thanks for joining us. i m alex marquardt in for fredricka whitfield today. we begin at the u.s. southern border where officials say they are seeing fewer migrants crossing than expected, despite the end of title 42. authorities say that the long lines of people who once waited to enter the u.s. have dissipated at many border crossings. many had expected a surge after the covid era policy title 42 expired at midnight on thursday. in its place the biden administration has re-enacted tougher border policies, which require longer processing times, and impose severe consequences for those who cross illegally. the white house has sent thousands of asylum officers, secret service agents and even u.s. troops, to reinforce screening efforts, and to mitigate the already challenging humanitarian crisis. cnn s polo sandoval is in el paso, texas. you re on the ground. what are you seeing? it certainly has been less chaotic the less 48 hours since the lifting of title 42. that being sai
to be continued. cnn this morning continues right now. well, good morning, everyone. i m phil mattingly with poppy harlow. it s 8:00 a.m. here in new york, 2:00 p.m. in gaza, where right now israel is ramping up its ground assault with tanks and infantry pushing deeper into the gaza strip. overnight, israeli forces are pushing deeper into gaza. heavier air strikes pound gaza as the fighting rages on the ground. iran is accusing israel of crossing red lines and the white house is warning there is a real risk of this war spreading into a wider conflict. and we, of course, are taking every measure necessary to protect our forces, to increase our vigilance, and to work with other countries in the region to try to keep this conflict that is currently in israel and gaza from spinning out into a regional conflict. the risk is real, and therefore our vigilance is high and the steps we are taking to deter that and prevent that are serious, systemic, and ongoing. meanwhile
we re following all the breaking news in israel s escalating war with hamas. israel s prime minister says his country is now in the second stage of the war. the goal to eliminate hamas and eeradicate its threat to israel. israel s military says it has troops inside gaza, but it s not clear if this expanded operation is the beginning of a broad ground incursion. civilians in northern gaza say last night was the heaviest bombardment so far. israel s defense minister says the intensifying assault will improve his country s chances of treeing freeing the hostages. translator: we are making any effort in order to return the handles to us, to our country. it s a difficult effort. dealing with reality we didn t know in the past. we are ready to do anything possible. this is not a secondary mission. this is a national priority. also new this hour, hamas is firing back. this is new video from a cnn producer in gaza capturing rockets being fired into israel. and cnn s nic roberts
it is a showdown in iowa this weekend, the two current poll leaders for the republican presidential nomination are hol holding events, governor desantis, the first in sioux center, a campaign style event, and he has yet to officially announce his presidential run but this latest appearance of course, indicates he may be getting closer to jumping into the race. later today, former president donald trump will be holding a rally of his own in des moines as he continues to sharpen his attacks against desantis. cnn is in iowa today. steve, set the scene for what is taking place. reporter: governor desantis will speak behind me in about an hour and as you said, he is not a candidate for president yet, but i have to tell you, this event certainly has the look and
Last call! Voting deadline today for Michigan’s Best Outdoor Dining
Updated Jan 29, 2021;
Posted Jan 29, 2021
The Hearthstone Bistro in Muskegon, Michigan has been nominated for Michigan s Best Outdoor Dining.Courtesy of The Hearthstone Bistro
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Our voting deadline is at 3 p.m. today, Jan. 29, for Michigan’s Best Outdoor Dining.
As of 6 a.m. we’ve had more than 16,000 votes for 130-plus restaurants that were nominated in 11 regions from all parts of the state.
That doesn’t mean outdoor dining will end any time soon.
Igloos, shanties and other patio dining set ups will remain open to help these restaurants survive. Pro tip: Many of these establishments require reservations more than a week in advance. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so plan accordingly.