Morning Headlines - Monday, Dec. 26, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Who’s The New No. 4 Democrat? There May Be A Dispute

As Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) scrambles to shore up enough GOP support to become the next Speaker, House Democrats are grappling with a question swirling around their own leadership hierarchy next year: Who, in fact, is the No. 4 Democrat?

Most in the caucus presume that ranking falls to Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who will assume the assistant leader spot in the next Congress. Clyburn is a powerful a 30-year veteran lawmaker — and a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus — who played an instrumental role in President Biden’s successful White House run.

Yet Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), the incoming vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus, is subtly questioning that hierarchy.

The vice chair has always been ranked just below the caucus chair, and because the caucus chair in the 118th Congress will be the No. 3 position, why wouldn’t the vice chair be No. 4?

When Might Other Republicans Challenge Trump For The 2024 Nomination?

Last month, former President Donald Trump announced his campaign to return to the White House, more than a year before the start of the 2024 presidential primary process. So far, Trump is the only major Republican candidate who’s launched a bid. While his entry may deter some opponents from running, it’s unlikely Trump will have the GOP primary entirely to himself.

But just how long will we have to wait until someone decides to take on Trump? We took a look at open presidential primaries between 1980 and 2020 (meaning they didn’t feature an incumbent) and noted when every candidate either filed with the Federal Election Commission or announced their candidacy, whichever came first. (Trump did both on Nov. 15.) Using this data, we compared how far in advance of the Iowa caucuses — the long-running first electoral stop — these candidates formally began their campaigns.

A National Weed Glut Is Causing Prices To Plummet And Imperiling Businesses

Michigan has way too much weed.

The number of cannabis grow operations serving the state’s recreational market has almost doubled in the past year. The number of active marijuana plants now exceeds 1.2 million, roughly six times the volume seen in 2020.

By one estimate, Michigan has enough cultivation capacity to supply three times as much weed as the state’s consumers are buying — and that doesn’t include the huge illegal market that by all accounts commands a large share of sales.

Michigan is emblematic of what’s been happening across the country all year — and why the industry’s been in a funk even as legalization spreads: Ill-fated hopes that a Democratic-controlled Washington might loosen decades-old restrictions on the drug have given way to a market glut and plummeting prices that have put scores of businesses at risk of collapse.

The Science Of Sexting: More Than A Third Of Women Who Send Nudes To Partners Say It's Because They Feel It's Expected From Them

Women who send nude photos of themselves on their smartphone usually do so because they feel it's expected of them, a study reveals.

Researchers at University of Nebraska-Lincoln used questionnaires to find out why young US women sent 'nudes' to men.

The most common reason, chosen by just over a third of participants, was because they saw it as 'an obligation or inherent part of being in a romantic relationship'.

They also found women 'endorsed a plethora of motivations' for sending nudes, including 'to feel sexually aroused' and to gain 'a sense of power'.

Charted: 2022's Year Of Upheaval

Inflation, immigration and the Supreme Court consistently held Americans' interest over the course of a year in which most news cycles — from Will Smith's Oscars slap to monkeypox to the death of Queen Elizabeth — burned hot and fast.

Axios' annual analysis of Google Trends data shows the rise and fall of America's attention in a year of global upheaval.

These are the five news events that generated the biggest spike in Google searches this year.

Vos: Action On Abortion Bill Unlikely Before Spring Election, Won’t ‘Die On That Hill’ For Flat Tax

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says every election cycle is a chance to hit the reset button or argue about old scores.

“I have done plenty of both. This time around, I’ve made the decision that I’m hitting the reset button,” the Rochester Republican said in a new WisPolitics.com interview.

Vos says that means he’s not drawing bright lines to start the new legislative session in the hopes of reaching compromises with Dem Gov. Tony Evers on various issues.

So while Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, has said his caucus is working on a plan to pave the way to a flat tax, Vos said Assembly Republicans are just starting to talk about tax cuts for the 2023-25 budget. Vos has said the $3.4 billion in tax cuts enacted during the current biennium are the minimum of what he wants in this budget. Still, he is open to looking at changes to property, income and corporate taxes.

Former State GOP Chair Expressed Concern About Fake Electors Plan Just Days Before Participating

Then-Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Andrew Hitt texted a colleague on Dec. 12, 2020 that top advisors to former President Donald Trump were "up to no good" as they discussed plans to use fake presidential electors to contest Trump's defeat.

But two days later, Hitt and other Republicans met at the state Capitol to participate in those plans, casting what they portrayed as electoral votes for Trump on the same day Wisconsin's actual electors cast their votes for Democrat Joe Biden.

Hitt's texts were released this week as part of the final report of the U.S. House's Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol. The committee subpoenaed Hitt as part of its investigation.

According to the panel's report, Hitt was notified in November that the Trump campaign wanted a list of Republican electors. The request prompted Hitt to text Mark Jefferson, the Republican Party of Wisconsin's executive director.

Owner Reunited With Horse That Fell Through Ice In Wisconsin Lake

Girl dads like Eric McKinley get it: his daughter, Hope, is happiest around her horse, Wilson.

“It’s kind of hard to explain. it’s just something between us that’s unbreakable, and it’s hard to put into words, like, you can only just feel it,” said Hope McKinley.

Hope was due home anyway for Christmas, but the trip back from veterinary school in Montana couldn’t come soon enough after she got word that Wilson escaped from home, wandered six miles and fell through the ice of Big Wood Lake in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.

Tagovailoa Throws 3 Picks, Packers Defeat Dolphins 26-20

Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander knew the secondary needed to start playing better against the Miami Dolphins after defensive backs coach Jerry Gray surprisingly yelled at them at halftime.

“That woke us up for sure,” Alexander said. “He doesn’t really yell, but he was yelling at us then. And you see the results. He probably needed to yell at us at the beginning of the game.”

Gray’s motivational effort worked: The Packers intercepted Tua Tagovailoa three times in the fourth quarter to complete their comeback and defeat the Dolphins 26-20 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Packers had a season-high four takeaways in the game — three interceptions, one fumble recovery. Alexander caught one of Green Bay’s three interceptions early in the fourth.

2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Prediction, Odds: Wisconsin Vs. Oklahoma State Picks

Tuesday brings a jam-packed college football schedule.

The finale of a four-game schedule takes place in Phoenix with the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Wisconsin Badgers take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a battle between power-conference squads. Wisconsin is 6-6 overall and Oklahoma State is 7-5 through the regular season. Both teams are dealing with numerous opt-outs and transfers, including both starting quarterbacks.

Former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is reportedly transferring to Florida, while former Oklahoma State starter Spencer Sanders is in the transfer portal.

Kickoff is at 10:15 p.m. ET in Phoenix. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Badgers as 3.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 43 in the latest Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State odds.