Morning Headlines - Friday, Sept. 8, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

China's Military Targets American Troops, Veterans For Exploitation Campaign, General Says

China is targeting current and former U.S. service members as part of an exploitation campaign to "fill gaps" in its military capabilities, a top U.S. general says.

The complex effort was detailed in an Air Force memo authored by Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., an Air Force official confirmed to Fox News. The Chinese military is pushing international firms that do business with the PRC to target and recruit "U.S. and NATO-trained military talent across specialties and career fields."

"By essentially training the trainer, many of those who accept contracts with these foreign companies are eroding our national security, putting the very safety of their fellow servicemembers and the country at risk," Brown wrote in the memo, which was first reported by the Washington Post. He encouraged service members to safeguard "our national defense information" even after they leave the armed forces.

Marijuana Rescheduling Falls Short Of Expectations On Biden

The Biden administration’s recommendation last week for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reschedule marijuana marked one of its most significant steps related to the president’s ambitious campaign promise to decriminalize cannabis use.

But advocates and policy experts say rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) does not address the plethora of racial justice issues caused by current cannabis laws.

“Rescheduling doesn’t address … the harm to marginalized communities,” said Natacha Andrews, executive director for the National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers.

Apple Loses About $200B In Market Capitalization On China iPhone Restriction Reports

Apple has lost around $200 billion in market capitalization over several days as tensions between the U.S. and China rise, with several media outlets reporting this week that the iPhone maker is being singled out by Beijing.

Apple shares fell 3% Thursday and are down more than 5% for the week on reports of an iPhone ban for Chinese state employees that is being dictated by Beijing.

‘That ’70s Show’ Actor Danny Masterson Gets 30 Years To Life In Prison For Rapes Of 2 Women

A judge sentenced “That ’70s Show” show star Danny Masterson to 30 years to life in prison Thursday for raping two women, giving them some relief after they spoke in court about the decades of damage he inflicted.

“When you raped me, you stole from me,” said one woman who Masterson was convicted of raping in 2003. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.”

“You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent,” she said. “The world is better off with you in prison.”

Democratic Party Official Left Bloodied In Violent Carjacking Now Calls For Tougher Crime Laws After Once Vowing To Dismantle Minneapolis Police Department

A Democratic party official who pledged to 'dismantle' the Minneapolis Police Department in 2020 is now calling for tougher crime laws after suffering a violent carjacking outside her Minnesota home.

Shivanthi Sathanandan, the Second Vice Chairwoman for the Democrat-Farmer-Labor party, took to Facebook to share the graphic outcome of the gunpoint attack on her driveway and to call for justice.

Pictured with blood on her face, she said that she had suffered a broken leg, deep cuts on her head and body, and bruising after four young men carrying guns 'beat me violently down to the ground in front of our kids'.

Wisconsin Headlines

Political Parties And Lobbying Groups Regularly Donate Campaign Cash To Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices

Wisconsin Republicans talking about impeaching a state Supreme Court justice before she’s heard a case are pointing to the nearly $10 million she received from the Democratic Party as proof that she can’t fairly rule on redistricting cases that could weaken the GOP’s hold on the Legislature.

But the state GOP and other conservative groups have given campaign cash to other sitting justices, and they’re not recusing themselves on cases involving donors. All but one sitting justice — liberal Ann Walsh Bradley — have received contributions from a party at the national, state or county level, according to data from Wisconsin’s campaign finance system and an analysis by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign spending.

Reedsburg Attorney Sentenced To 45 Months For Embezzlement Scheme

Kristin Lein, 61, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, money laundering, and filing a false tax return. Lein pleaded guilty to these charges on June 14, 2023.

The government’s investigation revealed that Lein, a licensed attorney in Wisconsin, engaged in a fraud scheme in which she stole $1,643,818 from a client’s trust accounts. In June 2019, Lein began transferring money from several accounts belonging to the client’s trust to her own personal bank account. During a telephone call on February 2, 2022, Lein and the beneficiary of the trust discussed financial matters. During the telephone call, Lein told the beneficiary that the trust balance was over $1,800,000. However, Lein knew that the actual amount of money held in the trust was significantly less due to her embezzlement of funds. Lein continued to embezzle money from the trust accounts until the funds were depleted in September 2022.

State Democrats Introduce Package Of Bills On Workers Rights

State Democratic lawmakers introduced a set of workforce-related bills they're calling the "Workers First" labor package.

In emails seeking co-sponsors, the lawmakers said they are introducing the package "to ensure every worker has access to fair wages, good benefits, workplace protections, and a high quality of life."

One of the bills would repeal the state's Right-to-Work law.

Northern Wisconsin Sawmill Fined Nearly $200k Following Death Of A Teen This Summer

A northern Wisconsin sawmill will pay nearly $200,000 in fines and must take steps to comply with child labor laws after a 16-year-old boy was fatally injured working there this summer, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The department secured a federal court order against Florence Hardwoods following its investigation into the accident that caused the death of teenager Michael Schuls. Schuls was injured when he was pinned in a wood-stacking machine on June 29. He died in the hospital two days later.

Evers Says He’ll Veto Republican Tax Cut

Wisconsin’s Democratic governor will reject a Republican tax cut proposal if it reaches his desk. Governor Tony Evers posted Wednesday on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, calling the $2.9 billion tax cut that Republicans in the state Assembly plan to pass next week “irresponsible.”

Republicans in the state Assembly are likely to pass the tax cut on Tuesday. Evers rejected a similar Republican proposal when he signed the state budget in July.