Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jul. 12, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Doomsday Political Scenario Takes Shape For Democrats

The midterm election doomsday scenario for Democrats is becoming clearer, scarier, and more real as inflation and gas prices remain stubbornly high and dissatisfaction with President Biden is through the roof.

Democrats are seeing their chances of retaining the House slimmer than ever, with both history and the dreary political environment working against them. In the Senate, where the party had hoped strong swing state candidates could help save the majority, fears are also growing.

Most Israelis Express Confidence In Biden, But His Ratings Are Down From Trump’s

As President Joe Biden embarks on his first visit to Israel as president, he does so against an amicable backdrop: A majority of adults in both Israel and the United States have favorable views of the other country and the current state of bilateral relations.

But Israeli views of the relationship are somewhat rosier than American ones. And, with Biden in the White House, the intensity of positive sentiment in Israel toward the U.S. has diminished, with Israelis offering mixed reviews of the president’s leadership relative to his predecessor, Donald Trump

Israelis were also divided on former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s handling of the U.S. relationship in this survey, which was fielded prior to the June collapse of the government and Yair Lapid’s ascension as caretaker prime minister.

What Looming US Capitol Riot Hearings Might Tell Us

The congressional committee investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol is set to resume its hearing schedule this week, with an afternoon session on the violent extremist groups that participated in the Capitol breach.

It will be the seventh hearing conducted this year, and the first since the "emergency" session in which former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson provided blockbuster testimony about Donald Trump's activities on the day of the Capitol attack.

Here's a look at where things stand at the moment - and what might be in store.

The First Full-Color James Webb Space Telescope Photo Is Here

The first image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope offered humanity a stunning new view of the universe on Monday — a first-of-its-kind infrared image so distant in the cosmos that it shows stars and galaxies as they appeared 13 billion years ago.

Against the blackness of space, Webb's First Deep Field shows a kaleidoscope of galaxies — some appearing as luminous points while others look "bent" and streaky, warped by gravity on their long journey to Earth.

It's a photo that offers humanity a fresh perspective on the mind-bending scale of the universe.

PGA Tour Facing Justice Department Probe Over Spat With LIV Golf League

The Justice Department has opened a probe against the PGA Tour to see if the tour violated any antitrust laws in relation to their face-off with LIV Golf -- a Saudi-backed golf league -- a PGA Tour spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

The PGA Tour says the probe was not unexpected, and they are confident they'll be vindicated. They didn't say what specifically the Justice Department was looking into.

'A Hammer In Search Of A Nail': Wisconsin AG Candidate Eric Toney Prosecutes Eligible Voters For Address Snafus

Five voters are charged with fraud by the Fond du Lac County District Attorney, who is running in the Republican primary for state attorney general, after they registered using their UPS Store addresses — one critic calls it an 'abuse' of prosecutorial discretion.

Following Drop Box Ruling, Confusion Remains Over Whether You Can Mail Someone Else's Ballot

Friday's ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court added clarity on a pair of key issues related to absentee ballots. However, it did not address whether it's legal to place another voter's ballot in the mail.

The 4-3 decision from the state's high court determined unsupervised drop boxes are illegal. Such drop boxes can now only be used if staff from a municipal clerk's office is able to keep an eye on it.

Scott Thompson, an attorney for Law Forward, which represented Disability Rights Wisconsin in the supreme court case, said Monday in an email the court's decision to not address the mail assistance question meant the status quo remains in place.

Pastor Charged In Child Sex Crimes Pleads Not Guilty

One of two pastors charged with child sex crimes in Langlade County has entered a plea of not guilty.

On July 11, Travis Huse, 42, appeared in court for an arraignment hearing via video from jail. He’s charged with 25 counts of 1st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child and six counts of Child Enticement-Sexual Contact.

Huse’s father, Scott, will be arraigned July 18 on charges of 1st Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, and Child Enticement-Sexual Contact.

Covid-19 Patients Using Remote Monitoring Portal Had 32 Percent Lower Hospitalization Rate, Study Shows

A study by Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin found COVID-19 patients who used an online patient monitoring portal had a 32 percent lower rate of hospitalization than those who did not.

Between March and December 2020, 5,363 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 logged on to a remote patient monitoring program via their computers or a mobile phone app.

Dr. Bradley Crotty, chief digital engagement officer at the hospital and medical college, said those patients were given pulse oximeters and answered a daily list of questions about symptoms over a two-week period. Crotty said the system was automated to flag low blood oxygen readings or symptoms like shortness of breath.

Steineke To Resign From Assembly This Month

A key Republican leader in the Wisconsin Assembly is leaving office early. Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauana) announced in January that he won’t seek reelection.

Steineke released a statement on Monday that he’ll resign on July 27th, rather than serve out the rest of his term. He said it makes sense to move on with his plans to work in the private sector, since lawmakers have no business scheduled until the next session in January.