Your Morning Headlines - Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024

At DrydenWire, we kick off every morning by bringing you the 5 important U.S. & World headlines, along with 5 stories from Wisconsin. Our team scours the internet to find the latest news that matters to you.

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Congress To Get Beefed-Up Security For Electoral Vote Certification On Jan. 6

The counting and certification of electoral votes at the Capitol in January — the first since the Jan. 6 riot in 2021 — will come with significantly increased security, the Secret Service said Wednesday.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the Jan. 6 count as a national special security event, affording it a level of security similar to events like the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl. The Secret Service will oversee planning.

Mike Johnson's Hell-In-Waiting If He Keeps The Speaker Gavel In 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson is fighting for his job this week. Today's setback gives him a sense for how difficult — and lonely — it will be if he wins.

Johnson's rank-and-file aren't taking his Plan A seriously ... his top members are pointing fingers over who's to blame ... worst of all, the former president reserves the right to blindside him.

Trump, Republicans Play Blame Game After Debate

Former President Trump and Republicans are pointing fingers in the aftermath of his debate with Vice President Harris that saw the Republican nominee frequently fall into traps set by his opponent and struggle to drive home the message his campaign had previewed.

Trump and his allies hammered the moderators at host network ABC News, accusing the outlet of disproportionately fact-checking his responses compared to his political rival.

Taylor Swift Drove More Than 337,000 Visitors To Vote.gov With Kamala Harris Endorsement

Taylor Swift's post endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the White House on Tuesday drove at least 337,826 users to visit the site vote.gov, a sign of the potential effect her decision to speak out could have on November's election.

Vote.gov is run by a federal agency known as the General Services Administration, in partnership with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The site includes information about how to register to vote and cast a ballot, and directs users to state sites where they can register.

China Wants To Challenge The U.S. In AI — Here’s What Chinese Giants Are Doing With The Tech

China’s giants, from Alibaba to Tencent, have launched their own AI models over the past 18 months, looking to capitalize on the hype around the technology.

China’s ambitions to become a world leader in AI adds another layer to the country’s technology battle with the U.S.

CNBC runs through the big Chinese AI models developed by the country’s biggest tech firms.

Wisconsin Headlines

The Wisconsin Supreme Court Will Hear A Case On The Future Of The State's Elections Leader

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear a lawsuit that could determine whether the state's top elections official could remain in her post after Republicans who controlled the state Senate sought to fire her last year.

The liberal-controlled court said it would hear the case but did not immediately set a date for oral arguments. The court almost certainly will not rule before the Nov. 5 election.

Latest Polling Shows Harris Edging Ahead Of Trump In Battleground Wisconsin

A day after former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris went head-to-head in what is expected to be their only debate of the presidential cycle, new polling from the Marquette University Law School poll shows Harris pulling slightly ahead of Trump in swing state Wisconsin.

The survey spans registered and likely voter sentiment immediately after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, following a summer of remarkable political upheaval.

Among registered voters, Marquette’s latest poll shows Harris with 52 percent of the vote, compared to 48 percent for Trump. Among likely voters, the survey shows the same numbers, 52-48.

Wisconsin Groundwater Report Released

Wisconsin lawmakers are seeing a new report about the issues facing groundwater in the Badger State.

Seventy percent of Wisconsinites get their drinking water from groundwater, but for most counties in the state that water contains high levels of contaminants.

The state Department of Natural Resources' Groundwater Coordinating Council recently released its 2024 Groundwater Report. The report lists key recommendations to address big issues in Wisconsin, including a pileup in setting groundwater standards.

UW-Madison Receives $75 Million Gift For New Engineering Building

The University of Wisconsin-Madison received a $75 million gift for its new $347 million College of Engineering building, the university announced Wednesday.

UW-Madison alumni Marvin and Jeffrey Levy, a pair of brothers who operate the Madison-based alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage supplier Phillips Distributing Corp., made this gift in honor of their brother, Phil, who died in 2021. The new 395,000 square-foot building will be named the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center, according to UW-Madison’s Wednesday news release.

Archery And Crossbow Deer Hunting Seasons Open Sept. 14

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hunters that the archery and crossbow deer hunting seasons open Sept. 14. The two seasons run through Jan. 5, 2025, except in the 35 counties and metro subunits that have extended seasons open until Jan. 31, 2025.

The early archery and crossbow seasons are great opportunities for hunters to harvest antlerless deer before they change their patterns and experience additional hunting pressure during the gun deer season. Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations remain available in many counties.