Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Five Takeaways From Trump’s Indictment For Trying To Overturn The 2020 Election

Former President Trump was indicted for a third time Tuesday — on this occasion, for his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

In a brief on-camera appearance, Special Counsel Jack Smith accused Trump of a mendacious push aimed at “obstructing a bedrock function of the US government — the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.”

Trump had previously predicted the indictment — and he has repeatedly blasted Smith.

The case now joins two earlier indictments. One pertains to alleged falsification of business records in New York. A second centers on sensitive documents kept at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s presidency ended.

Here are the main takeaways from Tuesday’s indictment.

Housing Costs Are Rising Twice As Fast As Everything Else – And It's Crippling Cities

Nearly all of the nation’s housing challenges are on display in the unlikely pandemic boom town of Burlington, Vermont: Skyrocketing housing costs. Chronic homelessness. Too few homes to rent or buy.

And an influx of new residents that arrived during the pandemic – a mix of remote workers, wealthy second-home owners and retirees. The population spike local leaders long yearned for is colliding with decades of failed housing policies.

The Heat Wave Is Driving Up Gas Prices

Gas prices ticked up 15 cents in just the past week, as the heat wave hitting Texas and Louisiana slowed oil refineries down.

The nation's mood runs on gas prices — when they're high, economic vibes worsen. And, rising energy prices keep inflation levels elevated, complicating the Fed's efforts to rein in higher prices.

Refineries, which turn crude oil into products like gasoline, don't function as efficiently in 100+ degree weather.

Supermoon Puts On A Dazzling Display Across The World

The first of two supermoons expected this month put on a dazzling display Tuesday night, with photographers from around the world capturing the lunar spectacle.

The full moon appeared bigger and brighter than usual, with the natural satellite coming closer to Earth than typical at just 222,159 miles away.

Its closeness makes it a "supermoon," a term coined in 1979 that refers to either a new or full moon that occurs when the satellite is within 90% of perigree, its closest approach to Earth.

Mega Millions Jackpot Leaps To Estimated $1.25 Billion

The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to a stratospheric estimated $1.25 billion after no winning tickets were sold for Tuesday night's estimated $1.1 billion pot of gold.

The winning numbers for the latest drawing were 8, 24, 30, 45, 61 with a Mega Ball of 12.

The $1.25 billion jackpot would be Mega Millions' fourth-largest ever. It could climb even higher as more and more tickets are gobbled up leading to Friday night's drawing.

Wisconsin Headlines

The Wisconsin Supreme Court Flips To Liberal Control For The First Time In 15 Years

Wisconsin Democrats celebrated the beginning of a new era for the state Supreme Court on Aug. 1 as it flipped from conservative to liberal control for the first time in 15 years.

Janet Protasiewicz, who made abortion rights a focus of her winning election campaign and called Republican-drawn redistricting maps “rigged,” marked the start of her 10-year term with a swearing-in ceremony in the state Capitol Rotunda attended by an overflow crowd of hundreds, including many Democratic officeholders.

Wisconsin Fake Elector Plan At Center Of Most Recent Trump Indictment

Wisconsin is mentioned 31 times by name in Tuesday's indictment of Donald Trump in connection to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Much of the indictment deals with plans in seven states, including Wisconsin, to create fake slates of electors to cast votes for Trump rather than Joe Biden, who received more votes in each state.

According to the indictment, the plan was developed by an unnamed co-conspirator, who CNN has since identified as Kenneth Chesebro, in a memo written on Nov. 18, 2020. The indictment refers to that document as the "Wisconsin Memo." The New York Time published the memo in full in Feb. 2022.

Wisconsin Hopes To Tackle Special Education Teacher Shortage With New Program

With about half of Wisconsin’s new special education teachers leaving the field after just a few years on the job, the Department of Public Instruction is launching a program to attract and retain instructors.

The Special Education Induction Program will provide coaching and mentorship sessions to 300 first- or second-year special education teachers beginning this fall.

"What we’ve learned from our research is those individuals that go through a well-developed and comprehensive induction program are half as likely to leave in the first few years," said Barbara Van Haren, an educational consultant with the Department of Public Instruction. "We want to put our time and effort at the department in making sure we provide a consistent and state-wide induction program for new teachers."

Koschnick Says New Liberal Majority On State Supreme Court Poised To Fire Him As State Courts Director

Director of State Courts Randy Koschnick told WisPolitics that liberal Justice Jill Karofsky has informed him the state Supreme Court will vote today to remove him from the post after six years on the job.

Koschnick said Karofsky gave him no reason for the planned move, prompting him to speculate it was politically motivated.

Koschnick, who was a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge prior to his appointment in 2017, challenged then-liberal Justice Shirley Abrahamson in 2008.

The court today flipped to a 4-3 liberal majority, with Janet Protasiewicz officially joining the body.

Koschnick said there is no formal conference or meeting of the justices on today’s calendar. He said seeking to remove him from the job without a formal meeting was highly unusual, if not unprecedented.

Man Sentenced To 72 Months For Possessing Meth For Distribution

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Leroy D. Hampton, 32, Champaign, Illinois was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 72 months for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hampton pleaded guilty to this charge on May 9, 2023.

On November 12, 2020, a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper stopped a car on Interstate 90/94 in Juneau County, Wisconsin for illegally tinted windows and an obstructed Illinois temporary license plate.