Morning Headlines - Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

77% Of Republicans In Iowa Want Biden Impeached Now Over Allegations Of Family Corruption, Dailymail.com Poll Reveals

More than three-quarters of Republicans in Iowa want Congress to immediately start the impeachment of President Joe Biden over links to his son Hunter's foreign business deals, an exclusive poll for DailyMail.com has found.

The survey conducted by J.L. Partners found that 77 percent of GOP supporters who are likely to attend January's highly-anticipated Iowa state caucus want the president investigated over his family finances.

The growing calls for Biden to be impeached follow testimony from Hunter's business partner Devon Archer and allegations the Biden family were paid millions of dollars by business interests in Russia, China and Kazakhstan.

Trump Indictment Sidesteps Key Details Unearthed By Jan. 6 Panel

The sweeping indictment brought against Donald Trump in the Jan. 6 case touches on nearly every aspect of the former president’s plot to stay in power.

But a few eye-catching omissions in the high-profile case point to the complexities facing the Justice Department (DOJ), while raising questions about prosecutors’ future plans to hold to account those involved with Trump’s plans.

“The main thing that sticks out isn’t so much missing facts or missing charges, so much as the lack of co-defendants,” said Josh Stanton, an attorney with Perry Law who helped write a model prosecution memo analyzing the case.

“That is the most notable missing piece of this indictment.”

Republicans Claim Biden Administration 'Coerced' Facebook To Take Down Content

Ahead of a key court hearing Thursday, Republicans have released a series of documents indicating that the Biden administration pressured Facebook to reduce or remove content related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has deemed these releases the “Facebook Files,” and has promoted them on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Jordan’s branding is an effort to link them to the “Twitter Files,” a series of internal documents released by Elon Musk’s X this past winter that were extensively covered by conservative media.

Inflation Is Down, But A Return To 'Normal' Prices For Your Everyday Shopping Is A Long Way Off

The good news is that price increases have already drifted downward from the heights we experienced just last summer. At one point, year-over-year inflation had reached 9.1%, the highest rate of price increases for goods and services since the early 1980s.

On Thursday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release inflation data for July. Economic experts are forecasting a year-over-year increase of approximately 3% — about the same as June.

But overall, prices for some goods and services have steadily increased over the course of the pandemic years.

Apple Is Changing The Location Of The Red ‘End Call’ Button For The iPhone

Apple users better get their thumbs ready to change up where they press “end call,” as the new iPhone iOS 17 software update will change that along with various other features.

CNN Business reported that the company’s annual Developer Conference in May “showed off a slew of new tools coming to iOS 17 that make calling and messaging others more personalized and customized. iPhone users, for example, will be able to design contact ‘posters,’ a custom image to appear when they call someone or receive their call.”

Republicans Seek To Intervene In Challenge To Wisconsin Absentee Voting

Republicans have filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed late last month by Democratic groups seeking to change Wisconsin's absentee voting procedures.

The Elias Law Group, a Democratic law firm, filed the original lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission on July 20 on behalf of Priorities USA, a Democratic Party super PAC, as well as the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans and a Dane County resident.

The suit seeks to overturn a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision from last year that barred the use of drop boxes for absentee ballots, and a separate decision by a Waukesha County judge barring election clerks from "curing," or fixing problems on, absentee ballots. The lawsuit also seeks to end the requirement that absentee ballots must have a witness signature on the envelope.

AI Is Starting To Affect Elections And Wisconsin Has Yet To Take Action

Heading into the 2024 election, Wisconsin faces a new challenge state lawmakers here have so far failed to address: generative artificial intelligence.

AI can draft a fundraising email or campaign graphics in seconds, no writing or design skills required. Or, as the Republican National Committee showed in April, it can conjure lifelike videos of China invading Taiwan or migrants crossing the U.S. border made entirely of fictional AI-generated footage.

More recently, a Super PAC supporting a Republican presidential candidate’s bid to make the Milwaukee debate stage on Aug. 23 used an AI-generated video of that candidate to fundraise — which one campaign finance expert called an “innovative” way around campaign finance rules that would otherwise ban a Super PAC and candidate from coordinating on an ad.

Two Navy Sailors Accused Of Selling Intelligence To China Have Wisconsin Ties

Two U.S. Navy sailors accused of spying for China were deemed flight risks and denied bail this week in federal court. Both have ties to Wisconsin.

San Diego-based sailor Jinchao "Patrick" Wei graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 2019, according to a yearbook seen by TMJ4.

On Wednesday, TMJ4's Bruce Harrison visited his mother's apartment in Delavan. Mingli Wei wasn't home, but she did tell us over the phone that "it's not the right time to talk about this."

La Crosse Man Sentenced To 12 Years For Distributing Methamphetamine & Fentanyl

Raphiel Kuntu, 31, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. This prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Kuntu pleaded guilty to this charge on April 25, 2023.

The La Crosse Police Department began their investigation of Kuntu and his co-defendant, Paige Roberts, in January 2022. During the course of this investigation, police utilized a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl from Kuntu on two occasions.

Fond Du Lac Man Charged With Ten Counts Of Possession Of Child Pornography

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Fond Du Lac County District Attorney today announced that Edgar Ramirez-Tellez, age 50, has been charged with ten counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Mr. Ramirez-Tellez is a firefighter in the City of Fond Du Lac, Wis.

“The ICAC Task Force works to protect kids online and hold perpetrators accountable,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to everyone involved in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

“Child pornography can remain on the internet forever, continuing to re-victimize kids creating a devastating and lasting impact on children. We will always work with our local, state and federal partners to protect children and take dangerous predators off the streets to keep kids and families safe,” said Fond Du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney. “The defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.”