The Evening: Israel shifts its war strategy

Also, the U.S. investigates Boeing's 737 Max 9 planes.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 8, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. Israel's shift in the Gaza war The investigation into Boeing planes Plus, the college football championship Israel said it would continue to reduce the number of troops in Gaza, a process that began this month. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times Israel said it had begun a less intense phase of the war Israel announced today that its military had begun a new and less intense phase of its war against Hamas, after weeks of pressure to curtail its large-scale ground and air campaign. Israeli officials privately told their American counterparts they hoped the transition would be completed by the end of the month. The new phase would involve fewer airstrikes and fewer troops on the ground, a spokesman for Israel's military said. Israel is also expected to rely more on small groups of elite forces to find and kill Hamas leaders, rescue hostages and destroy tunnels in Hamas's southern and central strongholds. "We can expect more targeted operations rather than wide maneuvers," Patrick Kingsley, our Jerusalem bureau chief, told us. "Whether that alleviates civilian suffering remains to be seen. The strikes are clearly still continuing, killing scores every day." Israel's disclosure came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel, where he is expected to press officials to curtail their campaign in Gaza and prevent the war from spreading across the region. Worries of wider conflict were stoked again today when Hezbollah said that one of its commanders had been killed in a strike in southern Lebanon. Investigators examined an Alaska Airlines plane after part of its fuselage blew out midair. National Transportation Safety Board, via Agence France-Presse What caused the Boeing 737 Max 9 incident? Government investigators are trying to get to the bottom of what caused a part of a Boeing plane to be blown out in midflight on Friday. They are looking into whether Alaska Airlines, which operated the flight from Portland, Ore., appropriately handled pressurization warnings aboard the plane, including two in the two days before the blowout. The investigation is also focusing on the installation and inspection of the piece of the plane that was ripped out — a plug where an emergency exit door would have been — which landed in the backyard of a Portland science teacher. Their work is expected to carry on for weeks. Separately, United Airlines said today that it had found some loose bolts in door plugs on its Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, the same model involved in the Alaska incident. Here's what travelers should expect. President Biden in Charleston, S.C., today. Pete Marovich for The New York Times Biden made his pitch to Black voters in South Carolina President Biden delivered a campaign address about threats to American democracy today from the pulpit of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the site of a racist massacre in June 2015. Biden was hoping to remind Black voters of the significance of this year's election. In his speech, he condemned Donald Trump, linking his efforts to overturn the 2020 election to the nation's history of white supremacy. In Iowa, where the Republican caucus is just a week away, there is far less drama than in a typical election year because Trump is polling far ahead of his competition. Still, in the first edition of our relaunched On Politics newsletter, my colleague Lisa Lerer explained how it could make or break the other candidates. The Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander in November. NASA, via Agence France-Press — Getty Images A U.S. spacecraft malfunctioned on its way to the moon The first NASA-financed commercial mission to send a robotic spacecraft to the surface of the moon most likely will not be able to make it there. The lunar lander was launched this morning from Cape Canaveral, Fla., inside of a new rocket named Vulcan, designed by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The rocket's liftoff was flawless, offering a challenge to SpaceX's dominance of the commercial launch market. But a failure in the lander's propulsion system depleted its propellant and most likely ended the mission's original lunar ambitions. More top news Congress: Lawmakers began an uphill push to pass a new bipartisan spending agreement into law in time to avoid a partial government shutdown next week. Courts: The civil corruption trial of Wayne LaPierre, the longtime leader of the National Rifle Association, began in New York. Military: Four top Pentagon aides knew about the defense secretary's hospitalization last week, but waited two days to tell the White House. International: China said it had detained a consultant for working as a spy for the British government to collect Chinese state secrets. Politics: The Republican Party of Florida ousted its chairman who is being investigated for sexual assault. Ukraine: The country's forces along a broad stretch of the front say that, with Russia pushing forward, the war has never been so dangerous. Weather: A series of extreme and powerful weather systems is expected to move across the U.S. this week. Vatican: Pope Francis called surrogate motherhood "despicable," urging a universal ban. Homelessness: One of the nation's largest experiments in affordable housing to address chronic homelessness is taking shape outside of Austin. Theater: "Purple Rain," Prince's breakout rise-of-a-rock-star film, is being adapted into a stage musical. TIME TO UNWIND Lily Gladstone with her Golden Globe for best actress in a drama, for "Killers of the Flower Moon." Sonja Flemming/CBS The highs and the lows of this year's Golden Globes "Oppenheimer," Christopher Nolan's blockbuster biopic, all but swept the awards at last night's Golden Globes. The film won five trophies — best drama, director, actor, supporting actor and score. But the prizes were only a fraction of the night's entertainment. We collected the highs and lows, including Jo Koy's widely panned monologue, Steven Yeun's heartfelt speech and a pointed jab at studio executives. The stars wore ball gowns, sequins and lots of red. Here's a selection of those who stood out above the rest. The national championship will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston. Kirby Lee/Usa Today Sports Via Reuters Con An exciting, and expensive, championship game Millions of Americans will tune in tonight at 7:30 Eastern to watch Michigan take on Washington in college football's national championship game. It's expected to be an entertaining clash of styles: Michigan's dominant defense and run-heavy playbook against Washington's top-tier offense and pass-first attack. Behind the scenes, another interesting story is at play. Both teams have benefited from college football's new rules permitting some payments to players. My colleagues took a close look at the way money has changed the game. A silk bustle dress bought at an antique store in Maine carried a coded message. Sara Rivers Cofield Dinner table topics A dress with a code: For nearly a decade, sleuths tried to decode a cryptic note discovered in a silk dress. An analyst finally cracked the case. A tidy mouse: A 75-year-old retiree discovered that a mouse was quietly cleaning up his work bench. Large slices: Enormous, table-size cakes are showing up at wedding receptions across the country. A reader asks: What should I do about the homeless man who sleeps in the lobby of my apartment building? Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Sang An for The New York Times Cook: The chef Sohla El-Waylly shared her tips for cooking great eggs no matter the style. Watch: "Soft Liquid Center" is one of the best horror movies to stream right now. Read: Our book critic recommends two long-forgotten crime novels. Wear: Our fashion critic explains when it's OK to sport matching sweats. Nourish: Just how healthy is salmon? Tidy: Wirecutter has toy storage ideas your children will actually use. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING The Wesleyan Spirits, one of many a cappella groups that have "Insomniac" in their repertoire. The Wesleyan Spirits An a cappella sensation For decades, one obscure tune has been belted out time and again by a cappella groups across the country. It's called "Insomniac," and my colleague Sopan Deb investigated how it became a go-to performance. As it turns out, the song's release (in 1994) came around the same time a cappella was transitioning into its modern form, in which the instruments of songs are also represented by rhythmic vocal approximations. Around that time, a student at Tufts University put the track on a "Best of College a Cappella" album, and it spread the old-fashioned way: by word of mouth. Have a harmonious evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018