U.S. strikes in Yemen, an Iowa caucuses preview and the new ‘Mean Girls’ movie

Good morning, everybody. Quick PSA: The Yodel will be off on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll be back on Tuesday. Now, on to the news.

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley campaigning in Iowa (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

NEED TO KNOW

The Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 presidential primary season on Monday. Voters will have their first chance to decide on a candidate — Republicans will vote in person, while Democrats will have until March 5 to vote by mail.

What’s different: It’s projected to be the coldest night in Iowa caucus history, with temperatures below zero degrees. GOP voters may also battle snow and ice to cast their ballots in person. [AP]

The stakes: Iowa’s results tend to quickly narrow the primary field, so it could mean the end of the road for GOP candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis if they underperform. [Yahoo News]

What history says: Iowa’s track record for predicting nominees and general election winners is inconsistent. Only three presidents since 1972 won their Iowa caucuses. [ABC News]

Gilbert Flores/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

🎵 Taylor Swift’s streams

Out of the record-breaking 4.1 trillion music streams worldwide in 2023, Taylor Swift’s discography made up 1.79% of total U.S. streams, meaning roughly one in every 78 streams was a Swift song. [CBS News]

🌍 U.S. strikes in Yemen

The U.S. and its allies struck over two dozen targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, which says it has been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea to protest Israel’s fighting in Gaza. [New York Times]

🩺 COVID-19 deaths

Holiday gatherings and the new JN.1 COVID variant contributed to nearly 10,000 deaths globally in December, according to the World Health Organization’s director-general. “This level of preventable deaths is not acceptable,” he said. [AP]

❄️ Snow concerns

Climate experts note that despite several big snow storms this month, snow accumulation remains below average, which may affect water reserves for farming and wildfire management. [NBC News]

💰 Bitcoin ETFs

Bitcoin ETFs began trading on regulated exchanges including the Nasdaq yesterday for the first time after they received SEC approval. The move will allow more Americans to buy the cryptocurrency without the risks of owning Bitcoin directly. [USA Today]

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

🎵 Ariana Grande’s highly anticipated new single “Yes, And?” dropped. [People]

🎬 You can stream Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone, on Apple TV+ now. [The Hollywood Reporter]

📺 The first three episodes of the popular reality competition show The Traitors Season 2 are on Peacock. [Us Weekly]

✈️ Watch NASA unveil the X-59 supersonic aircraft, its most ambitious attempt at an ultrafast passenger plane, at 4 p.m. ET on YouTube. [Gizmodo]

☀️ And don’t forget to: Check the forecast in your area. Read your daily horoscope. Play the Daily Crossword.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Illustration: Yahoo News; photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

In 1971, the sitcom All in the Family premiered on CBS. It became so popular that people had “Archie Bunker for President” buttons made for the 1972 election. [Yahoo Entertainment]

3 QUESTIONS

My colleague Kelsey Weekman has all the details about the Mean Girls musical adaptation out today.

Lily: I’m a fan of the original Mean Girls. Which can I expect?

Kelsey: You can expect to see Tina Fey back as Ms. Norbury and a revival of the Plastics’ “Jingle Bell Rock” dance. Enough to trigger nostalgia!

Lily: Where did the music come from for this remake?

Kelsey: It’s from Mean Girls, the musical. My favorite song is Regina George’s “World Burn,” a revenge banger.

Lily: You tracked down the real-life Glen Coco. Who is he again?

Kelsey: Yes! He’s Fey’s brother’s friend and inspired the line, “You go, Glen Coco.” He told me cashiers laugh when he pays with a credit card and they see his name.

Get more from Kelsey: Read her culture reporting.

Getty Creative

FEEL-GOOD MOMENT

On the last day of his 40-year medical career, Dr. Phillip Masterson delighted his co-workers by skating through the office to Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road Jack.” He joked that he was roller skating his way to retirement. [GMA]

Have a stellar day. See you next week!

💡 P.S. Before you go, your daily advice: Want to become a faster cook? Reading recipes closely before you get started can make a big difference. [Washington Post]

About The Yodel: The Yodel is a morning newsletter from Yahoo News. Lily Herman curates trusted news and daily delights from the top news publishers.

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