Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 | Recent News

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

Hurricane John's Rapid Intensification Catches Mexico Tourist Hubs Of Acapulco And Puerto Escondido Off Guard

Hurricane John struck Mexico's southern Pacific coast with life-threatening flood potential after growing into a major hurricane in a matter of hours. It came ashore near the town of Punta Maldonado late Monday night as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. John's rapid intensification forced authorities to rush to keep pace and warn people of its potential destruction.

"Seek higher ground, protect yourselves and do not forget that life is the most important thing; material things can be replaced. We are here," Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wrote on the social media platform X.

4 Russian Military Aircraft Detected In Alaska Defense Zone, NORAD Says

Four Russian military aircraft passed through the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone on Monday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said.

All four aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter either American or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said in a press release. There was no intercept, it added.

California Becomes Latest State To Restrict Student Smartphone Use At School

School districts in California will have to create rules restricting student smartphone use under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday.

The legislation makes California the latest state to try to curb student phone access in an effort to minimize distractions in the classroom and address the mental health impacts of social media on children. Florida, Louisiana, Indiana and several other states have passed laws aimed at restricting student phone use at school.

Harris Won't Say If She Still Backs Decriminalizing Prostitution

Vice President Harris' campaign is declining to say whether she still supports decriminalizing sex work — a position she took while running for president in 2019.

It's among several progressive stances Harris has either abandoned or gone silent on as she's moved toward the center in her abbreviated race for the White House.

Chemicals Linked To Breast Cancer Leach Into Our Foods, Study Finds

Nearly 200 chemicals connected to breast cancer are used in the making of food packaging and plastic tableware, and dozens of those carcinogens can migrate into the human body, a new study found.

“There is strong evidence that 76 known or potential breast carcinogens from food contact materials recently purchased all over the world can be found in people,” said study coauthor Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, a nonprofit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, that focuses on science communication and research.

Housing, Workforce Availability Holding Back Further Wisconsin Job Gains

Wisconsin’s total jobs numbers have rebounded from their 2020 lows brought about by mass layoffs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However those gains have not been shared equally across the state, with a lack of workers holding back further job growth, and a lack of affordable housing holding back workers.

Research by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan research firm, found Wisconsin jobs peaked at 2.89 million in 2019, declined to 2.73 million the next year, before steadily climbing to 2.92 million by 2023.

Wisconsin Realtors Hopeful For Further Mortgage Rate Declines, But Supply Is Bigger Issue

Some Wisconsin realtors are hopeful mortgage rates will decline slightly through 2025 after the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut last week. But they say a lack of supply remains the biggest challenge for prospective homebuyers.

The Fed cut the Federal Funds rate by half a percentage point last Wednesday, but average 30-year fixed mortgage rates have been trending down since they peaked in October 2023.

Former School Resource Officer Pleads Guilty To Bestiality

A former Kewaskum school resource officer was convicted of bestiality after pleading guilty to 3 counts of engaging in sexual contact with an animal.

Steven Rosales, 35, entered the pleas in Fond du Lac County court Monday.

Harris Holds 7-Point Lead Over Trump In Wisconsin Poll

Vice President Harris has a 7-point lead over former President Trump among likely voters in Wisconsin, according to a poll from Wisconsin Watch and MassINC Polling Group released Monday.

In the poll, conducted Sept. 12-18, Harris gets 53 percent support to Trump’s 46 percent support, in a head-to-head match-up.

Don’t Miss Wisconsin’s Youth Deer Hunt Oct. 5-6

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages hunting mentors to introduce the rich tradition of deer hunting to the next generation during Wisconsin’s annual youth deer hunt.

The youth hunt offers hunters 15 years old and younger the chance to learn hunting techniques and develop a connection to nature at a time when deer are less pressured than during the traditional 9-day gun season. Wisconsin residents and nonresidents may participate in the youth hunt.