Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Why US Is Sending Troops, Prized Air Defense System To Israel

The U.S. announced this week a major new air defense system for Israel, along with the deployment of 100 American troops to operate it in the country, in a development that will bolster Israeli security but potentially put American forces at risk.

President Biden said the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery was meant “to defend Israel,” following Iran’s barrage of 180 ballistic missiles aimed at the country on Oct. 1. The U.S. ally is now weighing a retaliatory strike.

Fed Governor Waller Sees Need For ‘More Caution’ Ahead When Lowering Interest Rates

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Monday signaled that future interest rate cuts will be less aggressive than the big move in September as he expressed concern that the economy could still be running at a hotter-than-desired pace.

Citing recent reports on employment, inflation, gross domestic product and income, the policymaker indicated that “the data is signaling that the economy may not be slowing as much as desired.”

Google Turns To Nuclear To Power AI Data Centres

Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.

The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035.

The companies did not give any details about how much the deal is worth or where the plants will be built.

Bath & Body Works Apologizes For Candle Packaging That Sparked Controversy

Bath & Body Works is apologizing for selling a candle with packaging that some people said looked like Ku Klux Klan hoods.

The 3-wick candle was called “Snowed In” and briefly appeared on the company's website for purchase. It was quickly pulled off of the website once the issue was brought to Bath & Body Works attention.

The image on the packaging was supposed to convey a snowflake cut out of paper. The outer edges of the snowflake are white and cone shaped, with two holes cut out near the center.

College Makes Shock Move After Women's Volleyball Team Refused To Play Against Rival With Transgender Star

The University of Nevada women's volleyball team is at odds with their own school after voting to forfeit a game against a rival with a transgender player.

The college volleyball season has been plunged into the debate over trans athletes in recent weeks because of San Jose State University's Blaire Fleming.

Fleming, a redshirt senior, has been cited as the reason four schools have forfeited matches against San Jose State so far this season because of safety concerns.

Wisconsin Headlines

Republicans Boost Campaign Ad Spending In Final Weeks Of Hovde's Bid To Unseat Baldwin In Closely Watched Race

Sensing an opportunity in swing-state Wisconsin, Republicans are pouring money into the bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in that state’s closely watched Senate race.

Democrats also have dialed up their efforts in the contest, which remains crucial to their hopes of maintaining their Senate majority. They maintain an overall spending advantage and insist that the contest was always going to tighten as Election Day nears.

VP Nominee Tim Walz Tells Green Bay Dems It’s ‘All Gas And No Brake’ Through Election Day

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz on Monday invoked legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi when encouraging Wisconsin Democrats to keep their foot on the gas in the closing days of the election.

“It’s a very simple analogy that everybody in Wisconsin, everybody in Michigan, everybody in Pennsylvania, knows: There is simply no substitute for work,” he told a crowd of hundreds people inside a Green Bay convention center, lightly paraphrasing Lombardi. “We’re leaving it all on the field. It’s all gas and no brake for 22 days.”

AG Josh Kaul Says He’s Prepared To Defend Election Results

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says he expects challenges to Wisconsin’s elections and is prepared to “defend the results” if need be.

“There have been suggestions again about the integrity of our elections,” Kaul said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “So I think two things are important: One is we need to make clear, and when I say we, I mean bipartisan groups of people, need to make clear that we have safe and secure elections in Wisconsin. They’ve been tested over and over again. We know that the system works. And then secondly, we’re certainly prepared, if we need to, to defend the results of the election.

Wisconsin Sees Unprecedented Television Ad Spending In State Legislative Races

It is no question Wisconsin’s airwaves are being inundated with political ads. However, beyond the focus on presidential U.S. Senate races, there has also been an unprecedented amount of spending on advertising in the state’s local legislative races.

“We’ll probably set a new record this year," Brian Schimming, the chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said.

Wisconsin’s Democratic Party agreed, with Ben Wikler, the Chairman of the state’s Democratic Party saying, “Wisconsin has never had local legislative elections like this.”

Couple From Wisconsin Three-Peats At 24th North American Wife Carrying Championship

For 24 years, the top wife carriers (and their wives) have descended upon Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine for the North American Wife Carrying Championship to show off their unique skillset and determine who is the best of the best.

2024 was no exception as more than 30 couples competed, trying to conquer the grueling 278 yard course and come away with the top prize.

Of course, that top prize involves beer. The winning wife’s weight in beer to be precise. They also take home five times the wife’s weight in cash.