Morning Headlines - Friday, Jan. 27, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

What We Know About Tyre Nichols' Death And The Investigation Into The Officers Allegedly Responsible

Five former Memphis police officers have been fired and charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died three days after a violent traffic stop. Video footage of Nichols' arrest is expected to be released Friday sometime after 7 p.m. ET, as Memphis and other cities brace for protests. His family urged demonstrators to protest peacefully.

Authorities have released few details on what led to Nichols' arrest and what exactly happened after he was pulled over. Here is what we know so far about his death and the aftermath.

Lawmakers Submit More Than 140 Amendments As House Opens Process For First Time In Seven Years

The House opened up its amendment process for the first time in seven years on Thursday, and began debating on the floor more than 140 proposed changes to an oil-related bill.

House Republicans brought the Strategic Production Response Act to the floor on Thursday under what’s known as a modified-open rule.

The bill in seeks to limit the president’s ability to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), and would mandate the federal government to draw up a plan that would boost the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production, should it continue withdrawing resources from the SPR.

Selfies, Karaoke And Chick-Fil-A: Rep. George Santos Is Reveling In The Spotlight Despite Investigations

Embattled Rep. George Santos is refusing to face the music, but he appears to be relishing his moment in the spotlight.

Santos, the New York Republican, freshman fabulist and subject of federal, state, local and international investigations, was spotted Wednesday night by NBC News smiling, laughing and taking dozens of selfies with patrons during karaoke night at a popular Washington barbecue joint.

“Many people are asking why I’d want a selfie with George Santos, to which I say who *wouldn’t* want a picture with the lead singer of Queen, father of Texas BBQ, Purple Heart Iraq war hero, and three-time Super Bowl champion?” tweeted Natalie Johnson, a former GOP Hill staffer who snapped a selfie with Santos.

Israel Air Attacks Hit Gaza, Escalation Fears After Jenin Raid

Israel has launched multiple air attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip a day after Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians – including an elderly woman – in the Jenin refugee camp, marking one of the deadliest raids in the occupied West Bank by Israel’s military in years.

Local sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera that Israeli warplanes had hit al-Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of the territory, with at least 13 strikes in the early hours of Friday.

The al-Zaitoun neighbourhood in the south of Gaza City was also hit, as well as an open area east of Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza.

Witnesses and local media reported that Israeli drones fired two missiles at targets in Gaza before the fighter jets struck.

Businessman Launching Longshot For White House Fails To Help As His Pregnant Wife Collapses

• A West Virginia businessman's pregnant wife collapsed during his presidential bid announcement on January 20
• Rollan Roberts II was giving reasons why constituents should vote for him when his wife, Rebecca, who is five months pregnant, fainted
• In the video, Roberts takes several seconds before moving to help his wife
• The Republican later posted video of his announcement to Facebook but edited out the moment when his wife collapsed

Wisconsin Headlines

Evers Appointees Take Control Of Wisconsin Natural Resources Board

The board that regulates Wisconsin's natural resources entered a new phase on Jan. 25, meeting for the first time with a majority of members appointed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers after months of stonewalling by a Republican who refused to step down.

Evers' new appointee as Department of Natural Resources secretary, Adam Payne, presided over his first meeting and declared that his top priority will be water quality. He praised Evers for proposing $100 million more to fight PFAS contamination during the State of the State address Tuesday. That money is far from locked in; however, Republican lawmakers would have to approve it first.

Tiffany, Perry Reintroduce Resolution To End “One China Policy,” Expand Diplomatic, Economic Ties With Taiwan

Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) led 18 members of Congress in reintroducing legislation calling for the U.S. to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and end the outdated and counter-productive “One China Policy.” The resolution also directs the Biden administration to support Taiwan's membership in international organizations, and to negotiate a bilateral U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement.

“The world has undergone dramatic changes since the days of Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter, and it's time that U.S. policy reflected that fact. Taiwan is a free, democratic, and independent country – one that has never been under the control of the People’s Republic of China or part of its territory. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply a lie,” said Congressman Tom Tiffany.

“It’s time to change the status quo and recognize the reality denied by the United States government for decades: Taiwan is an independent Nation. As our long-standing and valued partner, correctly acknowledging their independence from Communist China is long overdue,” said Congressman Scott Perry.

Wisconsin Union Membership Is The Lowest It's Been Since At Least 1989

Wisconsin’s union membership continued to decline last year despite increased unionization efforts in the service industry and while polling shows labor unions have become more popular than they’ve been in more than a half-century.

Union membership in the state declined by 28,000 in 2022 and fell below 200,000 for the first time since at least 1989, according to data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have historical data for 1994, union membership the years before and after 1994 was more than 400,000.

Last year, Wisconsin had 187,000 union members, a 13 percent decrease from 2021's total of 215,000. That’s the state’s biggest drop in union membership since 2015.

While it was the sharpest decline in recent years, it was the continuation of a more than three-decade slide. In 1989, unions represented 20.9 percent of the state’s total workforce. Last year, union membership fell to just 7.1 percent.

Abortion Front And Center In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

A liberal judge running in a pivotal race to determine majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court touts her support for abortion rights in the first two television ads of the closely watched race launched Thursday.

The winner of the April 4 election will determine whether the court remains under control of conservative justices or flips to a liberal majority. Everything from redistricting to abortion rights to election laws heading into the 2024 presidential election and after in the swing state could be determined by the court.

The court has the final word on hotly contested issues in the state because of conflicts between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The court has overwhelmingly sided with Republicans on major policy issues over the past decade-plus.

Illinois Couple Arrested In Wisconsin After Traffic Stop Reveals $250k Worth Of Cocaine

A couple from Illinois was taken into custody after deputies found over $250,000 worth of cocaine during a traffic stop in southern Wisconsin.

According to a media release from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, around 6:00 p.m., a deputy conducted a traffic stop on I-39/90 near WIS 59 in the Township of Fulton.

During the traffic stop, the deputy utilized his K9 partner Kamo and obtained probable cause to search the vehicle. As a result, the search yielded 7,095 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of $260,000.