Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Apr. 10, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Surprise Arizona Ruling Sets Abortion Politics Aflame

The Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling doused gasoline on the already-flickering fire of abortion politics Tuesday and threatened to upend the 2024 contests in the state by upholding a Civil War-era law that made performing an abortion a felony, putting Republicans on the back foot in the process.

The ruling, which makes abortion punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs or helps someone obtain one, was the latest bombshell that will supercharge the fight over abortion rights, this time in a major presidential battleground state with a Senate race also on the ballot in November.

EPA Announces First-Ever National Regulations For "Forever Chemicals" In Drinking Water

For the first time ever, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday it is issuing a national regulation limiting the amount of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, found in drinking water.

Commonly called "forever chemicals,"PFAS are synthetic chemicals found nearly everywhere – in air, water, and soil – and can take thousands of years to break down in the environment.

Biden Pressure On Israel Not Enough, Say Dissenting US Officials

President Biden's pressure on Israel after last week's deadly attack on aid workers did not go far enough and will fail to stem the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to current and former US officials who have spoken to the BBC.

They said internal dissent in government was growing and called for tougher action on arms transfers.

Israel said it would open new aid routes after President Biden threatened to reassess policy following Israeli strikes that killed seven workers from food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), including a US citizen.

'On Life Support': Senate Republicans Are Prepared To Sink The Child Tax Credit Bill

Senate Republicans are inching closer to burying a bipartisan bill to expand the child tax credit and provide breaks for businesses, issuing a series of demands that would most likely disrupt the coalition that enabled it to pass the House.

The $78 billion bill, negotiated by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., passed the Republican-led House by a vote of 357-70 in January, a rare feat in a divided Congress that has struggled to function. But it has languished in the Senate, where key Republicans have said they’ll kill it unless it includes major revisions. Senate Democrats have 51 seats, and they need 60 votes to break a filibuster.

Seven Features Added To Cars In Recent Years Drivers Never Asked For

There's no denying car technology improvements can be a serious help and safety plus point. For example, for many drivers, rear-view cameras are a necessity these days

But there's also a number of smart features that are completely pointless, and in some cases just plain irritating.

Here's our list of the new car tech that arguably we really don't need.

Wisconsin Headlines

Senate Candidate Eric Hovde Says Most Nursing Home Residents Not ‘At A Point To Vote’

U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde said recently most nursing home residents are not “at a point to vote” because of limited life expectancy, reviving an argument some conservatives made in the wake of the 2020 election.

Hovde made the remarks Friday while appearing on the Guy Benson Show, a Fox Radio program, in response to a question about criticisms of the 2020 election process.

The businessman and leading challenger for Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s seat said he did not believe the election had been stolen, but he reiterated claims about improprieties in Wisconsin, including a debunked claim that some nursing homes had 100 percent voter turnout.

Tammy Baldwin Touts Investments Into Childcare, Mental Health And Affordable Housing

Senator Tammy Baldwin is touting her investments into childcare, mental health and affordable housing. 

Baldwin says she is very proud of the work she did the help create the 988 mental health crisis suicide prevention line. Recently, Senator Baldwin has secured more funds to help keep it functioning.

Previously Convicted Sex Offender Indicted For Attempted Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 9, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against David J. Fuchs (age: 40) of Janesville, Wisconsin.

According to a criminal complaint filed earlier in the case, Fuchs engaged in a conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer from the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing online as a 12-year-old girl. During the conversation, Fuchs repeatedly described his desire to have sex with the child, sending multiple explicit photographs of himself and requesting explicit photographs from the undercover officer. Fuchs explained to the undercover officer, in explicit terms, how he intended to “teach” the young girl how to have sexual intercourse. During many of the sexually explicit conversations, Fuchs expressed his belief that the 12-year-old girl was in school. He planned to meet the girl at a travel plaza near Madison, Wisconsin, and he promised to bring her art supplies.

Custom Apparel Business Owner Sued For Unpaid Wages Owed To Former Employees

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, today filed a lawsuit against Jeremy Kruk for unlawful labor practices as it relates to his former custom apparel business, Crushin It Promotions, LLC. Kruk is facing multiple civil counts in the lawsuit after he allegedly fired his employees for unionizing, refused to pay them what they were owed, and then dissolved his business and reopened it under a different name.

“This case alleges that the defendant engaged in unacceptable business practices,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “We will work to ensure that the impacted employees receive what they’re owed.”

Wisconsin DNR To Continue Spring Prescribed Burns

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that fire management crews will conduct prescribed burns on DNR properties throughout the southern half of the state.

Wisconsin has a rich history of periodic burns conducted by tribal citizens for land and wildlife management across the state. Many plant communities in Wisconsin, such as prairie, wetland, oak/pine barrens and oak savanna, adapted over thousands of years to fire and would now cease to exist in their ideal state without fire to restore the balance in these communities.