Morning Headlines - Monday, Nov. 18, 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

How Long-Range Missiles Striking Russia Could Affect Ukraine War

US officials say President Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to use long range missiles supplied by Washington to strike deep inside Russia.

Washington had previously refused to allow such strikes with US-made ATACMS missiles because it feared they would escalate the war.

The major policy reversal comes two months before President Joe Biden hands over power to Donald Trump, whose election has raised fears over the future of US support for Kyiv.

Spirit Airlines Files For Bankruptcy

Spirit Airlines said Monday that it's filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and failed attempts to sell itself to other carriers.

Spirit, the biggest U.S. budget airline, has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion over the next year, obligations it was unlikely to be able to meet.

Federal Workers Brace For Trump Overhaul Of Civil Service

President-elect Trump’s plans to reshape the federal workforce would allow him to fire wide swaths of career employees and replace them with political appointees — a move that comes as he has demanded loyalty at every level of government.

Trump has said he will reissue an order released in the waning days of his first administration that ends merit-based hiring for a number of federal jobs that work on policy, instead creating a new class of federal employees — Schedule F — that could be hired and fired just like political appointees.

AMC Is Poised To Ride The Box Office Rebound, As Long As Its Debt Doesn’t Get In The Way

The domestic box office is on the rebound, but AMC’s debt load is preventing it from fully capitalizing on the revival.

The company has more than $4 billion in long-term debt on the books and interest payments weigh heavily on its bottom line.

But, AMC is taking strides to improve its revenue and coax lapsed moviegoers back into its theaters with premium screens and specialty popcorn buckets.

Google Working On ‘Shielded Email’ To Hide Your Address From Apps

Google might let you hide your actual email address from Android apps with a new “Shielded Email.”

Shielded Email appears to be available when signing up for new accounts in Android apps. Google touts how this “can protect you from online tracking and data breaches.” Hopefully, you will be able to generate Shielded Emails when creating any new account, like on the web.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Supreme Court To Hear Arguments In Lawsuit Over Meagan Wolfe ‘Holdover’ Appointment

Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday about whether Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe can keep her job amid a years-long Republican push to oust her.

The dispute has been driven by conservatives who are angry with the way Wolfe oversaw the 2020 election, when COVID-19 changed the way clerks handled voting, and President-elect Donald Trump cast doubt on his loss to President Joe Biden.

The case is the latest example of an ongoing power struggle over political appointments in Wisconsin. It will test whether the court’s liberal majority still opposes a 2022 decision by the court’s former conservative majority allowing appointees to stay in their positions until someone new is confirmed by the Wisconsin Senate.

Post-Election Information Voters Should Know

All 72 of Wisconsin’s counties have posted their complete, unofficial results on their websites and now election officials at the municipal, county, and state levels are conducting the certification process, a weeks-long review stage that will ultimately result in the final, official results of the election. As of Thursday, not all counties have completed their canvasses yet. The chair of the WEC has until Dec. 1, 2024 to certify the state and federal results.

Here’s what Wisconsinites should know about the November General Election as the certification process continues:

Wisconsin Ranks Number One In The Nation During Fall Drug Take Back Collection

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced that Wisconsin ranked number one throughout the country for the most prescription medications collected during the Fall 2024 Drug Take Back collection. Wisconsin collected 55,493 lbs. of unwanted medications this fall.

“Wisconsin is again leading the nation in drug take back due to strong partnerships across the state and the continued commitment of Wisconsinites to ensuring that prescription medications are safely disposed of,” said Attorney General Kaul. “Thank you to everyone who assisted with drug take back.”

Jordan Love Runs For Go-Ahead TD And Packers Beat Bears On Karl Brooks' FG Block At Buzzer

Jordan Love ran for a go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes, and the Green Bay Packers hung on to beat the Chicago Bears 20-19 on Sunday when Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

The Packers (7-3) made just enough plays to avoid falling farther behind Detroit and Minnesota in the NFC North and beat the last-place Bears (4-6) for the 11th straight time, the longest streak by either team in the storied rivalry.

Wisconsin Football Offensive Coordinator And Quarterbacks Coach Phil Longo 'Relieved From Duties'

Wisconsin football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo has been relieved of his duties, according to head coach Luke Fickell. 

Luke Fickell released the following statement on Sunday: