Morning Headlines - Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden’s Student Loan Freeze, Fed Rate Hikes Weigh On Debt Limit Deadline

Congress will have a shorter-than-expected window to negotiate a debt limit increase this year thanks to policy decisions by both the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve.

The impact of two costly moves on the government’s finances — President Joe Biden’s decision to extend a federal student loan payment freeze plus the Fed’s rapid interest rate hikes — are under scrutiny as analysts gauge precisely when the U.S. will run out of money to pay its bills.

Supreme Court Rejects New York Gun Retailers' Bid To Block New Concealed Carry Laws

The Supreme Court rejected a bid by New York gun retailers on Wednesday to block a slew of new gun control laws in the state, which they argued violate their Second Amendment rights and hurt their businesses.

There were no noted dissents in the order or explanations from the justices for their decision.

"We are disappointed that not one of the nine justices saw fit to grant the plaintiffs some stay of enforcement of the new laws against them," Paloma Capanna, the lead attorney for the New York gun retailers, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

Biden Reelection Plans On Track Despite Documents Controversy

President Biden is on track to signal his reelection plans in the next few weeks, despite a self-inflicted classified documents controversy that has energized the GOP and put his political team on its heels.

“It’s still very much in the works and nothing has changed,” said one source familiar with the planning around the president’s forthcoming 2024 campaign bid.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the campaign groundwork say Biden intends to signal his intention to seek a second term after the State of the Union address on Feb. 7. A more formal declaration would come closer to the spring.

George Santos Accused Of Stealing Funds For Veteran's Dying Dog As Accusations Pile Up

Despite growing calls to resign, Rep. George Santos has secured seats on two congressional committees and the backing of House Republican leadership. But calls from CBS News to his office in New York's 3rd congressional district — which still has his predecessor's name on the building — were forwarded to a neighboring congressman.

"He hasn't shown his face since the election and I don't think we're ever going to see him," said Grant Lally, a Republican lawyer who runs the GOP-leaning newspaper The North Shore Leader.

Meanwhile, extraordinary stories about Santos continue to surface.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Says She Will Resign, Citing Burnout

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday that she will step down, saying she no longer had “enough in the tank” after a premiership defined by her response to a series of crises.

Ardern, 42, has become a global progressive icon since her election in 2017 and won praise for her handling of the nation’s worst mass shooting and the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. But her approval ratings have plummeted at home, jeopardizing her re-election prospects and intensifying the vitriolic abuse she has experienced throughout her time in office.

Wisconsin Headlines

Four Individuals Indicted In Relation To Murder Of Postal Employee

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on January 18, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against two Milwaukee men for their involvement in the murder of an on-duty United States Postal Service letter carrier on December 9, 2022, and against two Milwaukee women for providing false statements to law enforcement investigating that murder.

The indictment contains seven counts.

GOP WEC Commissioner Says He Won't Resign After Boasting About Lower Voter Turnout

Senate Democrats and liberal activists on Wednesday called for a Republican state elections official to resign over a memo he sent bragging about declining Black and Hispanic voter turnout.

Bob Spindell is a Republican appointee on the six-member Wisconsin Elections Commission, which is evenly divided with three Democratic and three Republican appointees.

Democrats pointed to a memo Spindell sent in December to a group of Wisconsin Republicans in the 4th Congressional District, which includes Milwaukee. Spindell listed the party's accomplishments in the November midterm election.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Aurora Health Ivermectin Case

The State Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case over the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19.

In 2019, Aurora Health refused to administer ivermectin to John Zingsheim, after his family got a prescription for it from outside of the Aurora network.

The FDA and most major medical groups maintain that ivermectin is ineffective against COVID.

Protasiewicz Leads Supreme Court Fundraising

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz raised more during the most recent reporting period than her three rivals for state Supreme Court combined.

Protasiewicz pulled in $756,117 during the full six-month period that ended Dec. 31.

By comparison, liberal rival Everett Mitchell, a Dane County Circuit Court judge, raised $115,689.

On the conservative side, former Justice Daniel Kelly raised $312,359 while Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow reported $306,919 in receipts.

Protasiewicz and Mitchell were the only ones who were actively fundraising for the full six-month period. Dorow’s fundraising all came in the month of December, while Kelly launched his bid to rejoin the court in September.

Aaron Rodgers Says He’ll Likely Do Ayahuasca Again As NFL Future Remains Unclear

Bottoms up.

As Aaron Rodgers continues to navigate through the future of his NFL career, the Green Bay Packers quarterback knows what he’ll be doing off the field.

Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday to divulge his plans for the offseason, the 39-year-old said he’s looking to revisit ayahuasca in the near future.

“There won’t be another sitting and ceremony before the decision, I can tell you that,” Rodgers said on the podcast, referring to the three-night event he took part in last year. “Perhaps after.”