Morning Headlines - Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

More Than 3 Million Without Power As Hurricane Milton Slams Florida, Causes Deaths And Flooding

Hurricane Milton churned across Florida on Thursday after plowing into the state as a Category 3 storm, bringing misery to a coast still ravaged by Helene, pounding cities with winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) after producing a barrage of tornadoes, but sparing Tampa a direct hit.

The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall Wednesday night in Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.

A Severe Solar Storm Is Headed Toward Earth This Week

A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals.

Social Security Cost-of-living Adjustment For 2025: Here’s How Benefits May Change

Social Security beneficiaries will soon know the size of their annual cost-of-living adjustment for 2025.

They may be in for a disappointment because if current projections hold true, the increase to benefits could be the lowest since 2021.

The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, could be 2.5% next year, Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare analyst, predicted last month.

Harris’s Dilemma: Criticizing Biden Or Setting Her Own Agenda

Kamala Harris faces a dilemma.

After four years as vice president, she doesn’t want to criticize the administration or president she’s served. But she also wants to set her own agenda and show voters that electing her won’t be four years of the same thing.

It’s a challenging line to walk, and one where Harris has stumbled in recent days.

Will The DOJ Really Dismantle Google? Here’s What Happens Next

The Department of Justice’s landmark proposal to dismantle Google’s search monopoly offers the first clear window into how Washington’s accelerating antitrust effort could clip the wings of Big Tech giants — and also highlights political questions about how long the push will survive.

Unlike European regulators targeting the same firms, President Joe Biden’s enforcers are swinging for the fences, proposing a radical restructuring of how Google works rather than chipping away at the company with fines.

Wisconsin Headlines

Lawsuit Over The 400-Year School Funding Veto By Evers Heard By The Wisconsin Supreme Court

Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court said Oct. 9 that Gov. Tony Evers’ creative use of his expansive veto power in an attempt to lock in a school funding increase for 400 years appeared to be “extreme” and “crazy” but questioned whether and how it should be reined in.

“It does feel like the sky is the limit, the stratosphere is the limit,” Justice Jill Karofsky said during oral arguments, referring to the governor’s veto powers. “Perhaps today we are at the fork in the road … I think we’re trying to think should we, today in 2024, start to look at this differently.”

Hovde Accuses Baldwin Of Distorting His Position On Social Security

GOP U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde accused Dem rival Tammy Baldwin of distorting his position on Social Security, saying he only supports raising the retirement age for those in their 40s or younger, not those who are about to claim the benefit.

He also defended his comments about the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene that some have labeled as misinformation.

Addressing the Milwaukee Rotary Club at an event Tuesday also organized by the Milwaukee Press Club and WisPolitics, Hovde decried Baldwin’s TV ads in the campaign.

4 More Federal Complaints Filed Against Wisconsin Schools Districts For Failing To Implement New Title IX Rules

Last month, when two Wisconsin LGBTQ+ advocacy groups filed a federal complaint against a school district for allegedly violating new Title IX regulations, they said there could be more to come.

Four more complaints were filed Tuesday by Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE, alleging “hostile environments by school boards” on behalf of transgender and nonbinary students in Winneconne Community School District, Muskego-Norway Schools, the School District of Abbotsford and Hartford Union High School District.

“We said we would file more complaints if we needed to. We are doing exactly that,” said Tyrone Creech, Jr., executive director of GSAFE. “And we will keep filing complaints to support trans and nonbinary students and their families until these anti-trans actions stop.”

DPI Investigating Act 20 Compliance Claims In De Pere School District

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is investigating a reported concern about the curriculum at De Pere schools.

The report was made after an August board meeting, following a law overhauling the state’s early literacy instruction went into effect last year.

The concern in question is about De Pere schools possibly using a reading education model known as three cueing. It offers students three types of cues to decode words.

Wisconsinites Provide Aid To Hurricane Helene Recovery

Water, toothpaste and blankets.

Those are just a few essential items included in Bob and Jayne Pickart's 20-foot U-Haul van that they are planning to drive Thursday morning to Johnson City, Tenn. to help provide aid for people affected by Hurricane Helene.

After seeing photos of the devastation Helene caused, Jayne reached out to a friend of hers in Tennessee to ask what she could do to help out.