Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Biden Fires Architect Of The Capitol, McCarthy Agrees

President Joe Biden has fired embattled Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, who oversees the historic building that houses Congress and its expansive grounds, as pressure mounted for his removal following a scathing inspector general report of personal and management lapses.

The White House said Monday that Blanton’s appointment was terminated. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday he’d lost confidence in Blanton’s ability to do the job.

Three Dead, Multiple Injured In Michigan State Campus Shooting, Suspect Kills Himself

A gunman who opened fire at Michigan State University, killing three people and critically injuring five others, was a 43-year-old man with no known links to the college.

The suspect, who has not been named, killed two people at Berkey Hall and a third at the university's Union, then took his own life shortly before midnight following a confrontation with police off-campus, in the city of Lansing.

He terrorized the campus for nearly four hours - as multiple reports confirmed he was running through the streets, brandishing a gun, and shooting bullets - but police have not yet been able to establish a motive.

Why The Government Suddenly Started Detecting Mysterious Aerial Objects

Apparently the lesson the military is learning is that if you look for unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, you will find them floating in US skies.

In the days after the furor over the Chinese balloon led officials to adjust how they monitor US airspace, fighter jets have intercepted and shot objects out of the sky over Alaska, northern Canada and Lake Huron.

That term – “objects” – is deliberately vague with regard to the three objects downed since Friday. Nobody currently knows what these things are or who they belong to.

What We Know About Ohio Train Derailment

A 150-car Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals and other material derailed in the town of East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate the town for several days as the company vented and burned carcinogenic chemicals from cars involved in the fiery crash.

The Environmental Protection Agency said on Feb. 12 it had not detected any "levels of concern" of hazardous substances released during or after the crash, though it said it was continuing to monitor the air throughout East Palestine, including inside at least 210 homes.

The train was pulling at least five tanker cars containing vinyl chloride, a colorless but hazardous gas used to produce PVC plastic and vinyl products.

CDC Says Teen Girls Are Caught In An Extreme Wave Of Sadness And Violence

Sexual attacks and other traumatic experiences have led to an unprecedented level of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts among America's young women.

"Our teenage girls are suffering through an overwhelming wave of violence and trauma, and it’s affecting their mental health," said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health.

Results from the CDC's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey show startling trends. Nearly 3 in 5 teen girls (57%) said they felt "persistently sad or hopeless." That's the highest rate in a decade. And 30% said they have seriously considered dying by suicide — a percentage that's risen by nearly 60% over the past 10 years.

Wisconsin Headlines

Funeral For Fallen Milwaukee Police Officer Draws Hundreds

Hundreds of first responders filled the pews of a Brookfield church Monday to pay their respects to one of their own.

Milwaukee police officer Peter Jerving — who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week — was laid to rest Monday at Wisconsin Memorial Cemetery. Earlier in the day, a visitation and funeral service was held for him at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield.

The 37-year-old officer was killed on Feb. 7 in a shootout during a robbery investigation on the city's south side. The suspect, 19-year-old Terrell Thompson, was also shot and killed.

Republican Election Tactics No Surprise To Wisconsin's Black Voters

Revelations about Republican election strategies targeting minority communities in Wisconsin's biggest city came as no surprise to many Black voters.

A Wisconsin election commissioner bragged about low turnout in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods during the 2022 elections. Weeks later, an audio recording surfaced that showed then-President Donald Trump's Wisconsin campaign team laughing behind closed doors about efforts to reach Black voters in 2020.

Tiffany Reintroduces Legislation To Protect American Farmland

On Friday, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) announced the reintroduction of the Future Agriculture Retention and Management Act – or FARM Act for short. This legislation would eliminate the market-distorting energy tax handouts that help prop up the siting of solar panels and wind arrays on agricultural lands, often taking the farmland out of production.

“Taxpayers should not be forced to finance green energy giveaways at the expense of our farmland,” said Congressman Tom Tiffany. “With global food demand rising and food shortages already being reported, the FARM Act is a much-needed policy that will restore common sense and fairness to energy and agricultural policy by removing the corporate welfare that has propped up intermittent energy sources for far too long.”

WRN Interviews With Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidates

Wisconsin Radio Network interviewed each of the four candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court who will appear on the ballot in the Spring Primary.

While the Supreme Court is officially non-partisan, former Justice Daniel Kelly and Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow are running as conservatives, while Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell and Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz are running as liberals.

Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court. The winner of this election will take the seat held by Justice Patience Roggensack, who is retiring. The top two vote getters will advance to the April general election.

Arizona Man Sentenced To 12 ½ Years For Receiving Child Pornography

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew M. Peeples, 44, of Pine, Arizona pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 12 ½ years in prison for receiving child pornography. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 30 years of supervised release.

In October 2021, the father of a 16-year-old girl reported to law enforcement that in reviewing the victim’s Snapchat messages, he observed images of the family dog performing oral sex on the girl. The father allowed police to search his phone which contained the Snapchat application associated with the girl’s account.

The Snapchat application contained conversations between the victim and Peeples between September 23 and October 25, 2021.  Within these conversations, the victim said she was 16 years old. The defendant lied and said he was too. He then repeatedly asked the victim to perform sexual acts with her dog. When she complied, he recorded the activity.