Daily Briefing: The Iowa caucuses are here

The Iowa caucuses kick off the presidential nominating process Monday night. Also in the news: A government shutdown would have significant impact for Americans if Congress cannot pass a stopgap measure this week. The Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 100 days.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Here's how the NBA continues the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Here is the news to know Monday.

Trump, Haley and other 2024 Republicans rally before crucial contest

Iowa Republicans are expecting a smooth night on Monday as they report caucus results after this year's race has been remarkably, and for some, frustratingly, static — with the winner seeming all but certain.

The crucial early primary contest has long had the power to reshape a presidential race, tripping up frontrunners and giving a boost to fierce political rivals. This year, former President Donald Trump's Republican challengers tried to make inroads with Iowans as the state faces extreme conditions with temperatures sweeping below 0 degrees.

• What happens at the Iowa caucuses? Iowa caucus-goers will hold a binding vote for the party's presidential nominee at designated caucus sites and elect delegates to county conventions. Delegates will attend this summer's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where the party's nominee will be chosen.

• Will Donald Trump meet his sky-high expectations, or will Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis close the gap? The Iowa caucuses are a game of expectations, and the expectation is that Trump will perform better than any Republican candidate in history on Monday.

• Democrats will hold a caucus in Iowa this year too, which President Joe Biden is currently expected to win.

Millions of Americans face freezing temperatures

A winter storm with snow and ice will threaten the mid-Atlantic and New England from Monday night to Tuesday night, forecasters say. The storm, and a wall of arctic air, is expected to ride the jet stream across most of the nation over the next few days. Much of the country faced temperatures 20-40 degrees below normal as of Sunday. The cold and snow comes after a deep freeze settled across much of the nation Sunday, bringing freezing temperatures as far south as Florida and creating chaos for travelers, football fans and even voters in the Iowa Caucuses. Read more

• Over 1,000 U.S. flights were canceled over MLK weekend due to severe winter storms.

More news to know now

• Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. His "I have a dream" speech looms large 60 years later.

• The U.S. intercepted and shot down a Houthi missile aimed at a Navy destroyer in the Red Sea.

• Two Navy SEALs are missing after falling into water during a mission off Somalia's coast.

• "We know they were raped in Hamas captivity": Chilling details of what hostages faced.

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, a look at President Joe Biden's polling struggles among Hispanic voters. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Can Congress reach a deal to avert a government shutdown?

Lawmakers are preparing a temporary bill to keep the government’s doors open until March as the nation faces a partial shutdown this week.  The stopgap measure, which congressional leaders are expected to release Sunday, would extend funding until March 1 for the agencies potentially hit later this week. The deal would give lawmakers until March 8 to fund other agencies and services, according to multiple reports.  The anticipated agreement comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has faced major pressure from House Republicans' right flank after he announced a spending deal alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last week. Read more

100 days of the Israel-Hamas War

As of Jan. 14, Israel and Hamas had been at war for 100 days in the aftermath of the worst attack in Israel's history. Its impact has been felt far, wide and deep − and it's not over. It's a conflict that has upended life for Israelis and Palestinians; caused death, suffering and destruction on a massive scale; further polarized long divided views; reshaped the dynamics of the Middle East; and stirred international political and emotional turmoil. It has even threatened to impact the 2024 U.S. election. Read more

• Here is a visual guide to the two separate U.S. retaliatory airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen.

Keep scrolling

• Have the day off? Get yourself a bagel.

• Denmark has a new king and queen consort.

• BMW was among the worst things we saw at CES 2024.

• Critics Choice Awards 2024: See Emma Stone, Margot Robbie, Meg Ryan and more stars on the red carpet.

• Here's how the NFL playoff bracket looks after Sunday's wild-card games.

A group of herring fishermen may put a hook in the Biden administration's power

A yearslong legal battle between four family owned fishing companies and the Department of Commerce will be debated at the Supreme Court this week. The case concerns a 2020 federal rule that requires fishers to pay the salary of the observers they bring aboard – adding $700 a day to their costs. One of the most important cases of the current term, its resolution could spillover into other industries, significantly weakening the ability of federal agencies to regulate the environment, workplace conditions, food safety and other areas of American life. Read more

Photo of the day: Taylor Swift braves subzero temps to support Chiefs

Pop superstar Taylor Swift is shaking off the subzero temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium. Swift arrived at the Kansas City Chiefs' wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins sporting a custom puffer jacket featuring the name and No. 87 number of her boyfriend Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The red-and-yellow jacket was created by Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Read more

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iowa caucuses, winter weather, snow, cold, government shutdown, MLK, Israel-Hamas War, Taylor Swift: Daily Briefing