Morning Headlines - Friday, July 26, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Former President Obama And Michelle Obama Endorse Harris

Former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama gave their highly-anticipated endorsement for Vice President Harris on Friday.

The Harris campaign released a one-minute video entitled “Endorsement” featuring a phone call, during which the Obamas gave their support to Harris.

“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” Obama said in the video.

Newsom Issues Executive Order To Begin Removing Homeless Encampments In California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday for the removal of homeless encampments in the state.

Newsom's order would direct state agencies on how to remove the thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, clutter shopping center parking lots and fill city parks. The order makes clear that the decision to remove the encampments remains in the hands of local authorities.

What Are Phyrges? Everything To Know About The Paris 2024 Mascot

The mascot of the Paris Olympic Games may not seem all that mighty to those outside the host country, but that little red hat, known as a Phrygian cap (or a liberty cap), is a symbol of the French liberation.

The Phryges (pronounced "FREE-jes") were announced as the mascots of the Paris Games in November 2022. Paris 2024 said the caps are "sporty, love to party ... and are so French."

Snoop Dogg Carries The Olympic Torch Before Opening Ceremony In Paris

Snoop Dogg is seemingly everywhere during the Paris Olympics, but on Friday morning you could catch him carrying the Olympic torch ahead of the opening ceremony.

He was one of the final torch bearers of the Olympic flame, which was lit in April in Greece and slowly has journeyed toward Paris since. Snoop Dogg's leg was in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

The States With The Most Expensive Car Insurance, Mapped

The cost of car insurance is hitting high water marks nationwide, though drivers in some states are feeling the pain more than others.

Fast-rising insurance rates are contributing to a transportation affordability crisis, especially in the many parts of the country where people have few alternatives to car ownership.

Baldwin ‘Deeply Disappointed’ In Netanyahu Speech, Moore And Pocan Skip Address

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, the only Wisconsin Dem member of Congress to attend Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session, said she was “deeply disappointed” by the Israeli prime minister’s remarks.

Dem U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore both boycotted yesterday’s speech, Netanyahu’s first before Congress since the Oct. 7 attacks when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds, including some who have yet to be released. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the onset of the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

DOJ Launches New Treatment Alternatives And Diversion Dashboard

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis (BJIA) today announced a new online dashboard for the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) Grant Program yearly reports on referrals and admissions to TAD-funded treatment courts and diversion programs.

“Treatment and diversion programs make communities safer, help folks struggling with substance-use disorder, and save taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “This new dashboard will make it easier for Wisconsinites to learn more about these programs.”

DNR Will Repeal Rule Barring Firearms While Fishing After Legal Challenge

Anglers are now off the hook if they carry a firearm while fishing after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has agreed to repeal a regulation preventing them from doing so.

The move follows a lawsuit filed by the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, or WILL, on behalf of Sheboygan Falls resident Travis Kobs. The legal group sued Acting DNR Secretary Steven Little last month over the 25-year-old rule that bars firearms and guns on waters and shores used for fishing.

Minnesota Man Sentenced To 6 Years For Fentanyl Trafficking

Yoshi R. Walker, 26, New Brighton, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Walker pleaded guilty to this charge on April 12, 2024.

The government’s investigation revealed a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing over 4 kilograms of fentanyl pills into Madison from Arizona. Law enforcement began investigating the organization in January 2022, following the seizure of two mail packages that each contained one kilogram of fentanyl pills (almost 20,000 pills in total). The packages had been mailed by the same individual in Arizona to addresses in Madison. Between March and October 2022, undercover officers purchased fentanyl pills from members of the organization on twenty-three occasions in the Madison area.

Sen. Baldwin Introduces Legislation Requiring Closing Hospitals To Create A Plan For Patients

Patients of hospitals at risk of closing might not fall through the cracks any longer, according to new legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin).

Following the closure of several Hospital Sisters Health System facilities across the state, Sen. Baldwin introduced the Hospital Stability and Health Services Act, which would require hospitals to create a publicly-approved plan for patients should they close abruptly.