Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Senate Passes A $95.3 Billion Aid Package For Ukraine And Israel, But Fate In The House Is Uncertain

The Senate early Tuesday passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, pushing ahead after months of difficult negotiations and amid growing political divisions in the Republican Party over the role of the United States abroad.

The vote came after a small group of Republicans opposed to the $60 billion for Ukraine held the Senate floor through the night, using the final hours of debate to argue that the U.S. should focus on its own problems before sending more money overseas. But 22 Republicans voted with nearly all Democrats to pass the package 70-29, with supporters arguing that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and threaten national security across the globe.

House To Vote On Alejandro Mayorkas Impeachment Again After Failed First Attempt

The House on Tuesday is expected to vote for a second time in a week to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after Republican leaders suffered an embarrassing defeat in their first effort.

Mayorkas narrowly survived last week's vote after a small group of Republicans, who said President Biden's border chief did not commit impeachable offenses for his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border crisis, voted with all Democrats to sink it.

Supreme Court To Confront 14th Amendment Disqualification — And Not Just Trump’s

Former President Trump isn’t the only public official whose disqualification under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban has landed at the Supreme Court.

Just days after the justices heard oral arguments in Trump’s historic case Thursday, they are scheduled this week to consider taking up another official’s disqualification: a New Mexico county commissioner who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Before the Trump challenges gained steam, a state judge booted from office Couy Griffin, who had been found guilty of entering a restricted area during the riot.

How War Has Hurt Israel's Financial Strength

War is expensive — and, for Israel, the multibillion-dollar bill is coming due.

Israel's financial strength has long been a matter of national pride. Now, its need to fund the war in Gaza has resulted in the country's first-ever credit downgrade.

Given the cost of the war in Gaza, Israel will need to borrow about $58 billion this year, per Bloomberg — about $23,000 per household.

Inflation Fell Markedly In January, According To Latest Data

Consumer prices rose 3.1% in January compared to a year ago, slowing markedly from the previous month but missing expectations of an even larger cooldown, a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Tuesday showed.

Still, the falling inflation offered welcome news for the Federal Reserve as it weighs interest rate cuts

Core inflation -- a closely watched measure that strips out volatile food and energy prices -- increased 3.9% over the year ending in January, matching the cooldown from the prior month.

Wisconsin Headlines

U.S. Marshals Operation Targets Wisconsin Sex Offenders

The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force for the Western District of Wisconsin targeted 100 sex offenders in Sauk and Columbia Counties during a 4-week compliance sweep named “Operation Snow Miser” from January 8 through February 2.

“Operation Snow Miser” resulted in seven arrests and identified four non-compliant sex offenders. These non-compliant sex offenders could face new felony charges for Sex Registry Violations.

Based on investigative efforts by task force members, the operation resulted in the notable arrests of:

Democrats Are Unlikely To Win Full Control Of The Wisconsin Legislature In 2024 — With One Exception

Politically debilitated since 2011 by what many experts call some of the most flagrant gerrymandering in the country, Wisconsin Democrats are salivating over the prospect of more competitive political districts for the state legislature in 2024.

But only one of the four sets of maps submitted by Democrats or their allies to the Wisconsin Supreme Court projects the party winning a majority in the state Senate if they win a majority of the vote in 2024, experts say. The others could still see Republicans hold the state Senate in that event.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Look To Help Communities Where Hospitals Are Closing

Wisconsin legislators are moving to shore up emergency hospital services in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties as hospitals are closing in the region.

Hospital Sisters Health System announced last month that it will close HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls.

Prevea Health primary and specialty care clinics in 10 communities in the area will also close.

Officer Involved Critical Incident In Lafayette County

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating an officer involved critical incident (OICI) in the City of Shullsburg, Wis. that occurred on the early morning of Monday, February 12, 2024.

At approximately 1:06 a.m., Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call for a subject acting erratically on West Water Street near North Iowa Street in the City of Shullsburg, Wis. Two Lafayette County Sheriff’s deputies and one Darlington police officer responded.

Sun Prairie Woman Fills 'Blank Space' At 66th Grammy Awards, Sits Behind Taylor Swift

One local woman is making a reputation for herself after going viral on Tik Tok and ultimately scoring a seat to the 66th Grammy Awards.

27 News first spoke with Katelyn McLaughlin in October when she decorated her house with skeletons that represent each era of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. As she gave a tour of the Halloween display, she pointed out her "Red" skeleton and "Speak Now" skeleton.