Up First from NPR - Winter Storm Blasts Chicago, Cold Campaigning In Iowa, Another Strike on Houthis

Episode Date: January 13, 2024

Another powerful winter storm brings much of the Midwest to a halt; Subzero temperatures are predicted for the Iowa Caucus on Monday; The US strikes Yemen again, trying to get the Houthis to stop their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Another powerful winter storm hits much of the U.S., unleashing severe weather in the Midwest. How severe? It's even a problem in Chicago, where I went to grade school alongside penguins and polar bears. I'm Ayesha Roscoe. And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News. It'll be a super cold Iowa caucus on Monday. Please wear layers of clothes just in case they're aligned so that you are staying safe. What could sub-zero temperatures mean for the candidates and the turnout? And another military strike in Yemen.

The U.S. wants to disable the ability of the Houthis to attack cargo ships in the Red Sea. But with massive protests in Yemen, could the strikes against the Houthis to attack cargo ships in the Red Sea. But with massive protests in Yemen, could the strikes against the Houthis backfire and further inflame tensions in the Middle East? Please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend. Now Our Change will honor 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force and their dedicated service to communities at home and abroad. From the skies to Our Change, this $2 commemorative circulation coin marks their storied past and promising future.

Find the limited edition Royal Canadian Air Force $2 coin today. The Chicago area is the latest swath of the country to face extreme weather. After a mild fall and early winter, a mix of snow, icy rain and wind lashed northern Illinois over the last 24 hours and temperatures are expected to drop into single digits tonight. This comes as the city was scheduled to begin moving migrants out of city shelters. Member station WBEZ's Kate Grossman joins us now with more. Good morning. Good morning.

So Chicagoans know how to roll with snowy weather, right? Like, I mean, that's part of the thing. But what are the concerns about this particular snow? So meteorologists here were predicting a possible blizzard. So, of course, that got people worried. And they were predicting what's known as heart attack snow. This comes from when, in 1987, about two dozen people died, mostly from the stress of shoveling in what's become known as the heart attack snowstorm.

So here's meteorologist Jake Peter explaining how the snow predicted for this storm is similar to that heavy 1987 snow. Probably where it earned that name is when shoveling snow that is wetter, is heavier to move around, that can be more strain on the body. So thankfully, much of the worst predictions did not come to pass yesterday. We had a few inches in the city and as much as six to eight in the suburbs, but it was not a blizzard. It was definitely treacherous outside and still is. We have 40 to 50 mile wind gusts and flights canceled. But fortunately, some of the biggest concerns are

still coming. We have really, really frigid cold weather coming with wind chills of minus 17 expected tonight. This sounds challenging, but also, you know, I would think it's a part of being a Midwesterner. Have Chicagoans kind of gotten out of practice dealing with wintry weather in recent years? You know, as a lifelong Chicagoan, I would say yes. It's been really mild so far this year. It was in the 50s here on Christmas Day. So, you know, climate change is raising temperatures and causing variability in the weather, hot then cold.

So when locals heard about our first big snowstorm of the year, there was a lot of hype and kind of a little hyperventilating. But of course, for some, this was really justified. Not everyone in Chicago has a history with this kind of weather. We've got nearly 35,000 migrants who've come to the city since 2022 and mostly from warm Latin America. For those migrants, I understand the city of Chicago recently instituted a 60-day limit on staying in a shelter and the first wave of people were going to be put out on Tuesday. What's happening with that? Yesterday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city was pausing plans to push migrants out after 60 days. There are some exceptions to that policy, particularly during single-digit temperatures,

as we are expecting within the next week or so. So the city is pushing that eviction date until at least January 22nd. Overall, there are nearly 8,000 migrants who've already received these 60-day notices, and it's not clear how many of them actually have housing lined up. And all of this is really coming to a boil politically. Yesterday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who's been sending a lot of these migrants to Chicago, to stop sending them, particularly in this cold. He urged them

in a letter. He said he was appealing to the governor's humanity, but Abbott's office quickly responded, no, they would continue sending the migrants here to Chicago, even in the cold. That's Kate Grossman of Member Station WBEZ. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. The Iowa caucuses are just two days away, and despite the heavy snow, despite the bitter temperatures, presidential candidates are hoping their supporters brave the weather and turn out.

And Pierre Sarah McCammon joins us now to talk about this, but not from Iowa, which is apparently really hard to get into right now. Sarah, thanks for being with us. Yeah, you know, Scott, I was supposed to be in Iowa yesterday. I've almost lost count of how many times we had to change travel plans because of the weather, and that's affecting everybody who is trying to campaign or cover this caucus or listen to candidates. You know, cold weather is nothing new in Iowa this time of year. I lived there for several years. But this is cold even for Iowa, and the snow and heavy winds have not been helping. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley had to cancel three in-person events yesterday. She turned those into teletown halls instead. And

she said she really hopes her Iowa supporters will come out on Monday. Please wear layers of clothes just in case they're aligned so that you are staying safe. And please go in there and know that you are setting the tone for the country. And it's not just Nikki Haley. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also postponed some events yesterday because of the weather. Former President Trump is doing a mix of tele-rallies and in-person events. Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign said he was continuing as planned, but earlier this week he also had to cancel some events, and that, Scott, was after he criticized Haley for doing so and implied that canceling events because of severe weather was weak. This winter storm, though, is not weak, and it's something candidates and everybody else

has to think about. Sarah, Midwesterners are up to it, okay? What could this storm mean for caucus night on Monday? Well, we like to think so. I still think of myself as one. Remember, caucuses are held in person at a specific time. There's usually no way to absentee vote, and so because caucus night is likely to be sub-zero weather across much of the state, it's very likely that some voters who would otherwise come just will not want to brave the cold or won't be able to. You know, this system has gotten its share of criticism for being tailored to people who have jobs and family situations that allow them to caucus at night and in many, who are physically able to do so even in winter weather. So which candidate all of this helps is anybody's guess, Scott. I've heard a few different theories about that.

Evangelical leader Bob Vanderplotz, who's endorsed DeSantis, says he thinks it will help DeSantis. His theory is that Trump supporters might look at the polls and just stay home. If they believe he's winning by 30 points, yeah, maybe I may just watch the victory speech on TV versus spending two hours in the bitter cold and trying to have a debate with my neighbors.

That said, Trump's base is known for its enthusiasm and loyalty, and Trump is just so far ahead in the polls, it's hard to envision an outcome where he's not the winner because of this. The bigger question, I think, is which candidate not named Trump can persuade enough of their supporters to turn out on Monday and give them second place. What are the candidates saying as they make their final appeals? You know, this really appears to be a fight for second place between DeSantis and Haley. Trump's legal battles have kept him mostly out of Iowa in recent days, but it really doesn't seem to matter for him.

His supporters think he's being unfairly targeted and they've rallied around him. But Haley has been gaining ground in some recent polls, and she's trying to build on that. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's decision to drop out this week might help her. He has not endorsed anyone, but both Haley and Christie are seen as appealing to more moderate Republicans. And Haley may be poised to pick up some of his supporters in New Hampshire, where she's been polling within single digits of Trump. Because even though we're heading to Iowa, or at least I hope I'm getting there soon, for the caucuses, everyone knows that the first primary in New Hampshire is not far behind. And Pierre Sarah McCammon from an undisclosed location. And I hope there's a Cinnabon stand in whatever airport you wind up in, Sarah. There's at least coffee. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you. The U.S. military struck at a target in Yemen it said was being used to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea. This follows earlier strikes that hit dozens of targets on Friday. The White House says that airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are not intended to spark a wider war in the region. But tensions remain high with the U.S. striving to try to limit interference from Iran as Israel's war against Hamas approaches 100 days and bears Peter Kenyon. He's following all this from Istanbul. Peter, thanks for being with us. Hi, Scott. Why the strikes now in this Red Sea area? Well, the airstrikes followed a number of warnings from President Joe Biden, the U.S. Central Command, warning that these Houthi attacks on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea had to stop. And the airstrikes have done considerable

damage at the latest targeted Houthi radar facility. But so far, the strikes do not appear to have deterred the Houthis. Their public response, at least, has been to declare that their attacks will continue. How does U.S. involvement change the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf? Well, the U.S. has long maintained a presence in the Gulf and has bases in the region. Of course, Washington sent warships to the area in an effort to deter others from joining this conflict because, of course, a major concern is not to let this escalate into a wider regional fight. That's a risk the West is keen to avoid. And we should point out that the Houthis say the main reason for these attacks on commercial shipping is to show support for Hamas and Hezbollah, risk the West is keen to avoid. And we should point out that the Houthis say the main reason

for these attacks on commercial shipping is to show support for Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iran proxy militias that have been targeted by the Israeli military ever since Hamas's deadly raid on October 7th. That attack killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and resulted in hundreds of hostages being taken. Peter, there were massive protests Friday in Yemen opposing the strikes against the Houthis. Might the Houthis now feel galvanized and continue attacks on shipping? Well, that's certainly a possibility. The Houthis appear to have the support of a very vocal segment of the population in Yemen, at the very least. Certainly, Iran has made clear it intends to keep up its support for the Houthis, which it sees as part of what it likes to call the axis of resistance. That's

countries, militias, state and non-state actors that see themselves as countering U.S. and Israeli influence in the region. I was in Yemen on a reporting trip a number of years ago, before the Houthis became such a major presence in the country. Back then, they were concentrated in the northwest, up near the border with Saudi Arabia. I remember a very long drive from the capital to see a meeting they were having. It was in a local hotel. They all filed in, and they carefully lined up at the cloakroom. Each one checked his rifle at the door with the clerk before heading into the meeting. This was probably 2007 or so.

Back then, in the rest of Yemen, certainly in the capital, there was not very many people at all worried about the Houthis. There have been some big changes since then, of course. What are the ripple effects of cargo ships avoiding the Red Sea? Well, it's an important commercial route, and a number of major firms are now avoiding it. In the last day, in fact, carmakers Tesla and Volvo both announced they're suspending some of their production in Europe because of a shortage of components due to the attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The shipping giant Maersk and others have made it clear they're prepared to absorb the higher costs and the extra time it takes to send their ships around South Africa. And Maersk said last month that it believes this situation could continue for several months. And here's Peter Kenyon. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks, Scott. And that's up first for Saturday, January 13, 2024. I'm Aisha Roscoe. And I'm Scott Simon. Fernando Nara, Danny Hensel, and Ryan Bank produce today's podcast. Russell Lewis, Megan Pratt, Melissa Gray, Shannon Rhodes, and Ed McNulty are our editors. Our director is Andrew Craig. Our technical director is Hannah Glovna with engineering support from Carly Strange, Stacey Abbott, Nisha Hynes, and Ted Meebang.

Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Kane is our deputy managing editor. Tomorrow on Up First, California Governor Gavin Newsom is pitching a new mental health court as a solution to homelessness. But what does this policy experiment tell us about the scope of the problem. And for more news, interviews, books, music, entertainment, tune in to Weekend Edition this weekend. Hence the name. Find your NPR station at stations.npr.org.