Morning Headlines - Friday, Aug. 12, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Astonished Democrats Set To Clear Finish Line With Climate, Tax, Health Care Package

For more than a year, Democrats have wrestled with the massive climate, health and tax package at the center of their domestic agenda, triggering clashes between the various party factions and sparking doubts about President Biden’s capacity to unite his troops behind transformative legislation.

This week’s vote to get the enormous proposal over the finish line will feature no such drama.

House Democrats of all stripes are lining up to approve the Senate’s $740 billion tax-and-spending package on Friday when the lower chamber returns briefly to Washington, sending the legislation to Biden’s desk and securing a huge win for the president and his party less than three months from the midterm elections.

Trump Says He Won't Oppose Move To Unseal Mar-A-Lago Search Warrant

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that he "personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant" for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and that the Justice Department filed a motion earlier in the day to make the warrant public.

Trump said late Thursday that he would not oppose the move.

Speaking about his decision at a brief news conference, Garland said the department "does not take such actions lightly" and first pursues "less intrusive" means to retrieve material. Garland noted that it was Trump's "right" to reveal Monday's FBI search of his property and that all Americans are entitled to a presumption of innocence.

Political Threats Spiral

Politicians, public officials and even obscure bureaucrats are becoming inured to the new normal of today’s polarized America: constant threats of violence inflamed by highly charged political rhetoric.

The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol demonstrated how easily tensions can boil over into devastating political violence. And the problem is only getting worse.

• FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that political violence is becoming "almost a 365-day phenomenon."
• "I feel like every day I'm getting briefed on somebody throwing a Molotov cocktail at someone for some issue," Wray testified. "It's crazy."

Standoff Ends After Armed Man Allegedly Tried To Break Into Cincinnati FBI Office

An armed man who allegedly tried to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati field office Thursday was killed by police after an hourslong standoff, officials said.

Following a chase and a failed negotiation, the suspect was fatally shot by police after he allegedly raised a gun toward law enforcement officers, an Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesperson said during a press briefing.

The suspect was identified as Ricky Shiffer, 42, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Everything You Need To Know About Hawaii’s Primary

So the Aloha State is the perfect example of why we do so much primary coverage here at FiveThirtyEight. In one-party-rule states like Hawaii, the party in control tends to be very ideologically diverse, making primary elections extra important.

And Hawaii’s 2022 primary election, taking place on Saturday, should be no exception, as Hawaii Democrats will have the opportunity to decide the ideological direction of two high-profile offices where the incumbent is not running for reelection.

Wisconsin Headlines

Dems Call For Audit Of Gableman-Led Election Probe

Joint Legislative Audit Committee Dems called on Co-Chair Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, for a “comprehensive audit” of former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman’s 2020 election probe.

Sen. Melissa Agard, of Madison, Sen. Tim Carpenter, of Milwaukee, Rep. Dianne Hesselbein, of Middleton, and Rep. Francesca Hong, of Madison, made the request Wednesday after Gableman said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos “never wanted a real investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin.”

Tim Michels Begins November Push With Former Gov. Tommy Thompson At Wisconsin State Fair

Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor Tim Michels was joined by his new running mate at the Wisconsin State Fair on Thursday.

Two days after the primary election, Michels was back out at the state fair with former Governor Tommy Thompson and State Senator Roger Roth, who won the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor.

Michels is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who he said called to congratulate him Tuesday. He is also endorsed by former Gov. Thompson.

How Nationalized Politics Shape The Vote In Wisconisn's 3rd Congressional District

The race to represent Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District is attracting national attention in 2022, as it is potentially poised to flip from blue to red and elect its first Republican representative in more than a quarter century.

Longtime U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, a Democrat, announced his retirement in August 2021 and is not running for office again in 2022 after holding the office since 1996. Kind's exit leaves Republican candidate Derrick Van Orden and Democratic primary winner Brad Pfaff to duke it out in November.

However, Kind holding the district for so long was no simple matter.

Wisconsin Counties See A Spike In Drug Overdoses Linked To Counterfeit Pills

Multiple counties around the state have issued public health alerts due to a spike in drug overdoses.

They include Dane and Columbia counties, where communities have seen more and more people overdosing. Last week, Dane County experienced 7 overdoses in 24 hours.

Health officials say most cases are linked to counterfeit pills that were laced with fentanyl.

Wisconsin’s Top Transportation Official Flags Rising Construction Costs Tied To Inflation

n a sign that highway repairs could pinch Wisconsin coffers more in the future, the state’s top transportation official said Tuesday that recent bids from contractors are coming in higher than previous levels.

Appearing on Wisconsin Public Radio’s "The Morning Show," Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said construction bids in the last six months are running about 11 percent higher than past years, citing inflation’s effect on the industry. 

Thompson said the recent uptick follows three years of bids coming in lower than engineer estimates; the state is spending less than expected overall in the last four years. But Thompson said the new increase is still significant.