As the Iowa caucuses near, two Republican candidates spar on the debate stage while the former president holds a town hall. And an avalanche leads to at least one death at a California ski resort. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.

Candidates clash in 2-person debate; Trump holds town hall

With just days to go until the Iowa caucuses, all eyes were on the Hawkeye state Wednesday night, Jan. 10, as two Republican candidates took the debate stage while the GOP frontrunner held a town hall at the same time. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley answered questions on immigration, abortion, Ukraine, and social issues while vying to be the alternative to former President Donald Trump, who has a commanding lead in polls nationwide and in Iowa.

The two candidates clashed throughout the night, each taking shots at the other. DeSantis said Haley is focused on appeasing her donors.

“We don’t need another mealy-mouthed politician who just tells you what she thinks you want to hear just to try to get your vote, then to get into office and to do her donor’s bidding,” DeSantis said.

Haley fired back and said DeSantis spread lies about her and had a piece of advice for those at Drake University, the location of the CNN debate.

“He has switched his policies multiple times, and we’ll call that out tonight,” Haley said. “But every time he lies, Drake University, don’t turn this into a drinking game because you will be overserved by the end of the night.”

The two sparred on their records, with Haley questioning DeSantis’ ability to lead the country, saying his campaign is “exploding” after seeing numerous personnel changes and millions of dollars spent. DeSantis responded that Haley is focusing on the political process, arguing that it is a topic voters don’t care about and a good window into her leadership.

The candidates touched on the former president, agreeing that Trump should have been on stage with them. However, the former president decided to skip the debate, taking part in a town hall on Fox News instead, where he was asked about a running mate.

“Well, I can’t tell you that, really. I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said.

The GOP field dwindled hours before the debate and the town hall when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the race. Christie said there wasn’t a path forward for him to become president, and he would continue his goal to stop Trump from retaking office. But it was a hot mic moment just before his announcement that is getting a lot of attention. Christie was picked up on a livestream by his campaign criticizing Nikki Haley’s chances of becoming president.

“Yeah, that’s what you get. I mean, look, she’d spent $68 million so far just on TV, spent $68 million so far, $59 million by DeSantis, and we spent $12 (million),” Christie said. “I mean, who’s punching above their weight, and who’s getting a return on their investment? You know? And she’s gonna get smoked. And you and I both know it; she’s not up to this.”

Christie has not yet said if he would be endorsing any of the remaining candidates.

Donald Trump will not give his closing arguments in NY civil trial

Donald Trump will not deliver his closing arguments on Thursday, Jan. 11, in his civil fraud trial in New York as he hoped to do. The judge in the case was initially open to the idea, but only if the former president agreed to certain parameters.

The judge wanted Trump to promise to follow the limited gag order, which keeps him from blasting the New York attorney general or her staff. The judge told Trump to stick to “relevant matters” and “not deliver a campaign speech.”

However, in a series of heated email exchanges made public Wednesday, Jan. 10, Trump’s lawyers would not agree to the stipulations by the judge’s deadline, calling them unfair and saying Trump is being wrongfully demeaned. The judge responded by telling Trump’s team that he would not grant any further extensions, saying, “Take it or leave it.”

On his social platform, Truth Social, Trump called the judge “mean and nasty” and indicated he will still attend the court proceedings on Thursday, Jan. 11. The former president is accused of falsifying business records to receive better deals from banks and insurers. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Hunter Biden makes surprise visit as Republicans move to hold him in contempt

Hunter Biden is expected to plead not guilty on federal tax charges in a Los Angeles courtroom. This comes a day after the president’s son made a surprise visit to Capitol Hill as House Republicans moved to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena and not showing up to testify privately in their impeachment probe into his father, President Joe Biden. As the House Oversight Committee debated whether Hunter Biden should be held in contempt, he walked in and sat in the front row.

Biden’s appearance set off a political frenzy as a Republican called for his arrest on the spot, and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted that he was a “coward.” The House Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee voted to push forward with holding Biden in contempt of Congress, with all Republicans voting for and Democrats voting against.

It is the latest in the impeachment probe into President Biden in which Republicans claim he financially benefited from his family’s business dealings as he served as vice president. Though the Bidens deny any wrongdoing, and Republicans have not produced any evidence of wrongdoing.

Now, the House will hold a final vote, and if the contempt referral passes, the Department of Justice will decide whether or not to prosecute Hunter Biden. In addition to these developments and the tax charges, Hunter Biden is also facing federal gun charges for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

1 killed, 3 injured in avalanche at California ski resort

One person was killed, and three others were injured when an avalanche hit a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The avalanche occurred as a major winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the region.

The sheriff’s office said the debris field at the Palisade Tahoe Ski Resort spanned about 150 feet long and 10 feet deep. The person killed has been identified as a 66-year-old man who lived in a town nearby. The others are said to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The resort had just opened for the first time this season 30 minutes before disaster struck. The cause of the avalanche is under investigation.

Amazon cutting hundreds of positions in its studio, streaming.

Amazon is laying off several hundred employees in its streaming and studio operations. The online retail giant said in an internal memo on Wednesday, Jan. 10, that the company will eliminate hundreds of jobs in its Prime Video and MGM studios departments.

The cuts also affect around 500 roles in the Twitch streaming platform. In the memo to staff, Amazon leadership said the company would be shifting its investments to focus on the highest-impact products. Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 positions since late 2022.

Researchers say climate change led to the extinction of largest apes ever to live

New research is shedding more light on what happened to a great ape species, referred to by some as the real King Kong, that disappeared hundreds of thousands of years ago. The largest apes on record stood at ten feet tall, weighed 650 pounds, and likely resembled modern Orangutans. Now, scientists suggest climate change was the reason behind their extinction.

The apes survived in Southern China for around 2 million years, living off the fruits and flowers in the tropical forests. However, scientists said as the region experienced more dry seasons, the forests began producing fewer fruits for the apes to eat. The researchers analyzed pollen and sediment samples preserved in Chinese caves and fossilized teeth to help solve the mystery of the giant apes’ extinction.