Morning Headlines - Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024

tart 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

Israel "Fully Prepared For Maneuvers" Against Hezbollah In Lebanon As Deaths From Airstrikes Top 600

Israel's military hinted for the first time Wednesday of possible ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with a top commander stressing the need to be ready for "maneuvers and action" against the Iran-backed group. This comes after more than a week of airstrikes that Lebanese officials say have killed more than 600 people and displaced thousands.

The U.S. has urged Israel to focus on diplomacy rather than escalating its fight with Hezbollah, with concern growing that a full-scale war between the longtime foes could mushroom into a wider conflict that puts American forces in the Middle East at greater risk and destabilizes the volatile region.

Putin Proposes New Rules For Using Nuclear Weapons

Vladimir Putin says Russia would consider an attack from a non-nuclear state that was backed by a nuclear-armed one to be a "joint attack", in what could be construed as a threat to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. In key remarks on Wednesday night, the Russian president said his government was considering changing the rules and preconditions around which Russia would use its nuclear arsenal.

Ukraine is a non-nuclear state that receives military support from the US and other nuclear-armed countries. His comments come as Kyiv seeks approval to use long-range Western missiles against military sites in Russia.

Harris Silent On Nixing Filibuster For Green New Deal

In 2019, then-Sen. Kamala Harris pledged as president to eliminate Senate filibuster rules to pass a multi-trillion dollar Green New Deal to transform U.S. energy and climate policy. Now, Harris' campaign declined to say if she would push for such a reform if she is president.

Harris has left a lot of question marks about what she'd do as president and her policy priorities since she entered the campaign on July 21. Her campaign has been dodging questions about whether she still supports many of her past positions on issues.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Indicted, Sources Say

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on at least one federal criminal charge, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

The indictment follows a monthslong federal investigation by the US attorney’s office in Manhattan, which was reportedly scrutinizing his connection to Turkish officials and businessmen, and campaign donations he received. The charges he is facing are not publicly known at this time.

Congress Clears December Spending Patch, Avoiding Preelection Shutdown

In Congress’ last action before Election Day, the Senate cleared a stopgap funding bill Wednesday night that heads off a government shutdown next week, bucking the demands of former President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden is expected to quickly sign the measure, preventing a funding lapse Tuesday and delaying the government shutdown deadline to Dec. 20. It also punts a potentially bitter funding fight to just before Christmas, with the results hinging on the November elections and which party wins control of the House, Senate and White House.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Mayor Carts Away Absentee Ballot Drop Box, Says He Did Nothing Wrong

The mayor of a central Wisconsin city who ran for office on his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes said Wednesday he did nothing wrong when he put on work gloves, donned a hard hat and used a dolly to cart away a drop box outside City Hall.

Wausau Mayor Doug Diny posed for a picture Sunday to memorialize his removal of the city’s lone drop box that had been put outside City Hall around the same time late last week that absentee ballots were sent to voters. The city’s election clerk, Kaitlyn Bernarde, said she has reported the issue to the Marathon County district attorney a well as the state elections commission.

US DOJ Sues Northern Wisconsin Towns That Stopped Using Voting Machines This Year

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing two towns in northern Wisconsin for not making electronic voting machines available to people with disabilities in this year’s primary elections. While the Rusk County Town of Lawrence has struck a deal with the DOJ, the nearby Town of Thornapple has not.

The DOJ lawsuit, filed Sept. 20, alleges the Thornapple Town Board of Supervisors voted to stop using electronic voting machines during a meeting on June 13, 2023. In this year’s April and August primary elections, the town hand-counted paper ballots instead.

The Town of Lawrence failed to offer an accessible voting machine in the April primary election, according to the complaint.

Leader Of Eau Claire Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced To 10 Years

Hector A. Jimenez-Sosa, 40, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Jimenez-Sosa pleaded guilty to this charge on July 8, 2024.

The government’s investigation revealed that Jimenez-Sosa was the leader of a methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine trafficking organization in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He received large quantities of controlled substances through the mail from his sources in California.

Charles Franklin On The Marquette Law School Poll's Accuracy

Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin describes how he got started in political polling, accuracy and error rates of his poll, and how both doubt in and expectations of polls have grown.

August Local Employment And Unemployment Data Released

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development today released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment and unemployment statistics for metropolitan areas, major cities, and counties in Wisconsin for August 2024.