Morning Headlines - Friday, Dec. 13, 2024

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

Here's What Trump's Plans To Extend His Tax Cuts Could Mean For You

During his electoral campaign, President-elect Donald Trump pledged to extend many provisions in his signature Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, a 2017 law that overhauled the tax code and handed a financial break to almost every taxpayer.

Many of those provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025, such as the current individual tax brackets and standard deduction. If Republican lawmakers are unable to pass legislation to extend the TCJA reforms next year, more than 6 in 10 filers would face a tax increase in 2026, according to an analysis from the Tax Foundation.

Biden Is On Track To Appoint More Federal Judges Of Color Than Any Other President

As President Joe Biden makes a final push to confirm judicial nominees before his term in office ends, he is on track to have appointed more federal judges of color than any president before him.

On Monday, the Senate confirmed Biden’s judicial nominee for the Northern District of Georgia, Tiffany Johnson, making her the 40th Black woman he has appointed to lifetime federal judgeships — more than any president in a single term.

Coffee Prices Rise To Nearly 50-Year High

Coffee beans are hitting record high prices not seen in nearly 50 years after difficult growing seasons among some of the world's top producing regions.

After a year of difficult drought followed by bouts of heavy rains in Brazil -- the world's top coffee producer with nearly 39% of the global supply -- roasters are set to raise prices on the popular caffeinated crops.

Teens, Social Media And Technology 2024

Amid national concerns about technology’s impact on youth, many teens are as digitally connected as ever.

Most teens use social media and have a smartphone, and nearly half say they’re online almost constantly, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024.

New Jersey Drones Don’t Appear To Pose National Security Or Public Safety Threat, FBI Says

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security they had seen “no evidence” that mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey and adjacent areas in recent weeks “pose a national security or public safety threat.”

The FBI has been investigating reports of what could be dozens of drones operating at night, most of which are larger than the ones that hobbyists use.

Sightings have occurred over the Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump, as well as near a military research facility.

“It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully,” the FBI and DHS said in a statement.

Wisconsin Headlines

Foxconn Qualifies For Another Round Of Tax Credits, Bringing Total Subsidies Past $52M

Foxconn Technology Group is slated to receive nearly $8.75 million in state tax credits for investment and job creation at its Mount Pleasant campus in 2023. That brings the total amount awarded to the company up to more than $52 million, according to a state report.

In late October, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. notified Foxconn that it would receive the latest round of tax credits. In 2023, the company employed 1,114 people and made nearly $24.6 million in capital investment, according to the WEDC report.

JFC Co-Chairs Push Back On Underly Passing Over Committee Input On Reading Curriculum

The GOP co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee have rejected the Department of Public Instruction’s argument that it isn’t required to seek the committee’s approval of recommended reading curriculum under the state’s new literacy law.

Rep. Mark Born, of Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, of Spring Green, in a letter to Superintendent Jill Underly Tuesday said the committee would weigh in on the recommendations regardless of DPI’s interpretation of the law.

Sen. Baldwin Backs Former Wisconsin Congressman's Nomination To Be Transportation Secretary

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is supporting the nomination of fellow Wisconsinite Sean Duffy to be Transportation Secretary.

Duffy is a former Republican congressman who represented the state's 7th Congressional District from 2011 through 2019.

"I look at all of the President's nominees through the lens of 'will you be good for Wisconsin,'" Baldwin said in a statement. "I've worked with Sean before to deliver for Wisconsin, and I plan to support his nomination because I am confident that we can work together to keep Wisconsin families safe and our economy moving forward."

Bad River Band And Other Groups Move To Block Reroute Plans For Enbridge's Line 5

A northern Wisconsin tribe along with a coalition of groups moved Dec. 12 to block plans to reroute an aging pipeline around the tribe’s reservation, arguing state regulators have underestimated the environmental damage that construction would cause.

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filed a lawsuit in Ashland County asking a judge to stay the state Department of Natural Resources’ environmental impact statement for the project and reverse state construction permits. The tribe also joined with a number of other groups, including Clean Wisconsin, the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters, in petitions on Dec. 12 demanding a hearing on the approvals.

Wisconsin Will Cast Its 2024 Electoral Votes In Line With Federal Law, Not State Law

Wisconsin Republicans will meet on Dec. 17 as required under federal law to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for President-elect Donald Trump, not a day earlier as state law calls for, after elections officials and the state Department of Justice agreed that is the proper day to do it.

The Wisconsin Republican Party sued on Dec. 6 seeking an order to resolve which of the two dates it should meet. The state Department of Justice and the Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed that the votes should be cast on Dec. 17 in accordance with federal law. The Justice Department asked that the case be dismissed.