Morning Headlines - Monday, Apr. 8, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

How Often Total Solar Eclipses Happen — And Why Today's Event Is So Rare

On April 8, a rare total solar eclipse will create a "path of totality" over North America, throwing swaths of the United States, Canada and Mexico into darkness in the middle of the day.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking our view of the sun as it passes. It's called a total solar eclipse when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun. These events are rare, and can only be viewed in specific areas for short periods of time.

Trump Says Abortion Restrictions Should Be Left To States, Dodging A National Ban

Former President Donald Trump said Monday that abortion laws should be left to the states, many of which have enacted new restrictions since he appointed Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn federal protections for the procedure.

In a 4½-minute video released on his Truth Social media platform, Trump falsely claimed that "we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint" in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision.

President Biden To Announce More Student Loan Relief Plans

President Biden is set to announce new student debt forgiveness plans that, combined with actions the administration has already taken, will benefit over 30 million Americans if the plans are finalized, according to the White House.

"Our goal is for the overwhelming majority of things like interest, loans that are older, borrowers who attended programs that didn't deliver financial value, to do that [cancel debt] automatically," a senior administration official said.

Key Lawmakers Unveil Landmark Data Privacy Bill

A sweeping data privacy bill was unveiled by two key lawmakers from opposing parties on Sunday.

his landmark legislation would make privacy a consumer right and put people in control of their own personal data, per a joint statement from Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) Sunday.

Caitlin Clark's Impact On Women's Sport 'Coolest Part Of Journey' As Collegiate Basketball Career Ends

Caitlin Clark says the impact she has had on women's sport has been "the coolest part" of her journey as her record-breaking collegiate basketball career came to a close.

American Clark, 22, has scored over 3,900 points, more than any male or female college athlete in history.

Her performances for the Iowa Hawkeyes this season have also led to record-breaking viewing figures in America.

Wisconsin Headlines

Evers Vetoes Bill To Allow Mental Health Services From Out-Of-State Providers

Supporters of legislation to allow out-of-state mental health care providers to treat Wisconsin residents say they aren’t giving up on the effort despite a veto late last month by Gov. Tony Evers. But some mental health advocates say the state should be more focused on increasing community-based services.

The bill, which received bipartisan support, was one of many Evers vetoed recently after the Legislature wrapped up its regular session. It would have allowed a mental health care provider who lives and is credentialed in another state to provide telehealth services to patients in Wisconsin.

State Bar Of Wisconsin Agrees To Change Diversity Definition In Lawsuit Settlement

The Wisconsin association representing attorneys agreed April 4 to change the definition of “diversity” to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a conservative law firm that argued its internship program unconstitutionally discriminates based on race.

The State Bar of Wisconsin said that under terms of the settlement, its “diversity clerkship program” would continue unchanged under the new definition.

Wisconsin Man Facing Decades Behind Bars For Identity Theft Scheme That Sent Victim To Jail, Mental Hospital

A Wisconsin man is facing decades behind bars for a 36-year identity theft scheme in which the victim was sent to jail and even a mental hospital because authorities did not believe his story. 

Matthew Keirans, 58, faces up to 32 years in prison for making false statements to a National Credit Union Administration insured institution and aggravated identify theft.

In 2019, the victim, William Woods, was homeless man living in Los Angeles when he found out someone was racking up debt using his name. Woods walked into a California bank, said he didn’t’ want to pay, and tried to close the accounts that Keirans had opened in his name.

AG Kaul Takes Action To Defend Wisconsinites From Predatory Personal Lending Company

Attorney General Josh Kaul announced today that he has joined a multistate lawsuit against Mariner Finance for widespread violations of consumer protection laws.

The suit alleges that Mariner Finance charged consumers for hidden add-on products that consumers either didn’t know about or didn’t agree to buy. Consumers left Mariner Finance believing they had entered into an agreement to borrow and repay, over time, a certain amount of money. In reality, due to hidden add-on products, Mariner added hundreds to thousands of dollars to the total amount a consumer owed. In 2019 alone, Mariner charged consumers $121.7 million nationwide in premiums and fees for add-on products. Notably, these numbers exclude the interest Mariner took in on the add-on premiums and fees.

Big Ten Program Losing Key Staffer To Miami Dolphins

Rob Everett was a defensive coordinator at the Division III level just a handful of seasons ago in 2018.

Now, he's heading for a spot on staff working with one of the brightest offensive coaches in the game as a part of an NFL staff.