Morning Headlines - Friday, Oct. 25, 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

Five Takeaways From Newsnation’s Town Hall With JD Vance

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) took questions from Republicans, Democrats, and independents during a town hall in Detroit on Thursday with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo.

The Republican vice presidential nominee fielded questions on a number of topics including the economy, immigration, abortion and the war in Ukraine and welcomed a call in from former President Trump.

The town hall comes as both campaigns are crisscrossing the country less than two weeks out from Election Day.

Here are five takeaways from NewsNation’s town hall with Vance.

Biden’s Latest Student Debt Plan Would Create Forgiveness Path For Borrowers Facing Financial Ruin

The Biden administration introduced a proposal on Friday to deliver student loan forgiveness to millions of people experiencing what the administration called “financially devastating hardships.”

President Joe Biden has forgiven more student debt than any other president in history, but his most ambitious plans have been blocked so far by Republican-led legal challenges.

Under the latest proposals, those with exorbitant medical expenses or child care costs could see the relief.

Menendez Brothers Should Be Resentenced, Los Angeles County DA Recommends

The Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday he will ask the court Friday for resentencing in the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, decades after the brothers were sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 killings of their parents in Beverly Hills. If the judge accepts his recommendation, the brothers would be immediately eligible for parole, he said.

Gascón held a news conference to announce his decision following growing calls to consider resentencing for the brothers, who are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole after they were convicted of first-degree murder in the slayings of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez.

Biden To Apologize To Native Americans For Era Of Boarding School Atrocities

President Biden will issue a formal presidential apology to the Native American community for atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples during the era of federal Indian boarding schools, he announced Thursday. The apology is set to be issued in Arizona on Friday, according to a source familiar with the president's announcement.

"I'm heading to do something that should have been done a long time ago," Mr. Biden told reporters before boarding Marine One on Thursday afternoon. "Make a formal apology to the Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years."

Why It Could Be A Lifetime Until There's Another World Series Like This One

The clash between the Dodgers and the Yankees, the game’s signature cross-country rivalry, will be the teams’ first World Series showdown in more than 40 years. It’s also the first battle between the AL and NL home run leaders since Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider, the first championship matchup between the AL’s and NL’s best teams in the 12-team postseason era, and a showcase for the game’s two most exciting players: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, who’ve already won a combined three MVPs and are each favored to win again this year.

It’s rare enough to see even one of the aforementioned storylines in baseball’s final playoff round. And with the expanded postseason, the likelihood is that matchups like this one be even fewer and farther between. But this World Series has it all.

Wisconsin Headlines

Elon Musk Offers WI Voters A Chance To Win $1 Million, Raises Legal Issues

Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, is spending millions to back the Republican's candidacy. Most recently, Musk's super PAC -- America PAC -- announced a petition with a $1 million prize aimed at boosting voter registration in battleground states.

But, this effort has raised legal concerns.

According to federal law, it's illegal to pay people to register to vote. Musk's petition calls on people in seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, to sign in support of the First and Second Amendments.

Former Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Lieutenant Sentenced To Four Months’ Imprisonment

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on October 24, 2024, Johanna Grace (age: 34) was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, after providing marijuana and a cellular telephone to an inmate of the Waukesha County Jail.

Publicly filed documents reflect that when Grace committed this offense, she was serving as a Correctional Lieutenant with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office. On multiple occasions, Grace coordinated with associates outside the Waukesha County Jail to bring contraband inside the facility. When a tipster outside the jail alerted authorities to Grace’s misconduct, Grace shared internal law enforcement reports with her associates, who then confronted the tipster. Grace acknowledged that as part of her offense of conviction, she obstructed justice.

Grothman, Zarbano Face Off In Race For Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman of Glenbeulah is running for reelection in Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District against Democrat John Zarbano of Oshkosh, a political newcomer.

The east-central Wisconsin district contains much of Winnebago County, along with Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Ozaukee, Green Lake, Manitowoc, Columbia, Marquette and Waushara Counties.

It is solidly Republican, with 55.9 percent of voters choosing Republican Tim Michels in the 2022 governor’s race even as he lost to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers statewide.

Kelly Sheffield Becomes Winningest Coach In Wisconsin Volleyball History

Wisconsin volleyball head coach Kelly Sheffield earned win number 306 on Thursday as the Badgers swept the Indiana Hoosiers on the road. Sheffield became the winningest coach in Wisconsin volleyball history, surpassing UW Hall of Fame inductee Pete Wait (305).

Renovation Of Wisconsin Bar Leads To Discovery Of Massive 140-Year-Old Circus Art

Wisconsin bars are known for their pints and their patrons. About the last thing you'd expect to discover in such a place would be 55 feet of historic American artwork.

"I was really surprised once we took all the electrical plate covers and seen it went the whole length of the wall," said Ron Berger. "Curiosity for sure, like, 'What is under here?'"

It was 2015 and Berger was renovating the Corral Bar and Riverside Grill in Durand to add a banquet room. Nearly the second he went to work, something caught his eye.