Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Even Trump’s Indictments Haven’t Shattered The Deadlock Between The Parties. Here’s Why

Former President Donald Trump’s mounting legal jeopardy is raising a stark political question: can anything break the sustained electoral stalemate that has left the country divided almost exactly in half between the Republican and Democratic coalitions?

Trump is facing a swarm of criminal accusations unprecedented for an active presidential candidate, much less a former president. But during this ordeal, his lead in the 2024 GOP presidential primary has solidified. And while polls have highlighted some clear warning signs for him as a general election nominee, mostly they point to another closely fought contest, with President Joe Biden usually holding a small overall lead and a tiny handful of precariously balanced swing states likely to decide the outcome. A New York Times/Siena College poll released on Tuesday, however, found Trump and Biden tied in a hypothetical matchup at 43 percent.

Looming Trump Jan. 6 Indictment Could Come Tuesday

A federal grand jury probing efforts to block the transition of power following the 2020 election could soon return an indictment against former President Trump.

The grand jury has tended to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Several recent signals suggest an indictment is imminent.

“I assume that an Indictment from Deranged Jack Smith and his highly partisan gang of Thugs, pertaining to my ‘PEACEFULLY & PATRIOTICALLY Speech, will be coming out any day now, as yet another attempt to cover up all the bad news about bribes, payoffs, and extortion, coming from the Biden ‘camp.’ This seems to be the way they do it. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

Devon Archer Confirms Joe Biden 'Lied' About Knowledge Of Hunter's Business Dealings, Comer Says

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Devon Archer confirmed in his appearance Monday that President Biden "lied to the American people when he said he had no knowledge about his son’s business dealings and was not involved."

Comer’s comments come after Archer, a former business associate and longtime friend of Hunter Biden, sat for hours before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door hearing Monday.

Archer said that Hunter put his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, on speakerphone while meeting with business partners at least 20 times. Archer described how Joe Biden was put on the phone to sell "the brand."

One-Third Of Graduate Schools Leave Their Alums Drowning In Debt

The idea of pursuing a graduate degree is to supercharge your lifetime earnings, but some students come out of their programs buried in debt and unable to earn enough to pay down their interest, allowing their loan balances to snowball, a new analysis finds.

Five years after graduation, students from about one-third of graduate school programs owe more on their loans than they initially borrowed, according to the new study from the HEA Group. Founded by Michael Itzkowitz, the former director of the Department of Education's College Scorecard, HEA provides data on college costs and other topics.

US Slips Into Round Of 16 Of Women's World Cup After Scoreless Draw With Portugal

A goal post saved the United States from elimination at the Women's World Cup. Ana Capeta nearly scored for Portugal in stoppage time but her shot hit the left post and the United States escaped with a uninspiring 0-0 draw Tuesday night that got them through — just barely — to the knockout round.

The U.S. won only one game in group play for the first time in tournament history, scoring just four goals over three games. With the scoreless draw, the United States fell to second in the group behind the Netherlands and will head to Melbourne for a round of 16 match on Sunday.

Wisconsin Headlines

Waukesha County Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Military Voting Lists

A Wisconsin judge has dismissed a GOP state lawmaker’s lawsuit over military voting records, saying July 28 that the challenge should have been brought against a local elections official, not the statewide elections commission.

Rep. Janel Brandtjen, the former head of the Assembly elections committee who has promoted election conspiracy theories, and a local veterans group sued the Wisconsin Elections Commission in November in an attempt to stop military absentee ballots from being counted in the 2022 midterm.

Wisconsin Ranked As One Of The Least-Prepared States For Extreme Weather

A new study found that Wisconsin is one of the least prepared states for extreme weather. The list from the non-profit group "First Street Station" has Wisconsin as the 9th worst-prepared state.

Researchers found that while Wisconsin has less severe weather than many other states, we received poor grades for infrastructure, and renewable energy, and face a growing risk of flooding.

Hagedorn Says He Expects ‘Shift In Judicial Philosophy’ As Protasiewicz Joins Supreme Court

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn says he expects a “shift in judicial philosophy” as liberal Janet Protasiewicz is sworn in Tuesday.

“Every time you have a new member of the court, the whole court really changes,” Hagedorn said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “What concerns me, I guess, a bit, and not so much speaking about this particular race, but the message that people receive is that the court is really an extension of the political apparatus or the political parties or the political agenda that people have. And that shouldn’t be true on the right. It shouldn’t be true on the left.”

The Milwaukee County judge beat former Justice Daniel Kelly by 11 points in April, running a campaign centered on her “values” and at several points calling the state’s legislative maps “rigged.”

Evers, Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus Condemn Neo-Nazi Protest At Watertown Pride In The Park

Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) and members of Wisconsin's Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus expressed their disappointment with a neo-Nazi group's decision to protest a pride event.

Watertown's Pride in the Park was held Saturday, July 29. 

Evers called their behavior "dangerous" and "hateful."

“This is a disgusting and direct attack on our state’s LGBTQ community, communities of color, and Jewish Wisconsinites,” Evers said in a statement. “Nazis, swastikas, and any other anti-LGBTQ, white supremacist, or anti-Semitic messages, symbols, or groups are unacceptable and unwelcome in Wisconsin. Period."

Door County To Host 2024 Alice In Dairyland Finals

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has announced that Door County will host the 77th Alice in Dairyland Finals May 2-4, 2024, making it the first time the county has hosted since 1983.

Featuring 300 miles of majestic Lake Michigan shoreline, towering limestone bluffs, and 11 historic lighthouses, the Door County peninsula is a valued vacation destination for over two million people each year, securing the county's unique intersection between production agriculture and foodies.