Morning Headlines - Friday, Sept. 20, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Israel And Hezbollah Keep Up Attacks Despite U.S. Warning Against Escalation After Pagers Explode

The White House has warned both Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group against "escalation of any kind" following this week's synchronized pager and walkie talkie explosions targeting Hezbollah members, but overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of strikes across southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah has continued firing back.

There were loud explosions and fires ignited by what the Israel Defense Forces said were strikes targeting hundreds of active Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon early Friday.

New York Magazine Reporter On Leave Over Relationship With RFK Jr.

A star reporter who covered Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign has been placed on leave after admitting a relationship with a former reporting subject.

New York Magazine said in a statement Thursday that its Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, had failed to disclose a "personal relationship" with an unnamed campaign subject while she was reporting on the 2024 election.

Nike CEO John Donahoe Is Out, Replaced By Company Veteran Elliott Hill

Nike CEO John Donahoe is retiring from his position and company veteran Elliott Hill is returning to take the top job.

Donahoe is slated to step down on Oct. 13 but will remain on as an advisor through the end of January.

Hill worked at Nike for 32 years before retiring in 2020.

Five Takeaways From The Latest Flurry Of Harris-Trump Polls

A plethora of polling has emerged in the past couple of days, giving fresh insights into the race for the White House.

More than 20 swing-state polls entirely conducted after the Sep. 10 debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump are now in the public domain.

Harris was widely perceived to have got the better of Trump in that encounter, though the question of how much her win has shifted the race is much cloudier.

Almost none of the latest polls was conducted recently enough to encompass reaction to the second apparent attempt on Trump’s life, which took place on Sunday at his West Palm Beach golf club.

Here are the main takeaways from the latest polls.

Shohei Ohtani First 50/50 Player In Major League History

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his 50th home run and stole his 50th base of the season Thursday, becoming the first MLB player to reach both benchmarks in the same season.

Ohtani entered Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins with 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases. He stole two bases to reach 51 and knocked out three homers — one in the sixth inning, another in the seventh and a final in the ninth — to reach 51. Ohtani finished the game 6-for-6 with three home runs and 10 RBIs.

Wisconsin Headlines

Porn-Making Former University Of Wisconsin Campus Leader Argues For Keeping His Teaching Job

In a closely watched First Amendment rights case, a former University of Wisconsin campus chancellor who was fired after making pornographic films with his wife prepared to argue Friday for keeping his tenured teaching position even as he faces removal for unethical behavior.

Joe Gow, who had served as chancellor of UW-La Crosse for nearly 17 years, hoped to convince a personnel committee of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to recommend he be allowed to retain tenure and return to teaching communications courses.

Wisconsin Teamsters Endorse Harris, Break With National Leadership

A pair of Teamster joint councils which represent many of Wisconsin’s Teamsters locals endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, in a break from their national leadership which opted not to endorse for president.

Joint Councils 32 and 39 represent Teamster unions across the Midwest, including several Wisconsin-based locals. The organizations each sent press releases Wednesday announcing their endorsement of Harris, just hours after the Teamsters’ national leadership said it would not back any candidate in the race.

Attorney General Kaul Joins Bipartisan Coalition Calling For Congress To Require Surgeon General Warning On Social Media Platforms

In a letter to Congress, Attorney General Josh Kaul and 41 other attorneys general called on lawmakers to pass legislation requiring a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. The letter comes amidst growing scrutiny of social media companies for their role in generational harm to young people’s mental health.

“Raising awareness about the harmful impact that social media is having on young people’s mental health will help as we work to address this challenge,” said AG Kaul. “The Surgeon General is right to call for a warning on social media platforms.”

Appeals Court Sides With Wausau News Outlet In Defamation Case Brought By Politician

An appeals court has sided with a local news outlet in a defamation case brought by a Mosinee businessman who’s now a Republican state senator.

Cory Tomczyk sued the Wausau Pilot & Review in 2021 after the news site reported he was overheard using an anti-gay slur while in the audience of a Marathon County meeting. The suit also named the outlet’s publisher and editor Shereen Siewert and a Wausau Pilot reporter as defendants.

A Marathon County Circuit Court judge dismissed his claims last year, which prompted Tomczyk to appeal. This week, a three-judge appeals panel affirmed the lower court ruling.

BLS Data: Wisconsin Employment Breaks Fourth Consecutive Monthly Record; Jobs Also Reach New Record High

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced new record highs for jobs and employment during August 2024, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the fourth consecutive monthly record for state employment, highlighting the unprecedented number of workers participating in Wisconsin's economy. During the same time, the number of nonfarm jobs reached a new all-time high.