Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Apr. 27, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

US Oil Production Grows, But Russia’s War Keeps Gas Prices High

U.S. oil production is on the rise — but it may not have the immediate impact on gas prices that both Democrats and Republicans want.

While the country is producing 300,000 more barrels of oil per day than it was in mid-March, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — which sparked a boycott of Russian oil and increased demand for limited supply from elsewhere — is expected to keep prices high at least for the near future.

Twitter Says Mass Deactivations After Musk News Were ‘Organic’

Twitter, which did not provide an exact number of accounts that were shuttered or activated in the hours after the announcement, said it was looking into “recent fluctuations."

For Many American Families A Living Wage Is Out Of Reach: Report

A new report diving into the data on vital measures of health and social determinants of health finds that women, and particularly women of color, continue to experience steep pay gaps, that many Americans cannot afford child care and many school districts may be underfunded.

Were The Stimulus Checks A Mistake?

As U.S. prices continue to rise by rates not seen in decades, it’s become clear that the stimulus came at a significant, unintended cost: inflation. It’s unclear whether inflation has reached its peak, but the situation is now economically and politically toxic, and it has left many of the same policymakers, advocates and economists now asking whether the stimulus checks were a mistake.

Experts Warn About Rising Extremism In Gaming

Far-right extremists are a growing presence in gaming, researchers have found, while the industry’s hidden metrics, lackluster content moderation and head-in-the-sand attitudes get in the way of assessing and combatting the problem.

Gaming and game-adjacent platforms have grown into some of the largest entertainment industries in the world, leading to massive opportunities for recruitment and organizing by extremist groups.

Couple Electrocuted After Attempting Viral Wood-burning Art Technique

A Wisconsin couple was electrocuted attempting a popular but dangerous wood-burning technique, law enforcement officials said.

The "fractal burning" technique creates lightning-like etchings by using jumper cables and disassembled microwave oven parts to run high-voltage electricity through a piece of wood soaked in a chemical solution. It yields patterns known as Lichtenberg figures, named after the physicist Georg Lichtenberg, who discovered them in 1777 as he was experimenting with static electricity.

Body Found In Lake Winnebago Identified As 57-Year-Old Fond Du Lac Man

A statement from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff identified a man who was found dead in Lake Winnebago over the weekend.

The Sheriff's statement issued Tuesday said the circumstances surrounding the death of Thomas D. Williams, 57, of Fond du Lac, remain under investigation. Authorities are also investigating the location where his body was found.

Petition Started To Create "Lily Alert" In Honor Of Lily Peters

When 10 year old Lily Peters was first reported missing on Sunday night, police knew what she looked like, that she had left on bike to a specific location, and of course didn't make it home. But all that information was still not enough to issue an Amber Alert.

A Horrific Murder. Police Helped A Key Witness. The Prosecutor Kept It Secret

In 2019, Wisconsin Watch received a tip about a case. It alleged that the prosecutor, Outagamie County District Attorney Vince Biskupic, had withheld information about a key witness — a young woman who got some help, monetary and otherwise, from the police. That assistance was never disclosed to the defense. It’s part of a pattern seen in some other high-profile cases prosecuted by Biskupic, according to an investigation by Wisconsin Watch and WPR.

Vos Extends Review Of 2020 Election

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Tuesday the taxpayer-funded review of the 2020 election will continue, just a day after former President Donald Trump put public pressure on Wisconsin Republicans and days before Michael Gableman's latest contract was set to expire.