Wednesday morning news: January 24, 2024

New Hampshire » Donald Trump is the winner of the first presidential primary contest of 2024.

TRUMP: Well, I want to thank everybody. This is a fantastic state. This is a great, great state …

His victory last night comes after winning a majority of the delegates in the Iowa caucuses, 20 for Trump to Haley’s 8.

In New Hampshire, a total of 22 delegates were up for grabs, and Trump comes away with a majority of those as well.

But Haley said to those who already consider Trump the presumptive nominee …

HALEY: I have news for all of them. New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last in the nation.

We’ll have much more on the New Hampshire vote later in the program.

Next up is Nevada followed by South Carolina, the state where Haley served as governor for 6 years before accepting Trump’s job offer as ambassador to the United Nations.

U.S. airstrikes in Somalia » The Pentagon announced Tuesday that U.S. forces carried out airstrikes that killed three al-Qaida-linked terrorists. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports:

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Defense officials say the targeted strikes killed al-Shabab militants in a remote area, adding that there were no civilian casualties.

Al-Shabab is al-Qaida's largest network. And the Pentagon says it has proved both its will and capability to attack the United States.

Somalia’s government requested the airstrike as the terror group has been waging a 16-year insurgency against the government.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Border/Ukraine » On Capitol Hill, Senate leaders say it is critical for lawmakers to strike a bipartisan deal to help secure the border and fund aid to Ukraine, among other things.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune:

THUNE: It is an incredible crisis. These are national security implications associated with what’s happening at our southern border.

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer added:

SCHUMER: A defeat for Ukraine will make the world a more dangerous place for the United States. Whatever cost we bear to resist Putin today will be magnified in the future. We dare not go down that road.

Schumer said he believes lawmakers are close to a deal in the Senate on the supplemental package of just over $100 billion dollars, but they’re not there yet.

Talks are also still ongoing with the White House. President Biden says he’s open to policy changes on the border.

Austin at Ukraine Defense Group meeting » In the meantime, the United States is out of money for Ukraine as Ukraine’s military has reportedly had to start rationing ammunition.

And until U.S. lawmakers can agree on a new funding package Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin is urging other allies to bridge the gap.

AUSTIN: Putin hopes that missiles and drones will demoralize the Ukrainian people and break the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian military. So I urge this group to dig deep to provide Ukraine with more life-saving ground-based air defense systems and interceptors.

Russia on Tuesday fired a barrage of more than 40 ballistic and other missiles into Ukraine’s two biggest cities, damaging apartment buildings and killing at least 18 people.

CIA Russia video » The CIA is working to persuade Russians who feel betrayed by their leaders to share secrets with the United States.

The spy agency has released a new Russian-language video on social media that provides information about how to contact the agency.

AUDIO: [Speaking Russian]

The ad’s narrator says Russian citizens have to pay bribes to find work while the country’s elite line their own pockets.

CIA Director William Burns in July said more Russians are growing disillusioned with the war in Ukraine.

San Diego floods » In San Diego stunned residents, some breaking down in tears, are pulling soggy and muddy furniture out of their homes.

SOUND: [Gushing water]

After a historic downpour turned neighborhood streets into rivers.

Miguel Miller with the National Weather Service:

MILLER: It was one of the wettest days in history and the wettest day ever in the month of January, and records go back to 1850.

Flash flooding forced evacuations and swept away vehicles. But fortunately, no injuries reported.

One local resident said he’s lost just about everything, including a valuable baseball card collection.

RESIDENT: I've been collecting since I was a child. Everything is gone. Disabled, no work. I don't know what else I can do.

The County as a whole received up to five inches of rain in some areas in a matter of hours.

Homeless ministry case » A small community church in Ohio is suing after local authorities hit the church’s pastor with 18 criminal charges for allowing homeless people to stay in the church building overnight. WORLD’s Christina Grube reports.

CHRISTINA GRUBE: Bryan is a city of just under 9,000 people in northwestern Ohio.

That’s where Chris Avell pastors an Evangelical church called Dad’s Place.

The city said allowing homeless people to stay at the church violated several local zoning and safety ordinances.

After the city charged Avell, the church pushed back, filing a federal lawsuit against the city. It claims officials unjustly targeted and harassed the church, and that its actions were unconstitutional.

The church’s lawyer says the church may remain open to those in need until March when a judge will consider an injunction against the city.

For WORLD, I’m Christina Grube.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: the one thing that is really and for true the thing that is straight ahead. Plus, The U.S. Space Force.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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