Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden To Announce $2.6B In Funding To Replace All Lead Pipes Throughout The U.S.

President Biden is set to announce $2.6 billion in funding to replace all lead pipes in the United States as part of a new EPA rule that will require lead pipes to be identified and replaced within 10 years using the new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

The EPA estimates that nine million homes in the U.S. have lead pipes.

The city of Milwaukee, where Mr. Biden will make the announcement, has 65,000 lead pipes, which the city says will cost an estimated $700 million to remove.

Storm-Weary Florida Residents Prepare For Another Round With Milton

Preparations and evacuations were underway Monday along Florida’s Gulf Coast, where Hurricane Milton was intensifying into a “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 storm less than two weeks after Helene bore down on the Southeast.

In downtown Fort Myers, crews boarded up stores and restaurants. Residents in Tampa rushed to stock up on supplies at supermarkets. Debris removal continued throughout the state as officials urged residents to prepare for the worst and heed evacuation orders.

Harris To Announce Plan For Medicare Home Care Benefit

Vice President Harris will announce a plan Tuesday to offer a new Medicare benefit for home care for seniors in an effort to focus on the challenges of caregivers, according to a senior campaign official.

She will announce her proposal for the first-ever expansion of Medicare to include at-home care on ABC’s “The View,” where the senior campaign official says she can reach the “sandwich generation” audience. The so-called “sandwich generation” is thought to be made up of Americans who are both raising children and caring for their own aging parents.

McDonald’s Customers Are Cutting Back On Fries. Its Biggest Supplier Is Cutting Jobs

Americans are revolting against McDonald’s and fast-food chains. That’s hurting french fry suppliers like Lamb Weston.

Lamb Weston, the largest producer of french fries in North America and a major supplier to fast-food chains, restaurants and grocery stores, is closing a production plant in Washington state. The company announced last week that it would lay off nearly 400 employees, or 4% of its workforce, and temporarily cut production lines in response to slowing customer demand.

Apple Could Launch A Ring To Rival Samsung By 2026, Research Firm Predicts

Apple could launch a connected ring to rival Samsung by 2026, according to CCS Insight.

Samsung launched the $399 Galaxy Ring this year adding to the tech giant’s portfolio of products from smartphones to smartwatches as it looks to keep users locked into its world of devices.

CCS Insight Chief Analyst Ben Wood said a ring launch fits in with Apple CEO Tim Cook’s focus on health.

Wisconsin Headlines

Walker On ‘UpFront’ Responds To Cheney’s Criticism

Scott Walker is firing back at Liz Cheney for accusing the former GOP governor of “stunning” comments and saying “basically people are over Jan. 6.”

“I think this is just a reflection of now, she’s appealing to an audience in Washington who seems focused on that,” Walker said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “When I talked to voters around the state, I’ve been all over the state of Wisconsin the last several years, I even said this two years ago before the midterms, people were concerned on Jan. 6 about what happened. But they’re more concerned right now about filling up their grocery cart, filling up their gas tank, paying their mortgage and their rent along the way.

Wisconsin DOJ Leads Probe Into Fatal Schofield Fire

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) State Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting a fire investigation in Schofield, Wis. that occurred on the morning of Monday, October 7, 2024.

At approximately 4:41 a.m., the Riverside Fire District responded to a fire at an apartment complex on the 600 block of Grand Avenue in Schofield, Wis. Several adults were injured, one adult was taken to the hospital and one adult was found deceased.

Human Remains Found At Milwaukee School

Construction crews working on a green house project at Maryland Avenue Montessori on Milwaukee’s east side uncovered a little bit of history when they dug into the school grounds.

The crew discovered human remains while working at the site Oct. 2, which Milwaukee police confirmed were part of a historical burial ground. Police said the Milwaukee County Historical Society was contacted.

Ben Barbera, executive director of the historical society, said the remains were turned over to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s office.

Teen Kidnapping Victim Relives Horror Of Being Chained Up In A Hotel Room For Months By A Teacher's Aide Amid Fears Abuser Could Be Released

A Wisconsin woman who was abducted as a child by a teacher's aide has broken her silence about the horrifying abuse she suffered before being miraculously rescued.

Jessyca Mullenberg was aged just 13 when she was kidnapped by her 38-year-old neighbor Steven Oliver on September 16, 1995.

Oliver had stalked her for six years before the fateful day he tricked her into taking a trip under the guise of meeting a publisher about a short story she had written.

Pres. Biden Travels To Wisconsin

President Joe Biden travels to Milwaukee on Tuesday to tout his administration’s efforts in replacing lead pipes in Wisconsin and across the country.

With the presidential election less than a month away, President Biden travels to battleground Wisconsin to tout the benefits of the Administration’s bi-partisan infrastructure law.