Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Congress Found An Easy Way To Fix Child Poverty. Then It Walked Away.

Imagine the federal government could lift millions of American children out of poverty with a single program. That program would help parents put nutritious meals on the table, pay for school expenses and even save for kids’ college — all with no negative impact on the economy.

You don’t have to imagine. We had it just last year … and now we don’t.

America's Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Vaccine Approach

The choose-your-own-adventure vibe of the pandemic response is spreading to booster shots, with Americans 50 and older now having the option to get a fourth dose — without explicitly being encouraged to do so.

Why it matters: Many experts say yesterday's FDA authorization makes sense as a precautionary measure, but the policy could create more confusion around the long-term vaccination strategy.

Israel Says Gunman Who Killed 5 In Third Such Recent Attack Was Palestinian

Israeli police on Wednesday said the attacker who used an assault rifle to methodically gun down five victims from a motorcycle in a central Israeli city was a Palestinian.

The shooter, identified as Diaa Hamarsheh, 27, from the occupied West Bank village of Yabad, was killed by police late Tuesday. Israeli media said the military raided the man's home early Wednesday and arrested several of his relatives as part of its investigation into the attack.

Donald Trump's 6 January Call Logs Show Seven-Hour Gap

Official White House logs from 6 January, 2021 - the day the US Capitol was breached by a mob of Donald Trump's supporters - show a seven hour and 37-minute gap in presidential phone activity while the assault was at its height.

The bipartisan congressional committee investigating the attack had fought a lengthy legal battle to obtain the presidential records, which could shed light on the activity of the president and his closest aides on the day.

Political Battle Lines Form On Clarence Thomas

The simmering debate over Justice Clarence Thomas’s judicial ethics is shaping up as a midterm election issue, with lawmakers on both sides setting up their positions.

Thomas is facing growing calls from Democrats to recuse himself from any Supreme Court cases that are tied to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol since the revelation that his wife, Ginni Thomas, sought to overturn former President Trump’s electoral defeat.

Wisconsin Headlines

Ryan Huebsch Running For 94th AD Seat His Father Once Held

Republican Ryan Huebsch today announced he’ll run for the 94th AD, formerly held by his father and ex-Assembly speaker, Mike Huebsch.

Rep. Steve Doyle, D-Onalaska, currently holds the seat. Doyle was first elected in a 2011 special election when former Rep. Mike Huebsch resigned to serve as Department of Administration secretary under former Gov. Scott Walker. Mike Huebsch represented the 94th AD from 1995-2011 and served as Assembly speaker from 2007-2008.

Attorneys In Wisconsin Parade Crash Want 2023 Trial

Attorneys for a man accused of driving his SUV through a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee are looking to push a trial date into 2023.

Prosecutors allege Darrell Brooks drove through the parade in downtown Waukesha on Nov. 21, killing six people and injuring dozens more.

Wisconsin Has Been Awarded More Than $400 Million In Opioid Epidemic Settlements

Drug makers are paying up. Wisconsin is set to get more than $400 million from two recently settled class action lawsuit settlements related to the opioid crisis.

These blockbuster settlements will be paid out over several years. Thirty percent, or about $120 million, is expected to go to DHS. The rest is planned to go to Wisconsin communities that joined the class action suits, according to Paul Krupski with DHS.

‘Do Your Job’: A Lesson From The Dane County Juvenile Detention Center

When we’re at work, we all have a number of roles — we can take on other jobs, wear many hats. Albert Watson is a Detention Officer at the Dane County Juvenile Detention Center, where he also hosts a cooking club. Here, he tells the story of the day he saved a life by taking a bit of his own advice. He shared it at a storytelling event and on the podcast, “Inside Stories.”

Wisconsin DMV Adds New Online Option To Order Special License Plates

​The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently launched an online option for ordering special or personalized plates.

DMV offers 52 special plate options plus the opportunity to personalize. Having a step-by-step process is helpful when selecting a vehicle’s first license plate. The DMV Special and Personalized License Plate Application portal tracks all the options, estimates the fees and places the order online so new customized plates are ready faster.

Last year, more than 33,087 special license plates, which provide recognition for the sponsoring group, were ordered. DMV’s new online service