Morning Headlines - Thursday, Jul. 13, 2023 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Rupert Murdoch Bails On Desantis, Reportedly Has New Name To Fight Trump

Billionaire media baron Rupert Murdoch reportedly wants to see one Republican in particular take on former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP primary.

On Wednesday, The New York Times said Murdoch “has privately told people” he wants to see Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) enter the race.

Youngkin earlier this year ruled himself out of a run, with commentators suggesting he was readying himself for the 2028 election. However, in May there was renewed speculation that he may throw his hat into the ring one election cycle earlier.

House Republicans Use Spending Bills To Push For Abortion Restrictions

House Republicans are pressing for abortion restrictions in government spending and must-pass policy bills, giving lawmakers a way to show their anti-abortion bonafides without putting the difficult issue to a standalone vote.

The moves set up a clash with the Senate, as Democrats say they will block any poison pills, and even Republicans acknowledge the bills will need to be bipartisan.

The anti-abortion provisions are wide ranging. Some are written into the text of the underlying legislation, while some are amendments.

Nearly 1 In 10 U.S. Children Have Been Diagnosed With A Developmental Disability, CDC Reports

The share of American children who have ever been diagnosed with a developmental disability increased again in 2021, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and now more than 1 in 10 boys have had an intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder or another developmental delay.

Among kids ages 3 to 17 years old, 8.56% have ever been diagnosed with any developmental disability as of 2021, according to the latest results from the agency's ongoing National Health Interview Survey.

The Year Of Wildfire Smoke: Why The U.S. Faces A Brutal Season

It’s the summer of smoke with no end in sight.

Canadian wildfires sent so much smoke into U.S. cities in June that this season already qualifies as the worst smoke season in recent memory, according to an analysis of smoke exposure per person across the country recently completed by Stanford University researchers.

“This is the worst year since 2006,” said Marshall Burke, an associate professor of Earth system science at Stanford, who added that it was a remarkable measure because the “wildfire season we’re used to hasn’t even started yet.”

Actors Set To Strike After Talks With Major Studios And Streaming Services Fail

A union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors is poised to go on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services have failed.

It will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations on Wednesday did not produce an agreement.

Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, the union, said in a statement the studio management’s offers were “insulting and disrespectful.”

Reps. Ratcliff, Clancy: Announce The Formation Of The Transgender Parent And Non-Binary Advocacy Caucus

A new legislative caucus dedicated to transgender equality, visibility, and advocacy was launched today by Representative Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) and Representative Ryan Clancy (D-Milwaukee).

The Transgender Parent and Non-Binary Advocacy Caucus (TPANAC) is a coalition of Wisconsin legislators who are committed to protecting and advancing the rights of Wisconsin’s transgender and non-binary Communities.

Waukesha School District Fires First-Grade Teacher After 'Rainbowland' Controversy

A first-grade teacher in Waukesha who publicly criticized the district over a decision to pull the song "Rainbowland" from a school concert has been fired.

In late March, first-grade dual-language teacher Melissa Tempel blasted the district after it excluded the song by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton. The lyrics were widely believed to focus on acceptance, but district officials said they found the song "could be deemed controversial."

Tempel raised her concerns on social media and received national attention. She told news outlets, including WPR, that the Muppets' "Rainbow Connection" was initially banned but later accepted after pushback from parents and the Alliance for Education in Waukesha.

No 'Safe Space' Signs Allowed In Arrowhead Schools Under New Policy

Arrowhead School Board passed a new policy Wednesday evening that will cut back on what teachers can display in their classrooms, including "safe space" signs.

After almost three hours of debating and hearing comments from the public, the district voted in favor of banning any signage or postings that implies that a certain area is a safe space.

The policy, which six board members voted in favor of and three opposed, states that specifying certain areas as "safe zones" for some or promoting one group over others, can create a feeling of isolation and division.

'They Die So Quickly': Fentanyl Is Killing Over 1,000 People In Wisconsin Each Year

Logan Rachwal was 19 years old when he lost his life to fentanyl in 2021.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student, like many others impacted by the drug, did not know he was taking fentanyl. According to his parents, Rachwal took a fentanyl-laced pain medication and died within minutes.

Fentanyl doesn’t discriminate, said Rick and Erin Rachwal, Logan’s parents, “It’s going to affect everybody.”

Sun Prairie Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Illegal Firearm Transfer

Daniel Baccas, 22, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 30 months in federal prison for transferring a firearm to a prohibited person. Baccas pled guilty to the charge on April 7, 2023.

During an auto theft investigation in November and December 2021, law enforcement officers observed videos posted to social media depicting Baccas with suspected marijuana and firearms. One of the videos showed Baccas and another person taking turns holding a rifle. At the time the video was taken, both Baccas and the other person were prohibited from receiving firearms because both were facing felony criminal charges in Dane County Circuit Court. At his guilty plea hearing, Baccas admitted that he gave the person in the video the rifle and that he knew that person was under indictment at the time.