Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Kansas Abortion Vote: Major Victory For Pro-Choice Groups

The conservative US state of Kansas has decided in a referendum to protect abortion rights - in a major victory for pro-choice groups.

Voters overwhelmingly said they did not wish to amend the state constitution to assert there is no right to abortion. It was the first electoral test of the issue since the US Supreme Court allowed states to ban the procedure.

If the ballot had gone the other way, lawmakers could have moved to further restrict or ban abortion in Kansas.

Biden To Sign Executive Order Paving Way For Medicaid To Pay For Out-Of-State Abortions

President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Wednesday that will pave the way for Medicaid to pay for abortion services for people having to travel out of state, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The new directive will allow the secretary of health and human services to "invite states to apply for Medicaid waivers, so that states where abortion is legal could provide services to people traveling from a state where abortion may be illegal to seek services in their state," the official said. Technically, these states would apply through what's known as a "Medicaid 1115 waiver," according to the official.

Pelosi Departs Taiwan As Furious China Holds Military Drills

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwanon Wednesday after a whirlwind visit that drew fury from Beijing and raised fears of a potential military crisis between the United States and China.

Before boarding a plane to leave the island, Pelosi vowed solidarity with the self-ruling democracy that Beijing claims as its territory, while China launched military drills, summoned the U.S. ambassador and halted some imports from Taiwan in a display of angry protest at her visit.

“Our delegation came here to send an unequivocal message: America stands with Taiwan,” Pelosi said at a news conference in Taipei after meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Five Takeaways From Primaries In Arizona, Missouri And Beyond

Tuesday’s primaries, in many ways, upended expectations.

In Kansas, voters rejected a proposed amendment that would have opened the door for state lawmakers to restrict – or even ban – abortions. Meanwhile, in Arizona’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Republicans appear poised to break with former President Donald Trump and his candidate of choice.

And in Missouri, a late effort to weaken former Gov. Eric Greitens in the GOP Senate primary proved successful.

Here are five takeaways from the primaries in Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington.

Senate Passes Burn Pit Legislation To Expand Veteran Health Care

The Senate on Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved the PACT Act, a bill to expand health care benefits for veterans who developed illnesses due to their exposure to burn pits during military service. The 86-to-11 vote was received with cheers from the Senate gallery.

The bill now heads to President Biden's desk, and the White House says he looks forward to signing it. The vote came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday afternoon that he and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had come to an agreement.

Michels Reverses, Tells Crowd He Will Support Trump In 2024

We’re a week away from the state’s partisan primary and the race for governor on the Republican side of the ballot focused on Northeast Wisconsin Tuesday night. That’s where two of the candidates, Tim Michels and Rebecca Kleefisch, held rallies.

In a speech to supporters in Kaukauna, Michels also reversed what he previously said to a question concerning former President Donald Trump just 24 hours prior.

Trump endorsed Michels, and Michels told the crowd in Kaukauna he would return the favor if given the chance.

“I wish he was president today and had four more years,” Michels said, adding, “If he runs in 2024 if he does I will support him and I will endorse him. We need somebody like that in Washington, D.C.”

That’s not necessarily what Michels said the day before during a town hall that was televised to a statewide audience.

Once A Competitive Race, Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Senate Primary Is All But Decided

Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for United States Senate started out as a wide-open contest as the party searched for the next nominee to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

That suddenly changed last week when three of the leading candidates dropped out, paving the way for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to win on Aug. 9 on his way to the general election.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, and Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski all got into the Senate race before Barnes. The four of them campaigned against one another for more than a year.

Meet The Candidates Running In Wisconsin's 2022 Lieutenant Governor Primaries

In the Aug. 9 partisan primaries for lieutenant governor of the state, David King, Will Martin, Roger Roth, Patrick Testin, David Varnam, Cindy Werner, Jonathan Wichmann and Kyle Yudes are seeking the Republican nomination while Peng Her and Sara Rodriguez are seeking the Democratic nomination – the winners in each will face off in the Nov. 8 election.

Wisconsin DMV Extends Hours Ahead Of Primary

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will extend hours next week at customer service centers that are open on Monday (August 8) and/or Tuesday (August 9). These centers will remain open until 6 p.m. The extended hours will enable those needing a photo ID, frequently those who are new to the state, time to visit a DMV.

Most Wisconsin voters already have some form of ID to show at the polls, including a Wisconsin driver license or ID. There is no separate “voter ID” and a federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. The Wisconsin Elections Commission explains the acceptable options to bring to the polls on its website.

Rules About ‘Spoiling’ Your Ballot

Voters and the media have been contacting the Wisconsin Elections Commission with questions about the process and rules for spoiling absentee ballots. A spoiled ballot cancels an already returned absentee ballot so the voter can request another absentee ballot by mail or vote in person at their clerk’s office or at the polling place on Election Day.

Wis. Stat. § 6.86(5) authorizes a voter to spoil his or her absentee ballot and be issued a new one. A voter may wish to spoil his or her absentee ballot to correct several issues, such as a damaged ballot; an error when voting the ballot (such as filling in the wrong circle or voting for too many candidates); or the voter changing his or her mind after returning the absentee ballot. During this process, statute directs the municipal clerk to invalidate the spoiled ballot to ensure it cannot be used. Per Wis. Stat. § 6.86(6), the municipal clerk shall not return the spoiled ballot to the elector.