Morning Headlines - Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Shooting After Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade Kills 1 Near Union Station; At Least 21 Wounded

At least one person was killed and multiple people, including young children and teens, were wounded in a shooting near Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, at the conclusion of the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade Wednesday, officials said.

At least 21 people were wounded in the shooting, Kansas City Police Department Chief Stacey Graves said Wednesday. Eight had "immediately" life-threatening injuries, seven had life-threatening injuries and six had minor injuries, Kansas City Fire Department chief Ross Grundyson said.

Russia's Pursuit Of A Space-Based Nuclear Weapon Raises National Security Concerns In Washington

Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon designed to target U.S. satellites, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The weapon isn’t yet operational, the sources told NBC News, but Moscow's pursuit of an advanced weapon that could jeopardize America’s vital satellite network has raised concern among U.S. officials, and it prompted the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Turner, to issue an extraordinary statement earlier Wednesday calling on the White House to declassify information about an unnamed “serious national security threat.”

Trump State Prosecutions Reach A Critical Point On The Same Day In Two Cities

Two cases that could defy Donald Trump’s capacity to thwart prosecutions and even to overturn eventual convictions against him if he returns to the White House reach critical tests on Thursday with major implications for the 2024 election.

In the latest remarkable twist of his multiple legal sagas, Trump is expected to show up in court in New York for a procedural hearing ahead of his trial over a hush money payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election. Trump wants the case to be dismissed, but a judge could confirm Thursday that it will go ahead at the end of March in what could mark the first time the fate of an ex-president and potential presidential nominee has been put to a jury in a criminal case.

Lawmakers Scramble For Plan B On Ukraine

The refusal by GOP leaders to stage a vote on Ukraine aid is fueling new efforts by lawmakers in both parties to locate a viable Plan B to help the embattled U.S. ally repel Russia’s invasion amid dwindling weapon supplies.

The Senate this week passed a foreign aid package featuring assistance for Ukraine, Israel and other overseas allies, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) quickly shot it down, saying Congress should not address international problems without also tackling the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Senior Republicans Fear Trump Will Tap The RNC To Cover Legal Bills Again

Several senior Republican officials are concerned that Donald Trump’s expected takeover of the RNC will ultimately pave the way for the committee to once again cover his legal bills.

Those fears come in the aftermath of Trump endorsing a trio of officials, including his daughter-in-law, to take on top roles at the RNC. While those endorsements have been well-received by many committee members — who note that it is customary for a presidential candidate to put his imprint on the party’s main campaign apparatus — others fear a potential misallocation of party resources.

Wisconsin Headlines

First-Ever February Tornadoes In Wisconsin Caused $2.4M In Damages

The first tornadoes ever recorded in Wisconsin in the usually frigid month of February caused more than $2.4 million in damage, officials said Wednesday.

The tornadoes that ripped through Rock County on Feb. 8 killed some cattle and hit 30 homes, officials said. The damage estimates don’t include agricultural impacts to silos, barns and equipment, said Kevin Wernet, director of Rock County Emergency Management.

Redistricting Saga Now In Evers’ Hands As Lawmakers, Groups Lobby Governor On Maps

With the stroke of a pen, more than a decade of legal battles over Wisconsin’s Republican-drawn legislative maps could be over. Or the maps saga could be headed back to court.

The decision over what Wisconsin’s political maps will look like for the remainder of this decade now rests firmly in the hands of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, after a Legislature led by Republicans passed a set of maps the governor’s office drew. It has Evers’ allies offering competing advice, with Democratic lawmakers urging the governor to hold out for better and groups that have long pushed for “fair maps” celebrating what they say should be a monumental deal.

New Bill Aims To Incentivize Filmmakers To Bring Their Productions To Wisconsin

Filmmakers say Wisconsin is one of 10 states that does not offer production incentives for film and television projects. And they say it’s one of just five states without a film office to coordinate those efforts.

A bill introduced Tuesday in the state Senate would change that. It would establish a state film office under the Department of Tourism to manage income and franchise tax credits for film production companies. The measure creates a 25% tax credit for salaries and wages paid to employees for film production services and offers a similar 25% credit for production costs and investments. Those credits would be capped at $5 million a year.

School Bus Crashes On The Rise In Wisconsin

Wisconsin's Department of Transportation reports 633 school bus crashes in 2022. Up from the prior two school years, but down from pre-pandemic numbers. Milwaukee-area school bus driver Amy Wilsons says she isn't surprised. "Nobody wants to be behind a school bus. They cut off school buses, brake in front of them. Very reckless,” says Wilson.

Overall, school buses are still considered the safest way to transport a child to and from school.

Former Bookkeeper Sentenced To Federal Prison For Embezzlement And Fraud

Emilee K. Rueda (age: 42), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and tax offenses.

According to court documents, Rueda was the office manager and in-house bookkeeper at a small business. Between September 2018 and February 2020, she made more than $650,000 in unauthorized expenditures on antique jewelry, lifelike dolls, trinkets, and other miscellaneous items, intending to resell many of these purchases. Rueda took advantage of her position of trust and made false entries into the business’s books to hide the theft, which was only uncovered after an employee’s paycheck bounced. Rueda also filed false tax returns hiding this illegal income from the Internal Revenue Service.