Morning Headlines - Friday, Aug. 4, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Trump Pleads Not Guilty At Arraignment On Federal Charges In 2020 Election Probe

Former President Donald Trump appeared in a federal courtroom Thursday for his arraignment on four felony charges accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 election results, pleading not guilty in the latest case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump appeared before a magistrate judge in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to deny the charges, which are the most serious criminal allegations he is facing. While cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, CBS News reporters were on the scene to document the proceeding.

‘Whistling Past The Graveyard’: Dem Fear Grows Over Massive Grassroots Fundraising Hit

One of the best online fundraising days for Democrats this year was the day of Joe Biden’s campaign launch — but even that day’s haul was meager compared to his campaign kickoff four years ago.

That’s among the findings of an analysis of fundraising for the first half of the year through ActBlue, the party’s primary donation processor. Small-dollar giving at the federal level totaled $312 million in the first half of 2023 — a drop-off of more than $30 million compared to this point in the 2020 cycle. The platform also had 32 percent fewer donors in the second quarter this year compared to four years prior, although its total fundraising including state and local campaigns increased slightly due to more recurring donors.

More Americans Say They Can Never Retire

A growing share of working Americans don’t think they will ever retire, recent surveys suggest.

Retirement is a time-honored life stage and a near-universal expectation in working America. Yet, a comfortable retirement requires savings, and many workers fear they don’t have enough.

In a July poll conducted jointly by Axios and Ipsos, 29 percent of workers under 55 answered a retirement query with, “I don’t think I will ever retire.”

Asked why not, three-quarters of the never-retire group said they could not afford to stop working. A smaller share said they didn’t want to.

Apple Hits 1 Billion Paid Subscriptions

Apple on Thursday said it now has more than 1 billion paid subscriptions across all of its services, including Apple Music, iCloud, Apple News, Apple TV+ and more.

Apple has methodically executed a long-term strategy of offsetting slowing hardware sales growth with revenue from software services — and that now accounts for more than a quarter of the company's sales.

Apple's advertising business is expected to reach $6 billion by 2025, which would make it larger than both Snapchat and Twitter's ad business.

Google Search Update Brings Revamped UI, Personal Info Removal Tool Enhancements, And More

• Google Search is expanding its tool to remove personal information found within search results, and will now automatically alert users to new personal information that appears online.
• Users will have a revamped dashboard to easily track and eliminate personal information from Google Search.
• Google is adding a SafeSearch feature to blur explicit and adult content by default.

Wisconsin Headlines

Janet Protasiewicz And Wisconsin Supreme Court Expectations

Janet Protasiewicz was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April in the most expensive court race in our nation’s history. Her 10-year term on the court started Aug. 1 with a ceremonial investiture at the State Capitol. The new justice’s supporters have high expectations for the new liberal majority on the court.

“…And will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office to the best of my ability,” said Janet Protasiewicz as she took the oath of office to join the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the Capitol rotunda.

In her speech, Protasiewicz said all the things an impartial justice should say.

Milwaukee Religious Leaders Denounce The Rise Of Christian Nationalism

Milwaukee religious leaders representing Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Roman Catholic and Unitarian congregations gathered Thursday to denounce the rise of Christian nationalism and its threat to democracy.

About 75 clergy from the Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, or MICAH, launched the "We All Belong" campaign with a rally and march. The event kicked off what will be a series of public gatherings leading up to the 2024 election to bring awareness to Christian nationalism, a once fringe point of view that is growing in acceptance.

Christian nationalism is the belief that America should be defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way.

Wisconsin Teamsters Consider UPS Deal

Unionized workers at Madison area UPS locations learned the details of their new proposed bargaining agreement, as voting on the new agreement begins Thursday.

Teamsters Local 344, the union that represents all Wisconsin union UPS workers held three informational sessions Thursday at the Madison Labor Temple. The three sessions are just a few in a string that will be held across the state, as local workers begin to formulate their opinions on the deal reached last month between the company and Teamsters.

Harris In Wisconsin Says Broadband Expansion Will Create Jobs, Boost U.S. Manufacturing

During a stop in Pleasant Prairie, Vice President Kamala Harris pitched the Biden administration’s $65 billion investment in high-speed internet as an effort to drive the creation of U.S. jobs and boost American manufacturing.

Harris’ tour and remarks at Sanmina’s Pleasant Prairie plant Thursday came on the heels of an announcement from Finland-based Nokia that it will partner with the company to manufacture broadband network electronics there, creating 200 jobs.

Harris linked the announcement to the administration’s efforts to build broadband infrastructure in the U.S., saying she and the president knew the investment would drive demand for products made here.

Packers President Mark Murphy Named In New Northwestern Hazing Lawsuits

Former Northwestern University football players filed new hazing lawsuits against the school on Thursday, and Green Bay Packers CEO and President Mark Murphy has been named as a defendant.

Murphy previously served as athletic director at Northwestern from 2003 to 2007. The former players, both listed as "John Doe," who filed the lawsuits, were at the school from 2004 to 2008, according to a press release. These are the first lawsuits to name Murphy as a defendant.

Both lawsuits also name now-fired and former coach Pat Fitzgerald, former university president Henry Bienen, and the school's board of trustees.