Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Supreme Court To Hear Major Case That Could Upend Tax Code And Doom "Wealth Tax" Proposals

The Supreme Court is poised to hear arguments Tuesday in a closely watched case that some warn could have sweeping implications for the U.S. tax system and derail proposals from some Democrats to create a wealth tax.

The dispute before the justices, known as Moore v. United States, dates back to 2006. That year, Charles and Kathleen Moore made an investment to help start the India-based company, KisanKraft Machine Tools, which provides farmers in India with tools and equipment. The couple invested $40,000 in exchange for 13% of the company's shares.

KisanKraft's revenues have grown each year since it was founded, and the company has reinvested its earnings to expand the business instead of distributing dividends to shareholders.

What To Know About The 4th Republican Presidential Debate

An even smaller field of Republican presidential candidates will face off in the fourth primary debate on Wednesday in Alabama.

Viewers will see fewer hopefuls on stage after South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott suspended his campaign last month. The party's higher thresholds to qualify may also prevent some candidates from making the cut.

Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner, according to polls, is once again not expected to participate. He'll be fundraising instead.

Here's what to know about the fourth Republican presidential primary debate.

U.S. Students' Math Scores Plunge In Global Education Assessment

U.S. students lag behind their peers in many industrialized countries when it comes to math, according to the results of a global exam released Tuesday.

U.S. students saw a 13-point drop in their 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) math results when compared to the 2018 exam.

The 2022 math score was not only lower than it was in 2012 but it was "among the lowest ever measured by PISA in mathematics" for the U.S., per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country note.

While the U.S. scored below the OECD average in math, it managed to score above the OECD average in reading and science.

Congress Provided $7.5B For Electric Vehicle Chargers. Built So Far: Zero.

Congress at the urging of the Biden administration agreed in 2021 to spend $7.5 billion to build tens of thousands of electric vehicle chargers across the country, aiming to appease anxious drivers while tackling climate change.

Two years later, the program has yet to install a single charger.

Nikki Haley Wants To Reform Social Security And Medicare. Donors Are Paying Attention

As she woos her party’s wealthy donors, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is promoting a policy that sets her apart from her closest competitors for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination: A willingness to stake out positions on the politically fraught issue of overhauling the nation’s entitlement programs.

In a recent Haley endorsement, Emily Seidel – a top official in the influential political network associated with billionaire Charles Koch – praised the former UN ambassador’s “courage” for advocating changes to “an entitlement system that makes promises it can’t keep.”

Wisconsin Headlines

Dane Co. Executive Asks Agencies To Stop Using 'X', Some Worry There Aren't Other Options For Live Updates

More and more agencies in Dane County are signing off of the social media platform 'X,' which was formerly known as Twitter. Their decision comes after Executive Joe Parisi sent an email to department heads, asking them to stop using it.

The email was sent on November 28th. In it, Parisi asked agencies to stop using 'X' by January 1st. Some departments, like the Dane County Regional Airport and Public Health Madison & Dane County, have already logged off.

Parisi said they've had concerns about the social media platform for a while.

Green Bay Pastor Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Online Sex Crimes Targeting Children Overseas

Cory J. Herthel (age: 40) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment (15 years) for the online enticement of children located in Venezuela, Cuba, and Spain.

In May 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was contacted by the church where Herthel was employed as a pastor regarding information it had obtained indicating that Herthel had possibly been involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor living in Venezuela. An ensuing investigation revealed that Herthel sent the child videos of himself masturbating, and at Herthel’s request, the minor sent similar videos and images in return.

According to court documents, Herthel acknowledged knowing the minor from a mission trip he had taken to Ecuador, where he met the child begging on the streets. The child and his mother returned to his native Venezuela, and Herthel kept in touch with the child. Herthel was confronted by law enforcement with images of him masturbating and acknowledged sending the videos to the child whom he knew to be a minor. Herthel also acknowledged asking the child to send him sexually explicit images and masturbation videos and admitted sending the child monetary payments via various online applications.

Republican Leaders Of Wisconsin Legislature At Odds Over Withholding University Pay Raises

The Republican head of the Wisconsin Senate said Monday he wants to see pay raises approved for Universities of Wisconsin employees, pitting himself against the state Assembly speaker who has vowed to withhold UW funding until it cuts its spending on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos refused to approve pay raises for UW employees in October when the Legislature's employment relations committee, which Vos co-chairs, okayed them for other state employees. Vos said he doesn't believe the UW system deserves more funding until it cuts its so-called DEI programs.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said Monday that he opposes withholding the money.

Lawyer Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on November 30, 2023, Matthew Browndorf (age: 53) was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his willful failure to account for and pay over taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Browndorf was also ordered to pay over $830,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.

Publicly filed documents reflect that Browndorf—a lawyer—owned and operated a holding company named Plutos Sama, LLC. Through Plutos Sama, Browndorf also owned subsidiary law firms across the United States, including BP Peterman, which was based in Brookfield, Wisconsin. As Plutos Sama’s CEO, Browndorf was responsible for ensuring that Plutos Sama and BP Peterman appropriately: collected and remitted payroll taxes; filed the appropriate payroll tax forms with the IRS; remitted funds associated with their employee pension benefit plan and remitted funds associated with their health care benefit program.

Green Bay, Kansas City Mayors Address 2025 NFL Draft Game Plan

In April, Kansas City hosted the 2023 NFL draft and on this Packers victory Monday there was no bad blood between Kansas City and Green Bay.

The mayors of both cities address the successes and potential challenges of the NFL draft coming to Green Bay in 2025.

From the moment we were awarded the NFL draft, the work truly began. Work that might seem tremendous for the smallest market in the NFL.

"This is an opportunity for us to be on the world stage," Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, said. "We're really well experienced in hosting some of these large scale events."

But even with experience, it's not an easy task.