Let the primaries begin!

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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All eyes are on New Hampshire and the nation’s first primary election. This year's Oscar nominations have been revealed. And the Doomsday Clock predicts how close humans are to total annihilation.

👋 Hey, hey! Your old pal Laura Davis here. Tuesday’s news is comin’ in hot!

But first: A gem of a find! 💎 See the massive diamond a tourist discovered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.

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Can Haley pull off a Trump upset?

New Hampshire primary day has arrived. The first-in-the-nation contest has long wielded the power to make or break presidential campaigns – giving some a boost and tearing others to the ground. Today, all eyes are on the Granite State's Republican contest as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tries to keep her candidacy alive against front-runner former President Donald Trump. 🗳️ Follow along with our live coverage.

Nikki Haley supporter Monica Leno, left, and Joe Biden supporter Renee Goodspeed, best friends for 40 years, stand together at the Rochester Ward 6 polls during New Hampshire primary voting Tuesday. "We don't have to vote the same way to be friends," Goodspeed said, and Leno agreed.
Nikki Haley supporter Monica Leno, left, and Joe Biden supporter Renee Goodspeed, best friends for 40 years, stand together at the Rochester Ward 6 polls during New Hampshire primary voting Tuesday. "We don't have to vote the same way to be friends," Goodspeed said, and Leno agreed.

And the Oscar nominees are ...

Meanwhile, in Hollywood: It’s the most wonderful – or dreadful – day of the year for many. Christopher Nolan's atomic bomb biopic "Oppenheimer" cemented itself as an awards-season powerhouse Tuesday morning, scoring 13 nominations for the 96th Academy Awards. The fantastical dark comedy "Poor Things" received 11 nods, while Martin Scorsese's Western crime epic "Killers of the Flower Moon" garnered 10. Meanwhile, big names such as Willem Dafoe ("Poor Things") and Julianne Moore ("May December") awoke to the unhappy news that they were snubbed for Oscar nominations. The team behind "Saltburn" kept their champagne corked, too. This year's Oscars ceremony will air live on March 10 at 7 p.m. EST on ABC. 🏆 Here's a look at the nominees.

Cillian Murphy plays physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's historical thriller "Oppenheimer."
Cillian Murphy plays physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's historical thriller "Oppenheimer."

Real quick

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Doomsday draws ever near

The end is as nigh as ever. So say the experts maintaining the ominous Doomsday Clock, who on Tuesday said that humanity is still as close as ever to global catastrophe, which could involve nuclear war, climate change, or maybe even artificial intelligence. The time on the symbolic clock – 90 seconds to midnight – is the same as last year, and the closest to midnight the clock has ever been. The Doomsday Clock is a metaphor for how close humanity is to self-annihilation, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which has maintained the clock since 1947. ⏰ Here's what to know about the prediction.

Well, that was heavy. Here is a photo of my 17-year-old cat, Susie, who is very pretty and continues to thrive, despite the ✨ impending annihilation of all humans.✨
Well, that was heavy. Here is a photo of my 17-year-old cat, Susie, who is very pretty and continues to thrive, despite the ✨ impending annihilation of all humans.✨

Weather whiplash

Areas across the country were hit with dangerous weather conditions as southern California and parts of the Southeast and Texas responded to flash flood warnings amid heavy rainfall. Severe flash flooding in San Diego swept away cars and triggered a state of emergency. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service warned of major flooding in Rochester, Minnesota, and the Cleveland area, with rivers and creeks swelling. The deluge and warmer temperatures this week follow below-freezing temperatures last week in parts of Texas and the South, leading forecasters to say the weather feels like "whiplash." ⛈️ A look at the full forecast.

A woman examines cars damaged by floods during a rain storm Monday in San Diego.
A woman examines cars damaged by floods during a rain storm Monday in San Diego.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Hampshire primary, Oscar noms, Doomsday Clock: Tuesday's news