Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Donald Trump Demands Court Holds Off On Scheduling His Trial As His Presidential Run Could Delay Proceedings Until After The 2024 Election

Donald Trump's lawyers want to delay his trial in the classified doc case for an undetermined amount of time and suggest the case might not be ready until after the 2024 presidential election.

The former president's lawyers asked the Florida judge late Monday night to give them more time before his trial on allegations of mishandling the docs, arguing the unprecedented case requires 'a measured consideration and timeline.'

An initial trial date was set by Judge Aileen Cannon of August 14. Prosecutors then asked for that date to be pushed to December to give Trump's legal team the time needed to get the required security clearances.

In ‘Historic Step,’ Turkey Backs Sweden’s NATO Bid

As NATO members gather today within 20 miles of the border with Russian ally Belarus, their fortified summit will focus on Ukraine’s defense needs and Monday’s news that a previously reluctant Turkey agreed to let Sweden join the Western alliance.

Most alliance members, who worry about fraying unity while confronting Russia’s 16 months of threats to the West and war with its neighbor, have backed Sweden’s entry. Stoltenberg called it a “historic step” and expressed confidence that another holdout, Hungary, would support Sweden’s entry. Hungary’s president cleared away concerns about Sweden’s membership as “technical”.

House GOP Conservatives Send McCarthy An Ultimatum On Funding The Government

A group of 21 House conservatives sent Speaker Kevin McCarthy a letter Monday threatening to vote against government funding legislation unless it meets a series of demands.

The ultimatum from the 21 Republicans, part of an escalating battle over a must-pass bill, highlights the challenges McCarthy, R-Calif., will face in getting government funding legislation through the GOP-led House, particularly a measure that can pass the Democratic-controlled Senate and get President Joe Biden’s signature to become law.

Congress has until Sept. 30 to agree on a bill to fund the government in order to avoid a shutdown.

US Says Missing GOP Whistleblower Is Arms Trafficker, Chinese Agent

The Justice Department on Monday unsealed charges against the co-director of a Maryland think tank, alleging he acted as an illegal arms broker and unregistered agent for the Beijing government while also seeking to help China obtain Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Gal Luft, a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, is accused of recruiting and paying a former high-ranking U.S. government official – and advisor to then president-elect Donald Trump -- on behalf of principals based in China in 2016 without registering in the U.S. as a foreign agent as federal law requires.

Miss Netherlands Contestant Makes History As First Trans Woman To Win The Pageant

Rikkie Kollé became the first openly trans pageant contestant to win the title of Miss Netherlands on Saturday, and she will go on to represent her country in Miss Universe later this year.

Throughout the competition, which narrowed down hundreds of entrants to 10 finalists in April, Kollé has used her platform to promote a more inclusive vision of the pageant world, and to encourage others to feel inspired.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin's 2023-25 Budget Enacted Without Plan To Assist Local Governments With Grants

Wisconsin’s small communities could obtain slices of the billions of federal dollars allocated for infrastructure and renewable energy projects, such as upgrading drinking water systems or purchasing electric buses.

But the Republican-controlled Legislature has rejected a recent proposal to help staff-strapped towns and villages circumvent the greatest barriers for bringing home such funds: the federal government’s time-consuming application and record-keeping requirements.

In his two-year budget proposal, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers pitched the creation of a five-person resource team to help local governments identify and apply for federal and state grants.

400-Acre Wildfire Burning In Central Wisconsin; 99% Contained

A 400-acre wildfire burning in central Wisconsin, which destroyed several structures Monday afternoon, is now 99% contained.

The Pallet Fire, which broke out around 1 p.m., burned across Waushara County, southeast of Coloma, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said. As of 9 p.m., the DNR said the fire was 99% contained.

The DNR previously reported that the fire was 800 acres, but after aerial review and more accurate mapping, said the fire was roughly 400 acres.

Democrat Challenges Rep. Van Orden In Wisconsin Battleground As Her Party Seeks To Flip House

Democrat Rebecca Cooke, a former small business owner and past member of the state's economic development board, announced her run for Congress on Monday in a battleground western Wisconsin district Republicans flipped last time.

Cooke, 35, is running for a chance to take on first-term Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump. Democrats are targeting the seat in their effort to regain control of the U.S. House in 2024.

Wisconsin One Of 17 U.S. States Expected To See The Northern Lights Thursday Night

Keep your eyes on the sky Thursday night because the northern lights will be visible in southern Wisconsin.

16 of the lower 48 U.S. states are forecast to see auroral activity on Thursday night, according to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The last time we had this opportunity was in April.

Areas in central and northern Wisconsin are expected to see the northern lights overhead. The rest of the impacted area is still forecast to be able to see the aurora borealis near the horizon -- and this will possibly be visible as far south as cities like St. Louis and Indianapolis.

Evers' Budget Vetoes Leave State With Projected $4B Surplus

One of the biggest questions headed into this year's state budget debate was how Republican lawmakers and Gov. Tony Evers would handle Wisconsin's record surplus. Now that the dust has mostly settled, there's plenty of money left over.

Wisconsin began the two-year budget cycle with a projected surplus of roughly $7 billion in its general fund. Following the budget vetoes last week by Evers, the current projected surplus for the next budget is about $4 billion.

"There's still a massive amount of money that the state has in reserve," said Jason Stein, research director at the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Neither side planned it that way, exactly.