Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Takeaways From CNN’s New Hampshire Town Hall With Ron DeSantis

The day after finishing a distant second to Trump – though just ahead of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – in Iowa’s caucuses, the Florida governor fielded questions in New Hampshire at a town hall moderated by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

He used the event to make the case that with a conservative policy record, he would be better able than Haley to consolidate Republican support; and with less personal baggage, he’d be better positioned than Trump to win a general election.

ABC News Cancels New Hampshire Republican Primary Debate

ABC News and WMUR are canceling their planned Republican primary debate in New Hampshire on Thursday, citing a lack of candidate participation.

"Our intent was to host a debate coming out of the Iowa caucuses, but we always knew that would be contingent on the candidates and the outcome of the race," an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement. "As a result, while our robust election coverage will continue, ABC News and WMUR-TV will not be moving forward with Thursday’s Republican presidential primary debate in New Hampshire."

Senate Clears First Hurdle In Avoiding Shutdown, Votes To Advance Short-Term Spending Bill

The Senate crossed its first hurdle Tuesday night as it seeks to pass a stopgap spending measure to stave off another government shutdown ahead of a fast-approaching deadline at the end of the week.

In a 68-13 vote, the upper chamber advanced a bill that will serve as the vehicle for the stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution. It would extend government funding deadlines to March 1 and March 8 to give both chambers time to approve longer-term funding.

Iran Says Strikes Targeted Militant Group In Pakistan

Iran says it has hit a militant group in western Pakistan in a missile attack, its third air strike on another country this week after earlier attacks on targets in Iraq and Syria. Iranian state TV said the operation hit two sites in Balochistan linked to the militant group Jaish al-Adl.

Pakistani officials said two children were killed and three others injured. Islamabad said the air strike was an "illegal act" and warned it could lead to "serious consequences".

China’s Population Drops For A Second Year Despite Government Push For More Babies

China’s population declined last year for the second year in a row, officials said Wednesday, spurred by record-low births and a wave of Covid-19 deaths that have deepened demographic worries in the world’s second-largest economy.

The total population of mainland China was 1.409 billion at the end of last year, the National Statistics Bureau said, down more than 2 million from 2022. That compares with a decline of 850,000 from 2021 to 2022, China’s first population decline in six decades.

Wisconsin Republicans Fire Utility Regulator In Latest Strike At Evers

Republicans who control the Wisconsin state Senate voted Jan. 16 to fire a state utility regulator because he supports setting energy rates according to customers’ ability to pay and opening up the solar energy sector.

The Senate voted 21-11 to reject Public Service Commissioner Tyler Huebner’s confirmation. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers appointed him to the commission in March 2020 and again in March 2021. Huebner previously served as executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that advocates for renewable energy.

Senate Backs $3B GOP Tax Cut Plan On Party-Line Vote

The Senate voted along party lines to back a $3 billion GOP plan to reduce the state’s third-highest income tax bracket while expanding a break for retirement income.

Gov. Tony Evers has pledged to veto the bill, which now heads to his desk.

Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, argued the break would allow Wisconsinites to keep more of their money at a time when prices continue to climb.

“If you happen to be a no vote, what you’re in essence saying is ‘Give us your money down here in Madison. We know how to spend your damn money better than you,’” she said. “I think that’s wrong.”

Wisconsin Senate Passes Bills To Promote Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Wisconsin lawmakers took another step on Jan. 16 toward creating a network of electric vehicle charging stations across the state, passing a pair of bills that would make it easier for businesses to operate the stations and free up nearly $80 million in federal construction aid.

The Senate passed both Republican-authored bills 30-2 with no debate. The legislation now goes to the Assembly. A host of groups have registered in favor of the bills, including 7-Eleven, Inc., the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Kwik Trip, Inc., and environmental group Clean Wisconsin. No organizations have registered against the bills.

New Bill Requires Wisconsin Students Get 3 Hours Of Movement Per Week

A group of state lawmakers is hoping to reduce childhood obesity in Wisconsin through new legislation.

The Speaker’s Task Force on Childhood Obesity announced the package of bills at a press conference at the state Capitol on Tuesday.

The proposals include a new requirement that students in kindergarten through 8th grade complete at least 180 minutes of movement during the school week.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos Calls On Wisconsin Supreme Court To Reject Democrats' Proposed Maps

The Wisconsin Assembly's top-ranking Republican official has now weighed in on proposed maps submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court that would alter the state's current electoral boundaries.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R - Rochester) said in a press conference on Tuesday that the GOP caucus was not in favor of legislative maps Democrats submitted to the court, arguing the maps had a large partisan bias. Vos said Democrats are relying on the state Supreme Court, with its now liberal majority, to draw new maps in their favor.