Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Oct 4, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

DeSantis Takes Over The National Conversation

No one has been at the forefront of the national conversation more in the last month than Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

DeSantis, seen as a top contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is firmly at the center of the national news cycle.

He made headlines initially by choice when he had dozens of migrants flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., in a bid to seize attention in the fight over the border. As that controversy continued to unfold, DeSantis found himself at the center over his state’s preparations and then response to Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida hard.

Zelenskyy, Musk In Twitter Showdown Over Ukraine ‘Peace’ Plan

Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk triggered the ire of Ukraine and its supporters on Monday after he suggested in a Twitter poll that the country should cede the strategically important Crimea region to Russia and make other concessions as part of a peace deal.

Andrij Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, had a curt response to Musk’s initial poll.

“F--- off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk,” he wrote on Twitter.

Musk also drew direct criticism from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who in a dueling Twitter poll accused Musk of contradicting himself. Zelenskyy asked users which version of Musk they like more: the one who supports Ukraine, or the one who supports Russia? 

Student Loan Forgiveness: Key Dates And Details So Far

Within days, millions of Americans are expected to be able to take their first steps to cancel up to $20,000 in debt under President Joe Biden's federal student loan forgiveness program.

The Biden administration announced in August that single borrowers who earn under $125,000 can qualify for $10,000 in federal school loan debt cancellation while those who are married qualify for that amount if their joint income is under $250,000 (as calculated by gross adjusted income from 2020 or 2021).

Recipients of Pell grants -- which are designed for people with "exceptional financial need," according to the government -- are eligible for an additional $10,000 to be canceled, or $20,000 total

US Women's Soccer Stars 'Were Shown P*rn, Coerced Into Relationships And Quizzed On Their Sex Lives By Coaches', Reveals Investigation

An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday.

One coach called in a player to review game film and showed her pornography instead. Meanwhile, another was reportedly known to berate his players and then quiz them about their sex lives.

Another was said to have coerced multiple players into sexual relationships and was fired by his team for the disturbing behavior but the club failed to warn another franchise when he was hired by a rival team only a few months later.

Biden White House Effort To Spin 'Where's Jackie' Gaffe Raises Media Eyebrows: 'People Were Taken Aback'

Over and over, White House reporters asked press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last week to explain why President Biden looked for deceased Indiana congresswoman Jackie Walorski in the crowd at an event, and over and over, she wouldn't say Biden simply misspoke.

Jean-Pierre told reporters 14 times that Biden wasn’t confused about whether Walorski was alive and in the room, but rather he had her "top of mind" because he would meet with her family later that week. Her insistence on not acknowledging Biden's misstep, and the ensuing media onslaught inside and outside the briefing room, made it one of the more difficult moments of her tenure to date.

"I have no idea why senior communications officials tried to defend Biden's inexcusable comment but if you acknowledge one slip, it validates the rest of questionable moments this president has had," a White House reporter told Fox News Digital.

Wisconsin Headlines

'It's An Enormous Amount Of Advertising': Wisconsin Leads Nation In Combined Governor, Senate Race Ads

If it feels like you're seeing a ton of political commercials lately, it's because you are. In a recent two-week period, the number of political ads on TV in Wisconsin exceeded the margin in the state's 2020 presidential election results.

It's Wisconsin's nature as one of the nation's most politically competitive states that has invited the flood of advertising dollars.

According to the Wesleyan Media Project, Wisconsin TV stations aired more than 24,000 ads related to the state's high-profile races for governor and U.S. Senate.

Wisconsin To Pay Fired Football Coach Paul Chryst An $11 Million Buyout

Former Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst will receive a reduced buyout of $11 million, the school said Monday.

Chryst, fired Sunday following a 2-3 start to the season, had approximately $20 million left on a contract that paid him through January 2027. But athletic director Chris McIntosh said Sunday that Chryst had agreed to take a reduced payout, while not revealing the specifics.

Chryst will be paid his buyout no later than Feb. 1, and all funds will come from the University of Wisconsin Foundation, the school's fundraising organization.

Darrell Brooks Trial: Waukesha Christmas Parade Suspect Delays Jury Picks With Disruptions

A man accused of killing six people and injuring dozens more when he allegedly drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in Wisconsin last year managed to delay the start of his trial Monday by becoming so disruptive the judge had to take multiple breaks before forcing him to watch the proceedings via video from another room.

Prosecutors allege Darrell Brooks drove his vehicle into the Nov. 21 parade in downtown Waukesha despite police warnings to stop and officers opening fire on him. He faces 77 charges, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 61 counts of reckless endangerment. Each homicide charge carries a mandatory life sentence.

Court convened at 8:30 a.m. sharp, with Judge Jennifer Dorow on the bench. But just seven minutes later, before jurors had even entered the courtroom, Judge Dorow called for recess as Brooks continued to interrupt her.

Democrats Betting Renewed Attacks On GOP Abortion Views Can Help Barnes, Evers Campaigns

With five weeks until the midterm elections, Wisconsin's top Democrats are renewing their push to make abortion policy the defining issue in the races for governor and U.S. Senate.

On Saturday, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes' U.S. Senate campaign launched a "Ron Against Roe" tour in Green Bay with more stops planned for Milwaukee, Racine, Madison and Eau Claire. The Barnes team has said the tour is aimed at "holding Ron Johnson accountable for his record of working to rip away Wisconsinites' ability to access abortion."

Gov. Tony Evers, meanwhile, has called a special session of the Wisconsin Legislature for Tuesday to consider an amendment to the state constitution that the governor said would "create a pathway" to repealing the state's 1849 law banning most abortions.

The push comes as Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Republican candidate for governor Tim Michels continue to pummel Barnes and Evers with TV ads attacking them as soft on crime. In the U.S. Senate race, Johnson and his GOP allies have highlighted Barnes' past comments on shifting police funding toward community services, while Michels has attacked Evers for the Wisconsin Parole Commission's decision to grant parole to hundreds of eligible prisoners since the governor took office.

Wisconsin Districts Seek Solutions As School Lunch Quality Comes Under Fire

When Sadie Perez entered Indian Trail High School and Academy on a November morning, school work was not on her mind. Instead, the then-junior was focused on an upcoming speech to the Kenosha School Board. She planned to bring a pressing concern to their next meeting — bad lunches.

Like the majority of schools in Wisconsin, the Kenosha Unified School District offered free meals to students during the 2021-22 academic year. But Perez and other students started to notice smaller portions, what appeared to be undercooked meat and fruit and vegetables covered with dark spots.

"The burgers that we had, the meat was really chewy and did not look cooked at all," said Perez, who is now a senior. "Like they just threw it into a microwave and put two cold buns on it and hoped for the best."