Morning Headlines - Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

DeSantis Ends 2024 Presidential Campaign And Endorses Trump

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who entered the Republican presidential primary as Donald Trump’s greatest threat, announced Sunday that he is ending his White House bid and endorsing the former president.

His announcement, made in a video posted on X, comes after a disappointing second-place finish in last week’s Iowa Republican caucuses.

“If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it, but I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign,” DeSantis said.

How DeSantis Imploded In The GOP Primary

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) surprise decision to drop out of the GOP presidential primary less than a week after the Iowa caucuses laid bare the challenges he faced in his effort to topple former President Trump.

The DeSantis campaign and the super PAC supporting him grappled with a wave of bad headlines throughout the primary, including multiple campaign resets, a high cash burn rate and a reshuffling of leadership among both operations.

Still, the governor’s exit from the race just days before the New Hampshire primary came as a shock to many and has already spurred postmortems as Republicans seek to determine where the once-rising star went wrong.

How Israel Has Repeatedly Rejected Hamas Truce Offers

Israel and its Western allies have long dismissed the Gaza-based Palestinian armed group and political movement, Hamas, as illegitimate and have refused to engage with it, labelling it as a “terrorist organisation”.

This narrative has become ever more apparent since October 7, when Hamas launched an attack just outside the besieged Gaza Strip on Israeli territory, killing some 1,140 people, Israeli officials said.

Israel launched a brutal military campaign on the Gaza Strip as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has equated Hamas with ISIL (ISIS) and Nazis, pledged to “eradicate” the Palestinian group in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

Navy Seals Presumed Dead After Anti-Houthi Mission

Two US Navy Seals who went missing during an operation to seize Iranian-made weapons - bound for Houthis in Yemen - are now presumed dead, the US military says.

The incident took place on 11 January when commandos were boarding a ship off the coast of Somalia.

According to media reports, one was swept away and the second jumped in after them, following protocol. US Central Command said attempts are now being made to recover the bodies.

Macy's Rejects $5.8 Billion Takeover Offer

Macy's announced Sunday it had rejected a $5.8 billion take-private offer from Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital Management, citing a "lack of compelling value."

Macy's said last week it would close five more stores and cut its workforce by 3.5% despite a strong third quarter relative to its past performance.

Both Macy's and Arkhouse confirmed Sunday that the investor group submitted a Dec. 1 proposal to acquire all outstanding stocks of the retailer it didn't already own for $21 per share.

What To Know About Vice President Harris' Visit To Waukesha County

Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Waukesha County on Monday as part of her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour.

While the exact time and location have yet to be announced, this is the first stop on the tour, which coincides with the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

During her stop, she will “highlight the harm caused by extreme abortion bans and share stories of those who have been impacted in Wisconsin and across the country,” according to a media advisory from the VP’s office.

Officer Involved Critical Incident In Town Of Crescent, Wis.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating an officer involved critical incident (OICI) in Town of Crescent, Wis. that occurred on the evening of Saturday, January 20, 2024.

At approximately 8:39 p.m., Oneida County Sheriff’s Office received two hang-up 911 calls requiring a welfare check at a residence located in the 1600 block of River Street in Town of Crescent, Wis. Three Oneida County Sheriff’s deputies and two Rhinelander police officers responded to the residence.

Upon arrival at the residence, law enforcement determined there were two subjects inside. Law enforcement entered the residence where they were met with gunfire. One of the deputies returned fire. All law enforcement retreated outside the residence, backed away, and created a perimeter. The subject continued to shoot at the officers from the second level of the house and gunfire was exchanged.

UW-River Falls Grappling With Four Student Deaths In Two Months

University of Wisconsin-River Falls students are returning from winter break while the school grapples with how to address a mental health crisis on campus that’s mirrored across the country.

Sophomore Isabella Chavira died on Oct. 3; junior Sabrina Hagstrom died Oct. 31 and freshman Jasmine Petersen died Nov. 3. The three women’s obituaries said they had each struggled with depression and took their own lives.

There is no known connection between the students, making it even more difficult for the university to make sense of why there was such a high number of suicides among a student body of just 5,000 during a short timeframe.

Wisconsin Republicans Introduce A Bill To Ban Abortions After 14 Weeks Of Pregnancy

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Assembly introduced a bill Friday that would call for a binding statewide referendum on whether abortion should be banned after 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The GOP has scheduled a public hearing on the bill for Monday afternoon at the state Capitol. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is almost certain to veto the measure. However, the proposal could still galvanize the conservative base after Democrats parlayed anger over the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn its landmark 1972 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide, into big election wins across the country.

Packers Fans Are Hurt With The Team’s Season Coming Up Short, But They’re Still Optimistic

Following the loss by the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs; fans were upset, but still excited for what the future has in store.

Fans had so much to say about the Packers during this playoff run. Whether it’s “win or lose, we didn’t expect to get this far,” or “the future is bright for us”, you can’t deny that everyone has something to say. Now, heading into the off-season, fans are thinking about what can be done to make this team better.