Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

CNN Poll: Republicans, Backed By Enthusiasm And Economic Concerns, Hold A Narrow Edge Ahead Of Next Week’s Congressional Election

An enthusiastic Republican base and persistent concerns about the state of the economy place the GOP in a strong position with about a week to go in the race for control of the US House of Representatives, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.

The new survey out Wednesday shows that Democratic enthusiasm about voting is significantly lower than it was in 2018, when the Democratic Party took control of the House. Republican voters in the new poll express greater engagement with this year’s midterm election than Democrats across multiple questions gauging likelihood of vote.

Overall, 27% of registered voters say they are extremely enthusiastic about voting this year, down from 37% just ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, and the decline in enthusiasm comes almost entirely among Democrats. Four years ago, 44% of Democratic registered voters said they were extremely enthusiastic about voting; now, just 24% say the same. Among Republicans, the number has dipped only narrowly, from 43% to 38%.

Trump Aims To Seize Credit For GOP Midterm Rout

Former President Trump is setting himself up to take credit for Republican midterm victories next week as he eyes the announcement of a possible 2024 reelection bid before the end of the year.

Trump is holding rallies over the next week in Iowa — an early 2024 primary state — as well as the key presidential battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The effort is designed to put him in the public eye in the final stretches of the midterms, and preserve the ability for him to take credit if various candidates he’s backed come out strong.

There is risk to the approach, as many of Trump’s favorites are not guaranteed success. Losses in various races could put a blemish on the Trump record, and if Republicans fail to win the Senate, many will blame Trump.

'Take Them All Out': New Details From Paul Pelosi Assault Emerge As Suspect Arraigned

Prosecutors released disturbing new details on Tuesday about the man accused of breaking into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband — including an alleged statement in which he threatens to attack the country’s top Democratic officials.

“We’ve got to take them all out,” DePape told 82-year-old Paul Pelosi after noting that the speaker was “number two in line for the presidency,” according to a court document released Tuesday by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

DePape also told authorities he had a list of other targets that included “a local professor, several prominent state and federal politicians, and relatives of those state and federal politicians,” according to Jenkins’ motion to detain DePape. The motion warns he could “cause great bodily harm to others” if released.

Netanyahu Tipped To Return As Israel PM After Far-Right Surge

At the Lydd (Lod) branch of the Arab-Jewish Hadash party, six activists sat in a semicircle of plastic chairs watching the exit polls of the fifth Israeli election in just under four years on the large TV screen on the wall.

The three older men smoked water pipes as they waited patiently to hear whether Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party who has been prime minister longer than anyone else in Israel but is now on trial for corruption, and the Palestinian-hating hardliner, Itamar Ben-Gvir, would be the ones to form the country’s next government.

The numbers rolled out and the good news was that their slate, Hadash-Ta’al, had made it over the threshold to get into parliament, known as the Knesset, and would probably get four seats.

But the tally gave Netanyahu’s bloc a majority, with an expected 61 or 62 of the 120 Knesset seats, enough to form a government.

Biden's Homeland Security Colludes With Facebook To Target 'Disinformation' And Control Online Discourse

The US Department of Homeland Security is pursuing a sprawling campaign against online 'disinformation' through close partnerships with social media companies, raising concerns about encroachments on free speech, according to a new report.

In a lengthy report on Monday citing internal documents that have emerged through leaks and court filings, The Intercept described what appears to be a growing focus within DHS on controlling online discourse.

Though the Biden administration earlier this year disbanded its controversial Disinformation Governance Board after furious backlash, the documents suggest that DHS has quietly maintained an intense interest in policing speech it deems false or dangerous.

Wisconsin Headlines

Johnson, Barnes Go On Attack In Final Stretch Of Wisconsin's US Senate Race

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, emerging from a private meeting in the last week of October with business executives at a massive foundry-turned-tech hub, smiled despite what he said was a difficult conversation about inflation, high energy prices, staffing shortages and rising crime.

"We had a very good discussion, even though it wasn’t particularly uplifting, because the reality right now is concerning," Johnson said.

As one of the nation's critical U.S. Senate races nears an end, Johnson has reason to feel confident. All those negatives stand to work well for him and his party in a midterm election in which voters typically blame the party that holds the White House. And Johnson is hammering those themes in what amounts to his closing argument for voters to give him a third term over Democrat Mandela Barnes, the lieutenant governor.

State GOP Gives $3.3m To Michels’ Campaign After His Brothers Donate $1.5M To Party

The state GOP pumped nearly $3.3 million into Tim Michels’ guv campaign during the most recent reporting period.

That includes transfers that came within days of Michels’ brothers — both executives with the Michels Corp. — giving the party $1.5 million.

Meanwhile, the state Dem Party transferred more than $5.6 million to Gov. Tony Evers’ campaign during the pre-election period.

The latest finance reports, filed late yesterday, show Michels raised $8.8 million between Sept. 1-Oct. 24, spent nearly $9.5 million and finished the period with $531,472.

Michels gave his campaign more than $2 million during the reporting period. He also wrote another $1 million check on Thursday, after the most recent reporting period closed. That pushed Michel’s personal commitment to the race to more than $18.7 million.

Evers reported $11.9 million in receipts, $16.9 million spent and $1.2 million in the bank.

Wisconsin Department Of Justice Announces Enforcement Actions Against Two Alleged Illegal Robocallers

The Wisconsin Department of Justice today announced the national Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force is bringing enforcement actions to further investigations into two voice service providers over alleged involvement in illegal robocalls.

The targets of the investigation are Michael Lansky LLC — doing business as Avid Telecom — and One Eye LLC. The national task force is enforcing civil investigative demands (CIDs) against each entity.

Through evidence detailed in the enforcement actions, the task force believes it has a reasonable basis for investigating both Avid Telecom and One Eye.

The enforcement action against Avid Telecom seeks to further an investigation involving allegations that Avid Telecom knowingly accepted and routed illegal robocalls. The enforcement action against One Eye seeks to further an investigation of allegations that it operated contrary to a cease-and-desist letter it received from the Federal Communications Commission.

Voters In Dry Wisconsin Town To Vote On Allowing Alcohol Sales For The First Time

Amid the high-stake races for governor and senate, one Wisconsin community is asking voters to decide on an issue closer to home: Should their dry town stay dry?

Voters in a rural Barron County Town of Stanfold will vote on a non-binding referendum Nov. 8, asking whether the community should allow alcohol sales for the first time. The question on the ballot is the result of the small town's political debate over a local couple's dream of opening a winery.

Town board chair Charlie Nelson isn't sure how long Stanfold has been a dry township. 

"There's never been any alcohol made and sold out in the township," said Nelson. "You know, as an individual, you can make your own beer and stuff like that. But as far as being somebody who wants to be in a business and manufacture and distribute and have a tasting area and stuff like that, there's nothing out there."

Over the past few years, Sherry Timmerman Goodpaster and her husband have been working to change that. Around 2010, Sherry said they bought an eight-acre parcel and started planting apple trees and grapevines on the property.

Wisconsin’s Gubernatorial Race Most Expensive In Country

Wisconsin’s 2022 gubernatorial race between incumbent Tony Evers and challenger Tim Michels has become the most expensive governor’s race in the United States.

Bowdoin College legal studies professor, Michael Franz said various factors contribute to high campaign spending for Democratic and Republican candidates, with the most spending being allocated towards advertisements.

Franz directs the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks advertising in federal elections. The project is a successor to the former Wisconsin Advertising Project, which conducted political advertising research between 1996 and 2008.

Gaining — or maintaining — control of the governor and Senate seats in Wisconsin is incredibly important for both parties, Franz said. Candidates receive large portions of their funding from outside donors, and this funding plays a critical role in advertising for the elections in the state.