5 things to know for Jan. 16: Presidential race, Gaza, Flight cancellations, Immigration, Apple

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — The first lunar lander to launch from the US in over 50 years is headed for a fiery end in Earth’s atmosphere. The failed mission is a setback for NASA as the agency aims to land a spacecraft on the moon before returning humans to the surface later this decade.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Presidential race

Former President Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican caucuses by an unprecedented margin, cementing his front-runner status in the GOP primary field as he vies to be the party’s 2024 nominee and reclaim the White House. Trump received 51% of the vote — despite battling four indictments, including charges tied to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edged out former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for a distant second-place finish with just over 21% — although the nominating contest now shifts to New Hampshire, where polls show Haley in a much stronger position in next week’s primary. Also on Monday, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses, ended his campaign and immediately endorsed former president Trump.

2. Gaza

Israel’s war in Gaza has brought famine with “such incredible speed,” the United Nations relief chief said Monday, as he warned that the “great majority” of 400,000 Gazans are starving in the besieged enclave. Elsewhere in the region, a Houthi ballistic missile struck a US-owned cargo ship on Monday, US Central Command said in a statement. The Yemeni militant group claimed responsibility for the strike against the Gibraltar Eagle, which appears to be the first time the Houthis have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship, raising the stakes in the Red Sea after Washington vowed that further Houthi launches would be met with a response.

3. Flight cancellations

A treacherous winter storm in the US has caused major flight disruptions across the country this week, creating headaches for thousands of travelers. Southwest topped the list of most-affected airlines for the second consecutive day on Monday with more than 700 flights canceled — about 18% of its schedule. Unlike Southwest’s holiday travel meltdown of 2022, the carrier said the recent cancellations were not due to technical issues and will ease up considerably today. And Southwest isn’t the only airline that has found the weather challenging. United has seen more than 430 flights canceled and American Airlines requested a temporary ground stop in Dallas on Monday due to the icy conditions.

4.Immigration

Authorities in Chicago are scrambling to shelter migrants in dangerous cold as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refuses to stop drop-offs. Illinois’ Democratic governor recently warned in a letter to his GOP counterpart that sending migrants now to the Windy City could cost lives. Over the last few weeks, mayors of New York, Chicago and Denver have been irked by “rogue buses” from Texas dropping off migrants by the thousands. Abbot has vowed to keep sending migrants despite the freezing conditions, saying that “until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue transporting migrants to sanctuary cities.” This comes just days after three Mexican migrants drowned near Eagle Pass, Texas, after state authorities blocked the US Border Patrol from accessing miles of the US-Mexico border.

5. Apple

Apple has received approval to change how its smartwatches function so the company can overcome the Apple Watch ban imposed by a US court. The fix would eliminate the pulse oximeter function, a medical scanner that measures the oxygen concentration in the bloodstream. Apple temporarily stopped selling some of its watch models after the International Trade Commission found the company in violation of a medical company’s pulse oximeter patent. Apple had said it “strongly disagrees” with the ban and pledged to “take all measures” to bring the Apple Watch back to US customers soon. At the same time, iPhone sales are slowing in part because of the Chinese government’s reported efforts to restrict purchases. Beijing, however, denies it has put any restrictions in place.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Emmy Awards: See the full list of winners
The 75th Emmy Awards took place on Monday, with “Succession,” “The Bear” and “Beef” dominating their respective categories. Here are the big winners from TV’s biggest night.

Elton John achieves elite EGOT status with Emmy win
The rockstar officially joined the EGOT club — the acronym reserved for those who win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Kate Moss at 50: A supermodel through the decades
British supermodel Kate Moss turns 50 today, and after decades in the fashion industry, it’s not hard to see why she remains one of Vogue’s favorite cover stars.

Award-winning close-up photos show the hidden wonders of nature
View the mesmerizing images recognized at the latest Close-up Photographer of the Year competition.

Why Americans are buying a lot less Champagne
Sales of champagne and other spirits are fizzling out as many drinkers ease off from stockpiling their homes with alcohol.

TODAY’S NUMBER

2
That’s how many weeks Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized after he was admitted for complications following prostate cancer surgery. Austin was released from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday and is “expected to make a full recovery,” his doctors said in a statement.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“These wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in a few minutes.”

— The National Weather Service, urging millions of Americans in the Midwest and Great Plains to stay warm today as life-threatening wind chills below minus 30 degrees sweep across numerous cities. This comes as several daily cold records have already been set this week — including across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

New podcast: What weight tells us about our health
At the start of 2024, many of us are setting new personal goals — like exercising, eating healthier or even trying to lose weight. But which metrics should we really be looking at? Listen to this new podcast episode of Chasing Life with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta to learn what makes a “healthy weight” and how to achieve yours.

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