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

U.S. and World Headlines

Florida On Alert As Tropical Storm Ian Nears Hurricane Strength

A strengthening Tropical Storm Ian was expected to intensify into a hurricane on Monday — and possibly into a high-end Category 4 storm as early as midweek this week.

Ian was some 355 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba at 2am ET, and its maximum sustained winds had strengthened to 70 mph, up from 45 mph Sunday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. A storm is classified as a hurricane when its maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph.

The Polls Still Do Not Show A GOP Bounceback

Ever since we launched our election model in late June, it has moved entirely in one direction: toward Democrats. Pretty much every week, they’ve either gained ground in our forecast or held steady.

This week has been more in the “held steady” category. In the Deluxe version of our model, Democrats’ chances of keeping the Senate are 71 percent, while their chances of holding the House are 31 percent. Neither number has meaningfully changed from a week ago.

At Least 13 Dead, 21 Wounded In Russia School Shooting

Children were among the 13 victims killed by a gunman at a school in central Russia on Monday, local police and government officials said.

“Thirteen people, including six adults and seven minors, were killed because of this crime,” Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement, adding that 14 children and seven adults were injured in the school in Izhevsk – a city of about 640,000 people about 960 kilometres (596 miles) east of Moscow in the Udmurtia region.

NASA Is About To Crash A Spacecraft Into An Asteroid. Here's Why The Mission Could One Day Save Humanity

More than 6.5 million miles away from Earth, a cosmic collision is imminent.

In a first-of-its-kind maneuver, a NASA spacecraft is set to intentionally smash into an asteroid to test whether deflecting a space rock could one day protect Earth from a potentially catastrophic impact.

The crash is planned for 7:14 p.m. ET Monday. Live coverage will air on NASA TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

The mission, known as DART, or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, will attempt a method of planetary defense that could save Earth from an asteroid on a potential collision course with the planet. It's a rare opportunity to conduct a real-world experiment on an asteroid that doesn't pose a threat to Earth

GOP Path To Senate Majority Narrows

Republicans are staring down an increasingly narrow path to reclaiming the Senate majority this year amid Democratic gains in key battleground states that the GOP had once been bullish about.

The current outlook for the GOP is a much different one than the party saw just a few months ago, when Republicans were favored to win control of the Senate and Democrats faced the prospect of an electoral thrashing.

But now, with the midterms fewer than 50 days away, Democrats appear increasingly likely to hold their seats in once-foreboding battlegrounds like Arizona and New Hampshire, while Republicans are up against the possibility that their Senate prospects could come down to just a couple states.

Will GOP’s Crime Attack Line Sink Barnes In Wisconsin?

Wisconsin’s Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes finds himself facing a big question ahead of Election Day: Will voters care about his stance on crime?

Democrats from Washington to Wisconsin have taken steps to prioritize policing and public safety ahead of the midterms, distancing themselves from the soft-on-crime profile that Republicans have said defines their liberal opposition.

But the party’s struggle to do so in unison is playing out in one of the highest-profile races this cycle, where Barnes, a young Black populist candidate, is fending off attacks from Sen. Ron Johnson (R) and aligned Republicans in the battle for the state’s open Senate seat.

The rift has caused Democrats to wonder about the outcome of conservatives’ favorite critique in the tightening race.

Republican Tim Michels Changes Position On Adding Exceptions To Wisconsin's Abortion Ban

Republican candidate for governor Tim Michels changed his position on abortion Friday, saying he would support exceptions to Wisconsin's 1849 abortion ban after previously saying he opposed them.

Michels' shift comes at a time when abortion has emerged as a pivotal issue in the race for governor, where Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has pushed to overturn the state's abortion ban and Democrats have attacked Michels for opposing abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Roe v. Wade.

The issue came up again Friday during an interview on WISN-AM radio, where Michels was asked by conservative host Dan O'Donnell if he would sign a bill that bans abortion but includes exceptions for rape or incest.

Kamala Harris Talks Abortion, Appeals To Voters In Milwaukee

Vice President Kamala Harris met with college students and Latino leaders in Milwaukee on Sept. 22, a visit meant to energize voters just under seven weeks before an election in which Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson are on the ballot.

Harris also spoke at a meeting of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, urging them to "fight back" for abortion rights and against those she called "extremist, so-called leaders" who were attempting to make it harder to vote.

No. 3 Buckeyes Score Early And Often, Bury Wisconsin 52-21

C.J. Stroud threw five touchdown passes, and both top running backs had 100-yard games as the Buckeyes blew by Wisconsin early and cruised to a 52-21 win on Saturday night.

"I thought the tempo and the mix of run and pass today is what we're looking for," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.

Cade Stover and Emeka Egbuka each caught two touchdown passes, and Miyan Williams rushed for two more scores.

The Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) controlled the line of scrimmage and scored touchdowns on their first four drives on the way to a 31-7 halftime lead. Wisconsin could only slow them down after that but didn't get closer than 21 points.

Rodgers Throws For 2 TDs, Packers Hold Off Brady, Bucs 14-12

The NFL MVP threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and the Packers withstood a late rally led by Brady to hold off the Bucs for a 14-12 victory in the first meeting between the teams since Tampa Bay won the NFC championship game two seasons ago.

"It's Week 3. It feels good for sure. There could be some tiebreakers and stuff down the line when you beat a team like this," Rodgers said after defeating Brady for the first time in three tries since the seven-time Super Bowl champion joined the Bucs in 2020.

"I have a ton of respect for him. He's been a trailblazer at the position for a long time," Rodgers said. "I've had a lot of fun competing against Tom over the years and it's always nice to come out on top."