Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2024

U.S. and World Headlines

Texas Immigration Law Blocked Again, Just Hours After Supreme Court Allowed State To Arrest Migrants

Hours after the Supreme Court gave Texas officials permission to jail and prosecute migrants suspected of crossing the U.S. southern border without authorization, an appeals court late Tuesday blocked the state from enforcing its controversial immigration law known as SB4.

In a late-night order, a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel dissolved a pause that it issued in early March to suspend a lower court ruling that found SB4 to be unconstitutional.

The order reinstated a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra, who concluded in late February that SB4 conflicted with federal immigration laws and the Constitution.

UnitedHealth Group Recovering From Significant Cyberattack

The UnitedHealth Group -- one of the nation’s largest health care providers -- said it is making progress in its recovery from one of the worst cyberattacks on a health care system in United States history, its CEO said earlier this week.

On Feb. 21, UnitedHealth Group announced a hacking group called ALPHV -- also known as "BlackCat" -- breached its system. Its subsidiary Change Healthcare was hit hardest by the attack.

"Change Healthcare can confirm we experienced a cybersecurity issue perpetrated by a cybercrime threat actor who has represented itself to us as ALPHV/Blackcat," according to a statement on UnitedHealth Group's website.

Trump Favorites Moreno And Merrin Win GOP Primaries To Face 2 Vulnerable Ohio Democrats This Fall

Things went former President Donald Trump’s way on Tuesday in a pair of high-profile elections in Ohio that could determine Republicans' chances of picking up critical seats this fall and expanding their power in Washington.

In the bruising and expensive primary to face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall, voters chose Trump-backed Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno over state Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. In northwest Ohio, state Rep. Derek Merrin prevailed over former state Rep. Craig Riedel a day after Trump endorsed him. Merrin will face longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in November’s general election.

Trump’s Lawyers Say He Can’t Post $464M Bond: What Happens Next

Former President Trump has less than a week to secure a half billion-dollar bond or risk the seizure of his assets as he challenges a trial court’s finding that he conspired to alter his net worth for tax and insurance benefits.

A New York judge found Trump liable for fraud last year ahead of a months-long trial that ended with the judge imposing a massive $464 million penalty on the Trump Organization.

Trump’s lawyers admitted Monday that despite the former president’s “diligent efforts,” it is “impossible” for him to secure a full appeals bond in that amount due to lack of cash on hand.

Here’s what happens next as the deadline to post bond approaches.

Next Month's Solar Eclipse Could Cause Widespread Cell Phone Disruptions For Millions Of Americans, Officials Warn

Millions of tourists are expected to flock to the path of totality during the solar eclipse on April 8 - and experts warn the influx could disrupt cellular activity.

Up to one million are set for Texas, 500,000 in Indiana and Ohio and nearly 400,000 people could travel to New York - and state officials fear the increased demand could trigger connection delays or dropped calls.

To ease the burden on American towns, T-Mobile is deploying additional cell sites that will be on standby in areas expecting high tourist traffic.

And in a small Ohio town, which could see an 250,000 visitors, Verizon is setting up a portable tower ahead of the cosmic event.

Wisconsin Headlines

Noah’s Ark Waterpark Asks Judge For Restraining Order Against Village Of Lake Delton

The company behind Noah’s Ark Waterpark filed for a temporary restraining order against the Village of Lake Delton Friday to prevent the local government from enforcing an order to tear down abandoned motel buildings.

The lawsuit was brought in Sauk County Circuit Court.

The filing asks a judge to enjoin the Village of Lake Delton, where Noah’s Ark is located, from tearing down buildings that are a part of the former Flamingo Motel.

Wisconsin Legislature Passes Bill To Implement Asian American History In Public Schools

A new proposal requiring the teaching of Asian American and Hmong American education in Wisconsin schools has passed through the Assembly and Senate. It is now headed to the desk of Governor Tony Evers.

The bill would amend Wisconsin Act 31, which currently requires public school districts and pre-service education programs to offer instruction on the history and culture of Native Americans, Black Americans, and Hispanics.

Vos Derides Recall Effort As Wisconsin Supreme Court Considers Question Over District Boundaries

Wisconsin’s top Republican derided supporters of former President Donald Trump who are trying to recall him from office as “whack jobs” and “morons,” predicting March 19 that their effort would fail and they would be subject to fraud charges.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is being targeted for recall because he refused to impeach the state’s top elections official or proceed with attempting to decertify President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Wisconsin. His actions angered Trump, who accused Vos of covering up election corruption, while Trump’s followers mounted an unsuccessful primary challenge in 2022 and are now trying to force a recall election.

New Bill To Require Wisconsin Public Schools To Have CO Detectors

There’s a new push to require public schools to have carbon monoxide detectors. The new bill is in the works after dozens of students and staff fell ill from CO exposure due to a faulty furnace in a Crandon school building.

To be clear, we don’t know yet if the school had CO detectors, but advocates and lawmakers say having working detectors can make a difference.

“We averted a possible deadly disaster up in Crandon last week, so this is an opportunity, a very inexpensive opportunity to possibly save some lives in our schools,” said State Representative David Steffen of Green Bay.

Wisconsin Home Prices Have Climbed Faster Than Income In Recent Years, Report Says

Home prices in Wisconsin have grown faster than incomes in recent years, creating challenges for prospective first-time homebuyers.

That’s according to a new report released Wednesday by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The report examined the change in incomes, home and rent prices from 2017 to 2022.

It found that the cost of owner-occupied housing in the state has far outpaced income growth, while median incomes among renters have kept pace with rising rental prices. However, the share of renters spending more on housing than what’s generally deemed “affordable” has also increased.