Morning Headlines - Friday, Apr. 29, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

How Popular Is Joe Biden?

If it’s possible to sum up a presidency in a single number, that number would be the president’s approval rating — or the share of Americans who approve of the job he’s doing. Arguably, that simple percentage can determine the fate of an entire presidency.

Here is an updated calculation of the president's approval rating, accounting for each poll's quality, recency, sample size and partisan lean.

Latest GDP Numbers Bungle Biden’s Messaging On Economy

President Biden’s push to sell Americans on his economic record just became more complicated.

Federal data released Thursday showed the U.S. economy contracted for the first time since 2020 during the first three months of the year despite many other measures of economic activity remaining strong.

U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) fell at a yearly pace of 1.4 percent during the first quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday, marking the first economic contraction since 2020.

China’s Partnership With Russia Seen As Serious Problem For The U.S.

As war rages in Ukraine – one which China thus far has refused to condemn – Americans are acutely concerned about the partnership between China and Russia. Around nine-in-ten U.S. adults say it’s at least a somewhat serious problem for the United States, and a 62% majority say it’s a very serious problem – more than say the same about any of the other six problems asked about, including China’s involvement in politics in the U.S., its policies on human rights and tensions between China and Taiwan, among others.

Elon Musk’s Uneasy Relationship With The Left Explodes Over Twitter Takeover

A climate hawk who immigrated to the U.S. in his 20s just struck a deal to buy Twitter — and some liberals are furious.

Elon Musk went from an obscure businessman to a polarizing Tesla billionaire and his promise to change Twitter after he completes his $44 billion purchase of the social media platform triggered an outpouring of admiration from the right and outrage from the left.

Depp-Heard Defamation Trial: A Look At The Celeb Witnesses Still Set To Testify

As witnesses continue to take the stand or testify via video in the ongoing Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, it was recently revealed that two celebrities — James Franco and Elon Musk — will no longer be testifying in the case.

With Franco and Musk out, there are still a few Hollywood figures who may take the stand, including Ellen Barkin and Paul Bettany. Heard is also set to testify. Here's a look at which celebs we may hear from over the course of the trial

Preliminary Autopsy Results Show Iliana Peters’ Death Was A Homicide

Preliminary autopsy results show that the death of a 10-year-old girl in Chippewa Falls is a homicide.

Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten said that according to the preliminary results of the autopsy conducted by the Ramsey County (Minn.) Medical Examiner’s Office, Iliana Peters suffered strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Tiffany Statement On The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act

Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) released the following statement after voting no on S. 3522, the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022.

"I strongly condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. However, I learned a long time ago not to lend money unless you don't mind never getting it back. The United States is already the largest donor to this war, straining our own defense capabilities and supplies while other NATO countries watch American taxpayers foot the lion’s share of the bill," said Congressman Tiffany.

From Afghanistan To Ukraine, Changing Circumstances Cause Refugee Resettlement Demands To Vary

Madison's refugee resettlement agency saw only a small trickle of refugees come to the area through the first 18 months of the pandemic. That changed dramatically last fall.

"With the crisis in Afghanistan, as they say, the floodgates opened up," Dawn Berney, the executive director of Jewish Social Services, said. "All of these refugees came to the United States, and we have resettled significantly more refugees in the last few months than we did in the last few years."

'We Can Do Better For Each Other': Wisconsin Unions Commemorate Workers Memorial Day

Wisconsin unions called attention to the effects of workplace injuries and deaths Thursday on what they call Workers Memorial Day.

An AFL-CIO report released this week found 340 workers across the country died each day in 2020 because of dangerous working conditions. It also found Latino and Black workers are at greater risk than their fellow workers.

Aaron Rodgers Reacts To The Packers Not Selecting A Wide Receiver In The First Round

Aaron Rodgers was not exactly thrilled with the Green Bay Packers' 2020 NFL Draft first-round selection, when they traded up to take quarterback Jordan Love. Heading into this year's draft, eyes were not just on what the Packers would do, but how No. 12, who is not typically quiet with his opinions, would feel about the picks.