Morning Headlines - Friday, June 7, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

The Health Care Workforce Crisis Is Already Here

Demoralized doctors and nurses are leaving the field, hospitals are sounding the alarm about workforce shortages and employees are increasingly unionizing and even going on strike in high-profile disputes with their employers.

Dire forecasts of health care worker shortages often look to a decade or more from now, but the pandemic — and its ongoing fallout — has already ushered in a volatile era of dissatisfied workers and understaffed health care facilities.

Woman Sues Netflix Over Baby Reindeer Character

A Scottish woman who allegedly inspired the stalker character Martha in hit Netflix drama Baby Reindeer is suing the streamer for defamation, negligence and privacy violations.

Fiona Harvey - who has identified herself as the woman on whom Martha is based - argued in a lawsuit that Netflix told "brutal lies" about her to over 50 million viewers around the world.

Russian Warships To Arrive In Havana Next Week, Say Cuban Officials, As Military Exercises Expected

Four Russian warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said Thursday, citing "historically friendly relations" between both nations, and as tensions escalate over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Cuba's foreign ministry said in a news release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and June 17, noting that none of them will carry any nuclear weapons and assuring their presence "does not represent a threat to the region."

Do We Really Need $1M In Retirement Savings? Not Even Close, One Top Economist Says

If you want to retire in comfort, investment firms and news headlines tell us, you may need a million dollars in the bank.

Or maybe not. One prominent economist says you can retire for a lot less: $50,000 to $100,000 in total savings. He points to the experiences of actual retirees as evidence.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Says Finalizing The New Media Rights Deals Is 'Complex' Process

Getting the NBA's next round of media rights deals completed is an extremely complex proposition, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, especially because nobody can say with any certainty what the viewing landscape will look like in the future.

Silver, speaking in his annual pre-NBA Finals news conference, did not offer any hints on when the next series of deals will be completed, other than saying “in the relative near term.” The current deals with ABC-ESPN and Turner Sports expire after next season and the NBA has been talking with NBC, ESPN and Amazon, among other networks and platforms, about what comes next.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Democrats Will Contest More Legislative Seats Than Republicans In November. Will It Matter?

There are more Democrats than Republicans competing for seats in the Wisconsin Legislature this November, but which party will ultimately win control likely relies on more than the number of contested races.

Experts say candidate quality, fundraising and the number of incumbents seeking reelection will all play a role in the first election under new legislative maps.

“We have great candidates in every corner of the state,” Senate minority leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, told reporters on a conference call Wednesday. “Our candidates reflect their districts and their lived experiences of the constituencies that they hope to represent.”

Secret Service Head Says RNC Security Plans Not Final As Protesters Allege Free Speech Restrictions

The head of the U.S. Secret Service said Thursday that security plans for the Republican National Convention are still being determined as protesters blasted restrictions they claimed will violate free speech with just weeks until the event.

Roughly 30,000 visitors are expected in Milwaukee next month when former President Donald Trump is slated to become the Republican party’s official presidential nominee. Largescale demonstrations are expected, but how close protesters will be allowed to the downtown Fiserv Forum convention site is up in the air. Top RNC officials have expressed safety concerns and protesters have sued the city of Milwaukee over rules laying out where demonstrations will be allowed.

Rock County Man Sentenced To 6 1/2 Years For Illegally Possessing Firearms And Maintaining A Drug House

Byron D. Broomfield, 37, Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced on June 4, 2024, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 ½ years in federal prison for possessing firearms after a felony conviction and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Broomfield pleaded guilty to these charges on February 14, 2024.

The Beloit Police Department began investigating Broomfield for drug trafficking in January 2023. During their investigation, police found evidence of substantial marijuana dealing in Broomfield’s trash. On March 6, officers stationed outside of Broomfield’s home observed Broomfield and another man enter Broomfield’s residence with an empty bag. After a short time, the other individual left the home with that same bag full. A few hours later, officers watched another two individuals drive to the home, enter the residence with an empty backpack, and leave a short time later with that backpack full. Officers stopped those individuals and found two pounds of marijuana in that backpack. The individuals told officers that they bought the marijuana from Broomfield, who was also known to associate with firearms.

Charges Against Warden And Guards At Aged Waupun Prison Renew Calls To Close It

With a “Shawshank Redemption”-style stone exterior and high castle-like guard towers, Wisconsin’s oldest prison, built in the 1850s, has long been a target for closure amid concerns about deterioration, extended lockdowns and staffing shortfalls.

The charges brought June 5 against Randall Hepp, the warden at the maximum-security Waupun Correctional Institution, and eight of his staffers in the deaths of two inmates are only fueling calls for action.

AG Kaul Visits Training On Wisconsin’s Address Confidentiality Program

Attorney General Josh Kaul today stopped by a training on the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services’ address confidentiality program, Safe at Home, in Appleton, Wis. Safe at Home provides a legal substitute address to be used for both public and private purposes to victims of or those threated with domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, stalking, and trafficking, or those who simply fear for their physical safety.

“Safe at Home helps people keep the location of their residence private,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “This program provides greater security and peace of mind to those who face dangers to their safety.”