Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

House GOP Unveils $14.3 Billion Israel Aid Bill That Would Cut Funding To IRS

House Republicans want to pay for emergency aid to Israel by cutting funding to the IRS, teeing up a collision with the White House and Democratic-controlled Senate over how to support a key U.S. ally.

The House GOP released a $14.3 billion standalone measure on Monday that would pay for aid to Israel by cutting the same amount in funding that was allocated to the IRS under the Inflation Reduction Act, one of President Biden's signature pieces of legislation.

"We're going to have pays-for in [the bill]," House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday. "We're not just going to print money and send it overseas."

Supreme Court To Wade Into Social Media Free Speech Firestorm

The Supreme Court will hear an array of legal arguments involving social media’s free speech wars this term with a series of dicey cases that could reshape how public officials and U.S. government agencies operate online.

On Tuesday, the court will hear oral arguments in the first two of those cases, which both ask whether public officials can constitutionally block their constituents on social media — one of those cases at its core centers on a lakeside city manager in Michigan who decided he would block someone posting what he called “creepy” smiley emoji’s on his Facebook page amid criticism of the manager’s COVID-19 response.

Biden Executive Order Imposes New Rules For AI. Here's What They Are

President Joe Biden issued a wide-ranging executive order on Monday that aims to safeguard against threats posed by artificial intelligence, ensuring that bad actors do not use the technology to develop devastating weapons or mount supercharged cyberattacks.

The move stakes out a role for the federal government in a nearly half-trillion-dollar industry at the center of fierce competition between some of the nation's largest companies, including Google and Amazon.

The Biden administration also calls on Congress to pass data privacy legislation, an achievement that has eluded lawmakers for years despite multiple attempts.

Why It Doesn't Matter That Mike Pence Dropped Out Of The GOP Primary

No offense to former Texas Rep. Will Hurd and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, but on Saturday, former Vice President Mike Pence became the first big name to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. It's big news because of Pence's stature within the party, but it wasn't necessarily a surprise:

Thanks to his low polling and fundraising totals, some on the 538 team were predicting this as long ago as July. But if you're expecting this to be the event that finally shakes up the Republican primary, think again: Pence's withdrawal isn't likely to give a meaningful boost to any of his fellow anti-Trump candidates.

Apple Event October 2023: Every Single Macbook Pro, iMac Announced

Trick o' treat! Apple dropped some new M3s!

The Apple October 2023 event, also known as the "Scary Fast" live stream, dropped four iDevices this spooky season while introducing a new generation of three-nanometer chips: M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max.

The M3 Pro, compared to the other two chips, would be considered a mid-tier processor while the M3 is an entry-level pick and the M3 Max is the best money can buy.

Curious to see which new products these chips will power? Stick around to find out.

Johnson On ‘UpFront’ Says He’d Back Resolution To Fund Federal Government Through April

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he’d back a continuing resolution to keep the government open and funded through April as lawmakers race to avert another government shutdown by Nov. 17.

“What I’ve been proposing is doing a longer continuing resolution into April,” the Oshkosh Republican said on WISN’s “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “If we complete all of our work by then, it will give us first the ability to give greater scrutiny to all these appropriation bills.”

Johnson has backed a bill that failed to pass the Senate last week that would end the threat of shutdowns by keeping the government funded at previous levels and requiring lawmakers to remain in continuous session to reach a funding agreement.

Governor's Task Force On Workforce And Artificial Intelligence Discusses The Future Of A.I. In Wisconsin

On Monday, Governor Tony Evers' Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence held their first meeting where they discussed the future uses of A.I. in the state of Wisconsin, and how the current workforce could be impacted.

The task force is used as a mechanism to better equip the workforce so that it is capable of capitalizing on A.I. transformations.

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek tells 27 News, the state is aiming to make A.I. accessible to everyone. In order to eliminate these disparities, the administration utilized the employee shortage as a starting point.

60 Wisconsin Hospitals Lost Money In 2022

Wisconsin hospitals are facing financial challenges as inflation drives up costs, COVID relief funding dries up and increases in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement are falling short, according to an industry report.

While hospitals as a whole across the state did not lose money in 2022, net revenue across the industry was lower than the previous year, according to an annual report by the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Sixty hospitals lost money in 2022, compared to 21 the previous year, as costs rose faster than revenue.

Brian Potter, senior vice president of finance at the WHA, said the situation isn't a big cause for concern unless this downward trend continues. He said the industry is trying to find ways to control costs while working toward long-term solutions.

Lawmakers Reconsider Allowing Early Canvassing Of 'Central Count' Absentee Ballots

After four years of failed attempts, Wisconsin lawmakers are reintroducing legislation to give election workers a one-day head start on processing absentee ballots in places like Milwaukee.

The idea of letting clerks and other election workers start canvassing absentee ballots before Election Day used to have bipartisan support. Then came the 2020 presidential election and years of false claims from Former President Donald Trump that the election was stolen from him by way of early morning ballot dumps in Democratic cities.

Under current law, absentee ballots cannot be processed until election day. For large cities like Milwaukee and Madison, that takes time, and has led to swings in unofficial statewide results reported by the Associated Press on election night.

Join DFI, DATCP, And Savi For A Student Loan Repayment Webinar On November 7

The online event will help federal student loan borrowers learn how to avoid scams, use free repayment tools, and explore new repayment plans to manage their restarted federal student loan payments following the end of the U.S. Department of Education’s COVID-19 emergency relief for federal student loans. The 0% interest rate ended on September 1, 2023, and payments restarted in October 2023.

“Student loan debt is a burden for thousands of Wisconsinites, and many may be wondering if they have any options available to lower their federal student loan payments now that the COVID-19 payment pause has ended and payments have restarted,” said DFI Secretary-designee Cheryll Olson-Collins. “This live and interactive webinar with Savi’s student loan experts will help federal student loan borrowers understand what repayment and forgiveness programs are available to them right now.”