Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023

U.S. and World Headlines

Supreme Court To Confront Post-Roe Abortion Battles

Supreme Court justices are slated to delve into disputes surrounding abortion during their final session this year, revealing the legal battlefronts forming in the wake of the high court’s stunning decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Several key cases are headed to the justices. One is Idaho’s emergency request to fully enforce its abortion law, a ruling that is possible as soon as this week. At the justices’ Friday conference, they are scheduled to consider whether to take up an appeal seeking to overturn a Supreme Court precedent allowing laws that ban anti-abortion activists from approaching people outside abortion clinics.

And at next week’s conference, the justices are slated to review whether to take up the dispute over the availability of mifepristone, the common abortion pill, which they will take up at a Dec. 8 closed-door conference.

The Biden-Obama Divide Over How Closely To Support Israel

In the first weeks of the Israel-Hamas war, President Joe Biden privately pointed to praise for his unconditional public support of Israel, as well as some initial successes in influencing its government, as vindication of advice he said President Barack Obama and his closest aides dismissed, according to five people familiar with his comments.

Biden recounted in private that when he was vice president in 2014 and Israel mounted a military assault on Gaza, Obama and his staff rejected his belief, held for decades, that the best way to approach the Israelis is to hug them close but not criticize them, the people familiar with his comments said.

GM Says Strike Cost $1.1B, But It Can Absorb Rising Labor Costs As It Raises Dividend

General Motors says pretax earnings took a $1.1 billion hit this year due to production lost during a six-week strike by autoworkers, but the company expects to absorb the costs of a new contract and is even raising its dividend.

The Detroit automaker on Wednesday reinstated its full-year earnings forecast that was withdrawn after the United Auto Workers began targeting the factories of Detroit automakers with strikes on Sept. 15. Those strikes continued at GM until Oct. 30.

The company now predicts full-year net income of $9.1 billion to $9.7 billion, down from its previous outlook of $9.3 billion to $10.7 billion. But GM expects to generate more cash for the full year. It expects free cash flow of $10.5 billion to $11.5 billion, an increase from a previous forecast of $7 billion to $9 billion.

Americans' Savings Are Dwindling, New Poll Shows

Evidence is stacking up showing Americans are saving less and drawing down their existing savings cushions.

The share of adults who say they can cover six months of expenses using their savings is considerably lower than it was last year, according to polling from Morning Consult.

The savings drawdown shows how consumption patterns are sticky — people want to maintain their lifestyles, even if it costs more and they have to dip into their savings, says Jesse Wheeler, senior economist at Morning Consult.

Here's How Much More You Need To Spend To Maintain Your Living Standard

The typical American household must spend an additional $11,434 annually just to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in January of 2021, right before inflation soared to 40-year highs, according to a recent analysis of government data.

Such figures underscore the financial squeeze many families continue to face even as the rate of U.S. inflation recedes and the economy by many measures remains strong, with the jobless rate at a two-decade low.

Even so, many Americans say they aren't feeling those gains, and this fall more people reported struggling financially than they did prior to the pandemic, according to CBS News polling. Inflation is the main reason Americans express pessimism about economy despite its bright points, which also include stronger wage gains in recent years.

Wisconsin Headlines

Judge Dismisses Liberal Watchdog’s Claims That Wisconsin Impeachment Panel Violated Open Meeting Law

A judge dismissed on Tuesday a liberal watchdog group’s claims that a panel researching the possible impeachment of a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice violated the state’s open meeting laws.

Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington wrote in his ruling that American Oversight filed its claims prematurely and should have given District Attorney Ismael Ozanne more time to decide whether to launch his own lawsuit. Remington allowed the group to continue seeking records from the panel, however.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos asked former state Supreme Court justices David Prosser, Pat Roggensack and Jon Wilcox in September to advise on whether impeaching current Justice Janet Protasiewicz would be justified.

Wisconsin GOP Lawmakers Introduce Legislation Requiring Libraries To Notify Parents What Books Their Children Check Out

The books children and teens check out through their school's library may be monitored and documented if a piece of legislation passes through Wisconsin's state legislature.

Republican lawmakers are considering two proposals that would impose restrictions on books and other materials students check out from their school's library, in what has now been a continued effort across certain states to restrict access to titles covering diverse topics. The bills received their first committee hearing on Tuesday.

One bill would require school boards to implement a policy for parents or guardians of students under 16 years of age to be notified each time a student checks out materials from their school library.

River Falls Man Pleads Guilty To Sex Trafficking

A River Falls, Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.

According to court documents, Austin Koeckeritz, 29, of River Falls, used force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to compel one adult victim into engaging in commercial sex acts in the River Falls area between August 2020 and August 2022. The defendant also caused a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts in between October 2021 and January 2022. 

“Sex trafficking continues to be prevalent because traffickers see the profits they can make from exploiting the vulnerable victims they target,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This type of abuse — particularly of minors — will not be tolerated. The Justice Department remains committed to prosecuting human trafficking offenses and standing up for the victims exploited by these abusers.”

Repeat Offender Sentenced To 6 Years For Heroin Trafficking

Robert Seymour, 37, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in federal prison for distributing heroin. Seymour pleaded guilty to this charge on August 31, 2023.

In May 2023, an informant told police that Seymour was trafficking heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine from an apartment in Madison and regularly carried a firearm. This information was quickly corroborated when, on May 31, and June 23, 2023, the informant made two controlled buys of heroin from Seymour, totaling over 70 grams. The heroin from the second buy was later determined to contain fentanyl. Upon searching Seymour’s apartment, police found more heroin and three loaded firearms.

Seymour has a lengthy criminal history, including a prior federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. Further, he was on state court bond for drug trafficking at the time he committed this offense.

Pope Takes Action Against Leading Critic Cardinal Raymond Burke

Pope Francis has decided to take measures to punish Cardinal Raymond Burke, who is one of his highest-ranking critics.

Two people briefed on the measures say Francis has decided to revoke Burke's right to a Vatican apartment and salary. Burke's secretary says he hasn't received any notification of the measures. One of the people briefed said Francis had reasoned that Burke was a source of "disunity" in the church.

Burke, 75, has strong ties to Wisconsin. He was born in Richland Center, and served as bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse for nine years beginning in 1995. He founded the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse and continues to serve as the president of the board of directors there.