Morning Headlines - Monday, Dec. 4, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Israel Expands Gaza Ground Offensive, Says Efforts In South Will Carry "No Less Strength" Than In North

The Israeli military said Sunday its ground offensive had expanded to every part of Gaza, and it ordered more evacuations in the crowded south while vowing that operations there against Hamas would carry "no less strength" than its shattering ones in the north.

Heavy bombardment followed evacuation orders, and Palestinians said they were running out of places to go in the sealed-off territory bordering Israel and Egypt. Many of Gaza's 2.3 million people are crammed into the south after Israel ordered civilians to leave the north in the early days of the war, which was sparked by the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel that killed about 1,200, mostly civilians.

3 Commercial Ships Hit By Missiles In Houthi Attack In Red Sea, US Warship Downs 3 Drones

Ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships Sunday in the Red Sea, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during the hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. The Iranian-backed Houthis claimed two of the attacks.

The strikes marked an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war, as multiple vessels found themselves in the crosshairs of a single Houthi assault for the first time in the conflict. The U.S. vowed to “consider all appropriate responses” in the wake of the attack, specifically calling out Iran, after tensions have been high for years now over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Senate Anti-Trump GOP See Haley As Best Hope To Avoid Disaster

Senate Republicans who are concerned about former President Donald Trump’s viability in a general election now see Nikki Haley as the last, best chance of denying Trump the GOP presidential nomination and averting what they see as a potential general election disaster.

GOP senators who don’t support Trump acknowledge he could win the presidency, given President Biden’s weak job approval ratings, but they view Haley as much more electable because she does not alienate independent and suburban women voters like Trump does.

They are worried that if Trump is the GOP nominee, it could still lead to a disastrous result for their party.

House Democrats Ditch "Bidenomics" Messaging

House Democrats have rejected the White House's months-long campaign to sell the term "Bidenomics."

Democrats are going into the 2024 election divided on how to communicate about the economy at a time when most voters are dissatisfied with it.

House Democratic leadership stopped pushing the term months ago.

See How 'SNL' Had Fun With George Santos Getting Kicked Out Of Congress

Saturday Night Live: George Santos (Bowen Yang) holds a press conference after being expelled from Congress.

Wisconsin Headlines

Democrat Dianne Hesselbein Elected New Senate Minority Leader

Sen. Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, will serve as the next Senate Minority Leader after being elected by her colleagues at a meeting of the caucus on Friday afternoon.

Her election comes one day after Sen Melissa Agard, D-Madison, announced she is stepping down from the leadership post.

The transition comes as the Wisconsin Supreme Court is due to rule on a challenge to the state legislative maps that could fundamentally shift party power in the Legislature and offer the vastly-outnumbered Democrats an opportunity to seize some seats.

Union Lawsuit Challenges Act 10 Collective Bargaining: Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Says It Would Have Devastating Impacts

A coalition of unions representing Wisconsin teachers and public workers filed a lawsuit Thursday to undo the state's law restricting collective bargaining for most public employees.

Act 10 limits certain rights to negotiations for better wages and has remained controversial since its passage in 2011. It garnered national attention and even prompted a recall campaign for former Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker, who championed the law.

"Undoing Act 10 will not take things back to the way they were," said Walker. "This lawsuit would cause irreparable damage to our schools and to our counties and our local governments across the state and I hope people will realize that's what's at stake."

HIV Cases Are Rising In Wisconsin, But Those With The Disease Are Living Longer, Healthier Lives

The number of Wisconsin residents newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus hit a decade-long high in 2022.

On World AIDS Day on Friday, health officials said people with the disease are living longer as medical treatment has improved, but said the number of new diagnoses has risen over the last two years.

The theme for the 35th annual day of awareness was "Remember and Commit." Margaret Lidstone, the chief development officer at Vivent Health, a health care organization focused on fighting HIV, said commemoration comes to mind.

Advocates Testify To Make Monarch Wisconsin’s Official State Butterfly

Advocates say a bill to designate the Monarch Wisconsin’s official state butterfly is more than just symbolic. Former state treasurer Jack Voight is leading the effort.

“Really, the bill is to create more public awareness of the plight of the monarch butterfly. And hopefully . . . the public, homeowners, businesses, farmers and all other levels of government will embrace this concern, and plant more milkweed.”

Celebrities Descend On Lambeau Field For Chiefs Vs. Packers On Sunday Night Football

It may have been snowing in Green Bay, but Titletown was transformed into Tinsletown on Sunday night.

We all know Taylor Swift was on hand at Lambeau Field to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — but she wasn't the only celebrity in attendance for the Packers-Chiefs game.

WWE superstar Liv Morgan was there - she snapped a picture with actor and star of the hit series "Monk" Tony Shalhoub.