Morning Headlines - Friday, Oct. 27, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

US Strikes 2 Facilities Linked To Iranian-Backed Militias In Syria Following Series Of Attacks On US Forces In Middle East

The US carried out airstrikes targeting two facilities linked to Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria on Thursday, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, following a series of drone and rocket attacks against US forces in the region.

The statement said the facilities have been used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

The strikes, carried out by a pair of F-16 fighter jets using precision-guided munitions, targeted a weapons and ammunition storage facility in Abu Kamal near the border between Syria and Iraq.

'Pick Up A Bible': Newly-Elected Speaker Mike Johnson Defends Comments He Made About Gay Marriage 15 Years Ago

Newly-elected Speaker Mike Johnson has defended his Bible-adhering 'worldview' while addressing a question about his past remarks regarding gay marriage.

Johnson was elected to lead the House majority on Wednesday, earning all 220 votes from Republicans on the floor.

The following evening, the 51-year-old lawmaker sat down with Sean Hannity for an interview at the Capitol.

Minnesota Democrat Dean Phillips Launches Bid For President. ‘It Could Be The End Of His Political Career.’

The presidential campaign Dean Phillips will launch on Friday is such a longshot that some of his colleagues call it a vanity project. Other top Democrats privately deem it a mid-life crisis.

It may also be the clearest distillation to date of the undercurrent of discontent with Joe Biden among Democratic Party voters, even if it’s not likely to represent much of a genuine threat to the president.

Phillips, a millionaire businessperson, sees his quixotic bid differently. In private conversations, the Minnesota Democrat has stressed that voters need a generational alternative to the 80-year-old president.

Maine Mass Shootings Suspect Still On Lam As Details On Victims Emerge

The manhunt continued Friday for the suspect in the mass shootings that killed 18 people and injured 13 in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night.

Authorities are searching for 40-year-old Robert Card, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck told reporters during a news conference Thursday. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Hundreds of police and about 80 FBI agents, as well as federal marshals and people from other agencies, are involved in the search.

Food Insecurity Spiked Last Year, New Report Shows

The number of Americans who were food insecure — meaning they couldn't reliably afford to eat — soared last year, according to new government data.

The economy might've looked great in 2022 by some metrics, like the low unemployment rate, but not this one.

The share of households that couldn't reliably afford food rose to 12.8% from 10.2%, according to the report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's economic research service.

Wisconsin Headlines

Brewers Bill Co-Author Outlines Possible Changes, Calls Ticket Tax On Baseball Games ‘Nonstarter’ For Team

A GOP architect of legislation to pump public money into maintenance of the Milwaukee Brewers stadium floated a series of expected changes the Senate could make to the legislation, including adding a ticket tax on non-baseball activities.

But state Rep. Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, said including Brewers games in a possible ticket tax would be a “nonstarter” for the team.

GOP Sen. Julian Bradley countered a ticket tax on all stadium events has been popular in his conversations with other lawmakers and constituents, challenging Brooks and fellow co-author Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, on the idea during a public hearing Wednesday.

“Frankly, the Brewers didn’t elect you guys. You were elected by your constituents,” said Bradley, R-Franklin.

Wisconsin GOP Lawmakers Introduce Bill Requiring Universities To Remove 'Race-Based' Programs

A Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action, ruling out race-conscious college admissions, is motivating states nationwide to do away with diversity and inclusion efforts.

In Wisconsin, an ongoing feud between Republican lawmakers and the UW System has forced universities across the state to reconsider their diversity programming.

On Monday, Republican lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly introduced a bill requiring various universities and colleges in Wisconsin to modify all minority-based programs to target low-income students only.

Gov. Evers Announces Appointments To Governor’s Task Force On Workforce And Artificial Intelligence

Gov. Tony Evers today announced the appointment of 30 members to the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and set the first public task force meeting for Mon., Oct. 30, 2023.

Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) in coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the task force is bringing together private and public sector leaders to identify policies and investments that will continue to advance Wisconsin workers, employers, and job seekers through this technological transformation.

Wisconsin Republicans Back Bill Outlawing University Financial Aid Based On Race And Diversity

Universities of Wisconsin officials would be prohibited from considering race and diversity when awarding state-funded financial aid under a Republican-backed bill debated Thursday at a state Assembly committee hearing.

The bill would require the state Higher Educational Aids Board, which manages financial aid programs, and officials at UW system schools and technical colleges to only weigh financial need and not factors including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or religion when awarding grants and loans or creating enrollment and retention plans.

Wisconsin Poverty Has Come Down From Highs Of The 2008 Recession, But Still Above Early 2000s Lows

Poverty in Wisconsin has come down from highs registered following the 2008 recession but remains higher than it was two decades ago.

That’s according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin-Extension, which examined the state’s poverty rate over time compared to neighboring states.

Over the last 30 years, Wisconsin registered its lowest poverty rates between 1995 and 2003, the report said. During that period, the poverty rate hovered around 9 percent and stayed below that number from 1998 to 2003, falling to a low of 8.1 percent.