DeSantis and Haley trail Trump in Iowa and Emmy Awards winners: Morning Rundown

Donald Trump dominates the Iowa caucuses. Who won big at the Emmy Awards. And North Korea abandons the goal of a shared territory with South Korea.

Here’s what to know today.

Iowa caucuses takeaways: Trump’s easy win and the distant fight for second

Donald Trump cemented his status as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination with an easy win in yesterday’s Iowa caucuses. The former president received more than 50% of votes. It’s the strongest sign yet that there is no decisive GOP alternative as the focus shifts to next week’s New Hampshire primary.

Perhaps more suspenseful was the closely-watched battle for second place. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis prevailed over former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. DeSantis earned 21.2% of votes versus Haley’s 19.1%, as of late last night.

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Despite this success, DeSantis still faces uncertainty in the race for the presidential nomination. There is no obvious place on the map for him to follow up Iowa as he looks at a brutal stretch that includes races in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, where he trails both Trump and Haley, between now and the end of February.

For Haley, a third place finish in Iowa could weaken her argument that she is the best hope for Republicans who don’t want Trump to win the nomination. One other thing hurting her chances: Many of the voters who favor Haley aren’t members of the GOP, so she won’t be able to rely on that coalition to carry her to a nomination.

Coming in fourth place was businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who announced late last night that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump.

Read the full story for more key takeaways from Iowa.

More winter weather is in store

The coldest temperature recorded in the U.S. yesterday was in Montana. The temperature: -42 degrees. (I’m cold just reading that number.)

While the rest of the U.S. might not have been quite as frigid, plenty of places saw dangerous — and, in some cases, deadly — conditions that led to warnings for drivers to stay off roads and thousands of flight cancelations. One particularly cold scene in Buffalo, New York saw football fans wading through piles of snow to get to their seats (and watch the Bills win 31-17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Overnight, almost 80% of the U.S. experienced sub-zero temperatures — and schools across the country closed as a result. Follow our live blogfor the latest weather updates.

‘Succession,’ ‘Beef’ and ‘The Bear’ dominate at the Emmys

“Succession” won big at the 75th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, with the show taking home the award for best drama series and stars Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook receiving the awards for best actor and actress in a drama. “The Bear” nabbed six awards, including best comedy series and awards for actors Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri. And “Beef” took home five awards, including Ali Wong’s historic win for actress in a limited series. 

Plus, Elton John achieved EGOT status — meaning he’s now won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. See the highlights and a full list of winners.

6 missing people suspected of being lured into cult

Police in Missouri believe that six people who were reported missing in the St. Louis area in August have been lured into a cult led by a convicted child molester. Among the missing are two 3-year-olds. The cult is led by Rashad Jamal, a rapper-turned-online guru who operates what he calls the University of Cosmic Intelligence. Jamal is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence in Georgia after he was convicted in August of child molestation and one count of cruelty to children. Here’s what we know.

‘Intensive’ phase of Gaza operations will end soon, Israel says

Israel’s military has ended its “intensive” phase of operations in northern Gaza and will soon do the same in southern Gaza, the country’s defense minister has said, urging his government to agree on a plan for the Palestinian enclave after the war. Yoav Gallant’s comments follow growing U.S. pressure for Israel to ease its assault amid mounting global criticism. Follow live updates here. 

Iran fired missilesat what it claimed were Israeli “spy headquarters” near the U.S. Consulate in northern Iraq. The U.S. condemned the strikes but said there were no American casualties, which heightened regional tensions as the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels also struck a U.S.-owned container ship off Yemen.

Iran missile parts bound for Houthis found after SEALs went overboard

A team of Navy SEALs that lost two sailors overboard while searching a small boat off the coast of Somalia went on to find suspected Iranian missile parts believed bound for Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, three U.S. defense officials told NBC News.

American ships and aircraft are continuing a huge search and rescue mission in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia,after the two SEALs disappeared into rough, nighttime seas Thursday.

Politics in Brief

2024 election: President Joe Biden is in a bizarre, no-win situation in New Hampshire. Still, his allies are waging what has to be one of the most unusual campaigns in American presidential history ahead of next week’s vote. 

Government funding: House Speaker Mike Johnson is caught in a bind as he tries to keep the government funded and respond to a Senate deal that would toughen immigration laws and provide aid to Ukraine. And amid threats from GOP hardliners, he’s trying to avoid the same fate as Kevin McCarthy.

Defense secretary’s hospitalization: Lloyd Austin was released yesterday from Walter Reed military hospital after more than two weeks there for complications from prostate cancer treatment.

Staff Pick: There’s money in mocktails

Have you noticed more nonalcoholic drinks on your menu? The push toward zero-proof offerings is part of a trend that coincides with more young people turning away from alcohol. But just because a drink doesn’t contain alcohol doesn’t mean it’s cheaper. Reporter Rob Wile explains why.— Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

In Case You Missed It 

• Kim Jong Un said North Korea would no longer pursue reconciliation with South Korea and called for rewriting the North’s constitution to eliminate the idea of shared statehood, state media said.
• Chelsea Handler hosted the 2024 Critics Choice Awards on Sunday and took a swipeat the widely criticized Golden Globes monologue by Jo Koy — who just happens to be her ex-boyfriend.
• A flight in Japan was forced to return to the airport after a crack was discovered in the window of a Boeing aircraft, All Nippon Airways said.

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

If you’re looking to buy a treadmill, physical therapists and personal trainers suggest considering factors like speed and incline settings, whether you plan on running or walking, and more. Here are the best treadmills for every type of athlete.

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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com