Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden Team Isn’t Waiting For Impeachment To Go On The Offensive

Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a video of herself at a town hall in her Georgia district declaring that she “will not vote to fund the government” unless the House holds a vote to open an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

It took just 68 minutes for the White House to fire back with a blistering statement that such a vote would mean that House Republicans had “caved to the hard-core fringe of their party in prioritizing a baseless impeachment stunt over high-stakes needs Americans care about deeply” like drug enforcement and disaster relief.

Trump’s Co-Defendants Are Already Starting To Turn Against Him

The finger-pointing among Donald Trump’s inner circle has begun.

And as his four criminal cases march toward trials, some of his aides, allies and co-defendants are pointing at the former president.

In court documents and hearings, lawyers for people in Trump’s orbit — both high-level advisers and lesser known associates — are starting to reveal glimmers of a tried-and-true strategy in cases with many defendants: Portray yourself as a hapless pawn while piling blame on the apparent kingpin.

Blue State Migrant Crisis Sparks Political Disaster For Biden

Tensions between the Biden administration and local Democrats are coming to a head as shelters around the country overflow and thousands of immigrants arrive in major cities.

President Biden is stuck between growing calls to help the Democratic-controlled cities, the politics of the vulnerable issue and what the administration views as legal handcuffs prohibiting much action.

Republican governors have responded to unprecedented crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border with massive efforts to bus migrants to other destinations.

Border Wall Towers Over Congressional Shutdown Standoff

"If somebody's getting all squeamish about the border wall, I mean, frankly my response is:  Kiss my a**,"  Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told CBS News, as he made another long drive between events in Texas, four weeks before a looming federal government shutdown.

Twenty-six days before the deadline to avert an impasse that threatens government operations and a jolt to the U.S. economy, an expanded southern border wall appears to be a towering obstacle. Even before it is built.

House members will return to Washington next week, facing the daunting task of passing nearly a dozen yearly spending bills through a polarized and contentious chamber of Congress. 

Burning Man Exodus Begins But Revelers Face 8-Hour Wait To Escape Muddy Venue

After being surrounded by mud and placed on virtual lockdown amid a stormy weekend, those exiting Burning Man faced a little more hardship Monday night — an 8-hour wait to get out.

Organizers lifted a virtual lockdown for the annual Burning Man festival Monday, allowing attendees' annual "exodus" to begin after a weekend of rain and mud isolated the Nevada desert venue.

Monday is traditionally the day most people leave the weeklong celebration of countercultural music and arts, but this year the green light for departure unlocked a venue beset by impassable roads, muddy tents, and a shelter-in-place recommendation.

Wisconsin Headlines

University Of Wisconsin Student 'Severely Beaten,' Suffers Life-Threatening Wounds: Police

Wisconsin police say that a female University of Wisconsin student was "severely beaten" in Madison early Sunday morning, prompting increased police presence in the area.

Police responded to the incident, which took place in the 500 block of W. Wilson St., at around 3:20 a.m on Sunday. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries.

"The victim was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She remains in critical condition," Madison Police Department said in a statement.

Gallagher On Says He Has ‘No Boomer’ Policy For GOP Presidential Nominee

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, says he wants to hear more from the GOP presidential hopefuls on China.

The Allouez Republican also isn’t ruling out voting for former President Trump if he’s the GOP nominee.

“I’ve said I want someone else to be the Republican nominee right now, someone younger who can actually carry on some of the Trump policies on China in a way,” Gallagher said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “But I have a no-boomer policy right now. No boomers for nominees.”

Research Helps Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Identify Effects From Pollinators

Scientists hope research on pollinators can help to head off diseases that can harm cranberry crops.

Cranberry growers typically bring in commercially available bees to pollinate their crops. The dry, even drought conditions this year have actually been good for cranberry crops because they allowed the bees to do their work, said Dave Hansen of DuBay Cranberry Co., at a recent tour of the farm put on by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Division of Extension.

"We have to bring in pollinators, and they're very weather-dependent," Hansen said. "So if it's raining or cold, they're not going to be working. This year was pretty dry, so they had all the chances to pollinate our crop."

New Season, New Slogan For Packers Fence Near Lambeau Field

Packers fans in Green Bay did a little painting on Labor Day.

They put a new slogan on the famous fence that's across from Lambeau Field. It reads "The New Pack is a Love Affair." It's a nod to the new era with Jordan Love as the team's quarterback.

Help Report And Manage Chronic Wasting Disease

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to help report and manage Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) this fall.

CWD is a contagious, fatal neurological disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, moose and caribou. It belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases.