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City, Daily Bread, University, UW System, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 8.1.24: Direct Admission for UW-Whitewater and Many Other Public Universities in Wisconsin

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Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be cloudy with scattered afternoon thunderstorms and a high of 84. Sunrise is 5:47, and sunset is 8:14, for 14h 26m 32s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 9.2 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1774,  British scientist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen gas, corroborating the prior discovery of this element by German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.

After years of discussion, many Wisconsin public universities will begin to offer direct admissions. Henry Redman reports Thousands of Wisconsin high school students to be directly admitted to UW schools for 2025:

Starting next week, tens of thousands of high school students across Wisconsin will be directly admitted to Universities of Wisconsin schools without filing applications. 

The admissions are part of a new program, launched in December, to boost admission on the state’s public university campuses. 

Next week through September, students will start receiving emails letting them know they’ve been admitted. School districts across the state participating in the Direct Admit Wisconsin program shared student grade point averages and course credits with University of Wisconsin administrators for rising seniors. The program identifies if a student qualifies to be directly admitted to any of the 10 participating campuses. 

UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire are not participating. 

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said this week 50,000 students across 330 high schools are eligible under the program. 

This is a sensible policy as it reduces one unnecessary step to entry.

Previously at FREE WHITEWATER: Direct Admission into the UW System Is a Sensible Idea (8.21.22) and supporting A Direct-Admissions Proposal for the UW Schools (12.8.23).

August 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA:

What are some skywatching highlights in August 2024? Mars and Jupiter have a super close meetup, the conditions look good for the Perseid meteors, and how to observe a stellar nursery – the Lagoon Nebula.

City, Daily Bread, Kamala Harris, Presidential Race 2024, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.31.24: July Is Not Ending As It Began

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Good morning.

Wednesday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 89. Sunrise is 5:45, and sunset is 8:15, for 14h 28m 46s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 15.3 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Lakes Advisory Committee meets at 4:30 PM.

On this day in 1777, the Second Continental Congress passes a resolution that the services of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette “be accepted, and that, in consideration of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he have the rank and commission of major-general of the United States.”

Many Wisconsinites know the presidential candidate they support; from a candidate’s perspective, support only matters if it leads to a vote or a contribution. Will those supporters turn out? In deep-blue Dane County, it looks like blue support (never in doubt) will lead to blue voting. Thomas Beaumont reports Harris gives Democrats a jolt in a critical part of swing-state Wisconsin:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More than 40 people filed into a converted coffee shop on a recent Saturday morning in Madison, Wisconsin, to organize in a west-side neighborhood for Vice President Kamala Harris.

A month ago, fewer than 10 people showed up for a similar event for President Joe Biden. Some told organizers they were no longer willing to knock on doors in Wisconsin’s famously liberal state capital.

The excitement among loyal Democrats lit by Harris replacing Biden has enlivened the party’s base in Wisconsin, particularly in areas where the vice president must run up big margins to carry a swing state that Biden flipped from Republican Donald Trump.

“Kamala Harris is the defibrillator that the Democratic Party needed,” said John Anzalone, who was Biden’s chief campaign pollster in 2020.

Dane County, which includes Madison, is the fastest-growing county in the state, fueled by the combination of the University of Wisconsin and the state capital’s workforce.

A local version of this excitement will present itself among Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters in Whitewater.

July is not ending as it began.

Endangered zebra foal is born at Chicago-area zoo:

Daily Bread, Elections, Law, Voting Rights, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.30.24: Another Meritless Challenge to Wisconsin Absentee Voting Dismissed

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Good morning.

Tuesday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of 87. Sunrise is 5:45, and sunset is 8:16, for 14h 30m 58s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 24 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1981, as many as 50,000 demonstrators, mostly women and children, took to the streets in Lodz to protest food ration shortages in Communist Poland.

It’s become a common tactic in Wisconsin (and other states) for a resident to challenge voting rights on narrow procedural grounds. The consequence of this approach is to burden a lawful means of voting until residents are dissuaded from voting by those means. One lawsuit of this kind was dismissed Monday in Circuit Court. Todd Richmond reports Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging absentee voting procedure in battleground Wisconsin:

A Wisconsin judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday that challenged absentee voting procedures, preventing administrative headaches for local election clerks and hundreds of thousands of voters in the politically volatile swing state ahead of fall elections. 

The ruling stems from a lawsuit Thomas Oldenberg, a voter from Amberg, Wisconsin, filed in February. Oldenberg argued that the state Elections Commission hasn’t been following a state law that requires voters who electronically request absentee ballots to place a physical copy of the request in the ballot return envelope. Absentee ballots without the request copy shouldn’t count, he maintained. 

Commission attorneys countered in May that language on the envelope that voters sign indicating they requested the ballot serves as a copy of the request. Making changes now would disrupt long-standing absentee voting procedures on the eve of multiple elections and new envelopes can’t be designed and reprinted in time for the Aug. 13 primary and Nov. 5 general election, the commission maintained.

The case is Oldenburg v. WEC 2024CV43.

Trash-sucking vacuum cleaner robot dog hits Italian beach:

Carpetbaggers, Daily Bread, US Senate Race 2024, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.29.24: Eric Hovde Treats Wisconsin as a Side Hustle

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Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will see scattered thundershowers with a high of 79. Sunrise is 5:44, and sunset is 8:17, for 14h 33m 08s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 33.8 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1958, President Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

U.S. Senate candidate for Wisconsin, Eric Hovde, is down by eleven points in the latest Fox News poll.

And so, and so, following in the tradition of failed carpetbagger Tim Michels, Hovde spent the weekend emphasizing that Wisconsin is, for him, only a side hustle:

Nothing says Wisconsin like a California banker attending a Nashville Bitcoin conference.

See also It’s Not Going So Well for Hovde, Eric Hovde Should Fire His Political Consultants and Hire a Therapist, Tim Michels 2.0 Eric Hovde Announces U.S. Senate Run, and Another Vanity Candidate.

Sunbathers scatter as thousands of dragonflies descend on beach:

Daily Bread, Ethics, Law, Legislature, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.28.24: When Wisconsin Public Officials Impede Public Accountability

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Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will see scattered showers with a high of 80. Sunrise is 5:43, and sunset is 8:18, for 14h 35m 15s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 45.3 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1934, Two killed, 40 hurt in Kohler riot; National Guard occupies town:

On this day, the “model industrial village” of Kohler became an armed camp of National Guard cavalrymen after deadly strike-related rioting. The July 27th violence, which killed two Sheboygan men and injured 40 others, prompted the summoning of 250 Guardsmen to join the 200 special deputy village marshals already present. After striking workers became agitated and began to destroy company property, deputies turned to tear gas, rifles, and shotguns to quell the stone-throwing crowd, resulting in the deaths and injuries.

Owner Walter Kohler blamed Communists and outside agitators for the violence, while union leaders blamed Kohler exclusively. Workers at the Kohler plant were demanding better hours, higher wages, and recognition of the American Federation of Labor as their collective bargaining agent. Not settled until 1941, the strike marked the beginning of what was to become a prolonged struggle between the Kohler Company and organized labor in Wisconsin; a second Kohler strike lasted from 1954 to 1965.

On this day in 1996, the remains of a prehistoric man are discovered near Kennewick, Washington. Such remains will be known as the Kennewick Man.

There is a temerity (lit., excessive confidence or boldness) and a perversity (lit., the quality of being contrary to accepted standards and practices) in public officials who fight public accountability. Anya Van Wagtendonk reports Rep. Janel Brandtjen sues state Ethics Commission after campaign finance investigation (‘The complaint aims to fight charges against Brantdjen connected to an alleged 2022 campaign fundraising scheme’):

Republican state Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, has filed suit against the Wisconsin Ethics Commission in an effort to halt an investigation into her campaign finance activities from two years ago.

The complaint, filed Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court, argues the commission violated state separation of powers protections when it recommended felony prosecution of Brandtjen.

“WEC is improperly stepping into the shoes of the District Attorney, and the executive branch, in regard to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion,” the lawsuit reads.

In February, the bipartisan state Ethics Commission found cause for charging Brandtjen and others with campaign finance violations tied to a 2022 primary challenge against Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Investigators alleged that Brandtjen coordinated a scheme to bypass donor limits using county GOP offices and a war chest tied to former President Donald Trump’s campaign.

The commission referred the case to local district attorneys, depending on where the alleged violations took place. Brandtjen’s case was referred to the Waukesha County district attorney who, like the other local prosecutors, declined to press charges. The Ethics Commission then referred the charges to Washington County, according to the complaint, where the local DA also did not prosecute.

That opens the door for the commission to refer the charges up to the state Department of Justice.

Brandtjen holds public office while fighting to prevent a public inquiry. Her suit should be dismissed, and the investigation should proceed. She is no private party; an honest public official would welcome public proceedings.

Jasper National Park:

Daily Bread, Food

Daily Bread for 7.27.24: Unique Sweet Snacks

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Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 84. Sunrise is 5:42, and sunset is 8:20, for 14h 37m 21s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 55.6 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1832, the Sauk Are Pursued North of the Wisconsin River:

On this date American troops resumed their pursuit of Sauk Indians in the Black Hawk War following the battle of Wisconsin Heights. After constructing rafts, the troops led by General Atkinson, now numbering roughly 1,300 men, a third the number of soldiers which began the campaign, crossed the Wisconsin, near Spring Green, and began again the search for the Sauk. The date of the crossing is somewhat contentious, some placing it as early as July 26th and as late as July 28th.

On this day in 1940, the animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny.

Unique Sweet Snacks That You’ve Got To Try:

From Donuts to the origins of Betty Crocker, spaghetti ice cream in Germany, and even Japan’s incredible KitKat universe, we’ve stacked the most delicious sweet stories to feed your appetite!

Dramatic video shows small plane crashing in front yard of a home:

Security footage captured the chilling moments when a small plane crashed in the front yard of a home in Utah.

Daily Bread, Housing, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.26.24: Wisconsin Needs More Housing

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Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 81. Sunrise is 5:41, and sunset is 8:21, for 14h 39m 26s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 67.5 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1775, the office that would later become the United States Post Office Department is established by the Second Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania takes office as Postmaster General.

Genevieve Redsten reports Wisconsin isn’t building new housing fast enough, Policy Forum report finds:

Home prices and rents have surged statewide since the pandemic, and relief isn’t coming fast enough.

That’s according to a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, which found that despite pushes from lawmakers — and strong demand from homebuyers and renters alike — Wisconsin still isn’t building enough new housing.

Since the Great Recession kneecapped the state’s homebuilding industry, Wisconsin hasn’t added enough new apartments, condos and single-family homes to keep up with demand, which in turn has pushed prices up. And after a surge in construction in the early days of the pandemic, homebuilding has stagnated, the report found.

The soaring cost of housing “is a glaring indicator that the state’s housing inventory remains insufficient to meet demand,” the report said.

The answer to this demand is more supply. All the rest is bad economics and bad public policy.

World’s largest platypus conservation center opens in Australia:

America, Conflicts of Interest, Daily Bread, Economy, Local Government, New Whitewater, Self-Dealing

Daily Bread for 7.25.24: National GDP Grows Solidly at 2.8% for April-June Quarter (and the Question that Growth Presents for Whitewater)

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Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 79. Sunrise is 5:40, and sunset is 8:22, for 14h 41m 27s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 77.8 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1965,  Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival, signaling a major change in folk and rock music.

There’s good national economic news this morning, as the U.S. economy grew 2.8% in second quarter, a robust strengthening:

The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly robust 2.8 percent annualized rate in the second quarter, capping two years of solid expansion, despite some signs of softening.

Gross domestic product for the quarter ending in June was double the 1.4 percent reading in the previous quarter, but reflects a general cool-down from last year’s brisk pace, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday morning.

“Economic growth is solid, not too hot and not too cold,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds, a financial research firm. “The soft patch we had at the beginning of the year has gone away and with it, the risks of a recession are dying on the vine.”

These impressive national growth numbers present Whitewater with a challenge:

Why would this beautiful town give time to the same tired, old-guard self-promoters who failed Whitewater in the 2010s? See about that time Whitewater’s Still Waiting for That Boom.

The enervated but agitated defenders of this city’s policymaking ‘tradition’ are simply the peddlers of excuses and lies.

Our next generation can — and already is — doing better for Whitewater.

Breaching whale capsizes boat:

A breaching whale landed on and capsized a boat Tuesday in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire. Everyone, including the whale, was unharmed. See Whale surfaces, capsizes fishing boat off New Hampshire coast.

Courts, Daily Bread, Law, Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.24.24: A Slight Break in Wiconsin’s Judicial Gridlock

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Good morning.

Wednesday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 79. Sunrise is 5:39, and sunset is 8:23, for 14h 43m 26s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 86.8 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1935, the Dust Bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures to 109 °F (43 °C) in Chicago and 104 °F (40 °C) in Milwaukee.

On this day in 1969, Apollo 11 splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean.

Wisconsin has had a federal court vacancy for over two years, after Sen. Ron Johnson withdrew his bipartisan support (with Sen. Tammy Baldwin) for a prior nominee, William Pocan (brother of U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan). That time having been lost, Johnson has now agreed to support a new nominee, Byron Conway:

Earlier this month, both Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin turned in what are known as “blue slips,” formalizing their support of President Joe Biden’s appointment of personal injury attorney Byron Conway to U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. That’s significant because two years ago, Johnson blocked Biden’s previous pick from the judgeship from advancing to a hearing.

Conway’s nomination is set to receive a hearing before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee in “coming weeks,” a spokesperson for the committee’s Democratic majority said Monday. The process will not be affected by Biden’s announcement on Sunday, in which he pulled out of the race for another presidential term, the spokesperson said.

Johnson’s office did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

If Conway gets an OK from the judiciary committee, his nomination will then advance to the full Senate, where he’ll need majority approval before he can become a federal judge.

That’s significant because two years ago, Johnson blocked Biden’s previous pick from the judgeship from advancing to a hearing.

Ron Johnson. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America / (CC BY-SA)

There never should have been a delay, and Johnson’s claim he withdrew support from the prior nominee because of a lack of Green Bay ties (the judicial office for this judgeship is in Green Bay) is both trivial and false. It’s trivial because one correctly selects for the federal bench based on intellect, knowledge, and experience, not membership in local community groups. It’s false because Johnson’s blue-slip retraction was based not on Pocan’s abilities but on irrelevant, unrelated, or discriminatory considerations.

Judicial vacancies impede the timely administration of justice. The sooner the seat is filled, the better.

A hydrothermal explosion sent visitors running from the boardwalk as hot water and debris rained down in Yellowstone National Park:

America, City, Daily Bread, Politics, Presidential Race 2024, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.23.24: Wisconsin Will Be Visited Again & Again

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Good morning.

Tuesday in Whitewater will see morning showers with a high of 80. Sunrise is 5:38, and sunset is 8:24, for 14h 45m 23s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 93.7 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Finance Committee meets at 5 PM.

On this day in 1962,  Telstar relays the first publicly transmitted, live trans-Atlantic television program, featuring Walter Cronkite.

The Republicans had their national convention in Wisconsin, and both parties will send candidates and surrogates into Wisconsin through November. Today, for example, Kamala Harris will hold first rally of her presidential campaign in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee isn’t America’s biggest city, and Wisconsin isn’t America’s biggest state. Many larger places, however, are decidedly settled on one party and so will not be swayed. Wisconsin might pick either party and so she will receive frequent visits.

There’s a local angle for Whitewater in all this: if Wisconsin receives more attention, then some of the cities & towns in the state may receive more attention, too. We have received much notice over the last year concerning newcomers to our city. National attention on us would be an order of magnitude higher than what we’ve previously garnered if we received a visit from a central figure in either party.

I don’t know, of course, that we will receive a high-profile political visit; it’s simply the case that no one visits a place that he or she doesn’t know exists.

The major parties well know that Wisconsin, and as it turns out, Whitewater, exist.

As the Olympics near, Ukraine mourns athletes lost to war:

America, Daily Bread, Kamala Harris, Never Trump, Politics, Presidential Race 2024

Daily Bread for 7.22.24: America Is a Dynamic Place

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Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 81. Sunrise is 5:37, and sunset is 8:25, for 14h 47m 17s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 98.3 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission meets at 4:30 PM. The Whitewater School Board goes into closed session shortly after 5:45 PM, and returns to open session at 7 PM.

On this day in 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act passes in the British House of Commons, initiating the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire.

America is a dynamic country, socially, economically, and politically. Yesterday was an excellent example of that evident truth.

Zach Beauchamp perceptively draws lessons from yesterday’s political developments:

It’s enough to make even the most jaded observer a little more optimistic about American democracy — for at least two big reasons.

First, it shows that there can still be standards in politics. 

American politics isn’t just made up of two parties, wholly owned by party elites, locked in a mortal and uncompromising struggle to the death. At least one of our parties is capable of policing its own: challenging an incumbent president and, ultimately, convincing him to step aside. The contrast with the GOP’s behavior after Trump’s many scandals — from the Access Hollywood tape to the January 6 Capitol riot — is unmistakable.

Second, Biden’s departure shows that unexpected things can still happen.


This is hard to prove, but I think so much of the polling showing public distrust in the American government is rooted in a sense that it’s stuck: that what’s happening right now isn’t working, and that no one is capable of doing anything surprising to right the ship. But a president abandoning a reelection campaign is nothing if not surprising. 
Politicians like Trump, in both the United States and elsewhere, thrive on the notion that the system is broken and nothing can be done to fix it. This is a problem not just because those specific politicians are dangerous, but because distrust rots democracy’s foundations.

Indeed.

This tiny solar-powered flyer weighs less than a paper plane:

Researchers have overcome efficiency and power issues to create what they believe to be the world’s lightest and smallest sunlight-powered rotorocraft.
Micro aerial vehicles or MAVs could have a host of applications from environmental monitoring to search and rescue. But currently, these tiny flying machines have a problem — endurance. MAVs that weigh less than 10 grams are normally limited to around 10 minutes of flying time.
To increase flying time, other types of propulsion have been tested, but these still require bulky power systems on the ground to take off, preventing any craft from freely flying.
One solution could be solar power. But until now no solar powered MAV has been capable of untethered sustained flight in natural sunlight.
So to solve this, researchers have developed CoulombFly, a solar-powered MAV propelled by a new extremely efficient electro-static motor and powered by incredibly light solar panels.

Daily Bread, Faraway Places, Film, Toys

Daily Bread for 7.21.24: The Godzilla-Making Toy Factory in Japan

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Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with afternoon showers and a high of 80. Sunrise is 5:36, and sunset is 8:25, for 14h 49m 09s of daytime. The moon is full, with all of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1832, Wisconsin sees the Battle of Wisconsin Heights:

Soldiers led by Colonel Henry Dodge caught up with Black Hawk near the Wisconsin River, outside present-day Sauk City. Black Hawk commanded only a small group of warriors from atop a hill, while Dodge pursued with a much stronger force of militia. Although greatly outnumbered, Sauk warriors turned the attack on American troops, allowing the Indian women and children to flee across the Wisconsin River. Black Hawk and his men were forced to retreat to the river, but night was falling so Dodge decided to continue the battle in the morning. But when the American troops went after the Sauk Indians the next day, the Sauk had crossed the river and disappeared. One American was killed and eight wounded while at least 50 Indians were killed and another 80 wounded. 

On this day in 1969, after a successful landing on July 20th, astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the Moon, followed 19 minutes later by Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

The Godzilla-Making Toy Factory in Japan:

Explore the artistry of Marusan’s Japanese sofubi soft vinyl toys.

Bringing Godzilla collectibles and Kaiju figures to life. This story delves into the rich history of one of the oldest sofubi manufacturers, and showcases the skilled artisans and passionate collectors behind these cherished collectibles. Learn about the creation process, the cultural significance, and the enduring appeal of these soft vinyl masterpieces that captivate fans worldwide.

Japanese cats have a meal by the water:

America, Daily Bread, History, Space, Technology

Daily Bread for 7.20.24: Forever Impressive

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Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be partly sunny with a high of 79. Sunrise is 5:35 and sunset 8:26 for 14h 50m 59s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 99.1 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1832, during the Black Hawk War, Black Hawk leads approximately 700 Sac, Fox, and Kickapoo Indians through the juncture of the Yahara River and Lake Monona (then known as the Third Lake Passage) in present-day Madison. Black Hawk was fleeing the pursuing military. 

On this day in 1969, Apollo 11‘s crew successfully made the first human landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. Six and a half hours later, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon.

Forever impressive:

On July 20, 1969, humans walked on another world for the first time in history, achieving the goal that President John F. Kennedy had set in 1961, before Americans had even orbited the Earth. After a landing that included dodging a lunar crater and boulder field just before touchdown, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explored the area around their lunar landing site for more than two hours.

When the lunar module landed at 4:17 p.m EDT, only 30 seconds of fuel remained. Armstrong radioed “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Mission control erupted in celebration as the tension breaks, and a controller tells the crew “You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.”

Courts, Daily Bread, Law, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 7.19.24: Update on ‘From Judicial Leak to Docket Entries’

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Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 78. Sunrise is 5:34 and sunset 8:27 for 14h 52m 45s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 95.8 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1963, Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 meters (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention.

On July 3rd, FREE WHITEWATER published a post about the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to take two abortion cases (after news that the court might take at least one case had leaked). See From Judicial Leak to Docket Entries. The Evers Administration filed on 7.17 to intervene in one of these cases (Planned Parenthood).

Henry Redman reports:

Attorney General Josh Kaul, who filed the first case in 2022, said in a statement that the Wisconsin Department of Justice is looking to intervene in the Planned Parenthood case to “help establish that the Wisconsin Constitution protects access to safe and legal abortion and does not permit the state legislature to ban nearly all abortions. The government should not be able to control critical reproductive health decisions.”

The filing argues that the state plaintiffs in the Kaul case should be allowed to intervene because the questions asked “are so closely connected that how each case is litigated or decided could directly impact the other.” It says the Kaul plaintiffs agree with the Planned Parenthood plaintiffs and want the chance to “fully argue why the Wisconsin Constitution would prohibit” a near-total abortion ban.

A link to the filing to intervene appears below:

Planned Parenthood_Intervention BriefDownload

Swathes of southern Europe bake as temperatures soar: