Morning Headlines - Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

President Biden Mistakenly Tried To Call Dead Congresswoman Up To Speak On Stage

'I feel sorry for him, bless him for trying:' Late Jackie Walorski's brother says he PITIES slow Joe Biden after the President mistakenly tried to call the dead Republican Congresswoman up to speak on stage.

• Keith Walorski said that he was not angry at the president and added that he spoke with Biden after Walorski was killed in a car crash on August 3, 2022
• Walorski told the New York Post Biden is 'doing the best he can do with what he's got right now' and he feels sorry for the president
• He did acknowledge, however, that 'a nice way of putting it' is that Biden is forgetful, due to his age
• 'I don't think anybody would look at the things that he's done and said and say that his mind is as sharp as it used to be.'
• Biden asked the crowd to point out the deceased congresswoman during remarks on Wednesday even though she died in a car crash on August 3
• 'Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie?' the president questioned during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
• 'She must not be here', he said before moving on with his remarks
• Biden released a statement on her sudden death at the time saying he was 'shocked and saddened' and praising her work on the hunger conference

Russia Says Nord Stream Pipeline Leaks Were In US Zone

Russia’s foreign ministry has said that leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines were in a zone controlled by US intelligence services, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday, as a fourth leak was reported.

In recent days, European Union member states have been investigating sudden and unexplained leaks in the gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea.

The pipelines link Russia to Germany and have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions as Moscow cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following the Ukraine invasion.

Washington has rejected previous insinuations from Moscow that it was behind the leaks, calling them “ridiculous”.

Live Updates: Ian Weakens To Tropical Storm As It Pummels Florida

Hurricane Ian weakened to a tropical storm early Thursday, but the National Hurricane Center warned it's still battering the Florida Peninsula with strong winds, heavy rains and storm surge.

Since making landfall as a high-end Category 4 storm Wednesday afternoon, Ian has knocked out power to nearly 2.5 million people as it inundated densely populated coastal communities known for attracting tourists and retirees — including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples and Sanibel Island.

Rapper Coolio, Best Known For His Hit Single "Gangsta's Paradise," Dies At Age 59

Coolio, the rapper best known for his 1995 hit "Gangsta's Paradise", has died. Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., died on Wednesday in Los Angeles, his manager said. A cause of death was not immediately given. Police told CBS News there were no signs of foul play.

"We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon," a representative for the rapper said in a statement. "He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly."

New York Yankees Star Aaron Judge Hits 61st Home Run Of Season, Tying Roger Maris' Mark

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season Wednesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, tying Roger Maris' American League record.

It took Maris until Oct. 1, the final game of the 1961 season, to hit his 61st, which broke Babe Ruth's single-season mark of 60 home runs set in 1927.

"It's an incredible honor, getting a chance to be associated with one of the Yankee greats, one of baseball's greats, words can't describe it," Judge said. "That's one thing so special about the Yankees organization, is all the guys that came before us and kind of paved the way and played the game the right way, did things the right way, did a lot of great things in this game and getting a chance to be mentioned with those guys now is, I can't even describe it, it's an incredible honor that's for sure."

Wisconsin Headlines

Over A Year Later, Republican Appointees To Wisconsin Tech School Board Still Refuse To Resign Despite Expired Terms

With Wisconsin Supreme Court approval, coordinated norm-breaking across state boards allows members appointed under Republican administrations to hold control of some and possibly take control of others sooner than usual.

Regardless of what happens in the Republican-controlled state Senate, board members with expired terms could step down at any time, but the state Supreme Court decision severely restricts the governor's ability to force them out.

Since Evers became governor in 2019, the state Senate has refused to confirm many of his appointees, including for the DNR board and the technical college board. Evers' appointees would replace the Republican-appointed members who now refuse to depart the boards despite their terms ending.

Report Alleges Brett Favre's Charity Gave $60K To Daughter's High School Volleyball Gym

A new report alleges Brett Favre used $60,000 from his nonprofit for disadvantaged children to help pay for a new volleyball gym at his daughter's high school.

The Daily Beast reports the retired Green Bay Packers quarterback's nonprofit Favre4Hope directed the funds to the booster club of suburban Oak Grove, one of the highest-rated high schools in Mississippi.

Two years after the new stadium was built, the contractor filed a lawsuit against the boosters claiming the group still owed them $328,000, the Daily Beast reports. Favre was not listed as a defendant but was named in a letter attached to the civil complaint, the report alleges.

Wisconsin Republicans File 2 Open Records Lawsuits

The Republican Party of Wisconsin has filed a pair of lawsuits six weeks before the election that seek records from the administrations of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson related to issues that have been campaign fodder for conservatives.

The lawsuits were filed Monday and Tuesday and come the day after a conservative law firm, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, sued the state parole commission seeking records about paroles that have been granted.

The lawsuit targeting Johnson and Claire Woodall-Vogg, executive director of Milwaukee's election commission, seeks communications between them and GPS Impact, a liberal communications firm that has helped Democrats, related to a privately funded voter outreach effort in the city. Republicans have alleged that the “Milwaukee Votes 2022” campaign is an illegal get-out-the-vote campaign orchestrated by Democrats.

Staffing Concerns Prompt Northern Wisconsin Counties To Explore Merging 911 Dispatch Centers

Two northern Wisconsin counties are exploring a possible merger of their 911 dispatch centers to improve staffing levels and services in the region.

Ashland and Bayfield counties are splitting the cost of a roughly $50,000 feasibility study that will be conducted by Pennsylvania-based Mission Critical Partners to examine equipment, staffing and governance of a potential joint dispatch center.

The study is being conducted as the counties are each seeking to apply for up to $500,000 in grant funding as part of $6 million that’s available from the state for equipment and training to transition to NextGeneration9-1-1. The system is expected to improve emergency response by allowing transmission of both audio and data, including photos, videos and texts, from 911 calls.

The grants also fund expenses related to consolidation of public safety answering points or dispatch centers that answer 911 calls. Bayfield County Emergency Management Director Meagan Quaderer said the counties are exploring that option to improve services and address staffing issues.

Jesus Contreras-Perez Sentenced To Life In Prison In Disappearance Of Casandra Ayon

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clark County District Attorney’s Office today announced that Jesus Contreras-Perez of Mosinee, Wis. was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for release on September 12, 2022, in relation to the disappearance of Cassandra Ayon, last seen in Unity, Wis. on October 3, 2020.

“Thank you to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, and those at DOJ whose work resulted in the conviction of the defendant for his heinous crimes,” said Attorney General Kaul. “This sentence ensures that the defendant will not further endanger the public.”

Following a 5-day trial in June of 2022, a jury found Jesus Contreras Perez guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, and stalking causing bodily harm.