Morning Headlines - Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Could House Control Flip To The Democrats? Early Resignations Leave GOP Majority On Edge

In mid-March, as the Republican majority in the House dwindled yet again, House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted that the series of resignations from frustrated GOP lawmakers had come to an end.

"I think, I hope and believe that's the end of the exits for now," the Louisiana Republican said after being caught off guard by Colorado Rep. Ken Buck's announcement that he would leave Congress on March 22.

Then, a week after Johnson's comments, Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, a rising GOP star, announced he was also stepping down early.

Democrats Hope Student Loan Moves Hold Weight For Biden In November

Democrats hope student loan relief may prove to be a winning issue for President Biden in November after he canceled billions in debt despite his loss at the Supreme Court last summer.

The White House has touted the president as canceling more student loans than any other administration in history, but Biden has still failed to live up to his 2020 campaign promise in 2020 of universal debt forgiveness.

Supreme Court Abortion Case Brings 19th Century Chastity Law To The Forefront

References from conservative justices to a long-dormant chastity law during the Supreme Court’s arguments in a major abortion pill case this week are bringing new attention to the 19th century statute, which prohibits the mailing of drugs used for abortions among other “obscene, lewd, lascivious” or “indecent” materials.

The Comstock Act, as the law is known, is not central to the current Supreme Court case. However, comments from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito showcase how the law is shaping up to be both a flashpoint in the legal battle over abortion and a potential election-year issue for voters.

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Governor Details Plan To Remove Bridge And Help Affected

Maryland's governor has provided early details of his plan to clean up wreckage after a cargo ship hit a major bridge Baltimore, killing six.

The Biden administration has approved $60m (£47m) in emergency funds that Maryland had requested to help.

Governor Wes Moore outlined how they intended to clear debris, remove the ship, extract bridge pieces and rebuild it.

"We have a very long road ahead of us," he said.

More Than Half Of Americans Believe TikTok Data Ends Up With The Chinese Government Yet Say It Should Not Be Banned By A Small Margin

More than half of Americans believe that data collected by the popular social media app TikTok ends up with the Chinese government, according to the latest J.L. Partners/DailyMail.com 2024 poll.

Yet the huge enthusiasm for the site among young users means the public is split over whether to ban the app.

The results indicate that Americans are becoming more wary of the Chinese-owned app as lawmakers consider legislation that could lead to the company being banned from phones in the U.S.

Wisconsin Headlines

Who’s In, Who’s Out, Who’s On The Move: Redistricting Forces Tough Decisions For Incumbents

Freshman GOP Rep. Angie Sapik is opting out.

The Lake Nebagamon lawmaker voted for the maps that turned the swing seat she won in 2022 by 490 votes into a 61% Dem seat.

She doesn’t see a path to victory. So she’s not running this fall for the northern Wisconsin seat unless a “miracle happens and nobody signs up in the end and I change my mind at the very last second.”

Even then, she wouldn’t like her chances.

“I could run, but I’m going to lose,” she told WisPolitics this week.

Second Recall Effort Launched Against Robin Vos

A second recall attempt has been launched against Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the effort driven by the same organizers who appear to have fallen short of signatures in their first attempt to remove the powerful Republican from office.

Burlington resident Matthew Snorek filed paperwork with the Wisconsin Elections Commission Wednesday. It states Vos “should be recalled for his tacit support of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a “lack of election integrity” and “flagrant disrespect for his own constituents by calling them ‘whack-jobs, morons and idiots.’”

The insults from Vos were directed at Snorek and others behind their first recall attempt, which started in January.

Why Are Many Wisconsin School Districts Holding Referendums?

On April 2, many voters across Wisconsin will decide on the future of their local school district.

Sixty-two districts are asking voters to approve an operating referendum, which allows districts to raise their tax levy in order to fund day-to-day operations. The biggest request comes from Milwaukee Public Schools, where they are asking voters to approve $252 million over four years. But the needs vary according to size, with the Juda School District seeking just $500,000 a year.

What Deer And Wolf Numbers In Bayfield County Reveal About Wisconsin Wildlife Policy Debates

Deer hunting comes up a lot when people talk about wolves in Wisconsin. The harvest numbers for the 2023 gun season showing an annual dip in the number of deer taken home are likely to feed more conversations.

Only about 295,000 deer were harvested in Wisconsin in 2023, representing a more than 50% decline since 2000 when hunters bagged over 600,000 deer statewide. Over that same time period, wolves have more than quadrupled in number.

‘Explosion In Ticks’: Doctors, EPA Warn Of Climate Change’s Impact On Health In Wisconsin

Health professionals and the Environmental Protection Agency warn that Wisconsin may owe the spread of tick borne illnesses to climate change.

“The climate change that we're seeing definitely has been the reason for this explosion in ticks, as well as the increase in human diseases,” Doctor Gregory DeMuri, a pediatric infectious disease physician, told 27 News.

DeMuri underscored the importance of taking measures to protect oneself from ticks in the wild by applying insect repellent. However, he also advised that individual action can only go so far.