Morning Headlines - Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Walz Caps Off Emotional Night: 5 Takeaways From Day 3 Of DNC

The third day of the Democratic National Convention did not quite reach the emotional intensity of the previous two nights, but it kept the party’s momentum going ahead of Vice President Harris’s big speech on Thursday.

Harris’s vice-presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), was the headline attraction on Wednesday. The other major names included former President Clinton, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg — as well as a surprise appearance from TV legend Oprah Winfrey.

Here are the big takeaways.

RFK Jr. Is Planning To Drop Out Of The 2024 Presidential Race And Endorse Trump

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to end his independent presidential campaign and endorse former President Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

The sources cautioned that talks are ongoing but said there will be clarity by the end of the week. One of the sources said the campaigns are working toward a joint appearance.

Crypto Is Dominating Corporate Election Spending

The crypto industry accounts for almost half the money contributed by corporations to political action committees so far in 2024, according to a new report from Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group.

Crypto is pioneering a strategy for direct corporate election spending that could usher in a new era of spending by big companies to get the outcomes they want in elections, the organization argues.

Second U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives In Mideast Amid Regional Conflict Fears

A second United States aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday escorted by guided missile destroyers, the U.S. Central Command said.

The carrier, equipped with F-35 fighter jets, added to the U.S. ships already in the region, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, which arrived in mid-July. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Lincoln to transit from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East earlier this month as the Biden administration prepares to defend Israel against an expected Iranian attack.

People Are Blurring Their Homes On Google Maps To Deter Burglars. Here's How.

Some homeowners in Southern California are blurring their homes on Google Maps as a means of deterring potential burglaries, Ryan Railsback, an officer in the Riverside Police Department, told ABC News.

The tactic could reduce the likelihood of a robbery by denying would-be wrongdoers useful information about the value of one's possessions and any security measures in place to protect them, Railsback said.

Federal Judge Rejects Republican Request For Wisconsin's Youth Prison To Have More Options To Control Inmates

A federal judge has rejected Republican legislators’ calls to give counselors at Wisconsin’s troubled youth prison more leeway in controlling and punishing inmates after a counselor was killed during a fight at the facility in June.

U.S. District Judge James Peterson sent a letter on Aug. 20 to state Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Van Wanggaard and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers telling them if they want changes at Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake Schools they should file a formal legal motion and need to show current restrictions on counselors are endangering staff and inmates.

Wisconsin Tribes Hope New FCC Alert Will Aid Search Efforts For Missing Indigenous People

The Federal Communications Commission recently announced a new nationwide alert code for missing and endangered people.

The new “MEP” code, short for “Missing and Endangered Persons,” is similar to Amber Alerts for missing children and Silver Alerts for missing and endangered seniors, but it applies to adults that don’t fit either of these categories. It will allow local law enforcement to quickly disseminate information about missing residents through radio, TV and phone alerts.

FCC officials say this new alert system will especially benefit tribal communities, as Indigenous people are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing violence, being murdered or going missing.

Wisconsinites Less Interested In Investing In Gold Than The Average American

A new study from the United States Money Reserve is showing that although the average American is very interested in investing in gold bars, Wisconsinites aren't.

The study shows that nationwide gold is now ranked third among perceptions of the best long-term investments. Investments in gold surged during the pandemic, surpassing $2,000 per ounce for the first time.

DNR Announces New Online Tool For Analyzing Water Quality On Lakes And Streams

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the release of the Wisconsin Water Explorer, a web-based tool that can help Wisconsin residents address concerns about the quality of water in their local lakes or rivers.

Answering water quality questions requires sophisticated computer software and extensive datasets. The Wisconsin Water Explorer tool makes scientific data analysis accessible to the public by automating the process of finding and analyzing data. The tool provides insights into current conditions and trends through graphs, maps and automated reports.

Wisconsin Para Dancers Compete In World Championship

Earlier this month, four dancers from Wisconsin competed at the World Para Dance Sport competition in Detroit.

Para dancing, sometimes called wheelchair dancing, is a competitive sport for athletes with physical disabilities in their lower limbs. It originated in the 1960s in Sweden, where the first competition was held in 1975. Since then, most of the international para dancing competitions have taken place in Europe.

This year was the first time the official world championship was held in the United States.