The Morning Report: 10 Trending Stories From Across The Internet

U.S. and World Headlines

Putin Is Wreaking Carnage In Ukraine And No One Can Stop Him

Ukraine's fate starkly underlines that even 20 years into the 21st century and despite the world's vows to learn from history, a lone autocrat who has ruthlessly fashioned a political system to eliminate dissent and reality itself has the power to cause unfathomable human loss and misery.

If Putin Wants To Remake The Soviet Union, What Country Would Russia Target Next?

Putin currently has his hands full with a stronger-than-expected resistance to his war on Ukraine – including at home – though his massive military is expected to eventually prevail. Most believe, however, that it's not a matter of if, but rather when and where, the Russian president begins pressuring, coercing or attacking other countries as he tries to reconstitute something akin to the Soviet Union.

Republicans Warn Justice Department Probe Of Trump Would Trigger Political War

Republican lawmakers and strategists warn that any federal prosecution of Trump will be accused of being politically motivated, boost Trump within the GOP and turn into a partisan food fight at a time when President Biden is pivoting to the center and trying to keep his 2020 campaign promise to unify the country.

Covid-Positive Deer May Be Harboring The Virus And Infecting Humans, Study Says

Aside from saving human lives in the immediate moment, the other fundamental reason that public health officials were pushing mass vaccination to slow the spread of COVID-19 is because the more hosts in which a virus resides, the more likely the virus is to eventually mutate into something more virulent. Obviously, that has happened at least twice so far with SARS-CoV-2: first with the ultra-contagious delta variant, and then later with the even more contagious omicron variant.

The Price Of Gas Broke $4 Per Gallon On Average Across The US For The First Time Since 2008

The average price of gas broke $4 in the US for the first time since 2008. The all-time high for average gasoline prices was set in July 17, 2008, at $4.10 per gallon. On Sunday, California had the highest average price per gallon among US states at $5.29.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Republicans To Appeal Redistricting Case To U.S. Supreme Court

A day after losing before Wisconsin’s high court, Republicans detailed plans Friday to take their redistricting fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. Republicans asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday to block the ruling it issued on Thursday so they could pursue their appeal before the nation’s top court. 

Lawyers Pen Letter To Wisconsin Governor In Support Of ‘Making A Murderer' Subject

Former attorneys for the co-defendant of a man whose conviction for rape and murder as a teenager was documented in the 2015 Netflix series “Making a Murderer” are asking Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers for clemency. Thirty-two-year-old Brendan Dassey has spent about half his life in prison for his alleged crimes.

'It Just Takes Over Your Life': Wisconsin Teens With Long Covid Face A Frustrating Array Of Symptoms And Unanswered Questions

In the 15 months since Rowan Wilson first contracted COVID-19, he’s been playing a kind of Whack-a-Mole with symptoms. "Every time I would sort of get one new symptom under control, another thing would come up," he said. "And I would be like, 'What is this, this is awful, I can’t handle this' — and it would just take over my life." The symptoms have ranged from the more typical, like extreme fatigue, to the strange, like a full-body itch that won’t stop.

As NFL Scouting Combine Winds Down, All Eyes Are On Aaron Rodgers And An Important Deadline

When it comes to what’s next for Aaron Rodgers, the last day at the NFL scouting combine was illuminating on two points. First, it appears only Rodgers knows what he’s doing. Second, Tuesday’s franchise tag deadline at 4 p.m. ET for wideout Davante Adams is going to be a significant moment.

Illinois Improbably Catches Wisconsin To Win A Share Of Big Ten Title On 'Weird' Last Day Of Regular Season

The final day of regular season action in the Big Ten was a dramatic one from early afternoon to the evening as Nebraska stunned No. 10 Wisconsin earlier in the day before No. 20 Illinois held off No. 24 Iowa later making the Badgers and Illini co-champions on a day that was expected to be a coronation for Wisconsin on its home court.