Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden Gave Go-Ahead For Gaza Aid Pier Despite Doubts From Some USAID Staffers

President Biden ordered the construction of a temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza earlier this year even as some staffers for the U.S. Agency for International Development expressed concerns that the effort would be difficult to pull off and undercut the effort to persuade Israel to open "more efficient" land crossings to get food into the territory, according to a USAID inspector general report published Tuesday.

New Indictment Filed Against Trump In Jan. 6 Case

Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment on Tuesday against former President Trump in his federal Jan. 6 case. The slimmed-down indictment comes after the conservative-majority Supreme Court largely sided with Trump when it ruled in July that presidents have immunity for "official acts."

Zuckerberg’s New Washington Game

On the surface, the apologetic letter Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sent to congressional Republicans on Monday looks like a capitulation in the long-simmering political wars over social media. But tech observers on both sides of the aisle say that in the wake of this summer’s Supreme Court decisions on speech and social platforms, it also represents a shrewd political calculation — a surprise move by a CEO who wants to spend the next four years out of the political winds.

Inside Iran’s Hacking Operation That Has Us Officials On Edge Ahead Of 2024 Election

Two years before Iranian hackers breached Donald Trump’s campaign this summer, they used a similar ploy to target a former administration official and onetime confidant of John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser and prominent Iran critic. After infiltrating the person’s email account, the hackers sent what seemed like a harmless request to a group of fellow US-based Iran hawks, asking them to review a supposed book the person was writing about Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs.

Boy Accidentally Smashes 3,500-Year-Old Jar On Museum Visit

A 3,500-year-old jar has been accidentally smashed into pieces by a four-year-old boy during a trip to a museum in Israel. The Hecht Museum in Haifa told the BBC the crockery dated back to the Bronze Age between 2200 and 1500BC - and was a rare artefact because it was so intact. It had been on display near the entrance of the museum without glass, as the museum believes there is "special charm" in showing archaeological finds "without obstructions".

Wisconsin Headlines

Judge Rules Evers Properly Used Partial Veto Authority

A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday Gov. Tony Evers appropriately used his partial veto authority when he cut parts from the reading bill, a move Republicans called unconstitutional. In the same ruling, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Elhke rejected a request by the state Department of Public Instruction to release $50 million to fund the sweeping reading legislation. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Remain On The Ballot In Wisconsin, Elections Commission Rules

The Wisconsin Elections Commission met Tuesday to decide ballot access for the November general election, which will decide the nation's next president. After dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing Donald Trump last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. submitted a request to the commission to rescind his nomination papers so he wouldn't appear on the ballot.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Case Seeking To Revive Vos Recall Effort

The effort to salvage an attempt to recall Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos from office suffered another legal defeat on Aug. 27. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, without comment, refused to hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling rejecting an attempt to revive the recall effort, which was led by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Greens Slam Dems After SCOWIS Rejects Suit Seeking To Block Stein From Presidential Ballot

The co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party slammed a DNC effort to keep Jill Stein off the state’s presidential ballot as a “high risk, zero benefit action” that would likely cost Kamala Harris votes. The state Supreme Court Monday refused to hear the suit filed by a staffer with the Democratic National Committee arguing the Greens were ineligible to place a candidate on the Wisconsin ballot. The court’s ruling didn’t offer any rationale other than plaintiff David Strange “is not entitled to the relief he seeks.”

Nine Juveniles In Wisconsin Cited For Harassing Behavior Toward Members Of The Amish Community

Authorities in Sauk County cited nine juveniles after receiving multiple reports of harassment toward members of the Amish Community. According to a release, deputies with the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office were conducting extra patrols in the rural Reedsburg area on August 11 after multiple reports of harassing behavior towards members of the Amish Community.