Morning Headlines - Friday, Apr. 5, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Trump’s Israel Criticism Breaks With GOP, Sows Uncertainty

Former President Trump’s growing criticism of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza signals a glaring break from GOP talking points backing Israel’s right to self-defense.

Trump allies played down the importance of his interview with Israeli reporters last week, saying his staunch support of Israel would continue in a potential second term.

But his comments in recent days underscore Trump’s ambiguous positions on some of the major national security issues he will face should he return to the White House.

Up To $30 Million In Cash Stolen From Los Angeles Building, Making It Largest Heist In City's History

The Los Angeles Police Department and FBI are investigating the theft of tens of millions of dollars in cash from a money storage facility in what appears to be the largest heist in LA history.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation confirms with CBS News that the heist took place at GardaWorld in Sylmar on Easter Sunday, with as much as $30 million stolen. The source says it appears to be a sophisticated operation.

A Billionaire Helped Bring ‘3-Body Problem’ To Netflix. His Business Partner Ensured He Never Lived To See Its Premiere

Lin Qi, a billionaire fan of “The Three-Body Problem,” had big plans to bring his favorite Chinese sci-fi novel to TV, cinema and video-game screens across the world.

Flush with cash after the listing of his gaming company in 2014, the young entrepreneur envisioned turning China’s most beloved sci-fi trilogy into a global pop culture phenomenon in the same league as “Star Wars.”

The Only Ones Not Feeling Eclipse Mania: Hospitals

The public's massive enthusiasm for the upcoming total solar eclipse may only be matched by the anxiety felt by hundreds of hospitals in the path of totality.

With millions of people flocking to big cities and small towns to witness Monday's eclipse, hospitals are on high alert for increased traffic accidents, the potential for mass casualty events and, of course, eye damage.

Some hospitals in the path of totality, which stretches from Texas to Maine, told Axios they've spent more than a year preparing with emergency drills and regular coordination with local officials.

Why April's Total Solar Eclipse Will Be A Historic Event In The US

When the moon traverses in front of the sun on April 8, parts of North America will be plunged into darkness, marking a rare celestial phenomenon that will not return for decades.

The last total solar eclipse in America was in August 2017, but the seven-year difference between eclipses is "deceptive," according to Espenak.

"If you look previous to 2017, the last one was in 1979," Espenak said. "So it's a little bit deceptive that these two eclipses were in seven years of each other."

Wisconsin Headlines

In Swing-State Wisconsin, Baldwin And Hovde Hustle To Win Key US Senate Race

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, whose “go everywhere” 2018 campaign strategy became a model for how to win in battleground Wisconsin, knows her road to victory this year against a multimillionaire Republican supporter of former President Donald Trump goes through places like New Glarus.

The bucolic village of 2,200, founded by Swiss immigrants and famous for its Spotted Cow craft beer, is a world away from the urban Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee and Madison, where Democrats like Baldwin and President Joe Biden rack up massive margins of victory.

DHS Submits Opioid Settlement Plan To Budget Committee

The state Department of Health Services has submitted its plans for using $36 million in opioid settlement funds to the Joint Finance Committee.

The plan, covering fiscal year 2025, proposes allocating the funding across prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts.

It includes $6 million for tribal nations in Wisconsin; $5 million for community, education and after-school prevention; $5 million for family support and resource centers; another $5 million for peer support in opioid treatment programs; $3.5 million for overdose reversal drug naloxone; $1 million for fentanyl test strips, and more.

Testing For ‘Tranq’ In Opioids Now Legal In Wisconsin

In the face of an ongoing drug overdose crisis, Wisconsin lawmakers have taken steps to decriminalize testing strips that allow people using drugs to better understand what’s in their supply.

In 2022, the state decriminalized testing strips for the synthetic opioid fentanyl. And in late March, Gov. Tony Evers signed into law a bipartisan bill to do the same with testing strips that register the presence of xylazine, a narcotic sometimes known as “tranq” that can make opioids even more deadly.

That reflects a growing infiltration into the Wisconsin of xylazine-mixed drugs. Milwaukee County, for example, is bracing itself for an estimated 239 overdose deaths this year from the mixture.

Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill Requiring Schools To Teach Asian American History

The Wisconsin governor has signed a bill requiring K-12 schools to teach Asian American history.

The bill, which Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed Thursday, also requires schools to teach Hmong American history, per the release. In the release, Evers said that “[t]he Hmong and Asian American communities are a critical part of our state’s history, culture, economy, and our future.”

Wisconsin Doctor Who Sued To Protect Abortion Access Joins Congressional Race

A doctor who performs abortions became the first Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District on Thursday, entering the race for the seat opened up by the surprise retirement of Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher.

Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an obstetrician and gynecologist, launched her candidacy two weeks before Gallagher’s expected departure date. Because of the timing of his resignation, there will be no special election.