Morning Headlines - Thursday, May 9, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

GOP, Dems Show Rare Unity In Killing Greene Motion

The House on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to protect Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a conservative coup, torpedoing an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to oust the GOP leader from the top job for his willingness to cut deals with Democrats on weighty legislation.

The chamber voted 359-43-7 on a motion to table, or dismiss, Greene’s motion-to-vacate resolution, preventing the removal proposal from being considered.

Biden Says U.S. Won't Supply Israel With Weapons For Rafah Offensive

President Biden said Wednesday that the U.S. will not provide Israel with weapons for an offensive in Rafah and at the same time acknowledged that Israel has used powerful American-made weapons in deadly attacks in Gaza.

In an interview with CNN, the president was asked about the U.S. pause last week of a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel and whether those bombs were "used to kill civilians in Gaza." Mr. Biden replied, "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs."

Biden's Trillion-Dollar Spending Challenge

Spending President Biden's trillion dollars on U.S. projects before November is turning out to be a nearly impossible task.

It's one thing to pass the biggest spending bills in American history. It's another to find, fund and start projects to spend it all — especially with former President Trump salivating at the chance to erase Biden's legacy.

Australia Backs Gas Beyond 2050 Despite Climate Fears

Australia has announced it will ramp up its extraction and use of gas until "2050 and beyond", despite global calls to phase out fossil fuels.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government says the move is needed to shore up domestic energy supply while supporting a transition to net zero.

But critics argue the move is a rejection of science, pointing to the International Energy Agency (IEA) call for "huge declines in the use of coal, oil and gas" to reach climate targets.

Here Are The Ultraprocessed Foods You Most Need To Avoid, According To A 30-Year Study

Eating ultraprocessed foods is associated with an early risk of death, according to a 30-year study — but different foods have different impacts.

Processed meats and sugary foods and drinks aren’t correlated with the same risks as ultraprocessed whole grains, for example, said lead study author Dr. Mingyang Song, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.

The study analyzed data from more than 100,000 health professionals in the United States with no history of cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. From 1986 to 2018, the participants provided information on their health and lifestyle habits every two years.

Wisconsin Headlines

Biden Touts Microsoft’s Planned $3.3B Investment In Racine County Stop, Knocks Trump Over Foxconn

President Joe Biden today touted Microsoft’s plans for a $3.3 billion new artificial intelligence datacenter in the southeastern Wisconsin community while slamming his predecessor for the failure of Foxconn to follow through on a project it planned for the area.

Biden’s speech touted the new project and his policies while also trolling former President Donald Trump over Foxconn. He mocked his GOP opponent for predicting the Foxconn project, which has produced a fraction of what the company had once promised, would become the eighth wonder of the world.

He noted Trump and other GOP officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony in summer 2018 with golden shovels.

'Negotiations Are Not Over For Us': Student Protesters Continue To Fight For Demands Following Meeting Walkout

A meeting between student protesters and University of Wisconsin-Madison officials ended Wednesday after demonstrators walked out.

Protest organizer Dahlia Saba said they brought a proposal to Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and other UW leaders that outlined "several principles of ethical investment."

"Specifically, no investing in weapons manufacturing, no investing in companies that profit off of the occupied territories and no investing in companies that profit off of private prisons," Saba said.

Progressive Firm Calls On US Attorney To Investigate GOP Operatives For ‘Souls To The Polls’ Texts

A progressive law firm is calling on the U.S. Attorney’s office to investigate two Republican operatives for potential federal civil rights violations over texts they sent before the 2020 election.

In a letter sent Wednesday to U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Law Forward Attorney Chris Donahoe alleged that two people who worked on former President Donald Trump’s campaign targeted a Milwaukee-based voting rights group during the 2020 election cycle.

The letter cites text messages between Andrew Iverson, who now serves as executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party, and Carlton Huffman, an embattled former GOP operative.

Democrats Commit $7 Million To TV Ads In Five Key Wisconsin Senate Races

Wisconsin Democrats plan to spend $7 million on television ads in five state Senate races they believe are key to regaining control of the chamber.

The State Senate Democratic Committee said Wednesday that the buy will target races in Milwaukee’s northern suburbs, the rural areas north of Madison, the Fox Cities, Green Bay and La Crosse.

Republicans currently hold a 22-10 supermajority in the 33-seat Senate, but Democrats hope new district boundaries Gov. Tony Evers signed in February will help them chip away at the GOP advantage.

US Blocks Alleged Milwaukee Tool Supplier, Citing Use Of Forced Prison Labor In China

The federal government will detain imports of work gloves manufactured by Shanghai Select Safety Products Company, which was accused of relying on forced prison labor to manufacture Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection on April 10 issued a Withhold Release Order that will result in the detention of gloves at U.S. ports of entry if they were made by China-based Shanghai Select and two subsidiaries: Select (Nantong) Safety Products Co. Limited and Select Protective Technology (HK) Limited. The agency cites information that “reasonably indicates the use of convict labor” in violation of federal law.