Morning Headlines - Wednesday, June 1, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Some Democrats Voting In GOP Primaries To Block Trump Picks

An Associated Press analysis of early voting records from data firm L2 found that more than 37,000 people who voted in Georgia's Democratic primary two years ago cast ballots in last week's Republican primary, an unusually high number of so-called crossover voters. Even taking into account the limited sample of early votes, the data reveal that crossover voters were consequential in defeating Trump's hand-picked candidates for secretary of state and, to a lesser extent, governor.

Biden, Democrats Out Of Sync In Pushing Assault Weapons Ban

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are calling for bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines but they’re out of step with members of their own party who don’t want to vote on those hot-button issues and instead want to focus on more modest reforms.

Democratic negotiators in the Senate, however, aren’t talking about a ban on assault-style rifles, like the AR-15 that a gunman used to kill 21 people in Uvalde, Texas, or a ban on high-capacity magazines, like the 30-round clips the shooter took to Robb Elementary School.

Omicron Is Outrunning The Vaccines Designed To Fight It

Efforts to update COVID vaccines can't seem to keep up with changes in the virus itself. New variants appear to be even more immune-resistant than the original Omicron strain, raising the possibility that even retooled vaccines could be outdated by the time they become available this fall.

Preliminary data suggests that the most recent Omicron subvariants are significantly different from the original version that began spreading late last year.

U.S. Gas Prices Could Soon Top $5 A Gallon, Analysts Say

Gas prices nationally could reach $5 a gallon on average by as early as June 17, according to Patrick De Haan, an analyst for GasBuddy, which tracks fuel costs across the nation. That's up from the current national average of $4.62 a gallon, already a record high, according to AAA.

Americans are paying record-high prices for gasoline as the summer travel season arrives — an issue that's weighing on consumers as they make their vacation plans more than rising COVID-19 rates.

Tom Cruise’s P.R. Coup: From Wacky Scientologist To ‘Top Gun’ Golden Boy

For all the crazy aerial maneuvers and tricky stunts in “Top Gun: Maverick,” the most impressive one takes place on the ground.

Tom Cruise has piloted his way back into America’s hearts and made everyone forget his days as an unhinged Scientology ambassador with a penchant for jumping on Oprah’s couch.

Evers Counters Johnson’s Claims In Wake Of Uvalde Shooting

In the wake of last week’s slaughter of students and teachers in Uvalde Texas, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson blamed “wokeness” and “indoctrination” for school shootings, a take that didn’t sit well with Governor Tony Evers.

Johnson told Fox Business Network host Neil Cavuto that he doesn’t think expanded criminal background checks will help prevent school shootings.

With The Help Of Two Supreme Courts, Republican Map Prevails

When people look back at Wisconsin's redistricting cycle of 2021, they might wonder how the Republican-led Legislature came out on top again, despite repeated and significant setbacks.

Wisconsin Voices Speak Up On The Future Of Animals In The Circus

For the first time in five years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will return to performing, but it will be without animals. The move is a change to a 150-year-old show before 2017, and while the show holds a key place in the history of the circus, people at Circus World do not anticipate the circus world to change in lockstep.

Dodge County Sheriff's Office To Increase Presence At Local Schools

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office says it will be increasing its presence at local schools in the wake of last week's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

This increased presence will continue throughout the rest of the school year, "especially if [the school is] not protected by a full-time police agency," said Sheriff Dale Schmidt in a news release.

Stevens Point Resident Named Recipient Of The 2021 DNR Ethical Hunter Award

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is pleased to announce that Mark Moersch Jr., 29, of Stevens Point, received the 2021 DNR Ethical Hunter Award. Moersch was selected for helping a fellow hunter track a wounded deer after dark and, on a separate occasion, reported a potentially lethal bait pile. This is the 25th year of the award.

Midway through the 2021 gun-deer season, Moersch Jr. was deer hunting with his father and a family friend. After the group harvested a deer and loaded it into their truck, they received a text saying another friend was with a stranger who struck a deer with a vehicle and needed help tracking it.