Morning Headlines - Thursday, May 5, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

In Midterm Battlegrounds, Both Parties Try To Weaponize Abortion

The draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn constitutional abortion protections is opening a new front in competitive midterm races across the country, as each party looks to paint the other as woefully out of step with voters.

With control of Congress at stake, Democrats and Republicans alike are trying to put opposing candidates on the defensive by forcing them to take difficult stances that wouldn’t play well in a competitive general election race in November.

Biden’s Discomfort With Abortion Comes Under Scrutiny

President Biden’s longtime discomfort with the issue of abortion, fueled by his Catholicism and his personal and complex stance on access, has come under scrunity this week with the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that shows a majority of justices supporting the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The president is often criticized for attempting to balance his faith with his support for abortion access. But Biden hasn’t publicaly used the word abortion out loud during his presidency until this week and he also hasn’t called for an end to the filibuster in order for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade as he has for other legislative matters.

Fed Raises Interest Rate By Half A Percentage Point At May Meeting

As soaring prices strain families' wallets across the country, Fed officials moved more aggressively in an effort to combat inflation on Wednesday with a .5% interest rate hike. It's the second increase by the central bank this year.

Search For Alabama Corrections Officer And Inmate Enters 7th Day As Officials Piece Together Why They Disappeared

Investigators are pleading for Alabama corrections official Vicky White to turn herself in as the search for her and the inmate she disappeared with enters its seventh day.

Over the last week, authorities have discovered the officer, 56, and inmate Casey White, 38, had a romantic relationship and that Vicky White visited him multiple times in her off-hours while he was in state prison, according to Singleton.

Bill Gates On Elon Musk Feud And Jeffrey Epstein Meetings

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's Today programme, Bill Gates says conspiracy theories about him are "crazy" and that being shouted at in public is "awful". He also told the BBC's Mishal Husain that meeting Jeffrey Epstein was a "mistake" and talks about Elon Musk's recent public criticism of him.

Wisconsin Headlines

Where The GOP Could Make Or Break Its Chances In 10 Key Governors' Races

As it turns out, the two most likely seats to flip may be Maryland and Massachusetts, where popular Republican governors are leaving office, and the GOP could end up nominating candidates who struggle to appeal in those deep-blue states.

Meanwhile, primary battles in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could also hurt GOP efforts to capture Democratic-held governorships. After all, while gubernatorial races have become more nationalized, voters still show a greater tendency to break from their baseline partisan preferences in these races than in contests for Congress, meaning a poor nominee can still cause the seemingly favored party to stumble.

Trempealeau County Man Sentenced To 18 Years For Taking Pictures Of Himself Sexually Assaulting A Child

Levi A. Robb, 41, of Osseo, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 18 years in prison for producing child pornography. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Robb pleaded guilty to this charge on January 5, 2022.

In 2020, a 10-year-old girl told her father that Robb sexually assaulted her several years earlier. She was forensically interviewed and disclosed extensive sexual abuse by the defendant. She also reported that he took pictures of the assaults.

Clinics Across State Lines Prepare For Wisconsin Women To Jump Borders For Abortions

If Wisconsin's abortion law goes into effect, it would restrict who can get an abortion. Clinics across state lines are preparing for a potential surge in patients.

Clinics in Illinois and Minnesota expect the number of out of state patients to grow if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade. They have already seen it as states move to limit or ban access to abortions.

Court Appearance Thursday For Teen Suspect In Lily Peters Murder

A teen charged with killing a 10-year-old Chippewa Falls girl is set to return to court Thursday.

The 14-year-old suspect, who has been identified by the initials C. P-B, is charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide, 1st Degree Sexual Assault Resulting in Great Bodily Harm and 1st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13.

State Data: About 6,400 Abortions Were Performed In Wisconsin In 2020

About 6,400 abortions took place in Wisconsin in 2020, according to a report released this month by the state Department of Health Services. The ratio of abortions to live births in the state that year was about half the national rate in 2019.

According to the annual report, which is required under state law, there were 6,430 induced abortions in Wisconsin in 2020. The number is similar to other annual reports in recent years — there were 6,511 procedures reported in 2019 and 6,224 in 2018. The state data goes back to 1976, with the highest yearly rate of abortions reported at 20,819 in 1981 and the lowest at 5,612 in 2016.