A 19-year-old Menasha resident was arrested and faces arson charges for a fire at Representative Glenn Grothman’s office early Sunday morning. The suspect allegedly confessed to starting the fire in protest of proposed TikTok bans. Fortunately, no injuries occurred as the office was unoccupied at the time. The incident remains under investigation by local police and fire departments.
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri can proceed with a lawsuit aiming to restrict access to mifepristone. The states seek to limit telehealth prescriptions, shorten the gestational limit for use, and mandate in-person visits, arguing these measures are necessary to uphold state abortion laws. The ACLU criticized the decision, viewing it as an attack on medication abortion. This case follows a previous ruling by Kacsmaryk against mifepristone and comes amidst ongoing efforts by multiple states to further restrict access to abortion pills. The outcome could significantly impact abortion access nationwide.
Oxfam’s latest inequality report reveals the world’s billionaires earned an average of $3.2 million daily in 2023, with the top ten exceeding $150 million daily. This extreme wealth accumulation, totaling a $3 trillion increase globally, far outpaces the growth of average incomes and highlights the widening gap between the rich and poor. The report, released during the World Economic Forum in Davos, criticizes the disproportionate influence of wealthy nations in global financial institutions and argues that historical colonialism continues to fuel this inequality. Oxfam advocates for wealth taxes as a means to address this disparity, suggesting even a small tax on the ultra-wealthy could significantly benefit the public.
Laura Caron, a 34-year-old elementary school teacher, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from a relationship with a former student that began when he was 11 and resulted in a child born in 2019. The investigation was initiated following a Facebook post by the victim’s father and corroborated by statements from the victim’s siblings. Caron is currently being held without bail, and the Middle Township School District has placed her on paid administrative leave.
Trevor Smith, known as rapper Busta Rhymes, faces a misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault in New York City. The charge stems from a January 10th incident in Brooklyn where Smith allegedly punched a 50-year-old man multiple times in the face, causing facial swelling. The victim reported the assault to police, leading to Smith’s desk appearance ticket. Smith is scheduled for a court appearance on February 3rd.
Arvada reached a $2 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the 2021 police shooting of pregnant Destinee Thompson. The lawsuit, filed by Thompson’s family in 2023, followed the officer’s fatal shooting of the 27-year-old mother during a response to a reported shoplifting incident. While the District Attorney declined to file criminal charges, the city concluded the settlement in July. The settlement’s finalization was recently reflected in court records.
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law banning TikTok in the U.S. due to national security concerns regarding its ties to China, rejecting TikTok’s challenge. The law mandated ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, divest from TikTok or face a U.S. ban. Following a temporary shutdown, President-elect Trump intervened, promising an executive order to allow TikTok’s continued operation in the U.S., pending a long-term solution involving potential U.S. ownership. This action led to TikTok restoring service. However, the law remains in effect, leaving TikTok’s future in the U.S. uncertain despite the temporary reprieve.
As the January 31st deadline for the Costco National Master Agreement nears, over 18,000 Teamsters nationwide, including those in San Diego, are engaging in practice pickets to demonstrate their commitment to securing a new contract. These actions, following similar demonstrations in other locations, underscore the union’s demands for improved wages and benefits, citing Costco’s substantial recent profit increase. Negotiations are scheduled to resume on Monday near Costco’s headquarters. The union’s strong stance highlights the disparity between company profits and worker compensation.
Following a Supreme Court ruling upholding President Biden’s order, ByteDance’s US operations, including TikTok, were shut down. This action also impacted several other ByteDance-affiliated apps, namely Marvel Snap and CapCut, which are now unavailable to US users. Mobile Legends Bang Bang, a Nuverse (ByteDance subsidiary) game, was also affected. While some affected companies, like Second Dinner (Marvel Snap’s developer), are working to restore service, the immediate future of these apps in the US remains uncertain.
Sher Abbas Stanikzai, a senior Taliban official, publicly urged the group’s leader to overturn the ban on female education in Afghanistan. Stanikzai stated there is no religious or logical justification for denying education to women and girls, directly appealing to leader Hibatullah Akhundzada for policy change. This marks a significant escalation of his previous calls for educational rights, representing a rare public rebuke of Taliban policy within the group. The ban impacts approximately half of Afghanistan’s population, severely limiting their opportunities.
John Q. Hosedrinker