Morning Headlines - Wednesday, July 31, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Election Deniers Gain Ground: 5 Early Takeaways From Arizona’s Primaries

Arizona’s primaries on Tuesday night saw numerous candidates who have questioned the results of past elections gain ground, the latest sign of Donald Trump’s deepening imprint on the GOP in the Grand Canyon State.

In the most significant races of the night, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Republican Kari Lake were officially chosen as their parties’ respective Senate nominees.

But voters also weighed in on several other contested primaries, including those for seats being vacated by Gallego and Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.). The primary night also offered some clues of what voters might expect in November.

Here are five early takeaways from Arizona’s primaries:

Killings Of Hamas Leader In Iran And Hezbollah Commander In Beirut Fuel Fears That Israel-Gaza War Will Spread

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran's capital after attending the inauguration of the country's new president, Iranian officials and the militant group said early Wednesday. Hamas said it was an Israeli airstrike that killed the group's top political leader.

It was the second Israeli assassination of a senior Iran-allied militant commander in the space of just 12 hours, casting a growing shadow over U.S.-backed efforts to broker a cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and sharply increasing concern that the Gaza war could spread into a wider regional conflict in the Middle East, where the U.S. has thousands of troops based.

Eating More Processed Red Meat Is Linked To An Increased Risk Of Dementia, Study Suggests

A diet rich in processed red meat is linked to an increased risk of dementia, according to new research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia.

The findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, are the result of a four-decade study of more than 130,000 adults that looked at the link between diet and cognition.

Washington, DC, Sues StubHub, Claims Resale Platform Up Prices With Deceptive Fees

The attorney general for Washington, D.C., sued StubHub on Wednesday, accusing the ticket resale platform of advertising deceptively low prices and then ramping up prices with extra fees.

The practice known as “drip pricing” violates consumer protection laws in the nation’s capital, Attorney General Brian Schwalb said.

“StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense,” he said in a statement.

Mapped: COVID Summer Continues To Heat Up

The summer's COVID-19 wave is continuing, with the latest wastewater surveillance data detecting "high" virus activity levels across the majority of the U.S. and "very high" levels in 19 states, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Almost 80% of circulating variants are KP variants, which are descendants of the highly contagious JN.1 strain that surged over the winter and are among the so-called FLiRT variants.

Wisconsin Headlines

Judge Rejects Challenge To Absentee Ballot Envelopes

A Door County judge has rejected a challenge to the absentee envelopes the state Elections Commission approved a year ago.

Judge David Weber yesterday also shot down a motion from an Amberg man to require those who request an absentee ballot through MyVote.wi.gov to return a signed copy of their request in the envelope along with their ballot.

The Elections Commission had warned in court filings that granting the requests from Thomas Oldenburg would’ve risked upending the absentee voting process and possibly disenfranchising thousands of Wisconsin voters.

Death Investigation In Portage County, Wis.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is conducting a death investigation in the Village of Amherst, Wis. that occurred on the afternoon of Friday, July 26, 2024.

On the afternoon of Thursday, July 25, 2024, law enforcement officers from the Portage County Sheriff’s Office tactical team, the Stevens Point/Plover tactical team and the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office tactical team executed a search warrant at a residence in the 400 block of Mill Avenue in the Village of Amherst, Portage County Wis., as well as an arrest warrant for Jeffrey E. Miller, 32, who was wanted for an incident that occurred in Sauk County, Wis. on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. In this earlier incident, Miller engaged in a high speed pursuit, crashed his vehicle, and shot at and injured a law enforcement officer.

‘Every Industry, Every Occupation’: Gov. Evers Releases State AI Guidelines

Following months of study on the issue, Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday the release of a plan to steer Wisconsin policy on artificial intelligence.

“We know that AI technologies are already changing the world as we know it—including the way folks work,” Evers said in a written statement. “And it’s why Wisconsin is working to lead the way on AI implementation and ethical utilization as we continue our work to build an economy that works for everyone.”

Wisconsin Youth Continue To Struggle With Mental Health

Wisconsin teens continue to face significant mental health challenges, with girls and LGBTQ+ youth at the highest risk of depression, anxiety and self-harm, according to the newly-released state Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

The 2023 report surveyed 1,888 ninth through 12th graders in 42 public, charter and alternative high schools last spring.

More than half of students, 51.6 percent, reported experiencing anxiety. One in three students reported experiencing depression almost every day for two weeks in a row or more, and one in five students reported nonsuicidal self-harm.

Wisconsin Sees Promise In Providing 'Housing First' Support For Domestic Violence Survivors

A $7.4 million pilot project in Wisconsin is helping domestic violence survivors in traditionally underserved communities overcome housing and financial barriers that prevent survivors from leaving abusive partners, researchers say.

In December 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families granted nine organizations funding to offer services to domestic violence survivors through a “housing first” model that moves them into safe, stable housing as soon as possible, with access to resources to rebuild their lives.