U.S. and World Headlines
President Biden Signs Short-Term Funding Bill To Keep The Government Open Ahead Of Deadline
President Biden has signed the bipartisan short-term funding bill that will keep the government open and operating until early 2024 ahead of a Friday night deadline.
The president signed the bill while in San Francisco for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Asian world leaders. He signed the bill at the Legion of Honor Museum, where he was hosting a dinner for APEC members, The Associated Press said.
A U.S. official said the bill was flown to California for the president’s signature.
5 Takeaways On The Sprawling, Scathing Santos Ethics Report
The House Ethics Committee released its long-awaited report into Rep. George Santos on Thursday, laying out a litany of evidence showing that the New York Republican deceived donors, stole from his campaign and then used that money for personal use.
The panel stopped short of recommending formal punishment for Santos, instead opting to refer its “substantial evidence of potential violations of federal criminal law” to the Justice Department. Santos is already facing 23 federal criminal counts and is staring down a September 2024 trial start date.
But the committee’s final report is, nonetheless, damning for the embattled lawmaker, and it has already sparked a third push to expel him from office — which is inching closer to the threshold needed to remove him from Congress.
Here are five takeaways from the sprawling — and scathing — Ethics Committee report on Santos.
Biden’s Team Weighs Joining TikTok To Court Young Voters
President Biden’s re-election campaign privately has been weighing whether to join the social media platform TikTok to try to reach more young voters, according to two people familiar with the conversations.
Most Republicans have avoided TikTok over data security concerns because it’s owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, but Democrats are increasingly split about using the popular app for short-form videos.
So far, Biden’s campaign has tried to benefit from TikTok without joining it, by leaning on friendly social media influencers and having the Democratic National Committee on the platform.
Oil Prices Fall To Four-Month Low As Inflation Slows
U.S. oil prices dropped nearly 5% Thursday, hitting four-month lows.
The slide in crude oil is yet another indication that the balance of power has swung toward sharply slowing inflation in the U.S. economy.
The slide started earlier this week after fresh data showed a much higher-than-expected rise in stockpiles of crude oil in the U.S., along with growing stateside production.
News Platform Fact Sheet
The transition of the news industry away from print, television and radio into digital spaces has caused huge disruptions in the traditional news industry, especially the print news industry. It is also reflected in the ways individual Americans say they are getting their news. Today, an overwhelming majority of Americans get news at least sometimes from digital devices. Explore the patterns and trends that shape the platforms Americans turn to for news below.
A large majority of U.S. adults (86%) say they often or sometimes get news from a smartphone, computer or tablet, including 56% who say they do so often. This is more than the 49% who said they often got news from digital devices in 2022 and the 51% of those who said the same in 2021.
Wisconsin Headlines
Federal Jury Finds Waukesha Man Guilty Of Sex Trafficking
A jury found Cornelius Jackson (age 34) of Waukesha guilty of all counts with which he was charged, including four counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking.
The evidence presented at trial established that between 2014 and 2020, Jackson used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel female victims to engage in commercial sex acts in cities and states across the country, including in Waukesha, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio.
Wisconsin And The National Battle Over Access To Gender-Affirming Care For Children
As a child, Lily loved pop divas, playing with dolls and dress-up. She drew her first self-portrait in preschool, a simple pink and purple line drawing of a girl with long flowing hair.
Lily was assigned male at birth, and didn’t feel comfortable in her skin until she began transitioning in middle school. Like many transgender youth, she began with a social transition, which occurs when a trans person changes how they present their gender to others. For Lily, this meant changing her name, using she/her pronouns and dressing in feminine clothes.
“It wasn’t like a switch turned on by any means,” said her father. “From the earliest times, she expressed herself as a girl.”
Wisdot Secretary Craig Thompson Elected President Of National Transportation Association
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Craig Thompson takes the lead this week as president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The national organization elevated Secretary Thompson to president on Thursday. He served as vice president from 2022-2023.
As president, Secretary Thompson will work with other leaders across the country to shape the future of transportation policy in the U.S.
“As transportation needs continue to evolve, I am honored to serve as AASHTO’s president as we navigate the future together,” Secretary Thompson said. “This is a very exciting and challenging time for transportation, but I see great opportunity for those of us in the industry to make a real impact for our communities.”
Secretary Thompson will focus on three, main priorities during his time as president:
Teen Work Permits With 19th Century Roots Would Be Eliminated Under GOP Bill
An industry-backed push to eliminate child work permits for 14-and-15-year-olds in Wisconsin would partially roll back child labor protections that have roots in the 19th century.
GOP lawmakers and business groups backing the move argue it would cut government red tape, but state regulators warned at a public hearing on the plan Thursday it will make it harder to enforce child labor laws.
Work permits for minors in Wisconsin date back more than 130 years and were passed along with laws that first required children between the ages of 7 and 14 to attend school.
Marquette Law Poll Previews 2024 Presidential Race
A Marquette law school poll released on Wednesday reported President Biden is falling slightly behind three of the Republican party’s top candidates.
More than 850 registered voters participated in the survey nationwide, with certain GOP candidates experiencing a shift in support from likely voters.
When asked if the 2024 presidential election was to be held today, poll results showed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley led the way among registered voters, having more support than President Joe Biden and her fellow GOP candidates, former President Donald Trump, and Florida Governor Ron Desantis.
