Morning Headlines - Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden Program Offers Legal Status To 500,000 Immigrant Spouses Of U.S. Citizens

President Biden on Tuesday is announcing a large-scale immigration program that will offer legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. residency and citizenship to roughly half a million unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens.

The Department of Homeland Security policy will allow these immigrants to apply for work permits and deportation protections if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years and meet other requirements, senior administration officials said during a call with reporters.

U.S. Reiterates Its Obligation To Defend The Philippines After New Clash With China At Sea

The United States renewed a warning Tuesday that it is obligated to defend its close treaty ally a day after Filipino navy personnel were injured and their supply boats damaged in one of the most serious confrontations between the Philippines and China in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, officials said.

Judge Orders Railway To Pay Washington Tribe Nearly $400 Million For Trespassing With Oil Trains

BNSF Railway must pay nearly $400 million to a Native American tribe in Washington state, a federal judge ordered Monday after finding that the company intentionally trespassed when it repeatedly ran 100-car trains carrying crude oil across the tribe's reservation.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik initially ruled last year that the railway deliberately violated the terms of a 1991 easement with the Swinomish Tribe north of Seattle that allows trains to carry no more than 25 cars per day.

Trump’s VP Contenders: Pros And Cons For Each Pick

Former President Trump’s choice of running mate is generating interest, with the Republican National Convention less than a month away and contenders jockeying to make their case.

Trump’s campaign has sent vetting materials to several people under consideration for the vice president slot on the GOP ticket. The former president has frequently complimented those on his shortlist, but he has kept his cards close to the vest about whom he’ll pick and when he’ll announce.

Here are the pros and cons for each of the top contenders.

Celtics Top Mavericks In Game 5, Win Record 18th NBA Championship

Behind 31 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists from Jayson Tatum and 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists from Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics blew out the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to win the 2024 NBA Finals, winning a record-setting 18th NBA title on the 16th anniversary of the day they won their 17th championship in this same building.

In doing so, the Celtics passed their forever rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, for the most titles in NBA history.

Johnson Presses For Moving Protest Area Farther From Main RNC Venue

GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is urging Dem Gov. Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson to intervene and demand the protest zone for the Republican National Convention be moved further away from Fiserv Forum, the main hub for the convention.

“The proximity is ridiculous,” Johnson said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “I’d like to see Mayor Johnson step up to the plate or demand change as well. Again, this is in all of our best interests. Gov. Evers ought to be demanding change as well. As you know, obviously, the Republican Party, we’re asking for this concern to be addressed.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Campaigns For Biden In Wisconsin

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared alongside Gov. Tony Evers at a panel focused on abortion access in Madison on Monday, a signal that the issue will be key to Democrats’ messaging in Midwestern battleground states.

The event was put on by the campaign of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris a week out from the two-year anniversary of the end of Roe v. Wade, which federally protected abortion access until it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Will Hear A Challenge To Governor's 400-Year School Funding Veto

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto that locked in a school funding increase for the next 400 years, the justices announced Monday.

The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Litigation Center filed a lawsuit in April arguing the governor exceeded his authority. The group asked the high court to strike down the veto without waiting for the case to go through lower courts.

The court issued an order Monday afternoon saying it would take the case. The justices didn’t elaborate beyond setting a briefing schedule.

Trump Heads To Key Swing State Of Wisconsin Days After Alleged Milwaukee Diss

Days after reportedly calling Milwaukee “horrible” behind closed doors, former President Donald Trump will rally with his supporters just south of the city in one of the country’s top battleground states.

Trump’s event Tuesday comes less than a month before Republicans gather in Milwaukee for their national convention, where they will nominate the former president for the third time in eight years. At a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill last week, Trump referred to his party’s chosen convention host city as “horrible,” according to a source in the room.

Help Butterflies, Bees And Other Pollinators During Pollinator Week

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages Wisconsinites to help native pollinators during Pollinator Week, June 17-23, and throughout the rest of the summer and fall.

A pollinator is any animal that visits flowering plants and transfers pollen from flower to flower, which helps plants grow fruits and seeds. Most of Wisconsin’s pollinators are insects like bees (Wisconsin has 400 native species, including 20 bumble bee species), butterflies and moths. Wisconsin's pollinators also include hummingbirds and some beetles and flies.