Morning Headlines - Friday, Apr. 1, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden Orders 'Unprecedented' Release Of Oil Reserves

Joe Biden has ordered a major release of oil from America's reserves in an effort to bring down high fuel costs. The release of up to 180m barrels of oil over six months is the largest since the reserve was created in 1974.

Oil prices dropped on reports of the move, which is aimed at easing a supply crunch sparked by war in Ukraine.

But the release - of about 1m barrels a day - is unlikely to fully resolve the energy crisis, analysts say.

House Set To Pass Legislation Decriminalizing Marijuana

The House is once again poised to pass legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, known as the MORE Act, would remove marijuana from the controlled substances list, leaving it up to states to set their own laws. It would also release people incarcerated on cannabis-related offenses of less than 30 grams and expunge criminal penalties associated with those who manufacture, distribute and possess it.

The White House Diaries And The 7-Hour Gap In Trump's Day On Jan. 6, 2021

This week, CBS News and The Washington Post revealed that internal White House records from January 6, 2021 showed a more than seven-hour gap between President Donald Trump's phone calls.

From 11:17 a.m. to 6:54 p.m., a time period that included the president's address at a "Stop the Steal" rally near White House grounds and the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, the minute-by-minute record of the president's activities reflects no evidence of Trump making or receiving calls.

Federal Judge Rules Florida's New Voting Restrictions Are Unconstitutional

A federal judge has determined that new voting rules backed by Florida Republicans violate the voting rights of citizens and are therefore unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled on Thursday that new restrictions, such as reducing drop boxes for ballots and banning organizations from offering aid to people waiting to vote, could not be put into effect as planned.

Facebook's Latest Faceplants

Facebook parent Meta found itself back in the spotlight this week, largely through controversies of its own making.

Why it matters: Meta’s stock has already struggled to rebound from the "Facebook Files" fiasco and Apple’s app changes (down 33% year-to-date), but it had begun to rally in March. Now, a series of setbacks could further hinder its comeback.

Wisconsin Headlines

Tommy Thompson Meets With Donald Trump In Florida To Talk Wisconsin Politics

Multiple sources tell TMJ4 News that former Governor Tommy Thompson met Thursday with former President Donald Trump in Florida.

The Mar-a-Lago meeting comes as Thompson is thinking about a run for governor, and Trump is talking about running for president in 2024.

Evers Urges Wisconsin Justices To Affirm Redistricting Plan

Gov. Tony Evers has filed a motion with the state Supreme Court urging the justices to affirm his legislative district boundary map that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected.

The state Supreme Court adopted Evers' map in March, choosing his plan over Republican lawmakers' proposal.

Robin Vos, Assembly Found In Contempt Of Court Over 2020 Election Investigation Records

A Dane County judge has found Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in contempt of court for not releasing records collected by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman's investigation of the 2020 election.

In a Wednesday ruling, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled that Vos, R-Rochester, and the state Assembly demonstrated "a collective and abject disregard" of a prior order to produce documents from Gableman and his team requested by American Oversight, a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog group.

ESPN Anchor John Anderson Connects With Home State Through “Inside Wisconsin” Podcast

John Anderson hasn't officially called Green Bay, Wis. 'home' since 1983, when he graduated from Southwest High School and made his way to the University of Missouri to kick off a journalism career that has made him one of the most recognizable faces of ESPN but he's never forgotten his roots.

Wisconsin Guard Johnny Davis Declares For 2022 NBA Draft

Wisconsin standout sophomore Johnny Davis announced he will be declaring for the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday.

In a video posted to his Twitter, Davis thanked his family, his coaches and his teammates. And, lastly, he thanked Badger Nation for always being there to support him.