Morning Headlines - Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden’s Document Scandal Eats Away At Efforts To Hold Republicans Accountable

The revelation that another set of secret documents dating from Biden’s time as vice president were found at a second location immediately fueled Republican claims that the ex-president is being treated unfairly as he is investigated by a special counsel over classified information found at Mar-a-Lago.

While Trump’s retention of hundreds of documents and attempts to thwart their transfer to the National Archives as required by law appears more serious at this stage, Biden’s deepening troubles are offering a huge opening to the new pro-Trump House majority. The GOP is already moving to unleash an investigative machine designed to prove their long-held belief that Democrats have weaponized the federal government and intelligence agencies against conservatives – and to create the appearance of equivalence between Trump’s behavior as president and the actions of Biden and his circle.

Republicans Pass Their First Abortion Bill Requiring Doctors To Provide Medical Care For Babies Who Survive Attempted Abortions

After a chaotic start, Republicans finally earned one of their first wins of the 118th Congress on Wednesday as they used their new majority to approve two measures aimed at protecting unborn lives and pro-life facilities.

The first measure passed condemns attacks on anti-abortion abortion facilities, including crisis pregnancy centers that do not offer abortions but do offer other services to expecting mothers.

A second separate bill that passed the House Wednesday imposes new penalties on doctors if they refuse to administer care to infants born alive following abortion attempts. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act passed in a mainly party-line vote of 220-210-1.

Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, who has long been dubbed the last pro-life Democrat, was the only leftist lawmaker to vote for the measure. Democratic Texas Representative Vicente Gonzalez voted 'present.'

Republicans used their new power to send a message and cement their pro-life ideologies.

Right's New Fight: Gas Stoves

Despite official insistence that fears of a ban are unfounded, conservatives are suddenly championing gas stoves in a new culture war.

Mounting scientific evidence points to a link between a higher risk of respiratory problems and gas stoves — the prevalent means of cooking in roughly 47 million American households.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — which regulates a range of consumer products for safety and health risks — on Wednesday forcefully denied that it was considering a ban on gas stoves.

Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Blames LAPD For Cousin’s Death

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors has claimed the Los Angeles Police Department is responsible for her cousin's death during a traffic stop. Cullors said on Instagram on Tuesday that her cousin, Keenan Anderson, was killed in Venice, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, on Jan. 3.

• The officer spoke to Anderson and requested other cops arrive at the scene to conduct a DUI investigation
• Anderson was cooperating with the officer but then fled the scene by foot once other officers arrived
• As officers contacted Anderson, he began to resist, resulting in a use of force. Officers struggled with Anderson for several minutes, utilizing a TASER, bodyweight, firm grips, and joint locks to overcome his resistance
• After Anderson was taken into custody, he was given medical attention by the Los Angeles Fire Department and was transported to the hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest and died

Thousands Of Flights Delayed After Computer Outage At FAA

An overnight computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration has scrambled travelers' plans, leading to thousands of delayed flights on Wednesday.

The FAA halted all flight departures from the U.S. shortly after 7 a.m. Eastern time, when a system called NOTAM, which offers safety and other information to pilots, broke down. The FAA restored the system a little before 9 a.m., when flights were allowed to resume.

"Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually," the agency tweeted at the time.

Still, the chaos lingered. By Wednesday evening, more than 2,800 U.S. flights were canceled and more than 9,700 were delayed. Airports in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta saw 30% to 40% of flights delayed.

Wisconsin Headlines

Egg Prices Continue To Rise In Wisconsin And Across US

If you’ve been grocery shopping recently, you’ve probably noticed you’re paying more at check out.

It’s especially true for eggs.

A year ago, the average price of eggs in the United States was $1.33.

Today, the average price has more than tripled, sitting at $4.33. That’s according to the food market data company, Urner Barry.

“The one key thing that really has hurt the egg laying industry… has been avian flu,” president and CEO of Wisconsin Grocers Association Brandon Scholz said.

Cigarette Sales In Wisconsin Drop By Over Half In Last 20 Years

Cigarette sales in Wisconsin plummeted over the past 20 years, fueled by higher taxes and smoking bans, a report released Jan. 11 showed.

The number of packs of cigarettes purchased in the state dropped from 420 million in 2001 to just under 193 million in 2022, the Wisconsin Policy Forum report said. On a per capita basis, more than 32 packs of cigarettes were sold per resident in 2022 compared with nearly 78 in 2001.

As Republicans Take Power In The US House, Wisconsin Reps Offer Contrasting Takes On What's In Store

It took 15 rounds of voting last week before Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy was sworn in as House speaker.

Depending on which member of Wisconsin's congressional delegation you ask, the flurry of votes could be a sign of things to come for this session of Congress.

"If you thought the first week of Congress was chaotic, just put your seatbelt on," said U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat from Milwaukee during a recent appearance on Wisconsin Public Radio's "The Morning Show."

In exchange for McCarthy's confirmation, House Republicans made concessions to the right-wing Freedom Caucus, promising not to raise the country's limit on outstanding money owed, known as the debt ceiling, without spending cuts attached.

Gallagher To Chair Select Committee On China

Wisconsin congressman Mike Gallagher will chair a House Select Committee on China. The Green Bay Republican says the threat posed by the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party is seen here at home. “Where the party has stolen American intellectual property, technology and industrial capacity, undermining our economy and good paying American jobs. It is here at home where the party’s extra territorial totalitarianism terrorizes Chinese students studying at our universities and targets Americans of Chinese descent.”

Wisconsin Surpasses 14,000 Confirmed Covid-19 Deaths

Wisconsin has surpassed 14,000 deaths from COVID-19.

The state Department of Health Services' latest daily update shows a total of 14,012 deaths confirmed to be a result of the virus since the pandemic began.

Another 16 deaths were confirmed on Tuesday. The seven-day average declined slightly, however, to 10.