Republican frontrunners had a lot to say yesterday.

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Republican frontrunners had a lot to say yesterday.

The presidential race?

Yup. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley faced off as the leading two GOP presidential candidates…behind former President Trump. Here’s how it played out:

DeSantis vs. Haley…debated in Iowa, if by ‘debated’ we mean ‘accused each other of lying.’ Haley wanted viewers to head to DeSantisLies.com. DeSantis wanted viewers to pick through Haley's “word salad.” The two covered ground on everything from the retirement age to abortion to China, Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia, and immigration. At the end of the day, everyone politely ignored that the two candidates remain more than 20 points behind Trump in recent national polls, with the Iowa caucuses less than one week away.

Former President Trump…was live on Fox News for the first time in nearly two years. Over the course of an hour, Trump covered a lot of ground. He teased that he’s already got a VP pick in mind, but stayed tight-lipped. Trump took on abortion, both taking credit for overturning Roe v. Wade but saying he supports some exceptions. He also made sure to tell the audience, “I am not going to be a dictator” and that he will be too busy for “retribution” if gets a second term. As far as his many court cases, Trump sees them as political ploys.

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Yesterday’s appearances weren’t particularly flashy or headline-grabbing. But the candidates are now at a point where they need to grab not just headlines — but actual votes. Next week will mark the first test of what polls have been showing for months: whether Trump has as firm a grip as ever on the GOP nomination.

Who’s the B-I-T G-I-RL, you know she is that girl…

Bitcoin ETFs. Yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission greenlit the first bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Until now, investing in bitcoin involved barriers like knowing where to buy bitcoin, getting a crypto wallet, and trusting people to keep your money safe (see: Sam Bankman-Fried). Now, by allowing highly regulated index funds to do the legwork, regular people can more easily invest in the price of bitcoin. This doesn’t mean it’s suddenly risk-free to invest in crypto, which has been all over the place but most recently on an up trend. As the SEC chair put it, investors should stay cautious about the “myriad risks associated with bitcoin and products whose value is tied to crypto.” Still, yesterday’s announcement allowed 11 companies including big names like BlackRock and Fidelity to create funds. Investors can trade as soon as today. Be safe, have fund.

Who looked camp right in the eye…

Hunter Biden. Yesterday, the GOP-led House Oversight and Judiciary committees pushed forward resolutions to hold Hunter in contempt of Congress. The update comes after the president’s son made a surprise appearance at an Oversight committee hearing. Republicans had subpoenaed Hunter for a closed-door questioning in December as part of their impeachment inquiry into his father. He defied it and said he’ll only testify if it’s public. Hunter also faces criminal tax charges. At the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said Hunter is the “epitome of white privilege” and that he should go “straight to jail.” Now, the issue heads to the House floor for a vote, but it’s not clear when that will happen. Some reportedly say Hunter's surprise appearance is part of his strategy to take his fight with the GOP public.

Where tensions are rising…

The Red Sea. Earlier this week, the US said it shot down more than 20 drones and missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea with the help of the UK. It was in response to the Iranian-backed group targeting a US ship it said was providing support to Israel, and is one of the largest attacks by the group to date. The Houthis have carried out at least 26 attacks against international shipping companies traveling through the Red Sea in recent weeks, reportedly disrupting 15% of international commerce. The US has said “there will be consequences” for more attacks — but the group doesn’t seem to be stopping. It’s not the only attacks keeping the international community on their toes: yesterday, Somali terror group al-Shabab captured a UN helicopter carrying nine people. One person was reportedly killed.

Who’s ready to walk off the field…

University of Alabama’s Nick Saban. Yesterday, the school’s head coach, considered by many to be the face of college football, announced his retirement. Saban brought the Crimson Tide to the top during his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, winning six national championships. He won 201 games there, tying with Georgia’s Vince Dooley for the second-most wins at a single school in SEC history. Saban said he and his wife “enjoyed every minute” of his time there. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) said Saban “will go down as one of the best.” Roll Tide.

Whose sneak peek is full of look-alikes…

Lil Nas X’s. 

While Selena Gomez is taking on a new role…

“The White Lotus” is blooming in Thailand.

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