Morning Headlines - Friday, Jun. 30, 2023 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Liberal Fury Rages Over The Supreme Court

Conservatives – despite their limited federal elected power – racked up another huge win in the great political battle of the early 21st century.

The Supreme Court’s gutting of affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday toppled another pillar of America’s liberal social infrastructure. Democrats have had their successes over the last 20 years – including earlier this month with decisions ordering the redraw of Alabama’s congressional map and rejecting a Trump-backed election law theory – but it often seems as though conservatives have the momentum.

A Major UPS Strike Is Looming — Here’s What That Means For Your Packages

Tens of thousands of unionized workers for the United Parcel Service are on the verge of going on strike as negotiations between the company and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for better benefits and working conditions reach a critical point.

Workers dialed up the pressure on the shipping giant this week, demanding the company present its “best and final offer” by Friday, or it would begin the largest single employer strike in decades.

Supreme Court Expected To Rule On Biden's Student Debt Relief Plan Friday

The Supreme Court is poised to issue a much-anticipated ruling Friday that will determine whether President Joe Biden's long-delayed plan to forgive student loan debt can move forward.

The program, which would allow eligible borrowers to cancel up to $20,000 in debt and is estimated to cost more than $400 billion, has been blocked since the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary hold in October. About 43 million people are eligible to participate.

FBI Creates A National Database To Track Swatting

As swatting incidents around the country increase, the FBI has created a national database to track them, according to new information from the law enforcement agency.

"In response to the national call on swatting, the FBI initiated the Virtual Command Center (VCC) known as the National Common Operation Picture (NCOP),” the FBI said in a statement to ABC News.

Swatting, as it is commonly called is when a prank call is placed, usually saying there is some sort of active shooter or immediate dangerous situation, with the hopes to illicit a large police response which often includes the arrival of a SWAT team.

Bud Light Breaks Its Silence After Dylan Mulvaney Slammed Embattled Beer Brand For Failing To Support Her

Bud Light has hit back at transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney after she hit out at the struggling beer brand for 'failing to reach out to her' amid the backlash of their campaign.

Mulvaney, 26, yesterday broke her silence on the debacle - which has seen Anheuser-Busch lose $20million in market cap value since the advert for March Madness.

Speaking to her 1.8million followers earlier Thursday, Mulvaney said: 'I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did. I've been scared to leave my house.

'For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all.'

Wisconsin Assembly Passes 2023-25 Budget, Which Goes To Governor For Review

A two-year spending plan that would cut income taxes across the board, increase funding for K-12 schools and cut the University of Wisconsin’s budget in a fight over diversity, equity and inclusion programming was sent to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on June 29.

Republicans who passed the budget in the state Assembly touted it as an investment in the state’s priorities by cutting income taxes by $3.5 billion, reducing the number of brackets to move closer to a flat tax, increasing funding for K-12 public and private choice schools, and increasing pay for prison workers, prosecutors and public defenders.

Dems Slam GOP Move Toward Vote On Wolfe As Elections Administrator

Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard says her caucus is “disgusted and frustrated” after Republicans moved late last night to pave the way for a vote on whether Meagan Wolfe will continue to serve as Wisconsin’s top election official.

Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, though, knocked the Elections Commission for how it handled the issue of whether Wolfe’s status should be before the Senate for full review. He said during last night’s floor period if the commission can’t follow the proper procedures to vote on Wolfe’s renomination, it casts doubt on whether it can be trusted to administer Wisconsin’s election laws.

Report Says Wisconsin's Energy Grid Can Withstand Normal Summer, But Extreme Heat Could Cause Shortages

The Midwest electric grid — which includes Wisconsin — should have enough resources to meet normal summer demands this year, but it could face shortages during peak demand levels from extreme heat events.

That's according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp., or NERC, a utility watchdog that releases a summer reliability report each year. Its 2023 report found that two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls this summer during periods of high demand.

That includes the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, which manages the grid across Wisconsin and 14 other states. NERC says North America’s elevated risk outlook is driven by a combination of coal plant retirements, a possible spike in energy use and reduced reliability due to extreme heat.

Wisconsinites Report Poor Air Quality Quickly Turning Filters Grey

With the air quality being so poor, some Wisconsin residents are noticing their home air filters quickly turning from white to grey.

Brandon Housley said he replaces his air filter often because of his girlfriend's allergies.

With the air quality being an issue the past few days, his girlfriend Maddie McCue said she couldn't stop coughing.

"I thought I was maybe sick because I couldn't stop coughing or sneezing," McCue said. "My eyes were burning, which isn't totally abnormal from allergies, but it's abnormal for me to have them all day long and all night long."

Wisconsin Man Sentenced To 1 Year In Prison For Making Threats

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Michael A. Yaker, 53, DeForest, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to one year and one day in federal prison for transmitting in interstate commerce a threatening communication. Yaker’s prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Yaker sent threatening communications on and off to various public officials and government employees since 2010. Yaker’s campaign of threats continued when he left Wisconsin in January 2022. As a result of leaving Wisconsin, Yaker’s threats—telephone calls and emails—were transmitted in interstate commerce, thus triggering federal jurisdiction. Yaker was charged in federal court and pled guilty on March 29, 2023.