Morning Headlines - Monday, Jul. 3, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Americans Divided Over Landmark Supreme Court Decisions In Poll

About half of Americans support the Supreme Court decision curtailing the use of race in college admissions and a third disapprove, with views splitting along racial and ethnic lines in a poll published Sunday.

Majorities of White and Asian American respondents approved of the decision overturning affirmative action, while Latino and Hispanic Americans were evenly split and 52% of Black Americans disapproved in the ABC News/Ipsos poll. Overall, 52% approved and 32% didn’t.

Last week’s decisions by the court, which also included throwing out President Joe Biden’s student-loan relief plan and allowing a constitutional exception to anti-discrimination laws, injected the three issues into the mix for next year’s election.

Senate Rankings: Five Seats Most Likely To Flip

The 2024 battle for the Senate started with a bang earlier this year and has not let up, as candidates in top races continue to roll out their campaigns and incumbents scratch and claw to win reelection. Their efforts will determine who will control the upper chamber for the next two years.

Democrats are trying to play defense in a number of red-leaning states to hold on to their one-seat majority, while Republicans fight recruiting battles in several states to give them the best shot at winning a majority.

While it is too early to tell which side’s maneuvering will pay off, here’s a midsummer rundown of the five Senate seats most likely to flip next year.

Heavy Rains Flood Chicago As 110M Under Extreme Weather Alerts

Torrential rains flooded Chicago's streets and forced NASCAR officials to postpone a race through the city, as the National Weather Service issued hazardous weather alerts for over 110 million Americans during the extended July Fourth holiday weekend.

Chicago train services were suspended, buses were temporarily rerouted and Illinois State Police said parts of Interstate highways 55 and 290 were shut due to flooding, per

NASCAR Contractor Electrocuted To Death While Setting Up Course For Chicago Street Race

A contractor has died after being electrocuted while setting up for the first-ever NASCAR Chicago Street Race this weekend, CBS Chicago reported.

The Cook County Medical Examiner identified the man who died Friday as 53-year-old Duane Tabinski, the founder of an events company hired to install audio equipment for the race, local station WLS-TV reported.

Bluesky Experiences ‘Record-high Traffic’ After Elon Musk Imposes Rate Limits On Twitter

Bluesky said it experienced “record-high traffic” Saturday after Elon Musk said Twitter will temporarily limit the number of posts users can read per day.

Bluesky is an emerging, text-based social media site backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

The company, which is still in an invite-only beta phase, had to temporarily pause sign-ups on the platform as it worked to resolve issues related to the spike in traffic.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Home Prices Have More Than Doubled Over The Last Decade

The median home price in Wisconsin has more than doubled over the last decade, as supply has failed to keep up with demand after homebuilding slowed during the Great Recession.

Median home prices in Wisconsin have risen from $144,000 in May 2013 to $294,000 in May 2023, according to realtors association data.

In fact, from February 2012 to the same month this year, Wisconsin went from having the second-lowest median home sale price among its neighbors — Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa — to the second-highest, according to UW-Extension.

Former Wausau Investment Advisor Sentenced To 8 Years For $1.9 Million Ponzi Scheme

Anthony B. Liddle, 41, Wausau, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. Liddle pleaded guilty to the charges on February 24, 2023.

Liddle served as an investment advisor for his own financial advisory firm, Prosper Wealth Management in Wausau. Between June 2019 and August 2022, he solicited money from his clients allegedly to place in low-risk investments. However, Liddle never actually invested the money. Instead, he kept the money and spent it on his businesses and on personal expenses, including travel. In total, he stole $1,937,817.92 from his clients.

Three Charged With Stealing Firearms From La Crosse County Gun Shop

Three men are charged with stealing firearms from a business located in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, in an indictment returned on June 28, 2023 by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin.  The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.

The indictment charges Robert E. Benson, 18, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Mackey K. Drake, 22, also of La Crosse, and Nehemiah J. Sample, 26, Trempealeau, Wisconsin with stealing 41 firearms from a federally licensed firearms business located in the Village of Rockland, Wisconsin.  The indictment alleges that the firearms were stolen on April 25, 2023.  The indictment also charges Drake with being a felon in possession of firearms. 

Five Milwaukee Men Federally Indicted For Involvement In Armed Robberies Of U.s. Postal Carriers

five Milwaukee men were indicted for their involvement in several armed robberies of U.S. postal carriers that occurred between October 2022 and March 2023. Huria H. Abu, age 20, was charged with four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of conspiracy.

Jessie L. Cook, age 19, was charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy. Hussein A. Haji, age 21, was charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Darrion M. Allison, age 22, was charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of theft of mail, and one count of conspiracy.

Missing Children From Florida Found In Wisconsin Reunited With Family

Two children reported missing in Florida were found abandoned in a Milwaukee park. And now they are back with family.

WISN was there when the children were reunited with their family.

"We drove 17 hours to get here," said Tina Leach, the children's grandmother. "We would have walked if we had to."

The siblings are 2-year-old Dekarsen Middleton and 1-year-old Delyla Middleton from Florida's panhandle.