Morning Headlines - Thursday, July 25, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

4 Key Takeaways From Biden’s Speech On His Decision To ‘Pass The Torch To A New Generation’

In a speech delivered from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, President Biden said his decision to exit the 2024 presidential race was motivated by a desire to protect the country from the consequences of a Trump victory in November.

"I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden said. “It has been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, there’s things more important than any title.”

Here are the key takeaways from Biden’s first speech since dropping out of the 2024 campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him.

Pelosi Says Netanyahu Gave ‘The Worst’ Speech To Congress From Any Foreign Leader

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday as the “worst” in the body’s history, harshly criticizing the leader’s lack of progress toward a hostage deal with Hamas.

“Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States,” Pelosi wrote on the social platform X after the speech.

Behind The Curtain: The New 2024 Campaign Foretold

The new 2024 campaign is only days old, but the contours are crystal clear:

• Donald Trump will argue Kamala Harris is too liberal, too weak, too weird.
• Harris will argue Trump is too corrupt, too risky, too old.

They'll unleash their attacks in seven states, but believe three will decide the winner — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Global Shares Tumble After A Wipeout On Wall Street As Big Tech Retreats

Global shares retreated on Thursday, with Tokyo's benchmark losing more than 1,300 points at one point and closing down more than 3%, as pessimism set in over a nose-dive on Wall Street.

France's CAC 40 slipped 1.5% in early trading to 7,400.08. Germany's DAX fell 1.2% to 18,161.70, while Britain's FTSE 100 shed 1.1% to 8,066.27.

The future for the S&P 500 fell 0.2% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%.

When Do The Olympics Start And End? See The Schedule For The 2024 Paris Games.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are set to kick off soon, with a schedule full of sporting events. Here's everything you need to know about when this summer's Olympics will start and end.

The Olympics will officially open in Paris on the night of Friday, July 26 and continue through Sunday, Aug. 11, although some team events started on July 24. The July 26 opening ceremony will be held on the Seine river, which flows though Paris. The closing ceremony, which includes a parade of flags and athletes, will take place on Aug. 11.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Agrees To Drop Ban On Carrying Firearms While Fishing Following Challenge

People fishing in Wisconsin will soon be able to carry firearms after a rule banning them was rescinded by the state following a lawsuit brought by gun rights advocates.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources agreed in an order released July 24 to rescind the rule barring anglers from carrying firearms. The lawsuit challenging the ban as a violation of the constitutional right to bear arms was brought by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.

Sex Offender Sentenced To 15 Months In Prison For Failure To Register In Wisconsin

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 23, 2024, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper sentenced Celio C. Deluna, aka “Cody Banks,” (age: 33) to 15 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for knowingly failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law. Deluna previously pled guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, on May 23, 2014, Deluna was convicted in Cook County, Illinois, for Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault Causing Bodily Harm for having sexual intercourse on several occasions with a 13-year-old victim.

Atlanta Woman And Madison Man Sentenced For Fentanyl Trafficking

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that an Atlanta woman and Madison man have been sentenced to federal prison in connection with fentanyl trafficking.

On January 26, 2023, law enforcement intercepted two suspicious packages being shipped to the Madison area from Arizona. After obtaining a search warrant, officers opened the packages and inside each, found a stuffed animal containing approximately 2.2 kilograms of counterfeit prescription pills. In total, more than 40,000 pills were seized. Testing found that the pills contained fentanyl. Officers arranged for a controlled delivery of one package and Shepherd and co-defendant Alexis K. Davis were arrested after arriving at the delivery location to pick up the package.

Study Finds Wisconsin Public School Systems Among Best In Country

A study released from WalletHub this week has Wisconsin's public school systems ranked fifth of all 50 states in the country.

The study took in multiple dozen factors based on quality and safety, such as graduation rates, test scores, and student-to-teacher ratios.

"We've been very beneficial; education [in Wisconsin] is excellent: there's great opportunities for kids, there's great learning, families are wonderful, they're involved, they care about their kids' experiences," said Wausau School District Interim Superintendent Cale Bushman.

Legislative Committee On Future Of UW Draws Skepticism, Hope

The state Legislature has formed a study committee to discuss possible reforms and restructuring of the Universities of Wisconsin.

The committee includes four state lawmakers, two Republicans and two Democrats, and 14 other members, including business leaders, professors, and current and former administrators, selected by the Legislature’s Republican leadership.

Earlier this month, the committee met for the first time to go over key topics and set its agenda.