Morning Headlines - Thursday, June 20, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

How Biden And Trump Are Preparing For Their First Presidential Debate

One is secluding himself at a mountainside retreat with a tight circle of advisers, poring over briefing binders, honing attack lines and bracing for personal smears. The other is workshopping responses and retorts with vice presidential hopefuls, sharpening policy lines while working to rein in his bombastic rhetoric.

North Korea And Russia's Deepening Ties Prompt South Korea To Reconsider Ban On Supplying Weapons To Ukraine

Major weapons exporter South Korea will "reconsider" a longstanding policy that bars it from supplying arms directly to Ukraine, a presidential official said Thursday, after North Korea and Russia signed a defense deal. Russia's President Vladimir Putin was in Pyongyang Wednesday for a high-profile state visit that underscored his growing ties with leader Kim Jong Un, as the two signed a "breakthrough" agreement that included a pledge to come to each other's aid if attacked.

US Jobless Claims Fall To 238,000 From 10-Month High

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits slipped last week as the U.S. labor market remained resilient.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims fell by 5,000 to 238,000 from a 10-month high of 243,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which evens out weekly ups and downs, rose by 5,500 to 232,750, highest since September.

Louisiana Orders Every Classroom To Display Ten Commandments

Every public school classroom in Louisiana has been ordered to display a poster of the Ten Commandments - a move that civil liberties groups say they will challenge.

The Republican-backed measure is the first of its kind in the US, and governs all classrooms up to university level. Governor Jeff Landry signed it off on Wednesday.

Christians see the Ten Commandments as key rules from God on how to live.

The Rise Of Same-Sex Marriage, Charted

Same-sex marriages climbed across the U.S. leading up to and following the Supreme Court's 2015 decision legalizing them nationwide. In fact, about 41% of current same-sex couples got married between 2015 and 2019, a new Census Bureau report finds.

There were about 1.3 million same-sex couple households nationwide as of 2022, per the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data, compared to about 565,000 in 2008.

Wisconsin Headlines

State Supreme Court Renames State Law Library After State’s First Female Lawyer, Removing Prosser’s Name

The state Supreme Court announced it’s renaming of the State Law Library after the first female lawyer in Wisconsin history, removing former conservative Justice David Prosser’s name in the process.

Liberal members of the court praised Lavinia Goodell as a trailblazer, with Justice Ann Walsh Bradley saying renaming the library is “an opportunity to recognize her legacy and inspire the next generation of women in Wisconsin.”

Is It A Sidewalk Or A Pedestrian Way? Wisconsin Supreme Court Settles Door County Debate

It’s a sidewalk.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 4-3 decision on Wednesday to settle a dispute over property in Egg Harbor that was condemned to make a busy intersection safer.

Since 2015, the Village of Egg Harbor wanted to address safety concerns around State Highway 42 and County Rd. G. An engineering review recommended building a sidewalk along County G, and the village moved to condemn and take over property owned by Sojenhomer LLC, amounting to nine-one-thousandths (0.009) of an acre. Sojenhomer operates the Shipwrecked Brew Pub and Restaurant.

Miss Wisconsin Competition Announces Winners Of First Preliminaries

The 2024 Miss Wisconsin Competition is underway in Oshkosh, and the first night of preliminaries saw three winners in two competitions at Alberta Kimball Auditorium Wednesday.

Miss Northern Lights, Mandi Genord, received the Talent Award and a $500 scholarship.

Top Chef Wisconsin Finale: Who Won, And How Fans Feel About It

A monthslong culinary journey that started in Wisconsin came to an end Wednesday night. In the season 21 finale of Top Chef, Danny Garcia took home the prize.

The season was shot in Milwaukee and Madison, along with other popular Wisconsin destinations. One of the show's finalists, Dan Jacobs, is from Milwaukee.

Throughout the season, On Milwaukee hosted Top Chef watch parties at Zocalo Food Park in Walker's Point.

Jury Finds Oshkosh Man Guilty Of Recklessly Endangering Safety For July 2022 Boat Crash On The Fox River

Today a jury found Jason Lindemann, 53, of Oshkosh, guilty of fourteen counts related to his involvement driving a powerboat that struck a paddlewheel cruise boat on the Fox River on July 9, 2022, including two counts of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, eleven counts of Fail to Render Aid after a Boating Accident Resulting in Injury, and one count of Negligent Operation of Boat.

“Protecting public safety is Wisconsin DOJ’s top priority, and today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for his actions that caused injuries and endangered the safety of others,” said Attorney General Kaul. “Thank you to those who have investigated, prosecuted, and provided victim services for this case.”