Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

U.S. Tells Israel, Boost Humanitarian Aid To Gaza Or Risk Losing Weapons Funding

The Biden administration has warned Israel that it must increase the amount of humanitarian aid it is allowing into Gaza within the next 30 days or it could risk losing access to U.S. weapons funding.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned their Israeli counterparts in a letter dated Sunday that the changes must occur. The letter, which restates U.S. policy toward humanitarian aid and arms transfers, was sent amid deteriorating conditions in northern Gaza and an Israeli airstrike on a hospital tent site in central Gaza that killed at least four people and burned others.

Menendez Brothers' Relatives To Rally Outside L.A. Courthouse As DA Weighs Resentencing

Erik and Lyle Menendez’s extended family is expected to gather outside a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday as the district attorney weighs whether the brothers, found guilty of killing their parents almost three decades ago, should be resentenced and possibly released.

Nearly two dozen family members will hold a news conference outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown L.A. at 1 p.m. PT Wednesday. They will be joined by the brothers’ defense lawyer, Mark Geragos, and Rosie O’Donnell, one of their celebrity advocates.

The World’s Second Sphere Will Be Built In The UAE Capital After Vegas' First

The world’s second Sphere is planned to be built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates after the opening of the first giant dome entertainment complex in Las Vegas.

Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism and Sphere Entertainment Co. announced the plan late Tuesday to bring a Sphere to the Middle East.

Republicans Grapple With Storm Of Misinformation From Their Own Party

Republicans representing states hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton are grappling with the spread of storm misinformation, much of which has stemmed from prominent figures in their own party — including sitting lawmakers and former President Trump.

The false claims have run rampant on social media since the deadly pair of storms made their way through parts of the Southeast — most notably Florida and North Carolina — with Republicans floating inaccurate allegations about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), disaster relief and the weather.

What Boeing’s Massive Financial Crisis Means For You

Boeing’s finances are a multi-billion-dollar problem for the company, its employees, suppliers and airline customers. The good news is that they probably won’t affect the average American – well, not very much.

After 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists went on strike against the company a month ago, Boeing won’t be able to deliver all of its planes as promised. That will hurt airlines and could have a modest impact on the number of seats available, especially on domestic flights around the United States.

Wisconsin Headlines

Can Democrats Win Wisconsin Assembly? Key Races Could Decide Control

In the days before the 2022 election, Wisconsin Republicans had a real shot at winning two-thirds supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature that would have given them the power to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and control the agenda in state government.

Now, days before the 2024 election, both parties have a real shot at winning control of the state Assembly, with the outcome hinging on a handful of competitive districts that are scattered throughout the state.

Voting Rights Groups Seek Investigation Into Wisconsin Text Message

Voting rights advocates on Tuesday asked the state and federal departments of justice to investigate anonymous text messages apparently targeting young Wisconsin voters, warning them not to vote in a state where they are ineligible.

Free Speech for People, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, made the request. The letter says that “thousands of young voters across Wisconsin” received the text message last week, including staff members at the League of Women Voters and students at the University of Wisconsin.

Lawsuits Seeking Changes To Wisconsin Voter Rolls Filed Weeks Before Presidential Election

Two lawsuits seeking last-minute changes to Wisconsin’s voter registration list are working their way through the courts just three weeks ahead of the presidential election. They allege voter rolls contain more than 100,000 registrations “that appear to be invalid” and election officials could switch a voter’s status through “malfeasance.”

A lawsuit filed on Sept. 30 by attorney Daniel Eastman on behalf of three Milwaukee residents claims 143,742 voters listed as active on Wisconsin’s registration list as of Aug. 19 “appear to be invalid” based on cross references with U.S. Postal Service data. The suit alleges 56,336 of those “Anomalous Registrations” are in Milwaukee.

Change Is On The Air: The State Of Wisconsin Talk Radio In 2024

Since May 20, radio listeners haven’t been able to tune in to Wisconsin Public Radio’s local political talk programs The Morning Show and Central Time during their morning and afternoon commutes.

A major WPR network restructuring replaced those shows with nationally syndicated programs and ended local news programming on its single Milwaukee station in favor of classical music. Local hosts Kate Archer Kent and Rob Ferrett had their more than three hours of weekday content merged into a single hour. Ferrett, whose “Central Time” show reached 100,000 listeners a week, said the change reflected listeners increasingly shifting to online media.

2024 Trapping Seasons Opening Around Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds trappers to prepare for the opening of many furbearer trapping seasons across the state. Wisconsin is home to many furbearer species, and the state’s highly regulated trapping seasons play an important role in the DNR’s efforts to sustainably manage those populations.

The first trapping seasons of the fall open on Oct. 19, 2024. Additional seasons for other species and zones will continue to open throughout the fall. Trappers are encouraged to double-check season dates, trapping regulations and ensure they have all required licenses before heading out.