Morning Headlines - Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Trump Whirlwind Lands In Washington With Stunning Moves

President-elect Trump shook up the political world with nominations for key posts that shocked even some Republicans. He had earlier savored the attention of the world’s media as he met with President Biden at the White House and, separately, was hailed by the House GOP on Capitol Hill.

By far the most striking development was Trump’s decision to nominate political bomb-thrower Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as his attorney general. The move came hot on the heels of the announcement that Trump had tapped Democrat-turned-Republican Tulsi Gabbard, the controversial former congresswoman from Hawaii, to become his director of national intelligence (DNI).

House Ethics Committee Planned To Vote Friday On Whether To Release Report On Matt Gaetz

The House Ethics Committee, which has been conducting an investigation into sexual misconduct and obstruction allegations against Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, scheduled a vote for Friday on whether to release its report, according to three sources with knowledge of the committee's work.

Hours after President-elect Donald Trump said he planned to nominate Gaetz to be attorney general, Gaetz resigned his congressional seat, effective immediately.

South African Government Says It Won't Help 4,000 Illegal Miners Inside A Closed Mine

South Africa's government says it will not help 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.

The miners in the mineshaft in Stilfontein are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other basic necessities after police closed off the entrances used to transport their supplies underground.

World’s Largest Coral Found In The Pacific

The largest coral ever recorded has been found by scientists in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The mega coral - which is a collection of many connected, tiny creatures that together form one organism rather than a reef - could be more than 300 years old.

E. Coli Cases Rise To 104 In Outbreak Linked To McDonald's Quarter Pounders

The number of illnesses in the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has risen to 104, up from 90 at last count, health officials said in an update Wednesday.

To date, 34 people have been hospitalized, four have developed serious kidney problems and one has died.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin’s Wikler Among Democrats Rumored For DNC Chair

The chair of Wisconsin Democrats is reportedly being considered for a national leadership position with the Democratic National Committee as the party recovers from a bruising election cycle and eyes a potential redirection, according to Politico.

Ben Wikler has chaired the Wisconsin Democratic Party since 2019, and is a widely respected figure in battleground politics. He is credited with massively expanding the party’s fundraising capabilities, drawing in tens of millions of dollars to fuel state races, and keeping Wisconsin competitive in a year where Democrats saw massive losses across the board, including in the race for the White House and control of Congress.

Hovde Denies Working With Disbarred Attorney Eastman As He Considers Next Steps

GOP businessman Eric Hovde denied to WisPolitics that he’s been advised by attorney John Eastman, who’s been disbarred for false election claims, as he considers his next steps in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race.

Hovde yesterday posted a more than 4-minute video on X in which he made a series of claims about the election, including some that have already been debunked, rather than conceding to Dem Tammy Baldwin. He said in the video that some of his supporters had encouraged him to challenge the results, and he is waiting for the final information to come in before deciding how to proceed.

Democratic Leaders In States Prepare To Counter Trump In His Second Term

Democratic governors and state attorneys general are dusting off the playbooks from their offices’ pushback against President-elect Donald Trump’s policies, but they know it could be a harder battle in his second time in office.

Trump’s campaign promises included mass deportations of people in the country illegally, and his history includes rolling back environmental regulations and setting the stage for state abortion bans by nominating three new Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

All of that is putting liberals on edge — and believing that an organized resistance is necessary.

Northwoods Tree Chosen As State Capitol Christmas Tree

 If you're taking a trip to Madison during the holidays, you'll see a little piece of the Northwoods, after one family's tree was chosen as the official Christmas tree for the Wisconsin State Capitol building.

Last year, another tree from Rhinelander was chosen to light up the capitol, and that got Bev and Rick Burke thinking. They saw a large Balsam Fur tree in their back yard, and reached out to the capitol's Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds.

Giannis Scores 59 Points As Milwaukee Bucks Net OT Win Over Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to pace the Milwaukee Bucks to a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

It was a league-high for points by an NBA player this season and the second-highest single-game total for Antetokounmpo, who had 64 against Indiana last season.

Antetokounmpo hit 21 of 34 shots and 16 of 17 free throws and added 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit.