their immediate release.INTERNATIONAL PRESSUREThe unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-774ab3c3d57fd7bcc627602eaf47fd98">allegations of genocide against Israel</a>&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-65b087102893dd06222370b10f0b4e4d">denies the accusations</a>&nbsp;and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.Israel has also been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">U.S. diplomatic and military support.</a>&nbsp;Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction.“It’s been 100 days, yet we will not stop until we win,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. During a visit to the region last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his calls on Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and increase the supplies of desperately needed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">left entire neighborhoods in ruins</a>.Kirby, the White House spokesman, acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive. But he said there was more to do.“We’re not saying let your foot up off the gas completely and don’t keep going after Hamas,” he said. “It’s just that we believe the time is coming here very, very soon for a transition to this lower intensity phase.”FEARS OF A SECOND FRONTThe deadly Hezbollah missile strike in northern Israel renewed concerns about a second front erupting into full-blown war.It came shortly after the Israeli army said it killed three Lebanese militants who tried to infiltrate Israel.Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it had struck Lebanon in response to the missile strike. Israeli officials said a woman in her 70s and her son, in his 40s, were killed in the town of Yuval.The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel would not tolerate attacks on civilians.“The price will be extracted not just tonight, but also in the future,” he said.Yuval is one of more than 40 towns along Israel’s northern border evacuated by the government in October. Israeli media reported that the family stayed in the area because they work in agriculture.Tensions have also spread to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Palestinian health officials say nearly 350 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in confrontations throughout the war.On Sunday, the Israeli army said troops opened fire after a Palestinian car breached a military roadblock in the southern West Bank and an attacker fired at soldiers. Palestinian health officials said two Palestinians were killed.Late Sunday, Palestinian health officials said two teenage boys were killed by Israeli fire. The army said it shot them after they threw a bomb at an army base.ISRAEL STRIKES CENTRAL, SOUTHERN GAZAIsrael has launched major operations against the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.“No one is able to move,” said Rami Abu Matouq, who lives in the Maghazi camp. “Warplanes, snipers and gunfire are everywhere.”In the central town of Deir al-Balah, health officials said at least 15 people were killed in Israeli strikes late Saturday.At the entrance of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, men lined up to pray for the dead, their bodies wrapped in white shrouds. The bodies were put on the back of a pickup truck before they were taken to be buried.Meanwhile, the Egyptian TV station Al-Ghad said a cameraman was killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. The channel said Yazan al-Zwaidi was apparently in a crowd of people at the time. Details were not immediately available, and the Israeli military had no comment.The internet advocacy group Netblocks said communications in Gaza were still out after a 48-hour outage. The Palestinian telecommunications operator in Gaza, Jawwal, said two of its employees were killed Saturday when they were hit by a shell while fixing lines in Khan Younis.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Gaza Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;said Sunday that hospitals had received 125 bodies in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 23,968. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around two-thirds of the dead are women and minors. It says over 60,000 people have been wounded.Israel says Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The military says 189 soldiers have been killed and 1,099 wounded since the start of the ground offensive.___