Morning Headlines - Thursday, Mar. 21, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Lawmakers Unveil $1.2 Trillion Government Funding Package Ahead Of Shutdown Deadline

Lawmakers unveiled a $1.2 trillion government funding package on Thursday, setting up a high-stakes sprint to pass the legislation as a shutdown deadline looms at the end of the week.

It’s not yet clear if lawmakers will be able to pass the legislation ahead of Friday’s deadline, raising concerns on Capitol Hill that there could be a short-term lapse in government funding over the weekend.

With the release of the legislative text that’s more than 1,000 pages, the House and Senate are now facing a major time crunch to get the legislation across the finish line. A number of critical government operations need to be funded by the end of the day on Friday, March 22, including the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State and the legislative branch.

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Rises Among Women, Alarming Federal Officials

Historically, alcohol use disorder has disproportionately affected men. But recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on deaths from excessive drinking shows that rates among women are climbing faster than they are among men. The Biden administration considers this trend alarming, with one new estimate predicting women will account for close to half of alcohol-associated liver disease costs in the U.S. by 2040, a $66 billion total price tag.

It's a high-priority topic for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, which together will release updated national dietary guidelines next year. But with marketing for alcoholic beverages increasingly geared toward women, and social drinking already a huge part of American culture, change isn't something everyone may be ready to raise a glass to.

Planet Fitness Loses $400M Of Value Iafter Banning Member Who Exposed 'Trans Woman' Shaving In The Female Locker Rooms

Planet Fitness' valuation has plummeted $400 million in five days after they banned a member who shared a photo of a 'trans woman' using a female locker room.

The company's value dropped from $5.3 billion on March 14 to $4.9 billion on March 19, and its shares are down by 13.59 percent compared to a month ago.

The decline follows Planet Fitness' refusal to walk back its decision to ban a member who exposed a 'trans woman' shaving in a female locker room earlier this month.

Trump Has An Early Lead On Biden. But Problems Are Piling Up Around Him

Donald Trump is walking back recent comments about cutting Social Security. He’s searching for an elusive abortion message that will offend neither anti-abortion voters nor suburban moderates. He’s inviting negative news cycles with claims that Jewish Democrats “hate” their religion and warnings of a coming auto industry “bloodbath.” And to top it off, he’s low on campaign cash — and doesn’t have the personal fortune to post a bond in the civil fraud judgment against him in New York.

The former president may be up in the polls, seemingly in the driver’s seat against a deeply unpopular incumbent. But problems, including many of his own making, are piling up around him. And his first two weeks as his party’s presumptive nominee have revealed old tendencies and new vulnerabilities that — taken in totality — amount to a rocky start to his general election campaign against Joe Biden.

Dodgers Fire Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter For Alleged Theft Of Player's Funds

The Dodgers fired Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Wednesday following allegations of "massive theft."

Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter who has been alongside Ohtani since his Major League Baseball debut in 2018, is accused of using funds from the two-way player's bank account to cover gambling debts incurred with an illegal bookmaker. The wire transfers allegedly totaled at least $4.5 million, according to ESPN.

Wisconsin Headlines

Hundreds Attend 'Top Chef' Wisconsin Premiere Party

A new season of Top Chef premiered Wednesday night.

Roughly 500 people celebrated the 21st season of the Emmy Award-winning cooking competition at Discovery World.

'Top Chef' judges Kristen Kish, Gail Simmons, and Tom Colicchio were some of the many to walk down the red carpet.

“Everyone is so generous, like over-the-top kind to us. This feels like the warmest welcome home,” Simmons said alongside her other judges.

For one of the show’s 15 competitors, Milwaukee is home.

Man Sentenced To Prison After Nearly 200 Goats Found Starved To Death On A Farm

A Darlington man was sentenced to prison after investigators report finding nearly 200 dead goats on a farm.

Darlington couple Kyle and Stephanie Lincicum were each charged with 20 counts of mistreatment of animals, 20 counts of intentionally failing to provide food for an animal, along with timely disposition of known carcasses and theft.

Lafayette County investigators report finding the dead goats on a farm the couple was in charge of caring for.

Boyfriend Of Mother Heads To Court Again One Month After Elijah Vue's Disappearance

It has now been one month since Elijah Vue was reported missing in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and on Thursday, the boyfriend of Elijah's mother will appear in court again.

Jesse Vang is scheduled to appear at the Manitowoc County Courthouse for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m.

Vang is charged with Chronic Neglect of a Child and Party to a Crime.

Mother Praised For Stopping Possible Thwarted Sextortion Case In Brown County

A local mother said she’s on high alert after an incident involving her son, his phone, online virtual reality games and a supposed 12-year-old girl.

The mother talked with Action 2 News exclusively and anonymously, telling Emily Beier what happened one day in February. She says she could hear her 12-year-old son talking on the phone one evening. She said it seemed off. The mother will referred to as Jane in the story.

‘It’s Desperate’: Thousands Of Immigrants In Wisconsin Are In Court Without Lawyers

On a recent spring afternoon, more than 30 people filed into the basement of a church in Madison.

Some carried babies and toddlers in strollers and slings. They settled into plastic chairs as attorney Aissa Olivarez of the Community Immigration Law Center queued up a slideshow.

The people in the crowd were new arrivals to the U.S., and some of them are seeking asylum. That means they need to prove they left their home countries because they fear persecution for characteristics like their race or their politics.