Morning Headlines - Thursday, Mar. 31, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden To Mark Transgender Day Of Visibility With New Actions

President Joe Biden is commemorating Transgender Day of Visibility by celebrating prominent transgender Americans and advocating against what his administration terms “dangerous anti-transgender legislative attacks" that have passed in statehouses across the country.

Biden on Thursday is announcing new measures aimed at making the federal government more inclusive for transgender people, including a new “X” gender marker on U.S. passport applications beginning on April 11 and new Transportation Security Administration scanners that are gender-neutral.

Biden Plans To Tap Oil Reserve To Control Gas Prices

President Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve, according to two people familiar with the decision. It's a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Border Surge Spells Trouble For Biden, Democrats

Immigration is hitting the headlines again — at just the wrong moment for President Biden and his fellow Democrats.

The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday that March is set to see the highest number of arrests by the Border Patrol of unauthorized immigrants at the southern border “in at least 22 years.” The Border Patrol “has made approximately 7,000 arrests each day in March,” the Journal reported, citing preliminary government data it had acquired.

Woke Columnists Claim Will Smith Oscars Slap Exemplifies 'Anti-Black' System

One of the hot takes to emerge from Sunday night’s Oscars slapping scandal is that the real culprit is a racist system.

While many criticized Smith for the slap, some offered unique interpretations, such as blaming former President Donald Trump. However, a growing theory in some media circles suggested that the real issue could be a racist society.

Bruce Willis Gives Up Acting Due To Brain Disorder Aphasia

Bruce Willis will step away from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that impedes a person's ability to speak and write.

The actor's family, including his wife Emma Heming-Willis and ex-wife Demi Moore, announced his condition on Instagram on Wednesday.

Wisconsin Headlines

Judge Orders Vos Held In Contempt Over Election Records

A judge has ordered that Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos be held in contempt for failing to produce emails and text messages related to the investigation he ordered into the 2020 presidential election.

Dane County Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn found that Vos had violated the open records law by failing to turn over documents sought by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight.

Panelists Say Legislature Needs To Clarify Utility Laws For EV Charging Expansion

Transportation and electric vehicle experts say federal dollars could go a long way toward making charging stations more accessible, but the Legislature needs to clarify public utility laws before Wisconsin sees widespread charging network expansion.

Wisconsin Looks To Expand Online Access To Doctors

Wisconsin is using $5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to expand access to telehealth services.

Gov. Tony Evers announced the plan during a stop at Partnership Community Health Center in Grand Chute Wednesday.

The goal is to give people more online access to mental and behavioral health services, along with child psychiatry services.

Runaway Flamingo Previously Seen In Wisconsin, Now Spotted In Texas

One of two flamingos that escaped from a Kansas zoo during a storm 17 years ago has been spotted on the coast of Texas, wildlife officials said.

The bird and another flamingo escaped from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita on a stormy night in June 2005. Employees had not yet clipped the birds’ wings to prevent them from flying, which facilitated their escape.

While the other flamingo was never seen again, No. 492 has been spotted several times in Wisconsin, Louisiana and Texas, sometimes with other wild flamingos.

Things To Know For The April 5, 2022 Spring Election

The Wisconsin Elections Commission today released its list of the top things Wisconsin voters should know for the quickly approaching Spring Election on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.