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U.S. and World Headlines

McConnell Exit Surprises GOP: ‘It’s Trump’s Party Now’

GOP senators say Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) saw the writing on the wall in choosing this term to be his final as Senate Republican leader, arguing it’s increasingly obvious that the party is drifting away from him and embracing former President Trump as its likely presidential nominee.

“I think it’s a reflection of Mitch’s understanding of the room. I think it’s a reflection of both his personal situation as he described eloquently in his speech and his reading of the political climate and his respect for that,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said after McConnell announced his decision not to run for another term as Senate leader in an emotional floor speech.

Supreme Court Hands Trump A Huge Win Before It Even Hears His Case

Former President Trump has already won big at the Supreme Court — even if he ultimately loses.

The justices agreed yesterday to decide whether Trump enjoys "total immunity" from prosecution. The timing of that decision likely means a trial over Trump's role in Jan. 6 won't begin — much less end — before the election.

Judge Orders Former President Trump Removed From Illinois Primary Ballot, But Puts Order On Hold

A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered the Illinois Board of Elections to remove former President Donald Trump from the Illinois primary ballot – but also put the order on hold, pending a likely appeal.

Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie R. Porter issued the ruling Wednesday – but stayed the ruling until Friday in anticipation of an appeal to the Illinois Appellate or Supreme Court.

More Than 30,000 Killed In Gaza, Hamas-Run Health Ministry Says

More than 30,000 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza since 7 October, the Hamas-run health ministry says. That number equates to about 1.3% of the 2.3 million population of the territory - the latest grim marker of the awful toll of this war.

The ministry says that the majority of those killed were women and children. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters when identifying those killed.

Smokehouse Creek Fire: Second Largest Blaze In Texas History Has Scorched 850,000 Acres

The second-largest fire in Texas history continues to burn Thursday, with the deadly blaze – already bigger than Rhode Island – and several others destroying scores of homes in the state’s panhandle and killing thousands of cattle.

At least one person has died as a result of one of five large fires, the largest of which is the Smokehouse Creek Fire, an almost 900,000 acre blaze in Texas and Oklahoma that began Monday.

Wisconsin Cities See A Nearly 60-Degree Temperature Swing In Under 24 Hours

Wisconsin cities recorded nearly 60-degree swings in temperatures within 24 hours from balmy weather on Feb. 27 and a chilly return to winter on Feb. 28, tying a record for at least one city and potentially setting a record elsewhere.

That’s according to a National Weather Service review of historic temperature data following the wild winter weather that swept through the middle of the U.S.

Wisconsin Democrats Slam Gop Senate Candidate For His Stance On Reproductive Rights; Hovde Confirms His Support For IVF

As conversations on reproductive access continue at the national level, Democratic lawmakers are demanding Congress pass legislation through the Senate guaranteeing the right to procedures like in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Senate Democrats introduced the Access to Family Building Act for families seeking reproductive care and physicians offering those services.

On Wednesday, Democratic state Senator Kelda Roys (D-Madison) was joined by a group of medical students claiming that Eric Hovde, Baldwin's first major Republican challenger for her U.S. Senate seat, has had a track record of opposing abortion rights.

Fox Valley Man Sentenced To 14½ Years In Federal Prison For Illegal Firearm Possession And Fentanyl Trafficking

Gene W. Wolf (age: 26) has been sentenced to 174 months in federal prison.

According to court records, on August 31, 2023, agents searched Wolf’s residence in Menasha, Wisconsin, and located three handguns, over 9,000 fentanyl pills, and over $50,000 cash. One of the handguns was a “ghost gun” that was not marked with a serial number. Wolf, a felon with several prior convictions for narcotics trafficking, was prohibited from possessing firearms. After being charged with gun and drug trafficking offenses related to the search, Wolf pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm and acknowledged his role in fentanyl trafficking in the Fox Valley area.

Fraudulent Tax Return Preparer Sentenced To Prison Term

Rodney C. Smith (age: 60) was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for his willful preparation of false tax returns through his business, Xpert Tax Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Smith was also ordered to pay $216,643 in restitution and a $400 special assessment.

According to court records, over the course of four years, Smith prepared fraudulent tax returns for his clients by making knowingly false representations in their returns about the clients’ dependents, wages, and income or losses from businesses. These misrepresentations qualified the taxpayers for a refundable Earned Income Tax Credit to which they were otherwise not entitled, thus fraudulently increasing their tax refunds. The estimated loss associated with Mr. Smith’s scheme was $3.3 million.

Chippewa County Sheriff Gets ‘No Confidence’ Vote From Board Of Supervisors

A months-long sexual harassment investigation into Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes has resulted in a near-unanimous vote of “no confidence” by the county’s board of supervisors.

The county said the sheriff has “a long history of not being credible” regarding issues including his work history, while Hakes said the investigation was biased against him.

With a 19-1 vote, the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Feb. 20 stating it has “no confidence in Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes’ continued leadership” of the sheriff’s office. A subsequent resolution asks that any future communications between the department and the board go through the county’s chief deputy and not Hakes.