Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Mar. 22, 2023 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Shohei Ohtani Strikes Out Angels Teammate Mike Trout To Give Japan World Baseball Classic Title Over USA

Japan baseball rules the world once again.

The Japanese won their third World Baseball Classic (out of five tournaments since the inaugural in 2006), taking down the United States, 3-2.

The game was a classic all night, and it ended in such a storybook way.

Everyone wondered if Shohei Ohtani would pitch. Well, he got the ball in the ninth for the save opportunity to clinch the Classic - while he had already been 1-for-3 with a walk - and he was due to face defending NL batting champion Jeff McNeil, 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts, and his Los Angeles Angels teammate, three-time AL MVP Mike Trout.

No Path To Peace: Five Key Takeaways From Xi And Putin’s Talks In Moscow

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have made a sweeping affirmation of their alignment across a host of issues – and shared mistrust of the United States – in a lengthy statement following talks between the two leaders in Moscow this week.

Their meeting, which took place under the shadow of Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine, left no question about Beijing’s commitment to developing its rapport with Moscow, despite Putin’s growing isolation on the global stage as its devastating war continues into its second year.

Progressives Have A New Minimum Wage Goal: $20 And Up

An intraparty fight has broken out in New York over the state’s minimum wage laws and how to get more money to the lowest-paid workers without hurting businesses, portending similar skirmishes across the country in the coming years.

The debate is rekindling divisions among Democrats in Albany, pitting liberal lawmakers against their more centrist colleagues and highlighting fissures that have emerged in Democratic strongholds elsewhere, particularly in areas with some of the country’s highest costs of living.

TikTok’s Popularity Complicates Possible U.S. Ban

The U.S. government's threat to ban TikTok takes aim at what has become the most popular smartphone app in the country.

TikTok’s scale presents an enormous challenge to lawmakers trying to argue that the app’s national security threat outweighs the wishes of the millions of people and businesses that use the app.

The TikTok app has been downloaded more times in the U.S. than any other social app since it merged with U.S. lip-syncing app Musical.ly in August 2018, according to data from Apptopia.

Anti-Porn Bills In 8 States Could Force Device Makers To Censor Sexual Material

Eight states are weighing anti-pornography bills that would force phone and tablet manufacturers like Apple and Samsung to automatically enable filters that censor nude and sexually explicit content.

The only way to disable the filters, according to the bills introduced this year, would be through passcodes. Providing such a passcode to a child would be forbidden, except when done by a parent.

Specifically, the bills say, the phone filters must prevent children from downloading sexually explicit content via mobile data networks, applications owned and controlled by the manufacturer, and wired or wireless internet networks.

Kelly, Protasiewicz Trade Barbs In Only Supreme Court Debate

During their only debate ahead of next month’s election, liberal Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz slammed conservative rival Daniel Kelly as a “threat to our democracy.”

Kelly countered that his opponent was “bought and paid for” by the state Dem Party, which has transferred at least $2.5 million to her campaign, and repeatedly accused her of lying about him.

Kelly, a former state Supreme Court justice, said he is not accepting funds from the state GOP. He called Protasiewicz’s decision to accept money from the state Dem Party a “major problem” if she were elected.

“She would forever afterwards be known as being bought and paid for by the Democratic Party,” Kelly said.

Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, has said she will recuse herself from any case involving the Dem Party. She criticized Kelly for opposing a recusal standard requiring justices to withdraw from cases if there is a potential conflict due to money spent in their races.

From Cash Bail To Public Benefits: What Wisconsin Voters Need To Know About April 4 Referendums

The race for a state Supreme Court seat isn't the only decision facing Wisconsin voters on April 4.

Wisconsinites are also weighing statewide referendums, including one — split into two questions — that could expand the use of cash bail. The other will gauge public opinion on work requirements for public benefits.

Two questions on statewide ballots are linked to a proposal to broaden the criteria that judges may use when setting cash bail.

Illinois Reports $36 Million In Tax Revenue From Out-Of-State Marijuana Sales, Including From Wisconsinites

The state of Illinois made $445 million dollars in tax revenue last year from legal marijuana sales and a portion of it came from the pockets of Wisconsinites. The Illinois government estimates the state made $36 million in tax revenue last year from out-of-state marijuana purchases, including people from Wisconsin.

When Assembly Democrat Lee Snodgrass looks at that large number: “My reaction is: this is a real lost opportunity for Wisconsin to be bringing in financial resources, which can be applied to many things we are trying to fund with the current budget.”

For Assembly Democrat Kristina Shelton it’s…

“Outrage and every Wisconsinites should be outraged.”

DNR Asks Public To Avoid Feeding Deer As Cold Weather Continues

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking the public to avoid feeding deer as cold winter weather continues around parts of the state.

While the public may be concerned about the impact of winter conditions on the deer population, supplemental feeding of deer, such as leaving corn and other feed out for them in your backyard, causes more harm than good.

Deer are well-adapted to survive in winter conditions, with a slower metabolism in cold months and adjustments in their gut microbiomes to adapt to winter food sources. Corn, alfalfa and other feed are not part of their natural winter diet and can cause severe digestive issues and even death. Even a single feeding can cause rumen acidosis, which can cause death in otherwise healthy deer.

Vegas Bound! Wisconsin Advances To NIT Semifinals

The Badgers took down the Oregon Ducks, 61-58 in Tuesday’s NIT quarterfinals matchup in Eugene. As a result, Wisconsin will take on North Texas in the semifinals in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Greg Gard and his squad survived another close contest Tuesday, winning their second game in a row by four or less points. In a season that has been filled with close losses, they have had a change of fortune in the postseason.