Morning Headlines - Friday, Oct. 4, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Dockworkers' Union To Suspend Strike Until Jan. 15 To Allow Time To Negotiate New Contract

The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.

The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages, the union and ports said in a joint statement.

Democrats Suspect Netanyahu Of Attempting To Tilt Trump-Harris Race

Democrats increasingly suspect that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to interfere in U.S. domestic politics by ignoring calls by President Biden to negotiate a peace deal in Gaza and by confronting Hezbollah and Iran weeks before the U.S. election.

The rapidly escalating confrontation between Israel, Hezbollah and Hezbollah’s ally, Iran, has undercut President Biden’s efforts to achieve peace through diplomacy.

Helene Recovery Could Cost $34 Billion. Here’s Who Might Pay For It

Hurricane Helene could cost upwards of $34 billion, according to Moody’s Analytics, leaving Congress and private insurers with a hefty bill to split as the storm ravages the southeastern U.S.

Given the eroded state of the private insurance landscape in some of the affected areas, the federal government may have to step in to subsidize the majority of the recovery effort.

FEMA is currently addressing the Helene wreckage with a renewed budget but Congress is on recess until November, unable to approve any supplemental funding unless it returns to Washington early, a rare move.

The Disappearing Bidens: A Quiet End To A Presidency

Joe Biden's visit to the storm-ravaged states in the South this week was an event that's become increasingly rare for the president: a public appearance.

Biden hasn't scheduled public events in 43 of the 75 days since he dropped his re-election bid, a reflection of the 81-year-old president's unpopularity and age limitations as he approaches his last three months in office.

Indiana Fever Star Caitlin Clark A Near-Unanimous Choice As WNBA's Rookie Of The Year

Caitlin Clark has been named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote, giving the Indiana Fever back-to-back winners after Aliyah Boston won the honor last season.

A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave Clark 66 of 67 votes in balloting released Thursday. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received the other.

Wisconsin Headlines

Harris, Joined By Cheney, Vows To Be ‘President For All Americans’ In Appeal To Republicans At Wisconsin Rally

Dem presidential nominee Kamala Harris condemned Donald Trump as a threat to democracy and vowed to be a “president for all Americans” as she sought to appeal to GOP voters in the birthplace of the Republican Party.

Harris spoke at a rally Thursday with former GOP U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who has endorsed her campaign. Cheney is an outspoken Trump critic who led the House committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack following the former president’s 2020 loss.

Milwaukee Public Schools Considering Closing, Merging Schools

Milwaukee Public Schools has found itself in an impossible situation.

The school district can’t afford to keep its 149 school buildings open, while student enrollment continues to decline.

But this leaves many people worrying that closing buildings in struggling neighborhoods will cut off services to the children living there. For many children, schools provide more than just education. The building means breakfast, lunch and safety during the day.

Wisconsin Election Clerks Referred 30 Cases Of Suspected Fraud To Prosecutors From July 2023 Into September 2024

Wisconsin election clerks referred 30 instances of suspected fraud and voting irregularities to prosecutors over the past year, according to a new report.

The nation’s multilayered election processes provide many safeguards that keep voter fraud generally detectable and rare, according to current and former election administrators for the Democratic and Republican parties. America’s elections also are decentralized into thousands of independent voting jurisdictions — Wisconsin, alone, has more than 1,800 local clerks — making it almost impossible to pull off a large-scale vote-rigging operation that could tip a race. But fraud does happen occasionally.

Democratic Fears Emerge On Wisconsin Senate Race

There is growing Democratic fear over how quickly the Wisconsin Senate race is tightening, with party insiders worried they could shockingly lose the critical contest, Axios has learned.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin's (D-Wis.) lead in both public and internal polls has deteriorated, and Republicans are flooding the state with cash to pull off the upset.

Baldwin leads by just two points in internal Democratic polling, a source familiar with the campaign told Axios. That is much closer than what public polling has shown for months.

Mets Advance In Playoffs With 4-2 Win Over Brewers

Pete Alonso hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off All-Star closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning and the New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Thursday night to win their NL Wild Card Series.

With their latest thrilling comeback in the decisive Game 3 against Milwaukee, the Mets advanced in the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2015 National League pennant. They moved on to a best-of-five Division Series beginning Saturday in Philadelphia against the NL East champion Phillies.