Morning Headlines - Friday, June 21, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Supreme Court Dropping Decisions On Guns, Abortion, Trump Immunity And More In Coming Days

Buckle up.

The Supreme Court in the coming days will issue a flurry of potentially blockbuster decisions on gun rights, abortion access, social media content, homelessness, federal regulatory authority, the opioid crisis and whether former President Donald Trump – and others – can be prosecuted for trying to overturn the 2020 election.

The high court, which tries to dispense of pending cases by the end of June, has an unusually large number of decisions pending, particularly on hot button issues. Given the current pace of opinions, the term could slip into early July, something that has not happened since the height of the pandemic.

TikTok Asks For Ban To Be Overturned, Calling It A "Radical Departure" That Harms Free Speech

A new law signed by President Joe Biden that could lead to a ban of TikTok next year is unconstitutional and should be overturned, the social media platform alleged Thursday in new legal filings.

TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, argued that the potential ban amounts to a "radical departure" from the U.S. supporting an open internet, setting a "dangerous precedent." The rebuttal comes after Biden signed the law in April, which requires ByteDance to either divest the business or face a ban of the platform within the U.S.

Donald Sutherland, Veteran Actor Known For Roles In ‘M*A*S*H,’ ‘Klute’ And ‘The Hunger Games,’ Dead At 88

Donald Sutherland, a veteran actor known for roles in “M*A*S*H,” “Klute” and& “The Hunger Games,” has died, according to a statement from his agency CAA.

He was 88.

Sutherland died Thursday in Miami after a long illness, according to his agency.

“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland’s son, wrote in a post on Instagram Thursday. “I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly.”

Putin Warns South Korea Against Arming Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has warned South Korea it would be making "a big mistake" if it arms Ukraine in the war against Russia.

His comments come after Seoul said it was considering such a possibility, in response to Russia and North Korea's new pact to help each other in the event of "aggression" against either country.

Moscow "will... [make] decisions which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea" if Seoul decides to supply arms to Kyiv, Mr Putin told reporters on Thursday.

US Bans Russian Cybersecurity Software Amid Threat Of Influence Operation

The Biden administration is issuing a total ban on the use of a Russian-backed cybersecurity software in the United States due to the Russian government's alleged influence operations over the software, the U.S. Commerce Department announced on Thursday.

Kaspersky Lab's software has been a concern of U.S. government officials since at least 2017. Under Russian law, their government has total access to Kaspersky systems and therefore has access to the data of all of its customers, U.S. officials say.

Wisconsin Headlines

Federal Government Offering Superior Lighthouse Free Of Charge To Nonprofits, Government Agencies

The federal government is once again offering a lighthouse first lit on Superior’s Wisconsin Point in 1913 to nonprofits, government agencies or educational groups free of charge.

The Superior Entry Lighthouse is a 56-foot tall structure of concrete and steel that has guided mariners from the tumultuous waters of Lake Superior into the city’s harbor for more than 110 years.

Jon Winter of the Douglas County Historical Society told WPR the lighthouse has been a longtime landmark for the city.

A Wisconsin Air National Guard Officer Cleared In Complaints Wants To Know Why She Was Removed From Command

Col. Leslie Zyzda Martin’s firing from her job as a commander in the Wisconsin Air National Guard began like this:

“Let me start by saying this is a one-way conversation,” said Gen. David May, her supervisor at the time and now interim head of the Wisconsin National Guard, reading off of a piece of paper.

“Colonel Zyzda Martin, I am removing you from command, effective immediately. Based on information presented to me in two command directed investigations, I have lost confidence in your ability to command.”

BLS Data: Wisconsin Achieves Record High Employment

The Department of Workforce Development today released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary estimates for May 2024, which showed Wisconsin's employment hit a record high of 3,048,000 during the month. This is 6,500 more people employed than a year ago.

Preliminary employment estimates for May 2024 showed Wisconsin's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.9%, which is more than a full percentage point below the national unemployment rate of 4.0% in May. The state's labor force participation rate held steady at 65.6% in May, while the national rate fell to 62.5%.

Packers Officials Select Tentative Location For NFL Draft Stage

The countdown to the 2025 NFL draft continues, and Packers officials are sharing possible plans for the draft stage.

If those tentative plans hold, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be looking out at beautiful Lambeau Field from Oneida Street. However, a lot of big decisions, namely by the NFL itself, still have to be made as Green Bay gears up to host its biggest event ever.

DNR Providing $100,000 In Grants To Rural Counties For Recycling Electronics

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting applications for the E-Cycle Wisconsin Electronics Collection Grant for projects hosting an electronics collection site or event between September 2024 and December 2025.

Financial support for additional collection sites and events will make it easier for residents in those areas to recycle unwanted electronics. The DNR will give priority to projects in counties that do not have a permanent collection site open to all residents registered under E-Cycle Wisconsin.