Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Back To Winter On First Day Of Spring With Over 20 Million Under Freeze Warnings

Spring officially arrives on Tuesday, but tell that to the tens of millions of people across the eastern U.S. currently facing winterlike temperatures as cold air dives in from Canada, making it feel more like January and forcing people to pull the parkas back out of the closet.

March is typically recognized as the battle between winter and spring, and the arrival of a new workweek has left nearly 170 million people shivering in colder-than-average temperatures Monday. Even more Americans will need the coats on Tuesday.

The Fed Is Meeting This Week. Here's What Experts Are Saying About The Odds Of A Rate Cut

Americans are bearing the financial burden of higher costs for every type of loan, from mortgages to credit cards, after two years of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. With the central bank meeting Wednesday, economists and consumers alike have one question on their minds: When will the central bank start cutting rates?

The answer: Almost certainly not this month, and probably not at its next meeting, according to Wall Street forecasters.

Trump Bond: Lawyers Say He Is Unable To Get $464m Guarantee In New York Fraud Case

Donald Trump cannot find a private company to guarantee the $464m (£365m) he has been ordered to pay in a New York civil fraud case.

The former president must either pay the full amount in cash or secure a bond in order to continue his appeal.

If he is unable to do so by 25 March, he faces the prospect of some of his real estate assets being seized by the state's attorney general.

Mr Trump said that securing a bond of that size was "practically impossible".

Alito Extends Order Barring Texas From Detaining Migrants Under SB4 Immigration Law For Now

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday extended an order barring Texas officials from detaining and jailing migrants suspected of crossing the U.S. southern border without authorization under a new state immigration law known as SB4 that the Biden administration has called unconstitutional.

Minutes after a self-imposed deadline passed, Alito issued an order continuing to pause enforcement of the controversial Texas law, one of Gov. Greg Abbott's signature immigration policies, on an administrative basis.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson: Speculation Mounts Again Over Next James Bond

Speculation over which actor will take on the role of James Bond has been mounting once again, after reports British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the role.

The Sun has reported the Kick-Ass and Marvel films actor has been "formally offered the job" as the 007 spy, formerly played by Daniel Craig.

Craig left the role in 2021 after starring in five films over 16 years.

The next bond film will be the 26th, after No Time to Die.

The BBC has approached Taylor-Johnson and Eon Productions for comment.

Wisconsin Headlines

How AI And Satellites Can Detect Illegal Manure Spreading In Wisconsin

After a fresh February snow, a satellite about the size of a shoebox, busy snapping photographs as it circuited the planet at 17,000 miles per hour, captured something dark in Wisconsin.

About 56 tons of livestock bedding and manure had been spread atop Mark Zinke’s frozen alfalfa field.

The image, beamed down to the surface, eventually appeared on the computers of Stanford University researchers, who relayed it to the offices of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Oshkosh Man Sentenced To 9 Years’ Imprisonment On Firearm Charge

Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment following his conviction last December at a jury trial. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court records, on the evening of June 4, 2023, and into the early morning hours of June 5th, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” his girlfriend, the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement, who formed a perimeter outside the residence. At around 6 a.m., the City of Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest. 

Gallagher Won’t Commit To Attending RNC With Trump As Presumed Nominee

GOP U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, who recently announced he won’t seek reelection, isn’t committing to attending the Republican National Convention this summer in Milwaukee with Donald Trump as the presumed nominee.

“There’s a lot of things I need to do this summer,” the Green Bay-area Republican said on WISN’s “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “I’ve got this legislation I’m passing. There’s 149 other recommendations. We’ll see what happens.”

BadgerCare Recipients Can Get New Over-the-Counter Birth Control For Free

People with Wisconsin’s Medicaid-funded insurance will now be able to get the new over-the-counter birth control pill at no cost.

Gov. Tony Evers announced on Tuesday he had directed the state Department of Health Services to issue a standing order to allow BadgerCare Plus members to access Opill. It’s the first oral contraceptive pill available without a prescription in the U.S.

Referendum Questions On April Primary Ballot To Impact Future Elections In Wisconsin

Wisconsin voters will be asked to respond to two statewide referendum questions on the state's presidential primary ballot on April 2.

One question addresses the use of private funds to conduct elections and a second question defines whether election officials should be solely responsible for all administrative tasks that play a role in the state's elections.