Morning Headlines - Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Democratic Support For Biden In 2024 Rises While Republicans Grow Skeptical Of Trump: Poll

A new national poll suggests that Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent voters are becoming more supportive of the idea of President Biden as their party’s nominee in 2024.

Half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents questioned in an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday said their party has a better chance of winning the White House in 2024 with Biden as the nominee. Forty-five percent said another candidate would improve their chances of winning.

That marks a major shift in public opinion in the Marist poll, as the president was underwater on that question in November.

Biden Says Putin Made A 'Big Mistake' On New START Treaty

President Joe Biden on Wednesday strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to suspend his country’s involvement in the last remaining arms control treaty with the U.S.

Biden was asked about his reaction to Putin’s pulling out of the New START nuclear treaty upon arriving at the Polish Presidential Palace in Warsaw ahead of a meeting with leaders of the so-called Bucharest Nine group of eastern European countries and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“I don’t have time,” Biden said. Pressed again for his reaction, Biden said, “Big mistake.”

"Massive" Winter Storm To Impact Entire Lower 48

A winter storm that will soon stretch from coast to coast has at least 75 million people in the U.S. under winter weather alerts on Thursday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) describes the storm's reach as "massive" and warns it will affect every region of the Lower 48 states with winter weather, severe thunderstorms or extreme temperatures.

Two distinct low-pressure areas will cross the country through the end of this week, bringing rain and snow to California, including a rare low-elevation snow event for some.

What To Know About Microsoft's Controversial Bing AI Chatbot

Microsoft search engine Bing, long overshadowed by Google but newly enhanced with artificial intelligence for some users, can suggest recipes for a multi-course meal or disentangle the nuances of existentialism.

The technology has stoked controversy, however, after reported troubling results in which it expressed a desire to release nuclear secrets, compared a user to Adolf Hitler and repeatedly told another user it loved him, among other examples.

Describing conversations with the chatbot that lasted as long as two hours, some journalists and researchers have warned that the AI could potentially persuade a user to commit harmful deeds or steer him or her toward misinformation.

Physical Attacks On Power Grid Rose By 71% Last Year, Compared To 2021

Physical attacks on the U.S. power grid rose last year by 71%, compared to 2021 and surpassed 2020 figures by 20%. The industry's preeminent clearinghouse predicts the number of serious incidents will continue to rise this year.

CBS News has obtained a confidential analysis of physical attacks on the U.S. power grid authored by the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), which is a data center documenting threats against the electrical system and a division of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

According to the analysis, E-ISAC "assesses with medium confidence that the recent uptick in serious physical security incidents is likely to continue into 2023 based on the number and nature of recent attacks combined with the overall current heightened threat environment."

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Supreme Court Primary Turnout Tops 20%

About 20% of the state’s voting-age population cast ballots in the Wisconsin Supreme Court primary, state elections officials said Thursday.

The Wisconsin Elections Commissions announced Wednesday that unofficial results show voters cast at least 960,477 ballots in Tuesday’s primary. That translates to 20.5% of the 2022 voting age population of 4,676,183 people as counted by the state Department of Administration.

Outside Groups Set New Campaign Spending Record In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

Record-breaking spending by outside groups has marked the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race that narrowed to two people after this week’s primary election, the campaign finance watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reported Wednesday.

In spending by outside groups to date, $493,250 has gone to advertising in support of Tuesday’s top vote-getter, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, according to the Democracy Campaign.

More than five times as much, $2.59 million, went to support former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who finished second. Another $2.55 million went to support or oppose Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow and Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell, who both lost Tuesday.

State Bar President Pleased To See Increase In Funding For DAs, Defenders In Proposed State Budget

The Wisconsin State Bar is hopeful that a proposed increase in funding for prosecutors and public defenders will survive the budget process.

Governor Tony Evers wants to raise the base pay for both, and State Bar President Margaret Hickey says Wisconsin desperately needs to raise the pay for public defenders.

“It’s just as stressful and the pay is not good. So you know, for lawyers, the choice might be well, why do I want to do this job that A is very stressful, and B might actually be dangerous.”

Ahead Of Wisconsin Visit, Neil Degrasse Tyson Returns To Critiquing Science In Movies

Asked if scientifically baseless plots prevent him from enjoying a lot of movies, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson replied, "No."

"I just observe it. I don’t invest emotion in it," said Tyson, who directs New York City’s Hayden Planetarium and has popularized science through many books, lectures and media appearances.

Tyson is scheduled to visit Milwaukee on Friday to present a lecture titled "An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies, the Sequel." Ahead of the event, Tyson appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio’s "The Morning Show" to discuss his critique of films and the possibility of life on another planet.

"I am pointing out all sorts of science flaws. By the way, I also point out where they got science right," Tyson said.

Packers Want Aaron Rodgers Back On One Condition: Report

The Green Bay Packers’ offseason game plan currently hangs in limbo with quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ decision for next year, which reportedly has them "disgusted."

But a new report conflicts with that one from longtime Packers reporter Bob McGinn. NFL Network is hearing the Packers still want Rodgers, who has spent 18 years with the franchise since he was drafted in 2005, back for next season.

On one condition.

"If he wants to return to Green Bay and as long as he’s fully bought in, the Packers want him back," NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said Tuesday on "The Rich Eisen Show."