Morning Headlines - Monday, Jul. 4, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Advocates Warn US At Risk Of Losing Control On Monkeypox

Infectious disease experts and public health advocates are warning that the Biden administration has been too slow to respond to the monkeypox outbreak and that the U.S. is at risk of losing control of the disease.

The response to monkeypox is mirroring the worst parts of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, they say, with severely limited testing and a sluggish rollout of vaccines leading to a virus that’s spreading undetected.

White House, Jeff Bezos Trade Barbs Over Gas Prices

The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Sunday responded to criticism from Jeff Bezos about President Biden's call for oil executives to reduce gas prices, saying high gas prices are emblematic of "a market that is failing the American consumer."

After Biden tweeted on Saturday reiterating calls for oil companies to lower prices, Bezos responded by tweeting, "inflation is far too important a problem for the White House to keep making statements like this. It’s either straight ahead misdirection or a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics."

Democrats Say The January 6 Hearings Reveal Trump's 'Criminality' But Think A 3rd Impeachment Would Be Futile

The former president's demand to loosen security at his raucous "Stop the Steal" rally despite being told his supporters may be armed.

The top White House lawyer warning on January 6, "We're going to get charged with every crime imaginable."

State and local election officials pressed and threatened to overturn election results. Top Justice Department officials telling the president they are ready to resign en-masse.

Data Puts Turkey’s Annual Inflation At 78.6%, A 24-Year High

Annual inflation in Turkey hit 78.62% in June, the highest rate since 1998, according to official data released Monday.

The Turkish Statistical Institute, or TurkStat, released the monthly figures as Turkey is experiencing a deepening cost-of-living crisis. Consumer prices rose by 4.95% on a monthly basis, the institute reported.

While many countries are seeing rising consumer prices, critics blame Turkey’s problems on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic policies.

On July Fourth, How Americans See Their Country And Their Democracy

On the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate the nation’s birthday and reflect on the values that have sustained the country in the nearly 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Americans’ views vary when it comes to how they see the United States’ standing in the world and the state of its democracy. Here are key findings from Pew Research Center surveys.

Wisconsin Democrat Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes Says Founding Of America ‘Awful’

Wisconsin Lt. Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes was filmed on video decrying the founding of America as terrible and "awful."

In a video posted Sunday by Milwaukee-based talk show host Dan O’Donnell, Barnes, a Democrat, can be heard telling an audience "things were bad, things were terrible," while discussing America’s origins.

"The founding of this nation? Awful," Barnes continued, adding that Americans ought to commit themselves to doing everything possible to repairing the harms of the past.

Roe Overturned: Wisconsin Catholic Church Vandalized With Abortion Graffiti

A church in Madison, Wisconsin, was vandalized with abortion graffiti messages, the Madison Police Department said.

Authorities said the front entrance of St. Bernard Catholic Church was spray-painted with "anti-’pro-life’ and anti-police" messages on Sunday, Fox 47 reported.

The graffiti messages included profanity and referenced the deaths of Native American children, photos show.

Two 3-Year-Olds Shot Over Two Days In Milwaukee

Two 3-year-old boys have been shot in Milwaukee in separate incidents over a span of 48 hours.

The Journal Sentinel reports that a 3-year-old boy was in critical condition after he was struck by gunfire Saturday evening in an apparently accidental shooting. It wasn’t immediately clear who shot the boy.

Capital City Sunday: Is The Legislature Becoming Too Powerful; Evers Admin. Sues Over Abortion Ban

The GOP-controlled legislature won a major legal victory this week when the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Dr. Fred Prehn could remain on the Natural Resources Board, even though his term ended 14 months ago.

While Democratic Gov. Tony Evers appointed Sandra Nass to replace Prehn in April 2021, the Senate has not given her a confirmation hearing. According to a 27 News review of an appointee list provided by the governor's office, Senate Republicans have yet to confirm 133 of Evers' appointees. The Senate has confirmed more than 180 appointees.

Wisconsin's Largest Utilities Make Carbon Reduction Gains, But Most Will Fall Short Of 2030 Goals

Wisconsin’s five largest electric utilities are on track to cut carbon emissions 45 percent by 2028, but most will fall short of their 2030 carbon reduction goals.

Those are the findings of the latest draft Strategic Energy Assessment that’s conducted every two years by the Public Service Commission.

As of 2020, utilities had cut carbon emissions 40 percent from 2005 levels. Upcoming coal plant retirements and renewable energy additions are expected to drive further progress, but utilities have more work ahead to reach interim goals.