Morning Headlines - Monday, Mar. 14, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Russia Seeking Military Aid From China, Says US Official

A United States official says Russia has asked China for military equipment to use in its invasion of Ukraine, a request that heightened tensions about the ongoing war before a meeting between senior US and Chinese officials in Rome.

In advance of the talks on Monday, White House NSA Jake Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy.

How The War In Ukraine Hurts The U.S. Economy

Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens to pull the rug out from under our previously pretty sweet economic recovery. It's kind of a Godfather 3 moment — just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.

Why it matters: We just went through a massive economic upheaval. The recovery is still fragile — supply chains aren't fully recovered, and inflation is at record highs. Now, add on the fallout from both the war itself and the crippling economic sanctions levied against Russia for its unprovoked attack.

Russia Moves To Categorize Facebook's Parent Company Meta As An 'Extremist Organization'

Last week, Facebook temporarily allowed users to post threats to Vladimir Putin and the Russian military forces involved in the invasion of Ukraine.

Now, Russia has declared the parent company of Facebook to be an "extremist organization," while also restricting access to the Instagram application.

Why Americans May — Or May Not — Blame Biden For Higher Gas Prices

When President Biden announced last week that he was banning Russian oil imports to the United States to retaliate against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he conceded that Americans would pay more for gas as a result. “Defending freedom is going to cost,” Biden said. “It’s going to cost us as well.”

It’s a precarious situation for Biden because inflation and, in particular, higher gas prices — including those spurred by overseas oil crises — have been shown to drag down presidential approval. At the same time, presidents haven’t always experienced lower approval as a result of these conflicts, so it’s possible that, given the situation in Ukraine, Americans won’t blame Biden for higher gas prices as they have blamed past presidents.

Tom Brady Announces NFL Return After Brief Retirement

Tom Brady's retirement lasted 40 days. Brady said Sunday he is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the NFL. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has "unfinished business.''

The announcement comes the same day Brady posted a video on his Instagram stories in which soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo asked him, "You're finished right?" Brady's answer was not audible, but the expression on his face suggested he really hadn't closed the door on retirement.

Wisconsin Headlines

In Wisconsin, A Political Battle Over The 2020 Vote Still Rages

The primary season is already underway for this fall's midterm elections. And according to a CBS News poll, 61% of voters say they want politicians to address the voting process.

Former President Donald Trump insists voter fraud cost him re-election, despite having lost more than 60 lawsuits challenging the process. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans believe Joe Biden's victory was illegitimate. And Republican-controlled legislatures in battleground states – including Arizona, Florida, and Georgia – have rewritten election laws. Republicans say it's in order to make voting more secure. Democrats say it's to make it harder for their traditional base to cast ballots.

Perhaps no state is more contentious than Wisconsin, which Joe Biden won by less than one percent of the vote, and where a battle is raging over voting rights and wrongs.

Scammers Using Local Powerball Winners To Bait Victims Into Lottery Scam

A lottery scam is using the names of real winners to deliver false promises.

The scammers are using the names of an Oneida couple who won a share of the massive $316 million Powerball jackpot this year.

Consumer First Alert tracks this scam from South Carolina to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Man Sentenced to More Than 27 Years for Sex Trafficking of Minors

A Wisconsin man has been sentenced to 330 months in federal prison for sex trafficking of minors. James Coney, 33, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Fitchburg Police Chief Alfonso Morales. This prison sentence will be followed by 25 years of supervised release.

Following a four-day trial in federal court, Coney was convicted on March 1, 2021 of four counts of sex trafficking a minor, one count of sex trafficking a minor by force, one count of attempted sex trafficking a minor, and four counts of transporting a minor from Wisconsin to Illinois for the purpose of prostitution.

Doctors Debate, Patients Suffer: The Fight Over Chronic Lyme Disease In Wisconsin

If life had gone as planned, Maria Alice Lima Freitas would be in medical school, inspired by the career of her father, a surgeon who practiced in Brazil. But instead of changing careers, the 49-year-old therapist retired from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Freitas says her undiagnosed Lyme disease has sapped her energy, fogged her thinking and caused pain in her neck, shoulders, hands and right knee. She has three times deferred her entrance into medical school while struggling with myriad symptoms that she attributes to Lyme. Most of her doctors say she is mistaken, and that her symptoms, which began in 2015, are due to rheumatoid arthritis, or RA.

Freitas is among thousands of Wisconsinites who say they are suffering from a chronic or long-term version of the disease. The infection comes from tiny ticks primarily found in the northeastern United States, including in Wisconsin — which is a hot spot for Lyme, ranking No. 5 among states for Lyme cases in 2019.

Badgers Named No. 3 Seed In NCAA Tournament

After winning a share of the Big Ten regular season title, the Wisconsin Badgers were named the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will play close to home in the Milwaukee Regional.

The Badgers will face Colgate in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, this coming Friday, March 18 at 8:50 p.m. on TBS.