Daily Briefing: An 'obnoxious blowhard' and some 'jealous' fellas

The fourth Republican debate of the 2024 election was filled with name calling. Also in the news: Students and residents are grappling with the aftermath of a deadly campus shooting in Las Vegas and what to know about a Native American lacrosse team's bid to fly their own flag at the 2028 Olympics.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. "Hanukkah" is Hebrew for dedication. Here's everything you need to know about the Jewish festival of lights that begins at sundown tonight.

Who were the winners and losers of the fourth GOP debate?

Only four Republican candidates took the stage Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the fourth GOP debate: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

And although the GOP contenders were thrown a myriad of questions, political experts said they were all attempting to answer one never directly asked: “Who is going to be the best challenger to Trump, if anyone?”

• Early in the debate, moderator Megyn Kelly directly confronted DeSantis about his sinking status in the race. DeSantis balked at the criticism, saying he was “sick of hearing” about polling numbers.

• Haley held the spotlight, although she got the most criticism on the stage – fending off attacks from DeSantis and Ramaswamy on China, the war in Ukraine and her former role on the board of Boeing.

• In one of the most memorable fights of the night, Christie sparred with Ramaswamy, calling the businessman “the most obnoxious blowhard in America." While Ramaswamy yet again cast himself as Trump 2.0, Christie continued to bash the former president as he’s done since announcing his campaign in June. Neither strategy has worked for the candidates thus far.

Related: Chris Christie said he would send U.S. troops to Gaza and blasted DeSantis for dodging the issue.

Students, Vegas community reeling after deadly UNLV attack

Numerous students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, took cover as police swarmed onto campus after a shooter sprayed bullets into crowds at two campus buildings during a lunchtime assault Wednesday that killed at least three people and injured another. Many campus community members spent hours crying and frantically exchanging silent text messages in locked offices, classrooms, and the Lied Library until police gave the all-clear. The UNLV shooting surfaced memories of one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history — the 2017 shooting at the Mandalay Bay casino just miles away from campus. Read more

• A suspect killed six people in separate Texas attacks, authorities say.

More news to know now

• Former President Donald Trump is expected to return to his New York civil business fraud trial on Thursday.

• Biden forgave $5 billion more in student loans for over 80,000 borrowers. But who qualifies?

• The government cannot ban gas-powered cars, according to a new bill.

• Russian-affiliated soldiers were charged with war crimes for allegedly torturing a U.S. citizen in Ukraine.

• For subscribers: Authors of banned books in Iowa are speaking out.

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, Norman Lear has died at 101. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

United Nations says there are no safe places in Gaza

Israeli forces struck the southern Gaza town of Rafah twice overnight, sowing fear in one of the last places where civilians can seek refuge. Israel has widened its offensive against Hamas from the devastated north to southern areas already packed with displaced people. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet were assailed by released hostages and the families of those still being held by Hamas, who questioned the government’s efforts to free the nearly 140 who remain in captivity. Read more

• Harvard, Penn and MIT presidents ignited furor with their ''unacceptable'' response to antisemitism.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaving Congress this year

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is resigning from Congress early and will not run for reelection next year, punctuating a historic Capitol Hill career after 15 rounds of voting to become speaker in January and getting ousted 10 months later by a conservative rebellion. McCarthy's departure also further narrows the razor-thin GOP majority in the House. After his resignation, Republicans will control the lower chamber by just a three-seat margin, further complicating House Speaker Mike Johnson's bid to pass conservative legislation. Read more

• Why are dozens of lawmakers suddenly leaving Congress?

• In plea for Ukraine funding, Biden is open to ''significant compromises'' on border issues.

Keep scrolling

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• ''I know all of the ways that things could go wrong'': A look at pregnancy loss in post-Dobbs America.

• Washington Post workers are launching a historic strike amid layoffs and contract negotiations.

• Her dog died from a respiratory illness. Now she’s trying to help others.

• Vanessa Hudgens and baseball player Cole Tucker tied the knot!

• Ariana Madix is headed to Broadway.

• Here's why it's not that shocking Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' exes are dating each other.

• MLB Winter Meetings winners and losers: Yankees' Juan Soto trade could open the floodgates.

Biden backs Native American athletes' quest to field lacrosse team at 2028 Olympics

When lacrosse makes its return to the Olympic program at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, a team of Native American athletes representing the sport's birthplace, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, hope to be competing under their own flag. In a major public boost for the bid, President Joe Biden announced his support of the Haudenosaunee's Olympic efforts during a speech at the White House Tribal Nations Summit on Wednesday afternoon. Biden seeking a "narrowly-scoped exception" to Olympic rules that would allow the Haudenosaunee to field a team but also acknowledged any decision on their inclusion in 2028 ultimately rests with the International Olympic Committee. Read more

Photo of the day: Taylor Swift named 2023 Person of the Year

If you haven't heard already — Taylor Swift's era of cultural domination continues. Swift is 2023's Time Person of the Year, giving the billionaire, business mogul, singer, songwriter, director, actor and producer another heavyweight accolade for her mantelpiece. 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: GOP debate, Israel-Hamas war, Vegas shooting, Kevin McCarthy, Taylor Swift: Daily Briefing