CNN 5 Things in News stories

A robocall using artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice is urging voters in New Hampshire to skip the state’s pivotal primary today. Tracking data suggests up to 25,000 fraudulent calls were made to residents across the Granite State as investigators quickly try to find the caller’s identity behind the scheme.

1. 2024 race

The nation’s first presidential primary is underway in New Hampshire, where former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are vying for votes to become the Republican nominee to take on President Joe Biden in November. The first ballots were cast at midnight, with all six voters in the tiny town of Dixville Notch backing Haley. The latest polls, however, show Trump’s lead over Haley has widened to double-digits following his big win in Iowa’s caucuses last week. The primary will also be, in part, a test for Biden as he seeks to pull off a successful write-in campaign in the state. Biden’s name does not appear on the ballot today following an internal party dispute over the primary’s date.

Poll closing times vary in New Hampshire today but most close at 7 p.m. ET. Visit CNN’s voter guide to find out how to vote in the primaries in your state.

2: Israeli hostages

Israel has offered Hamas a two-month ceasefire as part of a prospective deal that would free more than 100 hostages being held in Gaza, according to Axios. The broader agreement would allow the safe passage out of Gaza for top Hamas leaders who orchestrated the October 7 attacks. Analysts say that draining Gaza of its leaders could weaken Hamas’ grip on the war-torn strip while also allowing Israel to continue tracking down high-value targets abroad. On the ground, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza on Monday in the biggest single loss of life for Israeli troops since the start of the war.

3: Immigration

The Supreme Court will allow US Border Patrol agents to remove razor-wire deployed by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s security initiative at the US-Mexico border. The vote on Monday was 5-4. While the justices’ order will now face legal challenges from the state, it is nonetheless a major victory for President Biden in his ongoing dispute over his border policy with Abbott. The crisis in the region has been particularly fraught in recent days after three migrants drowned in a section of the Rio Grande. Federal officials said they could not assist in the emergency rescue because Texas state officials had blocked agents’ access to crossing areas.

4: Stock market

The Dow closed above the 38,000 mark for the first time on Monday, building on last week’s momentum. The Dow rose 138 points, or 0.4%, ending the day at 38,001.81. The S&P 500 also gained 0.2% and closed at an all-time high, reaching 4,850.43. The positive trend comes after major Wall Street indexes started the year in a topsy-turvy fashion by breaking a nine-week streak of gains. But last week, all three indexes turned positive for the year as tech stocks led the broader market higher. The rally is also being powered by rising optimism that the Federal Reserve will nail a soft landing, or bring down inflation without triggering mass unemployment.

5: China earthquake

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake rocked China’s far western Xinjiang region early today, with multiple injuries reported by state media. The quake struck shortly after 2 a.m. local time, collapsing structures and downing power lines. The epicenter is a remote, mountainous, and sparsely populated area near China’s border with Kyrgyzstan. Heavy tremors were also felt in cities hundreds of miles away, including the Silk Road oasis of Kashgar and Hotan in southern Xinjiang. Nearly 200 rescue workers have been dispatched to the quake zone, and hundreds more are being assembled, authorities say.