Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

US Airstrike In Afghanistan Takes Out Mastermind Of 9/11 Attacks

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed while standing on the balcony of his safe house in Afghanistan when a CIA drone strike sent two Hellfire missiles to pulverize the terror leader and plotter of the 9/11 terror attacks.

The precision strike took place in the heart of downtown Kabul during the early morning hours Saturday, ending a 21-year manhunt for Osama bin Laden’s successor and marking the most significant US counter-terror operation since the 2019 slaying of ISIS commander Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Zawahri's Kabul Death Raises Questions About Al Qaeda Presence In Afghanistan After US Left It To The Taliban

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri's death in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is raising questions about whether the country is being used as a base of operations for the terrorist group.

"What unnerves me is that Al Zawahri felt comfortable enough being out in the open in the Kabul area after the Taliban takeover," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "So much for the Taliban rejecting al-Qaeda. This is proof positive that Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for international terrorists."

What Arizona’s Primaries Will Tell Us About The GOP

The proxy battle between President Trump and establishment Republican figures will come to a head in Tuesday’s Arizona primaries, providing an indication of the direction the GOP might take going forward.

The two wings of the Republican Party have provided contrasting messages in the lead-up to Arizona’s primaries, with Trump and his endorsed candidates zeroing in on his unfounded claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him and establishment-backed Republicans focusing on kitchen table issues and being an alternative to Democratic Party control.

Back-to-school, Back To Outbreaks

As students around the country start a new school year, providers say childhood immunization rates are too low, in some places, to prevent outbreaks of diseases like measles.

After COVID kept kids isolated from classmates and discouraged routine medical visits, experts fear the student population will have lower immunity and be behind on routine vaccines.

Schools and public health officials have to convince parents to get their kids caught up on recommended childhood vaccinations or risk the very real threat of the return of illnesses once mostly eliminated.

New Documents Trigger Fresh Online Battle Between Amber Heard And Johnny Depp Fans

A hashtag defending Amber Heard trended Monday on Twitter after what appeared to be unsealed court documents in the defamation case brought by Johnny Depp were made public by a YouTuber known for her legal commentary.

The hashtag, “#AmberHeardDeservesAnApology,” first surfaced over the weekend after The Daily Beast published some of the findings from the court documents. Heard’s team said Depp, her ex-husband, sought to introduce nude photos of Heard into evidence, according to The Daily Beast. Her lawyers also suggested that Depp altered or edited audio recordings of the couple fighting, the publication reported.

Trump-Backed Wis. Candidate Won't Commit To Backing Him

The Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor endorsed by Donald Trump would not commit Monday to supporting Trump should he run for president again in 2024, but also didn't rule out trying to decertify his 2020 loss in the battleground state.

Trump-backed candidate Tim Michels, at a town hall event a week before the Aug. 9 primary, also said he did not think Trump did anything wrong on Jan. 6, 2021. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who is endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence, said she would support whoever wins the Republican primary for president in 2024.

A third candidate who has made decertification the keystone of his candidacy, state Rep. Tim Ramthun, also did not commit to endorsing Trump in 2024 should he run for president.

Utilities Set To Spend More Than $2B On New Transmission Lines In Wisconsin

Three new transmission lines worth around $2.2 billion will cross through Wisconsin under a large grid expansion approved by the Midwest grid operator that’s designed to facilitate the clean energy transition.

The board for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator signed off on a $10.3 billion portfolio of 18 transmission projects for the Upper Midwest on July 25. The lines are expected to support 53 gigawatts of renewable energy and provide between $23 to $52 billion in benefits as utilities retire aging coal plants. Projects in Wisconsin are slated to start coming online as early as 2028.

"Overall, the projects approved by the Midcontinent ISO (MISO) will lead to continued electric reliability in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest, increased access to renewable energy, and the ability to keep bills affordable for our customers," said Chris Ouellette, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy. "The projects will help all Midwestern utilities ensure reliability when integrating the variable nature of renewable energy and increased resilience in the face of severe weather events."

Walker On ‘UpFront’ Says Pence, Other Prominent Republicans Expected To Campaign In Wisconsin For Kleefisch

Former Gov. Scott Walker says to expect to see former Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley in Wisconsin before the Aug. 9 primary campaigning for Rebecca Kleefisch.

Former President Trump will rally with Tim Michels on Friday in Waukesha County, pitting Trump against Pence in another key statewide primary race.

“Donald Trump’s earned the right to have an impact not only in Wisconsin but across the country,” Walker said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com. “He did an effective job as president, although be mindful a big ally and partner in getting the job done was not only Mike Pence as vice president but people like Ted Cruz and others in the Senate.

Pandemic Support Fading For 1 In 12 Wisconsinites Who Were Food Insecure

Before the pandemic hit, 1 in 12 Wisconsinites were food insecure — meaning they couldn't or were uncertain they could get the food they needed. Food insecurity is linked to children struggling more in school, worse health outcomes in all age groups and greater stress on families, according to the Wisconsin Food Security Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

And the number of food-insecure Wisconsinites has likely increased as the impact of pandemic-related relief initiatives has begun to fade. The number of annual users of the state-federal FoodShare program grew by more than 100,000 from 2019 to 2021. Researchers aren't certain about the long-term fallout, but national estimates suggest food insecurity during the early months of the pandemic was greater than any point in the last quarter-century.

Help Benefit Wisconsin Wildlife By Completing Citizen-Science Surveys For Deer & Birds

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking the public’s help in collecting crucial deer and game bird management data.

The surveys are designed to measure the reproductive status for deer and game birds. This is done by establishing a fawn to doe ratio for deer and a poult to hen ratio for game birds. These ratios are then compared to previous years data and tells us how productive this seasons deer herd/game birds are.