Morning Headlines - Wednesday, May 22, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

5 Takeaways From Primaries In Georgia, Oregon And Kentucky

Voters in several states headed to the polls on Tuesday, weighing in on key races up and down the ballot in Oregon, Georgia, Kentucky and Idaho.

November matchups were solidified in a number of closely watched House contests, while President Biden and former President Trump sailed to victory in their respective party primaries in Kentucky and Oregon.

At the same time, voters in California picked Republican Vince Fong in a special election to finish the rest of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R) term in the House.

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday night’s contests:

Norway, Ireland And Spain Say They Are Recognizing A Palestinian State, Deepening Israel's Isolation

Norway, Ireland and Spain said on Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state, in a historic but largely symbolic move that deepens Israel’s isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza.

The announcements came as the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister and the International Court of Justice is considering allegations of genocide that Israel has strenuously denied.

The Shadow War On The Administrative State

A decade-long conservative crusade against financial regulators will come to a head soon with a crucial Supreme Court ruling, part of a legal strategy that has spread across multiple Washington agencies into a broad attack on a core power of the federal government.

The court’s ruling on Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, a case challenging the power of in-house federal judges, could hobble a whole range of agencies in unpredictable ways, cutting the powers of antitrust enforcers, labor regulators and consumer finance watchdogs.

Doomsday Glacier’s Ticking Clock: Satellites Reveal “Vigorous Melting” Beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier

Using high-resolution satellite radar data, a team of glaciologists led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine uncovered evidence of the intrusion of warm, high-pressure seawater many kilometers beneath the grounded ice of West Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier. This glacier is often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier” because of its critical role in potential global sea level rise and the catastrophic implications such a rise would have worldwide. This nickname reflects the glacier’s vast size and its significant melting rate, which scientists believe could substantially contribute to sea level rise if it were to collapse or melt entirely.

The UC Irvine-led team said that widespread contact between ocean water and the glacier – a process that is replicated throughout Antarctica and in Greenland – causes “vigorous melting” and may require a reassessment of global sea level rise projections. Their study was published on May 20 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

US Says Russia Likely Launched Anti-Satellite Weapon

The US says Russia launched a satellite last week which it believes may be capable of attacking other such probes.

"Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that we assess is likely a counter space weapon," said Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder on Tuesday evening.

It was on the "same orbit" as a US government satellite, he said, adding that Washington would continue to monitor the situation and had to be ready to protect its interests.

Wisconsin Headlines

Gableman Says Recall Vos Effort ‘On Track’ To Collect Enough Signatures

Former conservative Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman says he believes those seeking to recall Assembly Speaker Robin Vos “are on track to collect more than an adequate number” of signatures to be successful.

Gableman spoke to recall supporters Monday in Union Grove just more than a week from the deadline to turn in signatures to the Elections Commission. It’s the second recall attempt against Vos, the longest-serving Assembly speaker in Wisconsin history.

Moving The Needle: Wisconsin Students Calling For Divestment From Israel Echo Past Protests

A few weeks ago, on a University of Wisconsin-Madison campus sidewalk, a message in chalk read “DIVEST from Militarism.” It was final exams week, students and older adults alike lounged, studied and conversed alongside tents pitched illegally in protest, while a dainty melody on solo clarinet could be heard playing.

Students in Wisconsin and around the country protesting the war in Gaza, Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, and U.S. involvement, have included in their demands that the academic institutions they’re part of cut financial ties and withdraw investments from Israeli institutions and Israel-aligned companies.

Wisconsin DHS Announces New Vaccine Requirements For Children

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced new vaccine requirements for child care centers and schools.

Meningitis vaccines are now required. Also, chickenpox infections must be documented by a medical professional.

There are no changes to existing exemptions for religious or medical reasons.

A New Law Requires More Diverse Curriculum. Here's How Teachers Can Make That Happen

Wisconsin teachers are working to incorporate Asian American and Hmong American history into their curriculums under a new law passed earlier this year.

It can be a challenging undertaking, especially for teachers who themselves never received education on the role of Asian Americans throughout history, says Kabby Hong, an English teacher at Verona Area High School and a former Wisconsin teacher of the year.

Why Couldn’t A Southeast Wisconsin Town Hold An Advisory Referendum On ATV/UTV Use On Local Roads?

During a town board meeting last year, residents in the town of Erin suggested holding an advisory referendum to gauge whether the community supported allowing all-terrain and utility vehicles on town roads. They learned such a plebiscite is no longer possible.

Although Wisconsin residents can’t bypass the Legislature via a petition to enact — or reject — a new state law or amend the constitution, the situation varies at the municipal level.