Morning Headlines - Thursday, Apr. 14, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Elon Musk Offers To Buy Twitter For $43 Billion In Cash

Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share in cash, or about $43 billion, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday.

The move, which Musk called his "best and final offer," comes after the billionaire has repeatedly criticized Twitter, disclosed a 9.2% stake in the social media company and backed out of joining its board of directors.

Police Arrest Suspect In New York Subway Shooting 'Without Incident'

Police in New York City have arrested a man suspected of shooting 10 commuters in a rush hour attack at a Brooklyn subway station.

Frank James, 62, is alleged to have donned a construction worker's helmet, vest and a gas mask before throwing smoke grenades and opening fire.

A massive 30-hour manhunt was launched in the wake of the attack.

McCarthy Faces Grumbles From Right Over Biden Impeachment Remarks

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) drew right-wing ire after he stated that House Republicans, if they win the House majority in this year’s midterm elections, will not impeach President Joe Biden for “political purposes.”

He is not alone in not wanting to embrace impeachment. With the midterm election season starting, McCarthy has kept focus on issues like the Biden administration’s struggles with inflation and a migration surge at the border.

Pfizer Says Booster In Children 5-11 Raises Antibodies Against Omicron

A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine raised antibody levels in children ages 5 to 11, the company said Thursday.

The additional shot, given six months after the two-dose primary series, led to a sixfold increase in antibodies against the original strain of the coronavirus.

Hubble Confirms Giant Comet With 85-Mile-Wide 'Dirty Snowball' Nucleus

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope team likens comets to dirty snowballs with spectacular tails many millions of miles long. Comets look fuzzy, but they have a packed nucleus of ice and dust. Hubble has now confirmed the largest comet nucleus ever discovered, and it could be 85 miles (137 kilometers) across.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Postal Workers Hope New Federal Law Will Prevent Further Cuts To USPS Services Across State

A bipartisan bill to address the financially strapped service will save money by reducing USPS’s health care costs and eliminating a burdensome federal requirement that the service pre-fund retirees’ expenses. The bill also makes six-day delivery a matter of law, after some cost-cutting plans could have ended Saturday service, a plan that was announced and then rejected in 2013.

Wisconsin Senators Share Opposing Views On Inflation And Its Causes

Senator Tammy Baldwin says she understands the financial pinch many families are experiencing with inflation but believes it is temporary.

“The inflation that we’re experiencing is very painful and especially for those in poverty and those who would be considered asset limited, income constrained and employed,” Baldwin, (D) Wisconsin, said at a news conference held in Green Bay on Wednesday.

Utility Regulators Want State's Energy Efficiency Program To Play A Larger Role In Cutting Emissions

The state’s utility regulators want Wisconsin’s energy efficiency program to play a larger role in cutting carbon emissions as part of efforts to combat climate change.

The Public Service Commission voted 2-1 last Thursday for the state’s Focus on Energy program to play a greater role in cost-effectively cutting carbon emissions while continuing to emphasize energy savings.

Commissioners also supported research, planning and investment of resources that would set Focus on a path toward playing a larger role in promoting replacement of fossil fuels with electricity to reduce emissions and energy costs.

State Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments Over Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes

There were some pointed questions to the head of the group arguing against absentee ballot drop boxes from members of the State Supreme Court.

During oral arguments on Wednesday, Justice Brian Hagedorn tried to figure out where the preferred limits were from Wisconsin Insitute for Law and Libert president Rick Esenberg. “Imagine a mail slot connected to the clerk’s office, but the staff is not there. So, whenever the buildings open, you can walk in, can you drop a ballot in that slot that goes directly to the clerk’s office is that okay?” Esenberg responded, “At this point, we are now outside the presence of the clerk.”

Wisconsin Natural Resources Board Approves 2022 Migratory Bird Hunting Season Framework And Regulations

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources today announced the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) voted unanimously during the April board meeting to approve the 2022 migratory bird season framework and regulations.

Thanks to input from hunters and new scientific research, changes are coming to the 2022 migratory bird hunting season.