Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Elon Musk To Quit As Twitter CEO When Replacement Found

Elon Musk has said he will resign as Twitter's chief executive officer when he finds someone "foolish enough to take the job".

The billionaire had promised to abide by the result of a Twitter poll which saw 57.5% of users vote "yes" to him quitting the role.

He says he will still run the software and servers teams after his replacement is found.

Changes on the platform since his takeover have been much criticised.

Zelensky Visiting D.C. To Address Congress, Meet Biden

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington on Wednesday to meet President Biden, hold a press conference at the White House and address a joint session of Congress, a senior administration official told reporters.

During the visit, Biden will announce another $2 billion in U.S. military aid including, for the first time, the Patriot missile defense system.

Zelensky's trip to Washington — which will last just "a few short hours." Biden and Zelensky will have an "in-depth, strategic discussion" about the war, military aid and tightening sanctions before Zelensky heads to Capitol Hill, the official said.

Congress is poised to pass $45 billion in additional military and economic aid to Ukraine this week as part of its $1.7 trillion omnibus funding bill, bringing total U.S. assistance to over $100 billion.

Trump's Income Taxes Were Often Paltry, Newly Released Documents Show

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly paid little or nothing in federal income taxes between 2015 and 2020 despite reporting millions in earnings.

Documents released Tuesday night by House Democrats said Trump frequently made tens of millions of dollars annually during that period. But he was able to whittle away his tax bill by claiming steep business losses that offset that income.

In 2016, he paid $750. The following year he again paid just $750. In 2020, he paid nothing.

And though the IRS has a longstanding policy of automatically auditing every president, Democrats say the agency did not begin vetting Trump’s filings until they began asking about them in 2019.

Migrants Take Over Streets Of El Paso Where Food Banks Are Just Days From Running Dry

Migrants have taken over the streets of El Paso - where food banks are just days from running dry - after making last-ditch border dashes ahead of Title 42 being lifted.

Desperate migrants huddled at bus stops and propped up makeshift tents in freezing temperatures after already making their long and treacherous journeys to Texas.

After fighting off looting cartels, walking through hazardous jungles, and cramming on overcrowded fishing boats, many of the exhausted asylum seekers told DailyMail.com they were relieved to have made it to the US before the deadline.

More than 400 National Guard troops were deployed on Tuesday ahead of the midnight expiration - causing dozens more asylum-seekers to make a break for the border to avoid grim clashes. Officials said over the weekend 2,500 migrants were arriving in El Paso daily, a figure that could rise to '4,000, 5,000, maybe 6,000'.

Shipping Companies Brace For Harsh Winter Weather With 'Contingency Plans' To Help Gifts Arrive On Time For The Holidays

With inclement winter weather forecast for much of the country this week, New Hampshire resident Laurie Boswell said she can sleep easy because she sent her Californian daughter’s Christmas gift with time to spare during the busy shipping season.

“I did all my Christmas ordering early — we don’t like to miss,” said Boswell, 67, who is from Franconia, New Hampshire, but spoke Tuesday from midtown Manhattan in New York.

Present procrastinators, Boswell said, who shipped gifts to their loved ones this week may not be so lucky, however.

“Regardless of the storm, you could still be in trouble,” she said. “You don’t want any last-minute glitches that could ruin the holidays.”

Evers To Again Propose Marijuana Legalization In State Budget

Gov. Tony Evers said he'll reintroduce a plan to legalize marijuana for recreational use as part of the budget he unveils to lawmakers early next year.

But Evers said he'd also sign a bill to legalize medicinal marijuana if GOP lawmakers send one to his desk.

Evers and Republicans have been at odds over how to regulate marijuana ever since he took office.

In his first budget, Evers proposed decriminalizing certain amounts of marijuana, an idea Republicans rejected. In his second budget, Evers called for the full legalization of marijuana, which GOP lawmakers also voted down.

In an interview Tuesday, Evers said he would reintroduce his plan to legalize recreational marijuana next year.

"It's going to be in the budget," Evers said. "No question about that."

But Evers said it was his sense that GOP lawmakers might be willing to accept something less than full legalization.

Wisconsin Reports First Child Flu Death Of Season

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has confirmed the first pediatric influenza-associated death in Wisconsin for the 2022-2023 season. Nationwide, 30 pediatric influenza-associated deaths have been reported.

DHS encourages all Wisconsinites, especially children, to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible. Early data show this year’s flu vaccine is a match to current circulating influenza strains and will prevent or reduce symptoms of influenza infection.

“DHS is saddened to report the first death of a child from influenza in Wisconsin this season,” said DHS Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist Dr. Ryan Westergaard. “Flu cases are on the rise throughout the state, and it is important to take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Flu vaccines are safe and effective, and we urge all eligible Wisconsinites to get their shot as soon as possible. It is the most powerful tool we have to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death during flu season.”

Frozen Road Law Takes Effect Wednesday For Northern Half Of Wisconsin

Wisconsin's frozen road law takes effect Wednesday, December 21 at 12:01 a.m. for the northern half of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) designates the regions as Zone 1 and Zone 2 which includes US 10 near Stevens Point along with numbered state and federal highways north of US 10. The frozen road determination for other areas of the state will be made when conditions warrant.

The frozen road law allows vehicles hauling abrasives or salt for highway winter maintenance and certain forest products to carry more weight. The seasonal weight restriction program is one way to protect Wisconsin's investments in roads.

The department maintains an interactive map for seasonal weight restrictions, which shows the frozen roads boundaries, Class II roads and posted roads.

Shining A Light On The Growing Problem Of Antisemitism In Wisconsin

At Temple Beth El on the west side of Madison, students as young as 4 years old walk past armed guards on their way to school.

Following the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, the congregation's policy required Madison Police Department officers to be present at all on-site gatherings. In 2022, the same community participated in active shooter training led by staff from the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

Antisemitism, a long-standing and furtive form of bigotry and hatred, has become increasingly commonplace across the United States, including in Wisconsin. While Jewish residents account for less than 1% of Wisconsin's population, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation reported a 459% increase in incidents of antisemitism around the state between 2015-2021.

Milwaukee Jewish Federation Executive Director Miryam Rosenzweig said the increasing severity of recent antisemitic incidents is even more concerning.

Criminal Justice Coalition Again Pitching Shared Priorities For Budget

A criminal justice coalition is pitching a series of shared priorities to the guv and lawmakers ahead of the 2023-25 budget, promoting a package of $99.6 million in initiatives.

It is the third time the coalition of district attorneys, assistant district attorneys, public defenders, the Director of State Courts and the Department of Justice have banded together to advocate for items they say are critical to maintaining the criminal justice system.

“It’s a list of things that we all see as a critical investment to make sure we can keep doing the constitutional work,” said Adam Plotkin, legislative liaison with the State Public Defender’s Office.