Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jun. 6, 2023 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Destroying Major Dam Near Kherson, Warns Of Ecological Disaster

The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday after a reported explosion, sending water gushing downriver and prompting dire warnings of ecological disaster as officials from both sides in the war ordered residents to evacuate.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam and hydroelectric power station, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian military strikes in the contested area.

The fallout could have broad consequences: Flooding homes, streets and businesses downstream; depleting water levels upstream that help cool Europe’s largest nuclear power plant; and draining supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed.

Texas Sheriff Calls For Charges After DeSantis Migrant Flights

The sheriff’s office in Bexar County, Texas, has filed a criminal case with the county’s district attorney over a 2022 incident in which 49 migrants were flown from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., the office said.

“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has officially filed a completed criminal case with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office regarding the incident from September 2022 where 49 migrants were flown to Martha’s Vineyard,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Hill.

“The charge filed is Unlawful Restraint and several accounts were filed, both misdemeanor and felony. At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA’s office,” the spokesperson said.

Insiders Say CNN CEO Lost Newsroom After Trump Town Hall, Brutal Atlantic Story

CNN CEO Chris Licht has experienced more downs than ups in a little over a year on the job, and the uproar over an unflattering profile of his tenure last week underscored his continued inability to win over a skeptical newsroom, insiders tell Fox News Digital.

Licht apologized on a staff call Monday morning, saying he would "fight like hell" to win back trust and regretted he had overshadowed the network's journalism after a tome-length Atlantic story about him came out last week. With remarkable access over several months, writer Tim Alberta depicted Licht as both assured of his vision to remake the liberal network but also increasingly isolated, self-obsessed and disliked.

Gas Stove Debate Boils Over In Congress This Week

Days after a rare bipartisan moment in which Congress voted to avert a debt ceiling crisis, a fierce and politically charged debate begins this week over the future of gas-fueled stoves in American homes.

The House Rules Committee began proceedings Monday, ahead of a vote later this week on the "Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act," which would prohibit the federal government from banning the use of gas stoves. The legislation is expected to pass the House, despite assurances from federal regulators that they have no plans or intention to issue a ban on gas stoves.

Convicted US Spy Found Dead In Colorado Prison

An FBI agent-turned-Russian mole who is notorious as one of the most damaging spies in US history has been found dead in prison. Robert Hanssen was discovered at a maximum-security facility in Florence, Colorado, on Monday morning.

Hanssen, 79, received more than $1.4m in cash, diamonds, and money paid into Russian accounts. Three hundred agents worked on his case. He was sentenced in 2002 to life in prison for espionage. A cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

Because of his counterintelligence role, he had access to classified information and in 1985 he started his criminal activity, sending material to Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Dane County Judge Says Gableman Probe Remains Subject To Wisconsin Open Records Law

A Wisconsin judge on June 5 declined to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to ensure that no records are deleted from a now-closed state office created to investigate former President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020.

The lawsuit was one of several filed by liberal watchdog group American Oversight against former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman and the office of special counsel that he led. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hired Gableman to lead the probe in 2021 under pressure from Trump and conservative Republicans in Wisconsin who were pushing for decertifying Biden’s win.

Group Of Wisconsin Political Heavyweights Focuses On Election Integrity Ahead Of 2024

The 2024 presidential election is 17 months away, but a new group is already launching in Wisconsin to focus on combatting misinformation and ensuring election integrity.

Keep Our Republic currently has advisory councils in Pennsylvania and Michigan, and now it's turning its sights to another battleground: the Badger State.

It's been more than 900 days since Wisconsin voters filled out their ballots for the 2020 presidential election. Despite a recount confirming Joe Biden won the most votes in the state, and audits and court cases finding the election was run fairly, former Republican congressman Reid Ribble said some people still doubt the election's results.

Appeals Court Hears Arguments Over Republican Lame-Duck Law That Limits AG's Power

A Wisconsin appeals court heard arguments Monday in a case challenging a law that limits the power of Wisconsin's attorney general.

The law in question requires Wisconsin's Department of Justice to get approval from a legislative budget committee before agreeing to the terms of civil settlements that the DOJ prosecutes on behalf of state agencies.

It was part of a spate of lame-duck laws passed by Wisconsin's GOP-controlled Legislature in December 2018, just before newly elected Attorney General Josh Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers, both Democrats, were set to take office and replace Attorney General Brad Schimel and Gov. Scott Walker, both Republicans.

LeMahieu Says Not Enough GOP Votes Yet To Remove Sales Tax Referendum Provision

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says he plans to meet with Gov. Tony Evers and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos today to continue discussions on the shared revenue bill.

“I think we’re actually pretty close, and I’m hoping that when we meet with the governor on Monday we can work out a deal and get it done,” LeMahieu said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com.

A major sticking point in the legislation is a referendum requirement for Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to raise their sales tax to address a looming unfunded pension crisis.

The Assembly, which passed its version of the bill last month, included the referendum provision.

‘Safe Harbor’ Bill Would End Prosecution Of Minors For Prostitution

A bill making its way through Wisconsin’s legislature seeks to help combat sex trafficking by ensuring minors who come forward are not held criminally liable for prostitution.

Currently in the state, people under the age of 18 can be and have been prosecuted for prostitution, but according to state law they also can’t consent, which the bill's advocates said doesn’t add up.