Morning Headlines - Thursday, May 2, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Police Begin Removing Barricades At A Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators' Encampment At UCLA

Police have begun removing barricades at a pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ encampment on the UCLA campus.

Thursday morning’s law enforcement effort comes after officers spent hours threatening arrests over loud speakers if people did not disperse. Hundreds of people had gathered on campus, both inside a barricaded tent encampment and outside of it in support.

The sound of flash bangs could be heard as police moved in.

Over 40% Of Americans Now See China As An Enemy, A Five-Year High, A Pew Report Finds

More than 40% of Americans now label China as an enemy, up from a quarter two years ago and reaching the highest level in five years, according to an annual Pew Research Center survey released Wednesday.

Half of Americans think of China as a competitor, and only 6% consider the country a partner, according to the report. The findings come as the Biden administration is seeking to stabilize U.S.-China relations to avoid miscalculations that could result in clashes, while still trying to counter the world’s second-largest economy on issues from Russia’s war in Ukraine to Taiwan and human rights.

Harvey Weinstein's NYC Sex Crimes Retrial Set For After Labor Day

Harvey Weinstein is scheduled to be retried "sometime after Labor Day," a judge said Wednesday, as the disgraced film mogul appeared in a Manhattan courtroom for the first time since the New York Court of Appeals threw out his rape conviction.

Court officers wheeled Weinstein's wheelchair into and out of the courtroom in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday afternoon. He sat before Judge Curtis Farber in a dark suit and tie and made no statements during his 20-minute appearance.

How Democrats Plan To Turn Abortion Ballot Wins Into State-Level Gains

Democrats will try to leverage their success with abortion-related ballot measures in down-ballot races in November, according to a memo shared with Axios.

The battle over reproductive freedoms is playing out in the states — and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee seeks to seize on the party's repeated ballot measure wins to create fresh state-level power.

Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady. Here's What That Means For Your Money

Federal Reserve officials said they are leaving their benchmark rate untouched, noting that progress in taming U.S. inflation has stalled.

The Fed on Wednesday said it is keeping the federal funds rate in a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the same level it has held since the central bank's July 2023 meeting, which is its highest level in more than 20 years. Economists had largely expected the decision given that inflation had ticked upward in the first three months of 2024.

Trump Defends His Approach To Abortion Issue In Waukesha Stop

Donald Trump Wednesday went on an extended defense of his approach to abortion during a speech in this suburban community today, telling supporters you have to “do what’s right,” but “as a politician, you also have to get elected.”

Dems have focused many of their attacks against Trump on abortion after he appointed three of the U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. In a post last year on Truth Social, Trump wrote he was able to “kill” Roe after “50 years of failure.”

Police Remove Gaza Encampment At UW-Madison, Make Multiple Arrests

Police removed an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and have taken away several protesters.

Several police officers arrived at the encampment on the campus’ Library Mall around 7 a.m. on May 1 and played a recorded message on a loop saying it was a final warning and that protesters were in violation of university code, WISC-TV reported.

Rep. Tiffany's Bipartisan Bill To Delist The Gray Wolf Passes The House

Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s (CO-03) bipartisan legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) passed the U.S. House by a vote of 209-205. H.R. 764, the Trust the Science Act, would remove the gray wolf from the list of federal endangered species, ensure that action is not subject to judicial review, and restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control the gray wolf population.

“The science is clear; the gray wolf has met and exceeded recovery goals. Today's House passage represents an important first step towards restoring local control over the skyrocketing gray wolf population in Wisconsin. I will continue to fight to get this legislation through the U.S. Senate to protect livestock and pets from brutal wolf attacks," said Congressman Tiffany.

Audit Examines Emergency Response Time For Wisconsin Capitol Police

Police who are responsible for security in the Wisconsin Capitol responded faster to emergency alarms in legislative offices than they did to other building alarms, according to an audit ordered amid concerns about response times that was released April 30.

The report from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau comes after a state senator in 2022 said she triggered the emergency alarm and no one responded. It also comes after security was again in the spotlight when an armed man entered the Capitol in October 2023 looking for Gov. Tony Evers.

Mount Horeb Police Shoot, Kill Student With Gun Outside Middle School

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced Wednesday evening an active shooter outside Mount Horeb Middle School was killed by Mount Horeb police officers.

AG Kaul said the suspect was a minor and attended the Mount Horeb School District. Kaul and Superintendent Steve Salerno declined to provide any other identifying information about the student other than that the student was a male.