DeSantis drops out of presidential race ahead of New Hampshire primary: The Morning Rundown, Jan. 22, 2024

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS DROPS OUT OF THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE AS THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY IS A DAY AWAY.

AND — VIDEO CAPTURES FLAMES SHOOTING FROM A CARGO PLANE IN AN INCIDENT NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY ONE DAY AWAY – THE FIELD OF REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY SHRUNK OVER THE WEEKEND.

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS ANNOUNCING — HE IS ENDING HIS BID FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.

SUPER: RON DESANTIS | FLORIDA GOVERNOR (R): “Now, following our second place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward. If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”

DESANTIS CAME IN A DISTANT SECOND TO FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN LAST WEEK’S IOWA CAUCUSES.

DESANTIS SAYS HE IS NOW ENDORSING DONALD TRUMP TO BE THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE.

WHILE HE ADMITTED THE TWO HAVE DISAGREED ON ISSUES IN THE PAST – DESANTIS SAYS A MAJORITY OF REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS WANT TO GIVE THE FORMER PRESIDENT “ANOTHER CHANCE.”

SPEAKING AT A RALLY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE LATER IN THE DAY – TRUMP THANKED DESANTIS FOR THE ENDORSEMENT – CALLING THE FLORIDA GOVERNOR “A REALLY TERRIFIC PERSON.”

FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR NIKKI HALEY TOLD REPORTERS THE RACE IS NOW DOWN TO QUOTE “ONE FELLA AND ONE LADY” – ADDING “MAY THE BEST WOMAN WIN.”

MEANWHILE – IN A CNN POLL RELEASED SUNDAY — TWO-THIRDS OF LIKELY DEMOCRATIC VOTERS SAY THEY WILL WRITE IN PRESIDENT BIDEN’S NAME WHEN THEY VOTE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

BIDEN’S NAME WON’T AUTOMATICALLY APPEAR ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE HE DIDN’T FILE TO BE A CANDIDATE IN THE STATE.

BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE WANTED THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TO BE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

BUT VOTERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WILL BE FIRST TO THE POLLS TOMORROW.

THE U-S MILITARY HAS CALLED OFF A 10-DAY SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORT FOR 2 NAVY SEALS WHO WENT MISSING IN THE GULF OF ADEN OFF THE COAST OF YEMEN. THE SEALS ARE NOW PRESUMED DEAD.

ACCORDING TO U-S CENTRAL COMMAND —

RESCUE EFFORTS HAVE NOW TURNED INTO RECOVERY EFFORTS.

THE SEALS WERE PART OF A TEAM ON A MISSION TO STOP IRANIAN WEAPONS FROM BEING SMUGGLED INTO YEMEN — EARMARKED FOR HOUTHI REBELS.

THE WEAPONS WERE ON BOARD A SMALL FISHING VESSEL.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, DURING THE NIGHTTIME BOARDING MISSION ON JANUARY 11TH, ONE OF THE SEALS FELL IN THE WATER,

FOLLOWING PROTOCOL — ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER JUMPED IN TO RESCUE THE SEAL, WHILE THE REST OF THE TEAM CARRIED OUT THE MISSION.

U-S CENTRAL COMMAND SAYING QUOTE:

We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time.

ON SUNDAY — ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU REJECTED CONDITIONS PRESENTED BY HAMAS TO END THE WAR AND RELEASE MORE THAN 130 HOSTAGES THAT REMAIN IN GAZA.

HAMAS PROPOSED THAT ISRAEL COMPLETELY WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS FROM THE GAZA STRIP — LEAVING THE TERRORIST GROUP IN POWER.

NETANYAHU RESPONDED TO HAMAS’ PROPOSAL IN A STATEMENT SAYING – THEY WOULD NOT “SURRENDER” TO THE “MONSTERS OF HAMAS.”

FAMILIES OF THE HOSTAGES TAKEN BY HAMAS HELD A PROTEST OUTSIDE OF NETANYAHU’S HOME – DEMANDING HE TAKE ACTION TO BRING ALL OF THEM HOME.

A SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL SPEAKING TO REUTERS SAID NETANYAHU’S REFUSAL TO END ITS OPERATIONS IN GAZA MEANS THERE IS NO CHANCE FOR THE RETURN OF HOSTAGES.

NETANYAHU IS FACING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE TO END THE WAR.

ON SUNDAY – HE REAFFIRMED HIS STANCE THAT ISRAEL SHOULD BE IN CONTROL OVER GAZA AFTER THE FIGHTING ENDS – DESPITE SPEAKING WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN WHO PRESSED THE PRIME MINISTER ON WORKING TOWARD A TWO-STATE SOLUTION DURING A CALL TWO DAYS EARLIER.

REPORTS ARE NOW SHOWING JUST HOW DANGEROUS THE CONDITIONS WERE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS LOW TEMPERATURES GRIPPED THE NATION LAST WEEK.

THE NEW YORK TIMES IS REPORTING MORE THAN 70 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN WEATHER-RELATED INCIDENTS — CBS NEWS IS REPORTING THAT NUMBER IS LIKELY TO BE MORE THAN 90 LIVES LOST IN THE EXTREME CONDITIONS.

IN MISSISSIPPI – WHERE 11 DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED – OFFICIALS ARE WARNING  OF BLACK ICE ON THE ROADS AND TO ONLY TRAVEL IF NECESSARY.

25 WEATHER-RELATED DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN TENNESSEE AND ANOTHER 16 IN OREGON.

WHILE SOME FATALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE STILL BEING INVESTIGATED TO CONFIRM THEY WERE DUE TO THE SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS —

MANY IN THE EAST ARE STILL EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE YEAR BEFORE A MID-WEEK WARM-UP.

WITNESS: “Oh my God, it’s on fire! Oh my God!”

CELL PHONE VIDEO TAKEN BY A WITNESS ON THE GROUND SHOWS FLAMES SHOOTING FROM A CARGO PLANE IN MIAMI – SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF.

AND NOW THE FAA AND THE NTSB ARE INVESTIGATING.

THE ATLAS AIR FLIGHT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING BACK AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LAST THURSDAY.

THE AIRLINE SAYING THE CARGO PLANE LANDED SAFELY AFTER “EXPERIENCING AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION.”

THE FAA SAYS A POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION SHOWED A “SOFTBALL-SIZE HOLE’” ABOVE THE ENGINE.

ATLAS AIR SAYS THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD.

THE BOEING 747 WAS ON ITS WAY TO PUERTO RICO.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – THE FORMER CALIFORNIA HOME OF LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS MARILYN MONROE – WHICH WAS SLATED TO BE DEMOLISHED – HAS BEEN SAVED – AT LEAST FOR NOW.

THE LOS ANGELES CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY LAST WEEK TO DECLARE THE PROPERTY A “HISTORIC CULTURAL MONUMENT.”

THE 2,900-SQUARE FOOT ESTATE IS THE ONLY PROPERTY MONROE EVER PURCHASED –

SHE BOUGHT IT IN FEBRUARY OF 1962 FOR 77 THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. IT WAS ALSO THE HOME WHERE SHE WAS FOUND DEAD SIX MONTHS LATER – AT THE AGE OF 36.

THE HOME’S FUTURE IS STILL IN QUESTION THOUGH – AS THE COMMISSION’S VOTE THAT ONLY TEMPORARILY PREVENTS DEMOLITION REMAINS UNDER REVIEW.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER  TO GET THE TOP STORIES EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.

JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN TO SIGN UP.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!