Nikki Haley Under Fire For Civil War Comments

Good morning and happy Friday! We are just a few days from the new year and a wave of New Year's resolutions. And, as we all know, it is often tough to keep them. Listen to these experts explain why that is the case while offering helpful strategies to ensure you can sustain your momentum and follow through. Have a great weekend! We will see you again on Tuesday in 2024.

In Today’s Brief

• Trump: Now barred from Maine ballot

• Russia: Claims West is shifting on Ukraine

• Herb Kohl: Ex-senator, NBA owner dies

• Watch Out: 5M portable blenders recalled

... and more

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1) Nikki Haley reeling after controversial gaffe

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has issued a clarification after failing to cite slavery as a cause for the Civil War during a campaign event.

• What happened: Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former United Nations Ambassador, was asked what caused the Civil War by an audience member at a town hall event in Berlin, New Hampshire, on Wednesday. She then attributed the war to government infringing on individual rights. She then quickly moved on when the questioner pressed her about failing to mention slavery as a cause.

• The fallout: Haley quickly faced bipartisan criticism, including from President Joe Biden. The incident also rehashed past instances where Haley had omitted slavery when discussing the Civil War. Haley clarified her comments during a radio interview and subsequent other events, saying that, "of course the Civil War was about slavery." Haley also pointed out she removed the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds while governor and accused the questioner of being a Democratic plant.

• The impact: Haley's campaign has surged in recent weeks. She has pulled close to or surpassed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in most national polls, albeit a distant second to former President Donald Trump. Haley is also within striking distance of DeSantis for second place in recent Iowa caucus polls and is the clear second-place candidate in New Hampshire primary polls, with some having her within striking distance of Trump. But this gaffe could be problematic for myriad reasons. It will allow Democrats to tie her to the far-right wing of the GOP while giving DeSantis a window to regain momentum within the party. It could also galvanize former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's stated claims to remain in the race; Christie polls third in New Hampshire and Haley would likely need his supporters to be a serious threat to Trump in the state.

2) Israel may soon be at war with Hezbollah

There is concern the war in the Middle East could soon see a second front in Lebanon.

• The situation: Israel has been battling Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia, at its northern border with Lebanon since the start of its war against Hamas in Gaza. But missile barrages have increased in recent days after Israel killed a Hezbollah member and his family members in an airstrike. Iran has also accused Israel of killing a senior military official in Syria.

• Next steps: Benny Gantz, an Israeli minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, said time is running out on a diplomatic situation. He said Israel's military forces will intervene if Hezbollah does not stop firing and the Lebanese government does not move the militias away from the border area. Netanyahu recently told troops Israel would turn south Lebanon, including the capital city of Beirut, into a full-fledged warzone similar to Gaza if necessary. Lebanon has called for de-escalation and accused Israel of violating its sovereignty with its airstrikes.

• Big picture: Hezbollah is far more powerful than Hamas; it is one of the world's strongest non-state military forces. It also does not solely advocate for Palestinian causes; it opposes all Western intervention in the region and has factored into other conflicts including Syria's civil war. Israel fought a five-week war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2005. If a second front involving Hezbollah were to open, analysts believe that would greatly increase the chances for a widespread conflict that engulfs the entire Middle East.

3) Congress is under pressure to start 2024

The House and Senate will be under the gun to deliver fast achievements and legislation when work resumes next week.

• Ukraine and border: Senate negotiators have restarted talks on a supplemental spending bill prior to lawmakers returning to the Capitol after the new year. President Joe Biden has made a deal — which would deliver $60B in fresh aid to Ukraine in return for stronger border security measures desired by Republicans — a top priority. Biden pushed Congress to get a deal done before it broke for Christmas, but it was unable to. Both sides have expressed optimism a deal can get done. Urgency has also grown given the migration crisis at the border and the Ukrainians’ recent struggles in their war with Russia.

• Israel, too: The supplemental spending bill is also needed to direct more aid to Israel, where officials have said the war against Hamas could last for several more months. There is more GOP support for Israel aid than Ukrainian aid, so Congress could look to address Israel separately if talks continue to drag. The package is also expected to include aid for Taiwan as it approaches contentious Jan. 13 elections amid increased pressure from mainland China. The pro-democracy ruling party is favored to win, but the more pro-Beijing opposition party is gaining in polls.

• Shutdown looms: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s unorthodox staggered continuing resolution will now enter the fray. Congress is facing a partial government shutdown on Jan. 19, when funding for five areas of government — agriculture, energy, housing, transportation and veterans’ affairs — runs out. The rest of the government would then shut down on Feb. 2 absent another short-term CR or an actual budget. Democrats and Republicans in both chambers appear to be farther apart than they are on the border and foreign aid.

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U.S. News

• Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows barred Donald Trump from the state’s GOP primary ballot, becoming the second state to disqualify the former president on 14th Amendment grounds. The decision will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court (More) 

• The Biden Administration said it will sue Texas if the state implements a strict new immigration law. The law, set to start in March, would give law enforcement and judges more authority to enforce the border and deport migrants (More)

• Controversial Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert will run for reelection in a different district. Boebert will seek the solidly-Republican 4th District seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Ken Buck; was set to face a 3rd District rematch against a well-funded Democratic candidate she defeated by only 546 votes in 2022 (More)

World News

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a state media outlet that Western countries have begun to quietly indicate their strategy regarding the war in Ukraine is evolved. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly suggested he would agree to a ceasefire if he can retain control of occupied territory (More)

• Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said border crossings between his country and the U.S. will remain open. The U.S. had temporarily halted cross-border rail traffic last week as illegal migration surges (More)

• Venezuela will conduct military exercises in the Eastern Caribbean Sea after a UK warship set course for Guyana’s territorial waters. Venezuela is disputing Guyana’s control of the oil-rich Essequibo region (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Herb Kohl, who served 24 years as a U.S. Senator for Wisconsin and also owned the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, died Wednesday at 88 after a brief illness. He was also the co-founder of the Kohl's department store chain (More)

• Actor Donald Glover told TMZ he will release a new album under his musical alter-ego Childish Gambino soon. He has not produced new music since 2020 (More)

• A proposal to move an English Premier League team to Northern Ireland was supported by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998. Blair pitched moving Wimbledon FC to Belfast after the Good Friday Agreement, but the plan went nowhere (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed mixed yesterday as the S&P 500 remained south of its all-time high. The Dow Jones was up while the Nasdaq had a slight drop (Dow +0.14%, Nasdaq -0.03%, S&P 500 +0.04%).

• BlendJet has recalled almost 5M portable blenders. The blenders have faulty blades and can overheat or catch fire; there have been dozens of reports of burns and injuries caused by the devices (More)

• Intel plans to build a $25B chipmaking factory in southern Israel. The tech company already has 12K employees in the country; the proposal would be the largest investment in Israeli history (More)

Tips & Tricks

• Real Hero: A mailman was doing his daily rounds in Salem, Massachusetts, when he made a colossal save. David Moulton spotted a young boy without a coat or shoes and scooped him up. It turned out the kid, 3, had somehow broken out of his daycare facility and had been wandering the streets for about a half-hour.

• Sneak Peek: Netflix has released a Morgan Freeman-narrated trailer for Dave Chappelle's upcoming comedy special, Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer. The program will arrive on New Year's Eve and hit the streaming service on Sunday.

• Helping Hand: There are many resources to support the unhoused during the holidays, but many of those initiatives slow down or end once the new year arrives. But there are ways to assist the less fortunate all year round. Here is a rundown of the best methods.

• List Season: It was a banner year for reality television and reality TV drama. Variety has ranked 2023's wildest moments, with Vanderpump Rules leading the way with Tom Sandoval's scandalous affair with Rachel "Raquel" Leviss.

• Total Recall: Bonobos and chimpanzees have incredible memories. A recent study by Cal-Berkley researchers found that our closest living relative can recognize groupmates they have not seen in over 20 years. It is the longest non-human memory capacity ever examined.

• Under Arrest: California police have finally nabbed an alleged master of disguise. Tyler Adams -- who has been on the run for four years -- was apprehended in Newport Beach and extradited to Hawaii, where he escaped state custody while facing bank robbery charges. But Adams, who the FBI alleges has used over a dozen aliases as a fugitive, is now considered a person of interest in his girlfriend's death in Mexico.

• Life Hack: You are not able to replant most natural Christmas trees. But if you have poinsettias, you can keep those year-round -- and make sure they look just as festive when the holidays roll around next year. Here is a rundown on how to best care for the special plants.

Tipoffs

A British woman returned a present at 2:57 a.m. on Christmas Day.

Long-shot presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson just keeps running.

Shakira's Colombian hometown honored her with a bronze statue.

... and Sarah Palin closes in on two years with ex-NHler Ron Duguay.

A far-right group in Germany is racing to buy land across the country.

These 17 appetizer ideas are perfect for your New Year's Eve bash.

... along with some low-calorie cocktails to imbibe while partying.

Reliving almost everything that happened in 2023 in seven minutes.

Looking Ahead …

People will look back on 2023 as a strange year for Hollywood. There were some major blockbusters like Barbie and Oppenheimer, but the industry was also bogged down by writers and actors strikes. As a result, 2024 is looking like it will be a big year at the box office with a slew of delayed projects and big-budget sequels on the way. Here is a look at what to expect.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Should Donald Trump lose his Hollywood star?

No (68%)

Yes (32%)