Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden Campaign On Defense After Reelection Bid Faces Scrutiny

President Biden’s reelection campaign is on the defensive as it faces scrutiny over whether it’s been aggressive enough against former President Trump, with several prominent Democrats questioning its strategy and structure.

Some of those prominent democrats, most notably former President Obama, have reportedly expressed concerns over the structure of the campaign in which not enough staff are empowered to make decisions who don’t first have to involve a select few in the White House, according to reporting by The Washington Post.

Trump Returns To Court In Pivotal Immunity Showdown

Donald Trump’s return to the federal courthouse in Washington, on Tuesday could be his most consequential court date so far — a bid to derail special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal case against him for attempting to subvert the 2020 election, before the case goes to trial.

His appearance won’t pack the drama of his face-off with Smith at August’s arraignment, or the historic nature of the “not guilty” plea he uttered that day before a criminal magistrate judge. But it will be his first time in the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse — where he could face a criminal jury later this year — since his momentous indictment last summer. And depending on the outcome of the proceedings, it could be his last.

Astrobotic's Privately Built Moon Lander Suffers Potentially Crippling Anomaly After Launch

After a successful launch early Monday, engineers checking out the robotic Peregrine moon lander ran into problems keeping the spacecraft properly oriented, a potentially crippling issue for the first U.S. lunar lander since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago.

In a brief statement, spacecraft builder Astrobotic said initial checkout and activation of Peregrine's systems following separation from United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket went well.

2023 Confirmed As World's Hottest Year On Record

The year 2023 has been confirmed as the warmest on record, driven by human-caused climate change and boosted by the natural El Niño weather event. Last year was about 1.48C warmer than the long-term average before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels, the EU's climate service says.

Almost every day since July has seen a new global air temperature high for the time of year, BBC analysis shows. Sea surface temperatures have also smashed previous highs.

Michigan Tops Washington To Win CFP National Championship

In the end, the "Michigan vs. Everybody" mantra that inspired the Wolverines all season long was quite fitting.

The Wolverines did indeed square off against everybody -- from the NCAA to their own Big Ten conference to the No. 2 team in the nation Monday night on college football's greatest stage. On and off the field, Michigan refused to let any opponent, any NCAA investigation or any of the six games its head coach was suspended for get in its way of winning a national title.

Wisconsin Republicans Unveil Bill For State-run Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Wisconsin Assembly Republicans’ highly restrictive plan to legalize medical marijuana in the state drew a lukewarm response from Senate Republicans and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Jan 8.

The bill would limit medical marijuana only to severely ill people with chronic diseases such as cancer and allow for it to be dispensed at only five state-run locations. Smokable marijuana would not be allowed.

Gov. Evers Says New Legislative Maps With Lawmakers 'Unlikely' But Anticipates 'Fair Maps' For 2024

This will be a key week in the legal battle to redraw the state's legislative maps.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has set Friday, January 12th as the deadline for both sides in the redistricting lawsuit to submit new maps.

TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter asked Governor Tony Evers about the new liberal court's role in picking new maps.

Appleton Woman Charged With Producing & Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 4, 2024, a federal criminal complaint was issued alleging that Charlotta A. Belgum (age: 38) of Appleton, Wisconsin, produced and distributed child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(b).

According to the criminal complaint, between approximately December 2021 and June 2022, Belgum produced CSAM of a minor child which she then shared with a male acquaintance in Texas via the internet. The complaint further alleges that Belgum frequently engaged in online conversations on a “fetish” website centered around the sexual abuse of children. Belgum faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the production charge. She also could be fined up to $250,000.

Wisconsin Group Trains Women To Overcome Stereotypes And Enjoy The Outdoors

The first time Daryl Grier walked into a workshop for a group called Becoming an Outdoors Woman, she paused and asked herself, "What am I doing?"

Grier was nervous. She worried about her athleticism and coordination. She liked walking around the woods as a kid during family trips to northeastern Wisconsin. But she had skipped hunting with her dad and three brothers.

"I’m not sure why I’m here," she acknowledged to the group.

But after joining the group in 2010, Grier made a bird feeder and went dog sledding. She tried ice fishing when it was -24 degrees. She sewed a hat and mittens with fur. She did archery, too. And to this day, she still enjoys snowshoeing.

Packers Prepare For McCarthy-Led Cowboys

Mike McCarthy made it known pretty quickly he wasn’t interested in participating in ‘the drama’ after learning his Cowboys would face the Packers on Wild Card Weekend.

The former Packers head coach doubled down on that early on Monday as well.

“I answered the questions in here honestly last year, about my experience up there, it will not help us win,” said McCarthy. “I believe there’s 24 hours in a day. You have seven days to prepare, and if you’re not working on winning, then it’s a waste of time.”