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Nikki Haley began campaigning early this morning, bouncing from town to town across New Hampshire. The state’s Tuesday primary, which allows independent voters to cast ballots, is most likely her best early chance to narrow Donald Trump’s staggering lead and turn the nominating campaign into a two-person race.
For Trump — who is expected to be endorsed at a rally tonight by a former rival, Senator Tim Scott — New Hampshire also provides an opportunity: A big win could make it difficult for his two main opponents, Haley and Ron DeSantis, to continue for much longer. (DeSantis has already begun casting his eyes forward to 2028.)
The emerging reality is one where Trump is increasingly likely to face off against President Biden in November. Yet for many Americans in both parties, a Trump-Biden rematch is still hard to fathom.
Many Republicans view Biden as so politically and physically weak that they think his party will replace him. At the same time, many Democrats can’t fathom that Trump could win, and hold on to, another nomination while facing 91 felony counts and four criminal trials. This incredulity — ranging from casual doubtfulness to conspiratorial denial — has emerged time and time again over the past several weeks.
The S&P 500 hit a record high
The S&P 500 index, one of the most widely watched Wall Street benchmarks and a cornerstone of many portfolios, rose 1.2 percent today to close above the previous high set in January 2022.
The record followed a staggering rally in the final months of 2023, as investors seized on signs of slowing inflation and signals from the Federal Reserve that it could begin to lift the brakes off the economy by cutting interest rates. The Bull Market probably means little for ordinary investors, but it does reflect a generally optimistic outlook on Wall Street.
Divisions in Israel are spilling into the open
After nearly 15 weeks of war, sharp divisions within Israel over the path forward in the Gaza Strip are coming out into the open. Several hundred protesters in Tel Aviv blocked traffic on a major highway today, demanding that Israel’s government do more to bring home the roughly 130 hostages who are believed to still be held in Gaza.
The protests followed comments by a member of the country’s war cabinet — a general who lost a son in the conflict — calling for a longer cease-fire with Hamas in return for the release of the remaining hostages. His views were seen as a rebuke of the “total victory” strategy being pursued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here’s the latest.
Japan became the fifth country to land on the moon
A Japanese robotic spacecraft successfully set down on the moon today, making Japan the fifth country to send a spacecraft that made a soft lunar landing. However, Japanese officials announced that the craft’s solar panels were not generating power, potentially cutting its operating life span to just a few hours.
The spacecraft, called Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, was intended to demonstrate precision landing, touching down within a football field of a target rather than the uncertainty of miles that most landers are capable of.
Here’s more on the new race to the moon.
More top news
In a highlight year, only a few films will get Oscar nods
When the Academy Award nominations are announced on Tuesday, a number of worthy contenders will be snubbed. That’s because there were simply more outstanding films and performances than slots available.
Our awards season columnist, Kyle Buchanan, has his eye on who is likely to make the cut (and who isn’t). He expects “Past Lives” and “American Fiction” to join the obvious best picture contenders, “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” He also expects the Academy to consider Sandra Hüller for best actress alongside Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone. Check out all of Kyle’s picks.
Can you pick out the computer-generated faces?
Tools powered by artificial intelligence have become increasingly adept at creating lifelike images of people who do not exist. That can create problems: Inauthentic photos have stoked confusion about breaking news, fashion trends and Taylor Swift.
Take our quiz to see if you can tell the real people from the A.I.-generated ones.
In ‘Tetsuko’s Room,’ age is no barrier to stardom
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has been hosting a popular Japanese talk show since Gerald Ford was president. Over more than 12,000 episodes, she has cheerfully chatted with generations of Japan’s biggest stars, as well as Mikhail Gorbachev, Prince Philip and Lady Gaga. And that’s just the second half of her career.
At 90, Kuroyanagi, a trailblazer in an overwhelmingly male environment, has no plans to stop. She jokes that she’ll keep hosting until she’s 100.
Have a boundless evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.
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