Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden's White House Will Send Letter To Top Outlets Demanding Them To Probe 'Lies' Behind GOP's Plan To Impeach President

The Biden administration has been blasted over plans to send out a letter to major news organizations demanding they probe the 'lies' of the House GOP's impeachment inquiry.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced an official impeachment inquiry on Tuesday over allegations of corruption and involvement in son Hunter's business dealings, setting off fiery reactions from Democrats.

Ian Sams, a special assistant to the president and senior advisor to the White House Counsel's Office, penned a letter to both conservative and liberal-leaning outlets, slated to be distributed Wednesday in an apparent attempt to influence their coverage. Among outlets targeted are CNN, the New York Times, the Associated Press and Fox news.

How A Government Shutdown Would Affect Wall Street And The Economy

With just two weeks before Congress' deadline to fund the government, Wall Street is gaming out how a shutdown could hit the economy.

Federal government spending amounts to roughly a quarter of U.S. GDP.

The House of Representatives needs to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government by Sept. 30 — and it hasn't yet passed a single one.

Kim Jong Un And Vladimir Putin Meet For Hours In 'Fight Against Imperialism'

North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for about five hours on Wednesday, touring a space base in Russia's Far East and signaling a unified front against the West.

"I am so grateful you are paying such attention to our visit to Russia," Putin said at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, adding, "I'm sure we will remain together in our fight against imperialism."

The North Korean leader said his country supported Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Inflation Ticks Upward To 3.7% As The Fed's Fight To Tame High Consumer Prices Rolls On

Prices for U.S. consumers grew 3.7% in August as gasoline prices spiked, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Inflation was about equal to expert projections, and prices rose at a faster pace than the previous month.

Economists had expected the data to show a 3.6% overall increase in inflation compared to a year ago. That makes the second time the year-on-year inflation measure has ticked upward since July after 12 consecutive months of declines.

New COVID Shots: Five Things To Know After CDC’s Approval

Americans will be able to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine as early as Wednesday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the shot for all Americans over 6 months old.

The new shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech will hit the market just as the U.S. approaches the fall and winter respiratory virus season. They arrive along with new treatments to protect infants and older adults from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Here’s what to know:

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Assembly Passes Nearly $3 Billion State Income Tax Cut That Evers Vows To Veto

The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly passed a nearly $3 billion income tax cut proposal on Sept. 12, despite promises from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to veto it.

The Assembly passed it 64-35 with all Republicans in support and Democrats against. Republicans said the measure was designed to combat inflation and make more Wisconsin retirees stay in the state.

Rep. David Steffen, the Republican author of the bill, said it would provide swift and broad tax relief.

Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Rejects GOP's Surprise Redistricting Plan

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers shot down as “bogus” a surprise plan Republicans floated Tuesday that would have the Legislature approve new maps drawn by nonpartisan staff, preempting the state Supreme Court from tossing the current GOP-drawn boundaries.

The Republican move comes as Wisconsin justices are considering two Democratic-backed lawsuits seeking to toss the current maps, first enacted in 2011, that are among the most gerrymandered in the country and have helped Republicans increase their majority.

Lawsuit Filed To Block Potential Impeachment Of Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz

A former candidate for the state's highest court filed a lawsuit aimed at blocking Republican lawmakers from impeaching liberal Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, claiming impeachment would violate the state constitution and "nullify the vote" of more than one million residents.

Attorney Timothy Burns lost a 2018 state Supreme Court primary to fellow candidate Michael Screnock and current liberal Justice Rebecca Dallet. He is asking the court to issue an injunction blocking Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and other Assembly lawmakers from voting to impeach Protasiewicz or any other justice unless a majority of the court rules constitutional standards have been met.

Assembly GOP Passes Constitutional Amendment Giving Legislature More Oversight On Spending Of Federal Funds

Assembly Republicans 63-35 today approved a constitutional amendment that would require the Legislature to sign off on allocating federal money.

This is the second consecutive legislative session the Assembly has approved a measure to give itself more say over how federal dollars are spent. The GOP-controlled Senate still needs to sign off on the measure this session before it could go to a referendum.

Dems blasted the effort as a move that could delay future responses to emergencies.

Mexican Citizen Sentenced To 27 Months For Illegally Possessing A Firearm

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jesus Dalather Corona, 33, a citizen of Mexico found in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 27 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Corona pleaded guilty to this charge on June 5, 2023.

On December 19, 2022, a staff member at an employment facility in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin was helping an employee find his jacket and grabbed a jacket from a shelf above a common area coat rack and felt a handgun. A temporary employee, later identified as Corona, immediately walked over to the staff member and said, “That’s my stuff. Don’t touch it.” Corona took the coat, folded it up, placed it back on the shelf, and walked away.