Morning Headlines - Friday, Apr. 12, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Senate Republicans Furious Over Trump Trying To Derail FISA Bill

Senate Republicans vented their frustration after former President Trump helped derail a compromise House bill to extend Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authority, sending lawmakers scrambling to find a Plan B to keep the nation’s intelligence agencies from losing their ability to spy on adversaries and terrorists.

Republican senators are warning that the nation’s spy program is about to go “dark” and that much of the intelligence that goes into President Biden’s daily briefing could be lost, putting the nation at risk for surprise attacks.

U.S. Issues Travel Warning For Israel As Iran Expected To Attack Any Time

Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize within just hours — the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital.

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that a major Iranian attack against Israel was expected as soon as Friday, possibly to include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country.

Crypto Executives Put Money Behind Longshot Bid To Oust Elizabeth Warren

Crypto executives are finding a new investment opportunity: The long shot GOP rival to their industry’s chief critic in Congress, Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

More than half a dozen cryptocurrency executives and prominent enthusiasts have donated to John Deaton, a political no-name who achieved folk-hero-like status in the crypto community for battling the SEC in a landmark crypto case last year. He moved to Massachusetts in January and registered as a Republican to take on Warren.

OJ Simpson Died Owing More Than $100million To Families Of Murder Victims Ron Goldman And Nicole Brown

OJ Simpson died owing his murder victim's family more than $100 million – and they say they're still going after the money.

Simpson, who died in Nevada on Wednesday age 76, was found liable in civil court for $33.5 million for the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson in 1997. The Goldman family has been pursuing the growing debt ever since.

Biden To Forgive $7.4 Billion More In Student Loan Debt For 277,000 Borrowers

The Biden administration said Friday that is using existing student loan forgiveness programs to cancel another round of student debt, totaling $7.4 billion for 277,000 borrowers.

Under President Joe Biden, the Department of Education has made it easier for some specific groups of borrowers, like public sector workers, to qualify for loan forgiveness. It also launched a new repayment plan that creates a shorter pathway to loan forgiveness for many low-income borrowers – and is at issue in at least two legal challenges from Republican-led states.

Wisconsin Headlines

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley Won’t Seek Reelection In ‘25, When Liberal Majority Will Be On The Line

State Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced this morning she won’t seek reelection next year, a decision that could make it more challenging for liberals to maintain the majority they won just a year ago.

After fellow liberal Janet Protasiewicz’s victory last spring, Bradley told reporters she planned to seek a fourth 10-year term on the court in 2025. The 73-year-old jurist said in a statement this morning that she knows she can “do the job and do it well” and was confident she could win reelection if she ran.

Wisconsin Tribe Sues Social Media Companies Over Suicide Rates Among Native Youth

A Wisconsin tribe is one of the first tribal nations to sue social media companies, accusing them of contributing to higher suicide rates among Native American youth compared to their peers.

The Menominee Indian Tribe along with the Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a Los Angeles County court against companies that own social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Google. The two are the first among nearly 575 federally recognized tribes to challenge companies like Meta, SNAP, Alphabet and ByteDance.

Woman Who Stabbed Classmate To Please ‘Slender Man’ Won’t Be Released From Psychiatric Hospital

A Wisconsin woman who at age 12 said she stabbed a sixth-grade classmate nearly to death to please the online horror character Slender Man remains a risk to the public and won’t be released yet from a psychiatric hospital, a judge said Thursday.

Judge Michael Bohren ruled against Morgan Geyser, now 21, despite the testimony of two psychiatrists, including the medical director of Winnebago Mental Health Institute, who said she was ready to depart that hospital and return to the community under certain conditions.

Wisconsin School Libraries Navigate Rise In Book Challenges

“We are absolutely seeing more book challenges, currently than we did even five years ago,” said Monica Treptow.

“It’s this culture war of, you know, control, right?” Dr. Jill Underly said.

“There was 280-some books in the high school that were being challenged,” said Dan Kiel.

“Even nonreaders were coming up to me, like, ‘What is going on?'” Rebecca Blom said.

Oshkosh Sex Offender Indicted On Federal Child Pornography Charges

A federal grand jury indicted Dakota J. DeGroot (age: 27) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for possessing child pornography as a repeat offender.

DeGroot was previously convicted of possessing child pornography in Winnebago County Circuit Court in 2016. As a repeat offender, upon conviction of the offense alleged in the federal indictment, DeGroot would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in federal prison. He also could be fined up to $250,000 and would continue to be obligated to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.