Morning Headlines - Thursday, Jul. 27, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Takeaways From The Stunning Hunter Biden Hearing And What Happens Now

Wednesday’s hearing for Hunter Biden was already poised to be a historic event, as the son of a sitting US president appeared in court to plead guilty to federal tax crimes, bringing a controversial investigation to a near close.

But the three-plus hour hearing saw the original plea agreement nearly fall apart and leaves the son of President Joe Biden in limbo for the moment – and will only further brighten the spotlight on the issue as congressional Republicans pursue their own investigations into Hunter Biden’s actions.

Hunter Biden failed to pay between $1.1 million and $1.5 million in federal taxes before the legal deadlines and was set to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors with prosecutors agreeing to recommend a sentence of probation. The deal was also meant to resolve a federal firearms offense.

UFO Whistleblower Makes Explosive Claims

Commercial pilots have allegedly had their jobs threatened if they reported UFO sightings and warned not to speak about it.

There have been dozens of reports of strange lights in the northern hemisphere across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, according to the host of Discovery's UFO Witness, Ben Hansen.

He claimed in an interview Wednesday with NewsNation that some of the sightings can be explained by a new satellite orbit but a lot of outlier cases started coming forward in which crafts were doing 90 degree turns, hovering and taking off into the atmosphere.

McCarthy Unites Fractious GOP With Impeachment Talk

Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) flirtation with impeaching President Biden is pleasing the right wing of his conference while not scaring moderates, keeping his fractious conference together while setting up the real possibility of a third presidential impeachment in less than five years.

The increased talk of impeachment comes as the GOP dives further into investigations of Hunter Biden, who on Wednesday saw his plea agreement get placed on hold after a federal judge questioned the scope of the deal.

Restart Of Student Loans Clouds White House ‘Bidenomics’ Push

Joe Biden has shielded more than 40 million Americans from having to repay any of their student loans for his entire presidency — so far.

But as that hiatus nears its end, tens of millions of households are bracing for the resumption of student loan payments this fall, just as the White House ramps up its effort to sell Americans on the economy’s resilience.

A range of economists and Wall Street analysts are predicting that consumer spending could take a hit as payments return for the first time since the pandemic reprieve began more than three and a half years ago.

Sinéad O'Connor, Legendary Singer Of "Nothing Compares 2 U," Dead At 56

Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor has died at age 56, her family said.

Her cause of death was not revealed.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad," the family's statement said. "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."

The songstress, born in Dublin, was best known for her smash 1990 hit "Nothing Compares 2 U," written by Prince.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Billionaires Quietly Bankroll Effort To Shrink State's Social Safety Net

Republican lawmakers held a day of back-to-back public hearings in mid-April for bills that would add restrictions to receiving unemployment insurance payouts, ban local guaranteed income programs and prevent state agencies from automatically renewing low-income health insurance.

A lead proponent testifying at the Capitol was a former Republican legislative aide representing a Florida-based advocacy group with no membership and tens of millions in anonymous donations. One Republican lawmaker noted it was the third time that afternoon that Adam Gibbs had spoken in favor of the bills, all which were aimed at dismantling the state’s social safety net.

Man Sentenced To Over 21 Years In Federal Prison For Sexually Assaulting A Child On The Menominee Indian Reservation

Gerald “Doon” Pamaska (age: 55) has received a sentence of 258 months in federal prison following a conviction for sexually assaulting a child on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The sentence, imposed on July 24, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by Pamaska on April 21, 2023. Following his prison sentence, Pamaska will serve the remainder of his life on supervised release.

Nearly 25 Percent Of Wisconsin High School Students Earn College Credits Through Dual Enrollment

About a quarter of Wisconsin’s high school students earn college credits during the school year. But participation in these programs varies widely across the state based on students' access to participating schools, according to a new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Over the last decade, the number of students earning college credits through dual enrollment programs at public universities and technical colleges has more than doubled.

In the 2021-22 school year, 69,471 high school students earned college credits through dual enrollment programs at the University of Wisconsin System and technical college system.

JFC Approves Withdrawal From Trump-Era Border Wall Lawsuit Over National Guard Funds

The Joint Finance Committee has allowed Wisconsin to withdraw itself from a lawsuit against the federal government over the Trump administration’s reallocation of $8 million in National Guard funding for a southern border wall.

JFC members wrapped the less than 3-minute session Tuesday with a unanimous vote, making Wisconsin the last state to withdraw from the lawsuit. Former President Donald Trump in 2019 declared a national emergency at the border, allowing his administration to divert up to $6.7 billion nationwide originally appropriated to state National Guard units, military projects and law enforcement.

Senator Agard Calls For Support On Menstrual Equality

On Wednesday, Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) and Binti CEO and Founder Manjit Gill held a roundtable with community advocates to discuss efforts the state is taking to make menstrual products more accessible.

The discussion focused on efforts to destigmatize the conversation around periods and highlighted what community partners are currently doing to improve access for Madison residents.

Binti is an organization that works to provide educational resources and period products to countries across the globe.