The Evening: Trump’s win reveals weaknesses

Also, a Russian military plane crashed near Ukraine.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 24, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Trump and Biden look to a rematch A plane crash in Russia Plus, ghostwriters come into the light Donald Trump won New Hampshire's Republican primary yesterday by 11 percentage points. Doug Mills/The New York Times New Hampshire showed strengths, struggles for Trump Donald Trump's comfortable victory last night in New Hampshire's Republican presidential primary demonstrated his ironclad control of the party's right-wing base and set him on what could very well be a short march to his third nomination. Trump is the first non-incumbent Republican candidate to win both Iowa and New Hampshire. His dominance has melted away much of the remaining opposition to him among Republicans on Capitol Hill, and his polling numbers suggest that there is probably no state in the country where another Republican could defeat him. But last night's results also underscored some of Trump's potential vulnerabilities. Independents, college-educated voters and Republicans who are unwilling to dismiss his legal jeopardy voted in large numbers for his rival, Nikki Haley. Those intraparty divisions point to trouble ahead for Trump as the presidential race enters a broader electorate, one that rejected him less than four years ago. In other politics news, the United Automobile Workers union, an influential voice on labor issues, endorsed President Biden. Smoke rising from the scene of a warplane crash in the Belgorod region of Russia. UGC, via Associated Press A Russian military plane crashed near Ukraine A large Russian military transport plane crashed today in the Belgorod region of Russia, not far from Ukraine, according to a video verified by The Times. The Russian Defense Ministry said that everyone onboard was killed. Russian officials said that the plane had been carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be exchanged for Russian service personnel. They accused Ukrainian forces of launching missiles from the nearby Kharkiv region that struck the aircraft. Ukraine did not comment directly on the accusations, but it hinted that the crash could have been a tragic mistake, saying that Russia had not informed it that prisoners would be flown to Belgorod's airport, as had been the case in previous exchanges. Gov. Mike DeWine's veto on a ban on gender transition care for minors was a rare rejection by a Republican leader. Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press Ohio will ban transition care for minors Ohio lawmakers overrode Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of a bill that would bar minors from receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender transition surgery. The law is now set to go into effect in 90 days. The new legislation is part of a national wave of laws — across at least 20 states, all of which have Republican-led legislatures — that aim to restrict transition care. The Ohio bill says that medical professionals who provide transition care to minors could lose their licenses and face legal action. Palestinians fleeing fighting in Khan Younis. Fatima Shbair/Associated Press U.N. officials said shells hit a shelter in Gaza A U.N. training center in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where hundreds of displaced people had taken shelter, was struck by two shells today, killing at least nine people and injuring 75 others, U.N. officials said. A U.N. official described the shells as tank rounds — and Israel is the only party to the conflict in Gaza with tanks. Khan Younis has recently been hit by heavy fighting. Israel's military said it had encircled the city in an effort to hunt down Hamas leaders. In related news, Israel and Hamas continued indirect talks on a cease-fire today, but the gap between the sides remains wide. More top news Europe: Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary pledged to push legislators to admit Sweden into NATO but did not offer a timeline for a vote. Police: A Minnesota state trooper was charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a motorist during a traffic stop last summer in Minneapolis. Climate: The White House will delay approval of the country's largest natural gas export terminal to further consider its climate impacts. Politics: Arizona's Republican Party chairman resigned after the publication of a tape in which he appeared to offer a bribe to persuade Kari Lake to drop her Senate campaign. Health: Measles, a disease preventable by vaccination, is resurgent in parts of Europe. Aviation: A Times review found that the "door plug" that blew off an Alaska Airlines plane this month most likely had manufacturing or installation flaws. Media: This presidential election year began with a grim few weeks of news industry layoffs. Education: Professors and free speech advocates are protesting a decision by Barnard College to monitor and remove pro-Palestinian statements and other speech the college deems too political. San Francisco: The city tried to build a public toilet for $1.7 million. It's still not done. Television: Jon Stewart will return to host "The Daily Show" on Monday nights during the 2024 election campaign. TIME TO UNWIND The Gathering of the Ghosts, a convention for ghost writers, in Manhattan on Monday. Natalie Keyssar for The New York Times Ghostwriters emerge from the shadows It's long been maintained that a good ghost writer should be neither seen nor heard. But in recent years, ghostwriting has become slightly less secretive. Recent successful books like Britney Spears's "The Woman in Me" and Prince Harry's "Spare" have elevated their ghostwriters into the public eye. Given these authors' secretive profession, it was unusual for a group of around 140 of them to gather, as they did this week in Manhattan. They schmoozed, strategized and celebrated their work — and my colleagues were there to capture the scene. Icon of the Seas in its home port of Miami. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Associated Press Can the world's largest cruise ship be climate friendly? Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, whose inaugural cruise departs this weekend, is packed with mind-bending features. The 1,198-foot-long vessel has 20 decks, eight "neighborhoods," six water slides and dozens of restaurants. The company has also boasted about the ship's use of energy-efficient technology, including an advanced water treatment system. But some climate experts argue that building such a huge ship in the first place goes against the goal of sustainability. The cover after Tiger Woods won the Masters in 2001. Sports Illustrated Dinner table topics The Sports Illustrated cover: Once the most coveted real estate in sports journalism, its power to set the agenda disappeared along with its elite photographers. Downward-facing shark: Scientists studied how thresher sharks use "extreme yoga" to whip their tails at prey. A Lincoln trove: The New York Public Library is acquiring the collection of an Abraham Lincoln expert who died last summer after a random attack. Am I that guy? Projecting himself into the latest men's wear styles in Paris, our fashion critic poses the perennial question: "Could I pull that off?" Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Cook: This Eggs Kejriwal — spicy egg-and-cheese on toast — has its roots in the social-club circuit of Mumbai. Watch: Mike Judge's latest comedy, an animated sendup of a public radio talk show, offers artisanal awfulness. Read: Check out these new thrillers, including the latest novel from Alex Michaelides. Listen: Our music critic has a playlist that is a homage to whistling in pop music. Gawk: Take a look at these $10 million homes in Virginia, Massachusetts and Illinois. Learn: Here's what the research suggests about the link between hair dye and cancer. Protect: Keep your pet safe in the cold. 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 Jeremie Souteyrat for The New York Times How much potato is needed to call it a chip? Walkers Sensations Poppadoms, the bagged British snack pictured above, are fluffy, anglicized versions of the Indian papadum — a crunchy flatbread. They contain potato granules, but are they a chip? A British tax appeals court took on that existential food debate and ruled last week that, yes, the poppadoms are, effectively, the same as potato chips. It may sound like a trivial distinction, but when it comes to British tax law, it's no small claim: As chips, Walkers' poppadoms would be subject to a 20 percent tax. Have a satisfying 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. 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