Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Michigan Supreme Court Rejects ‘Insurrectionist Ban’ Case And Keeps Trump On 2024 Primary Ballot

The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot based on the US Constitution’s “insurrectionist ban.”

The outcome contrasts with the recent ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, which kicked Trump off its primary ballot because of his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Americans Sour On The Primary Election Process And Major Political Parties

With the GOP presidential primaries just about to start, many Republicans aren't certain that votes will be counted correctly in their contest, as pessimism spreads about the future of both the Democratic and Republican parties, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

About one-third of Republicans say they have a “great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence that votes in the Republican primary elections and caucuses will be counted correctly. About three in 10 Republicans report a “moderate” amount of confidence, and 32% say they have “only a little” or “none at all.” In contrast, 72% of Democrats have high confidence their party will count votes accurately in its primary contests. Democrats are also slightly more likely than Republicans to have a high level of confidence in the Republican Party’s vote count being accurate.

What To Know About The Migrant Caravan Heading To The US

A migrant caravan departed Mexico’s southern city of Tapachula on Monday, as the Biden administration ratchets up pressure on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to impose tighter limits on migrants crossing his country.

The reportedly 6,000-strong caravan is the largest organized group of migrants to form in Tapachula since 2022, when news of a similarly sized caravan threatened to overshadow the Summit of the Americas, hosted in Los Angeles by the Biden administration.

Pizza Hut Laying Off Thousands Of California Workers Before Minimum Wage Hike

Pizza Hut is set to lay off more than 1,200 delivery drivers in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties in the coming year, ahead of a new state law that boosts the fast-food minimum wage by $4 to $20 per hour.

The law, known as Assembly Bill 1228, was introduced by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, and signed into law in September by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Pizza Hut franchises are preparing to pivot toward third-party apps like DoorDash, GrubHub and UberEats for pizza and food deliveries.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun Of Oscar-Winning Film ‘Parasite’ Dies

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun from the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” has died in an apparent suicide, South Korean police told NBC News on Wednesday.

Lee had been under investigation on allegations of using marijuana and other illegal drugs. He said he was innocent.

Police said Lee was found dead in a car at a park in central Seoul, and that there was a charcoal briquette in the passenger seat.

Wisconsin Headlines

Gov. Evers Highlights His Administration's Work In 2023

Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday highlighted his administration's work in 2023. 

Evers said they enacted 86 bipartisian bills, signed a deal to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee, supported local government and built affordable housing, among other notable achievements.

Evers said he's still "jazzed as hell" he was elected as the governor of Wisconsin and he said this year has been some of the most important work he's done to date.

“I’m grateful to Wisconsinites across the state for the privilege of serving them and for their partnership and support in doing this work, and I’m thrilled to keep working together to build upon our achievements in the new year,” Evers said.

Study: Lack Of Childhood Nurturing Linked To Accelerated Aging

A new study by a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that a lack of nurturing as a child is associated with accelerated aging later in life.

The research looks at changes to a person's genome that have been linked to their environment or behaviors — what's called epigenetics. These markers can indicate a person's biological age, or how much their body has aged physically.

Lauren Schmitz, professor at UW-Madison's La Follette School of Public Affairs, said the field of research around these epigenetic changes is still new because data is limited. Studies require both survey data on people's health experiences and a blood sample.

Microsoft Just Paid $76 Million For A Wisconsin Pumpkin Farm

A Wisconsin family has agreed to sell 407 acres of their land, which includes a local pumpkin farm attraction, to Microsoft — for a total of $76 million, reported the Milwaukee Business Journal. The local government initially offered the Creuziger family in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin about a third of that sum in 2017 as a part of an agreement with the Foxconn Technology Group. But the family refused, opting to hold out for a better offer.

“The family wishes the village and Microsoft well, and they would appreciate people respecting their privacy,” the family’s attorney David Barnes told the Business Journal.

Why The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Ruling On Gerrymandering Matters

There were plenty of important elections this year — gubernatorial contests, congressional races, mayoral elections, et al. — but arguably the most consequential was Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court election in April.

Janet Protasiewicz cruised to a surprisingly large win, which in turn gave the left its first majority on the state’s highest court in 15 years. It was the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history because both sides recognized the fact that the stakes were dramatically high.

Bill Would Give Regulators More Authority Over Longer-Term Utility Construction Plans

A bill introduced in the state Legislature last month would give the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin more power over utility plans for future construction projects.

Under the proposal, electric utilities and cooperatives would have to seek approval from state regulators for two-year construction plans for large-scale electric generating facilities, small generating sites and transmission lines. The Public Service Commission, or PSC, typically approves most utility construction projects individually, rather than looking at integrated resource and reliability plans biennially.

The bill also gives the PSC the authority to require utilities to use a financing mechanism to reduce the impact on consumer electricity rates when coal plants shut down.