Tuesday morning news: January 23, 2024

New Hampshire » New Hampshire residents are set to vote today in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary contest.

And the two remaining GOP contenders have traded jabs in the final hours before the vote.

Donald Trump heard there campaigning in Rochester, while Nikki Haley campaigned in Franklin, just north of Concord.

HALEY: He was good at breaking things. You’ve gotta be good at fixing things too. This is a time we’ve got to fix America.

The last of the polls will close at 8pm Eastern tonight.

U.S./U.K. strikes on Houthis » In the Middle East, British fighter jets soared over the Red Sea, and U.S. and British warships and submarines fired tomahawk missiles in the latest air strike against Houthi Rebels in Yemen.

That comes as the Iran-backed terror group continues to attack commercial ships on the Red Sea.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby:

KIRBY: As long as they continue to make that choice, we have a choice too. We have a choice to keep defending our ships and our sailor and our merchant traffic. And we have a choice, when we have the information available to us, to preempt their ability to conduct those attacks. And we’ll continue to do that.

The U.S. and British militaries last night struck targets in eight locations used by the Houthis.

The strikes reportedly targeted an underground storage site and locations connected to the Houthis’ missile and air surveillance systems.

Border SCOTUS Texas wire » A divided U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the Biden administration Monday in a battle over border security in Texas. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The administration asked the high court for permission to cut miles of razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border. And in a 5-to-4 ruling the justices said the wire can be removed, at least for now as a court battle plays out.

The state placed roughly 30 miles of razor wire along the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to deter migrants from illegally crossing.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Border talks » The state of Texas says it has no choice but to do all it can to secure the border, because the Biden administration won’t.

Gov. Greg Abbott said when the White House asks for more money for the border.

ABBOTT: You have to look and see what that money is for. It is not to build more wall, to deny illegal access, to crack down on illegal immigration. It actually is to facilitate more illegal immigration.

But President Biden says that is not so. With major Democrat-led cities now calling on him to curb the border crisis. Biden told a gathering of mayors at the White House:

BIDEN: I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes to our asylum system to make sure we have the authorities we need to control the border. And I’m ready to act.

Lawmakers continue talks on Capitol Hill and with the president on a package that would make big changes at the border while also funding aid to Ukraine.

Boeing Inspection » Boeing jets are once again under the microscope.

The Federal Aviation Administration is asking airlines to perform visual inspections of their 737 Nine Hundred ER jetliners.

That follows an incident earlier this month involving a newer Boeing model when a door-sized panel, known as a door plug blew off of a 737 Max 9 jet in mid-flight.

It turns out the older Nine Hundred ER uses a similar door plug panel.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters:

JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is FAA certainly sees this as a priority, uh, to make sure that we're keeping American safe.

But the FAA notes that Boeing’s 737 nine hundred ER has logged millions of flights without any issues with the door plug.

Biden/Harris abortion stuff » Vice President Kamala Harris launched a pro-abortion tour in the key swing state of Wisconsin Monday on the 51st anniversary of the now-defunct Roe v. Wade decision.

HARRIS: In America, freedom is not to be given. It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right. By rights. And that includes the freedom to make decisions about one's own body, not the government telling you what to do.

But pro-life groups say she’s forgetting about the right to life itself.

Also on Monday, President Biden called a meeting of his so-called reproductive health care access task force.

The task force discussed ways to provide easier access to contraception and abortion drugs nationwide.

President Biden’s team plans to make so-called “abortion rights” a major focus of his reelection campaign.

China/Taiwan » Six Chinese balloons either flew over or near Taiwan recently with Chinese warplanes and navy ships also swarming nearby. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Officials with the self-governing territory say it appears that China is floating an increasing number of balloons over the island or through its airspace.

It’s unclear if they are spy balloons or if they serve some military purpose. But at least one crossed near an important Taiwanese naval base.

Some speculate that it’s merely part of a campaign of harassment against the island, which Beijing claims as its own territory.

Chinese forces started ramping up aggressive behavior, breaching Taiwanese waters and airspace in the lead up to Taiwan’s presidential election earlier this month.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: What Ron DeSantis dropping out means for the New Hampshire primary. Plus, remembering hostages still in captivity.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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