Morning Headlines - Thursday, Apr. 18, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Senate Rejects Impeachment Articles Against Mayorkas, Ending Trial Against Cabinet Secretary

The Senate dismissed all impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday, ending the House Republican push to remove the Cabinet secretary from office over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border and shutting down his trial before arguments even began.

Senators voted to dismiss both articles of impeachment and end the proceedings, with Democrats arguing that the articles were unconstitutional. The first article charged Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply" with immigration law and second article charged him with a “breach of trust” for saying the border was secure. The votes were 51-48 and 51-49, both along party lines.

House Republicans Unveil Foreign Aid Bills As Johnson Pushes Forward

House Republican leadership on Wednesday unveiled the legislative text for three bills that are part of a complicated plan by Speaker Mike Johnson to get aid to U.S. allies while addressing concerns from conservatives.

The three bills would provide $26.4 billion to support Israel, $60.8 billion to bolster Ukraine and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, including billions for Taiwan. The Israel bill also includes more than $9.1 billion to address humanitarian needs, which Democrats said was necessary for their support.

New Bipartisan Bill Seeks To Tackle National Child Care Shortage With Help From The Pentagon

As the country faces a shrinking supply of child care workers and higher costs of care, a bipartisan duo of senators is taking steps to address the shortage, specifically targeted at helping service members who face unique challenges trying to access reliable child care.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will introduce the Expanding Child Care for Military Families Act on Thursday, proposing a first-of-its-kind Defense Department-led pilot program to help child care providers near military installations train, recruit and retain staff members. The goal would be to boost the availability of care, for both military members and local civilians, by increasing workforce development opportunities for workers in the industry, using the Defense Department’s already existing resources.

Lauren Sánchez’s State Dinner Dress Ignites Red-Hot Debate Over White House Fashion

In a town typically light on fashion and heavy on partisan friction, what one high-profile figure wore to a swanky White House affair has ignited a ferocious debate seemingly just as polarizing as politics in Washington.

Lauren Sánchez, the former TV host-turned-philanthropist and fiancee of Amazon founder and The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, turned heads at the White House last week when she sported a ruby red dress at the state dinner for Japan. The $2,300 corset gown by Rosario featured low cut, off-the-shoulder lace and a cinched waist.

Biden Administration To End Sanctions Waiver On Venezuelan Oil

The Biden administration is conceding the reality of the last six months: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro does not intend to hold free and fair elections.

Six months after lifting U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's key oil and gas sectors, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday it will let those temporary licenses expire -- saying Maduro's government did not uphold its end of the bargain.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Question How Much Power Legislature Should Have

Wisconsin Supreme Court justices questioned April 17 how much power legislative committees should wield, in a case that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers brought against the Republican-controlled Legislature and that could have a major impact on how state government functions.

A ruling in favor of Evers would upend decades-old practices in the Legislature and make it easier to approve projects in a land stewardship program. But justices echoed concerns raised by Republicans that the case could have far broader impacts on the separation of power between the executive and legislative branches.

WIAA Membership To Vote On High School Athletes Profiting From NIL

Name, image and likeness (NIL) could soon make its way to the high school level. This is a topic that the WIAA has been discussing for three years and one that 31 state associations across the country have already implemented.

"The membership has their annual meeting next Wednesday," WIAA Associate Director Mel Dow said. "If it votes positive, or if it's passed, then it goes into implementation at the posting of our next monthly publication. That would be around the 20th of May."

Arrest Warrant Issued For Owner Of Minocqua Brewing Co.

An arrest warrant has been authorized for the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, Kirk Bangstad.

Bangstad didn’t show up for a court appearance in Oneida County Court last week as part of his defamation lawsuit with the Lakeland Times. In that case, he was found guilty last fall and ordered to pay the newspaper publisher over $750,000 in damages for calling journalist Gregg Walker names on social media and saying he failed to come to the aid of his dying brother 36 years ago, among other claims.

Lawsuit Seeks Electronic Absentee Voting For People With Disabilities

A new lawsuit seeks to allow Wisconsin voters with disabilities to vote electronically. It argues a voter with disabilities who requires help from another person to read or mark their ballot is deprived of a constitutional guarantee to a secret ballot.

Deployed military and people living abroad can vote in Wisconsin elections via email or online. The lawsuit asks the court to allow voters with disabilities to do the same, in order to comply with state and federal laws ensuring equal access and accommodations.

Wisconsin DNR To Conduct Aerial Spraying For Spongy Moth Caterpillars At Six Properties

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has finalized aerial spray plans for its 2024 Spongy Moth Suppression Program, with maps for the six selected treatment areas available online.

The six identified treatment sites contain high-value trees at DNR properties in Columbia, Marinette, Sauk and Walworth counties. A total of 928 acres will be treated with an aerial spray of Foray, a bacterial insecticide containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.