Morning Headlines - Tuesday, May 16, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

5 Things To Watch In Tuesday’s Primary Elections In Kentucky, Pennsylvania And Florida

Republicans are salivating over the governorship in Kentucky, for good reason: It’s the reddest state with a Democratic chief executive — Gov. Andy Beshear — and the GOP has a chance to take him out this November.

Vying for that opportunity in Tuesday’s primary are a dozen Republican candidates, including a pair with direct ties to former President Donald Trump: Daniel Cameron, the state’s Black attorney general who has Trump’s endorsement; and Kelly Craft, who served as U.N. ambassador under the former president.

That’s the marquee race on the ballot, but Tuesday’s consequential elections aren’t limited to Kentucky.

Giuliani Accused Of Offering To Sell Trump Pardons For $2 Million Each In New Lawsuit

A woman who said she worked for Rudy Giuliani during the last two years of the Trump administration alleged in a wide-ranging lawsuit that Giuliani, the former president’s personal attorney, discussed selling presidential pardons and detailed plans to overturn the 2020 election results.

In a 70-page complaint filed in state court in New York on Monday, Noelle Dunphy said that after Giuliani hired her in January 2019 he sexually assaulted and harassed her, refused to pay her wages and often made "sexist, racist, and antisemitic remarks," adding that she had recordings of numerous interactions with him.

Inside The Biden Split With NY Mayor Eric Adams

New York Mayor Eric Adams, the highest profile Black mayor in the country, has gotten so crossways with the White House that he was dropped from Biden's 2024 campaign advisory board before it was announced last week.

The rebuke reflects a new low in relations between President Biden and the mayor, who was set to be a key surrogate for the campaign. They're fighting over immigration and crime — and Adams' willingness to publicly criticize the administration.

This isn't merely personal. It's part of a potential crisis for the campaign: Many Democratic state and city officials quietly agree with Adams and are happy he is taking flack on their behalf.

Amid Title 42's Expiration, This Broke Blue State Is Considering Unemployment For Illegal Immigrants

A California bill that would provide unemployment benefits to illegal aliens is set for review this week as the Golden State braces for an influx of migrants following Title 42's expiration.

SB 227, or the Safety Net for All Workers Act, would provide laid-off illegal immigrants with $300 per week for up to 20 weeks with funds from state coffers. In March, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the statewide bill.

"We cannot take people’s money, take people’s taxes, take people’s labor and then deny them the very benefits and rights that they deserve and that they have earned," Supervisor Shamann Walton said at a protest before the board met.

Egg Prices Are Crashing. Here’s Why

For months and months, the price of eggs was soaring. Now, they’re going splat.

As of last week, Midwest large eggs — the benchmark for eggs sold in their shells — cost just $0.94 per dozen in the wholesale market, according to Urner Barry, an independent price reporting agency. That’s a sharp fall from $5.46 per carton just six months ago. (In retail, prices are well above $1 per carton, though they too have been declining.)

Why the decline? It’s because of a reversal of supply-demand trends that caused prices to spike in the first place.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin's Budget Forecast Dips Slightly, Still Projected To Be Near $7 Billion Surplus

Wisconsin’s budget forecast dipped slightly on May 15, but the latest projection still calls for the state to collect about $6.9 billion more than anticipated by the end of June.

The projection from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates that taxes collected over the next two years will be down about $755 million, or about 1% less than the previous forecast made in January. Taking into account other short-term cost savings, the surplus shrank from $7.1 billion to nearly $6.9 billion.

Proposed Bill Would Increase Penalties For Failing To Stop For A School Bus

Three Republican state lawmakers are introducing a bill to increase the penalties for drivers who don't stop for a school bus.

Right now, a driver who doesn't stop when a bus has its flashing red warning lights on could be fined a minimum of $30 to a maximum of $300.

Under this bill, the minimum penalty would go up to $300 and the maximum would increase to $1,000.

Wisconsin Students Missed Nearly A Month Of School Last Year

Since the pandemic, fewer Wisconsin students have reliably made it to school. The state's attendance rate reached a new low of 91 percent last year and chronic absenteeism continues to be an issue, with more than 22 percent of students missing at least a month of school.

The picture is even more grim for high school students. The latest state data shows more than a quarter — 26 percent — of Wisconsin high school students missed a month of the 2021-2022 school year.

A student is considered chronically absent when they attend less than 90 percent of school days. The overall attendance rate for Wisconsin high school students was 89.7. Milwaukee Public Schools high school students attended only 70 percent of the time.

Wisconsin Judge Allows For Lawsuit Against Fake Trump Electors To Proceed

A Wisconsin judge on Monday refused to break up a lawsuit filed against 10 fake electors for former President Donald Trump and two of his attorneys, saying the case could proceed in the county where it was filed.

The lawsuit seeks $2.4 million from the fake electors and their attorneys, alleging they were part of a conspiracy by Trump and his allies to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential race. It also seeks to disqualify the Republicans from ever serving as electors again.

Franklin Naturopathic Practitioner Sentenced To Twelve Months’ Imprisonment For Unlawful Prescribing Of Controlled Substances

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 12, 2023, Michele Nickels (48) was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release. On February 8, 2023, Nickels pled guilty to an information charging her with one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Nickels’ conviction stemmed from her practice, over at least a 4-year period, of prescribing medications, including controlled substances such as Adderall, without a medical license or a DEA registration.

According to court documents, during the relevant time period, Nickels was a licensed Acupuncturist who had graduated from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona. Although Nickels owned and operated Self-Integrative Family Wellness Center between 2008 and 2022, Nickels was never licensed to practice medicine or prescribe medications in Wisconsin. Despite lacking the authority and licensure to prescribe medications or controlled substances, Nickels prescribed such substances over a four-year period by, among other things, using a DEA registration number that was not assigned to her.