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Tag: Wisconsin

  • ‘Sudden stratospheric warming’ can drive arctic outbreaks. Here’s how

    ‘Sudden stratospheric warming’ can drive arctic outbreaks. Here’s how

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    You’ve almost certainly heard of the polar vortex. But what about “sudden stratospheric warming,” a weather term that’s started making the rounds on social media? They’re related to one another, and they can play a big role in winter weather.

    What You Need To Know

    • Not all our weather happens near the ground

    • Atmospheric waves sometimes break on the polar vortex, making it weaken

    • A weaker polar vortex sometimes makes air far aloft descend and quickly warm

    • These events can cause arctic outbreaks



    The polar vortex

    First, a quick review of the polar vortex. The one we care about lives in the stratosphere, the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere. The stratosphere is above where most of our weather happens, starting about 6 miles above the ground and reaching up about 31 miles.

    That polar vortex forms in the fall as polar nights get longer and temperatures turn colder. In the spring, it breaks down as daylight returns and temperatures become more balanced.

    Polar temperatures in the stratosphere are very cold in the winter, but turn relatively warm in the summer. (NOAA)

    But something else can make it break down during the winter, waves in the atmosphere. That’s where sudden stratospheric warming comes in.

    Sudden stratospheric warming

    The atmosphere has waves, just like the ocean. After all, it pretty much is an ocean… just made of air, not salt water. These waves rise up and down, and sometimes they’ll break and crash on the polar vortex, weakening it.

    What happens if the vortex weakens enough? Its winds can reverse direction, causing cold air in the stratosphere to descend and quickly warm. And that’s where the name “sudden stratospheric warming” comes from.

    “Sudden” doesn’t mean it happens out of the blue, completely unexpectedly. And “warming” is relative, since we’re still talking temperatures that are way below zero.

    Polar vortex temperature centered on 2022, when a sudden stratospheric warming event happened. (NOAA)

    Cold air outbreaks

    Forecasters try to get a sense of whether sudden stratospheric warming might happen because it can give clues about weather patterns a few weeks away.

    Instead of a stable swirl keeping the arctic air bottled up, the polar vortex is knocked off-kilter, coming off the North Pole or splitting into a couple pieces. The frigid air mass sometimes spills southward, although it doesn’t always dump into North America. It can just as easily hit Europe or Russia.

    Major sudden stratospheric warming events happen once every winter or two on average, according to NOAA. These can cause big cold air outbreaks, although not every cold wave can lead to sudden stratospheric warming.

    It also turns out that El Niño can cause sudden stratospheric warming events–and polar vortex breakdowns–because of how it influences the pattern of waves in the jet stream in the late winter.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • PolitiFact – Does U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil back cutting Social Security and Medicare?

    PolitiFact – Does U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil back cutting Social Security and Medicare?

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    Two familiar election-year policy topics have returned to the race for the 1st Congressional District — Medicare and Social Security. 

    Voters in the southern Wisconsin district, where U.S. Bryan Steil is running for a fourth term, may have started seeing a television ad aimed at his stances on the programs.

    The spot was launched Jan. 10, 2024 by Opportunity Wisconsin, a liberal group that describes itself as “a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people.”

    The ad features a Navy veteran from Racine, identified only as Jim, who expresses concerns about Steil’s positions on the benefits.

    “Bryan Steil is part of a group that wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, that would be devastating,” Jim says. “I earned my Social Security and Medicare benefits. Not given, not entitled, earned. Bryan Steil has no business touching them.”

    The position of Steil and other Republicans on Social Security and Medicare is likely to remain a frequent topic in campaign advertising ahead of the 2024 elections. 

    And, it could be a continued point of focus among Steil’s Democratic challengers.

    Federal lawmakers have struggled to agree on how to reform the programs, which could run out of money to pay out benefits in the early 2030s. 

    While the ad features “Jim,” we’re checking Opportunity Wisconsin, the group making the claim. Let’s take a look at where Steil stands on cuts to Social Security and Medicare. 

    Steil is part of group that looked at cuts to Social Security, but doesn’t support their plan

    By way of backup, Opportunity Wisconsin’s news release announcing the ads notes that Steil is part of the Republican Study Committee, “which has proposed a federal budget which would cut $718 billion from Social Security, raise the retirement age, and more.”

    Out of the gate, it’s worth noting that nearly 80% of House Republicans are part of that conservative caucus. Along with Steil, its members include U.S. Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin.

    PolitiFact National looked into the group’s most recent budget proposal when President Joe Biden made a similar claim that Republicans wanted to cut Social Security benefits. 

    That fact-check noted the plan was not universally endorsed by Republicans, didn’t provide a lot of detail, and was far from certain to be enacted. 

    Additionally, Steil was not one of the 14 members whose signature is on the plan, though Tiffany’s is.

    Chavonne Ludick, Steil’s communications director, said the representative opposes the budget proposal that is mentioned in the ad, which she called “recklessly misleading.”

    “While the congressman is a member of the Republican Study Committee, the 177 members of the group have widely differing views on many issues,” Ludick said. “Congressman Steil strongly supports Social Security and Medicare and opposes plans to cut them.”

    She said even if it came up for a vote, Steil “would vote against it and recommend others do the same.” 

    We’ve established that Steil is part of the Republican Study Committee, as Opportunity Wisconsin states. But his office says he doesn’t support the plan and wouldn’t vote for it. 

    So, there is a connection to Steil, but not a strong one.

    Plan would raise retirement age, but not cut benefits for people in or near retirement

    There are other problems with the ad, especially in how it characterizes the plan itself. Remember that Jim stressed he earned his benefits and Stiel “has no business touching them.”

    But the plan itself states: “We will not now or ever support cutting or delaying retirement benefits for any senior in or near retirement.”

    Rather, as the earlier fact-check noted, the plan would make changes to the benefit formula for people who aren’t near retirement and are on the higher end of the income scale.

    And it would make “modest adjustments” to the retirement age to receive full benefits “to account for increases in life expectancy.” That would cut benefits for some people, the fact-check explained.

    Roll Call reported that the committee was looking at raising the age to 69, for those who turn 62 in 2033.

    Now, what about the Medicare piece of the plan?

    The proposal calls for a “premium support model” that would subsidize private plans that would compete with Medicare. The caucus claimed their plans would lower premiums for seniors and would not cut benefits. 

    In a 2014 USA TODAY fact-check, we noted that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the idea — floated by then-U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin — could lead to higher costs for beneficiaries.

    Sam Roecker, communications director for Opportunity Wisconsin, provided additional sources regarding Steil’s stances on Medicare, including votes against capping insulin costs at $35 for program recipients. 

    But that’s not the same as cutting benefits, as the ad suggests.

    Our ruling

    An Opportunity Wisconsin ad depicts a retiree who is concerned that Rep. Bryan Steil could cut his Social Security and Medicare benefits. 

    He says in part: “Bryan Steil is part of a group that wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, that would be devastating.” 

    Steil is part of the Republican Study Committee, which authored a plan aimed at addressing future Social Security and Medicare shortfalls, but so are many other House Republicans. 

    Importantly, Steil’s office says he opposes the plan and would vote against it. 

    Even if he did back the changes, the plan said it wouldn’t cut benefits for people in or near retirement, like the voter shown in the ad. 

    Our definition of Mostly False is “the statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.”

    That fits here.

     

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  • Wisconsin Republican leader slams Democrats' proposed election maps as 'political gerrymander'

    Wisconsin Republican leader slams Democrats' proposed election maps as 'political gerrymander'

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    MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s powerful Republican Assembly leader said Tuesday that he hopes the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court adopts new constitutional legislative boundary maps, even as he slammed proposals from Democrats as “a political gerrymander” and threatened an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    The court tossed Republican-drawn maps, long considered among the country’s most favorable to the GOP, and ordered new maps that do not favor one party over another. It said if the Legislature doesn’t adopt maps, the court will.

    Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Republicans have approached Democrats about passing new maps in the Legislature, but “we have not gotten a warm reception to that idea.”

    “We are ready, willing and able to try to engage in that process,” Vos said at a news conference.

    Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer questioned Vos’ sincerity.

    “We are always open to conversations with our colleagues, but have yet to be convinced that Republican Legislators are serious about passing a fair and representative map, especially given the extreme gerrymander they submitted to the court on Friday,” she said in a statement.

    Wisconsin is a purple state, with four of the past six presidential elections decided by less than a percentage point. But under legislative maps first enacted by Republicans in 2011 and then again in 2022 with few changes, the GOP has grown its majorities to 64-35 in the Assembly and 22-11 in the state Senate.

    Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the maps passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2021, leading the then-conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court to adopt the maps that are currently in use. The court has since shifted to liberal control, and it threw out the maps last month.

    In a 4-3 ruling, the high court said the current maps were unconstitutional because not all districts were comprised of a contiguous territory. Some districts included areas that weren’t connected to the whole.

    Republican and Democratic lawmakers, along with Evers, a conservative Wisconsin law firm, a liberal law firm that brought the redistricting lawsuit, a group of mathematics professors and a redistricting consultant submitted new proposed maps on Friday.

    The map submitted by Republicans would maintain the current 64-35 GOP majority, while other maps would narrow it to as little as a one-seat Republican edge, according to an analysis by Marquette University Law School research fellow John D. Johnson

    Vos dismissed the maps submitted by Democrats, saying they would move too many boundary lines and force incumbent lawmakers to run against one another. He called them “nothing more than a political gerrymander.”

    In the 2022 election, Wisconsin’s Assembly districts had the nation’s second-largest Republican tilt behind only West Virginia, according to an Associated Press statistical analysis that was designed to detect potential gerrymandering. Republicans received less than 55% of the votes cast for major party Assembly candidates, yet they won 65% of the seats.

    The submitted maps are being reviewed now by two consultants hired by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. They will submit their report by Feb. 1, which will include their recommended maps.

    “My hope is that the court, in any fair reading, rejects the maps that were submitted which have large partisan bias and either has maps drawn by the professors, if they go that route, or ultimately we’ll have to go to the (U.S.) Supreme Court and demonstrate the huge political nature of what they’ve done, ” Vos said.

    When asked when such an appeal would be filed or what it would argue, Vos declined to say.

    “Our goal is not to rush to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Vos said. “We want to try and have a map that meets the constitution.”

    Republicans have indicated that they would argue that there were due process violations. Vos has also suggested that the appeal would argue that liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz, who called the current maps “rigged” and “unfair” during her run for office, should not have heard the case. She sided with the three other liberal justices in ordering new maps.

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  • Why we don’t officially name winter storms

    Why we don’t officially name winter storms

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    Every spring, the World Meteorological Organization releases a list of names for hurricanes that season.

    But why don’t we name any other storm, particularly winter storms?

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. does not officially name winter storms

    • Other countries name non-tropical storms year round

    • The National Weather Service has no plans for naming winter storms

    History of naming storms

    We have unofficially named winter storms throughout history.

    Storms such as The Great Blizzard of 1888, a storm that brought feet of snow to the Northeast and killed over 400 people, or a more recent storm in 2010, Snowmageddon, that crippled the mid-Atlantic with snow.

    But naming winter storms didn’t become regular until 2012, when a television weather company did so. At the time, this decision divided the weather community. Some saw the practice as more of a publicity stunt than a way to save lives, as they did not consult any official weather agency.

    After 5 years of The Weather Channel naming winter storms, an ad hoc committee of the American Meteorological Society conducted a study and agreed that there was no evidence to support that the naming of storms increases the safety of the public.

    The flip side

    Even though the U.S. does not name storms other than tropical cyclones, the UK Met Office started officially naming storms in 2015. They not only name winter storms, but powerful storms that form throughout the year that cause substantial impact.

    Each area in the UK has different criteria for naming storms, but the fun part is that the public can suggest names for the upcoming year.

    Taking a stand

    However, the National Weather Service still stands on the side of not naming winter storms, but what is the reason?

    I talked to Maureen O’Leary, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service, and she said, “unlike tropical storms, winter storms are diverse with conditions that evolve throughout the storm’s life. That is why our forecasts, watches and warnings focus on specific impacts such as wind conditions, snowfall, ice, temperature, visibility and other impacts.

    “Winter storm conditions can vary widely and over a very large area, from community to community. It’s critical that people understand how a storm will impact them, in their area, or where they are going.”

    She also said there are no plans to consider naming winter storms.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • This year’s Iowa caucuses will be the coldest ever

    This year’s Iowa caucuses will be the coldest ever

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    Iowans are used to cold weather, but the arctic blast that’s spread across much of the country is the biggest one to happen at the same time as the caucuses.

    What You Need To Know

    • The coldest Iowa caucuses before this year were in 2004

    • Most have had highs in the 30s and 40s

    • This year, wind chills will be in the -20s throughout Iowa on caucus night



    The Iowa caucuses began in 1972. That year, the high in Des Moines was 25 degrees and scattered snow fell around the state.

    Since then, the warmest caucus day was 49 degrees on Feb. 20, 1984. The coldest, in 2004, had a high of just 16 degrees with wind chills in the single digits.

    That’ll seem almost tropical compared to what’s coming on Monday.

    Highs throughout Iowa will struggle to even get close to 0 degrees–and that’s just the actual temperature. Caucus-goers are going to face frigid wind chills in the -20s while they’re heading to and from their local precincts in the evening.

    Here’s a snapshot of the conditions people had to brave through to caucus.

    If there’s any good weather news in the Hawkeye State, it’s that they’ll have dry weather on Monday. That’ll be a welcome change after two powerful winter storms socked parts of the state with heavy snow in the days before. The bad weather forced Republican candidates to cancel some events.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • How you can calculate the wind chill this winter

    How you can calculate the wind chill this winter

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    Winter means cold, and winter plus wind equals colder! The term to describe the combination of wind and cold is “wind chill.”

    What You Need To Know

    • The “feels-like” temperature in winter is known as the wind chill

    • Wind chill is calculated based on the air temperature and wind speed

    • Frostbite is a danger when we have extremely cold wind chills

    How does wind chill work?

    First, understand that our bodies lose heat through convection.

    When we are outside and there is little to no wind, the air temperature is the same temperature we feel. There’s little to no difference between the two.

    In the example below, the outside temperature is 20 degrees, and it feels like it because a layer of that heat remains around our body to help us stay warm.

    When it is windy, the moving air breaks up the insulating warm layer. This wind helps to speed up the heat loss and makes the body feel much colder outside.

    Add in a 20 mile per hour wind to an outside temperature of 20 degrees, and it doesn’t feel like 20 degrees anymore. Instead, the wind chill is only 4 degrees!

    Calculating the wind chill

    The wind chill temperature is calculated based on the temperature and wind speed. Check the chart below to determine the wind chill and how long it takes to get frostbite.

    At the top of the chart you’ll find the air temperature, and on the left is the wind speed. When you line up those two factors, where they meet is the wind chill.

    Ways to stay warm

    Frostbite happens when body tissue freezes; your hands, feet, and nose usually freeze first. Your body protects your vital organs by cutting circulation to those extremities and focusing it on the most important places.

    We’ve fought wearing jackets since we were kids, but one of the easiest ways to keep yourself safe from frostbite or hypothermia is by dressing appropriately. Wearing layers and cover all exposed skin (including fingers, toes, ears, nose and so on).

    How you fuel your body can also help you stay safe. Stay hydrated because that increases your blood volume, which in turn helps prevent frostbite. 

    Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine constricts your blood vessels, which prevents the warming of your extremities. Alcohol reduces shivering, which is the body’s attempt to keep you warm.

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    Meteorologist Robyn King

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  • Your astronomical calendar for 2024

    Your astronomical calendar for 2024

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    We’re heading into another year, and there are so many astronomical events we can look forward to.

    What You Need To Know

    • A rare total solar eclipse will occur in April

    • We have many meteor showers happening throughout the year

    • Mercury will be our most-viewed planet

    • We’ll also see Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn


    Check out what to expect for each month. The second half of the year will bring plenty of fun shows.

    January

    Quadrantids meteor shower: We started the year with a bang. This meteor shower produced 40 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 3rd. Don’t worry if you missed it. We have plenty more meteor showers this year.

    (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

    View of Mercury: Our first 2024 view of Mercury occurred on the 12th. We’ll be able to view this planet six more times this year! 

    February

    February is quiet, only offering a new moon on the 9th and a full moon on the 24th.

    March

    First day of spring, also called the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere (the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere) will occur on the 19th this year at 11:06 p.m. ET. The Sun will pass directly over the equator, and we’ll have nearly equal amounts of day and night across the planet.

    (Spectrum News/Lacy Leonardi)

    Mercury in sight: our second view of Mercury will happen on the 24th. Look for it low in the western sky just after sunset.

    Penumbral lunar eclipse: occurring when the moon passes through Earth’s penumbra. This eclipse will take place on the 25th and be visible through all the U.S.

    April

    Total solar eclipse: this rare event will occur on the 8th and be visible in the eastern U.S. The Moon will completely block the Sun, letting us see the outer ring of the Sun. You don’t want to miss it because it won’t happen again until 2045.

    (Pixabay)

    Lyrids meteor shower: this is a decent shower that produces about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It will run from the 16th to the 25th but will peak on the night of the 22nd. Unfortunately, the full moon will block out many meteors, but you should still be able to catch a glimpse of the brightest ones.

    May

    Eta Aquarids meteor shower: this decent meteor shower will produce 30 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere at its peak on the 6th. The new moon means we’ll have a dark sky and an excellent show.

    Mercury returns: our third viewing of Mercury this year will occur on the 9th. You can see it in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

    June

    First day of summer: this year, the summer solstice will occur at 4:50 p.m. ET on June 20, marking the first day of summer for the northern hemisphere. The North Pole will tilt toward the Sun, and the Sun will travel over the Tropic of Cancer.

    July

    Another view of Mercury: our fourth view of Mercury will happen on the 22nd. Look for it low in the western sky just after sunset.

    (Pixabay)

    Delta Aquarids meteor shower: this shower will produce 20 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 28th. The moon will block out a lot of the meteors, but you will still catch a few bright ones.

    August

    Perseids meteor shower: one of the best meteor showers of the year, you’ll see 60 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 12th. The good news is the Moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving us with dark skies for the show.

    Full moon and blue moon: we’ll get this full moon and blue moon on the 19th. It’s called a blue moon because it’s the third of four full moons of the season.

    September

    View of Mercury: our fifth view of Mercury will be on the 5th. Look for it low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

    See Saturn’s rings: Saturn should be visible all night on the 8th. You’ll see a glimpse of its rings and brightest moons with a medium or large telescope.

    Full moon and supermoon: this full moon and supermoon will occur on the 18th. Don’t miss it, as the moon will look larger and brighter.

    Partial lunar eclipse: occurring when the Moon passes through the penumbra and partially through the umbra. We’ll see this partial lunar eclipse on the 18th, and most of the U.S. will be able to view it.

    (Photo by Anthony Leone)

    The Blue Giant: we’ll get a view of Neptune all night on the 20th. Unfortunately, because of its distance, it’ll only look like a tiny blue dot in the sky unless you have an extremely powerful telescope.

    First day of fall: the autumnal equinox will occur at 8:43 a.m. ET on the 22nd. We’ll have nearly equal amounts of day and night across the world as the Sun shines over the equator, marking the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere.

    October

    Draconids meteor shower: practice patient with this shower on the 7th, as it only produces 10 meteors per hour. Unlike other showers, you’ll want to view this one in the early evening.

    Another full moon and supermoon: this full moon and supermoon will happen on the 17th. It’ll be the second supermoon of three in 2024.

    Orionids meteor shower: this shower will peak on the night of the 21st, bringing us 20 meteors per hour. The waning gibbous moon will block fainter meteors, but you should still be able to catch some brighter ones.

    November

    Taurids meteor shower: a very minor shower. This show will only produce 5-10 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 4h. The first quarter moon will block most of the meteors, but you’ll still see a few after midnight.

    Full moon and supermoon: the last of the supermoons of 2024, you can catch this full, big and bright moon on the 15th.

    Mercury’s back: Mercury loves to show off, as this will be our sixth view of the planet on the 16th.

    Uranus: Uranus appears on the 17th and you’ll be able to view it all night. Unfortunately, if you don’t have an extremely power telescope, you’ll only see a tiny dot in the sky.

    (NASA/JPL)

    Leonids meteor shower: another minor shower, this one will produce 15 meteors per hour at its peak on the night of the 17th. The best time to view this show will be during the early morning of the 18th, but the nearly full moon will block out most of the meteors.

    December

    Jupiter and its moons: Jupiter will appear on the 7th and be visible all night. You’ll be able to see Jupiter’s cloud bands with a medium telescope. Even with just binoculars, you’ll be able to see its four largest moons.

    Geminids meteor shower: welcome to the best meteor shower of every year. Peaking from Dec. 13-14, this shower will produce 120 multicolored meteors per hour. Unfortunately, an almost full moon means we won’t see a lot of the meteors, but we should still be able to catch a good amount. Bundle up and head outside after midnight for the best viewing time.

    First day of winter: on the 21st, the winter solstice will occur at 4:19 a.m. ET, marking the first day of winter. The South Pole will tilt toward the Sun, and the Sun will be in its southernmost position in the sky.

    (Photo by Sean Organ)

    Ursids meteor shower: the last shower of the year will be the Ursids meteor shower on Dec. 21-22. It is minor, producing 5-10 meteors per hour, and the waning gibbous moon will block out many of the meteors.

    One last view of Mercury: Mercury was the first planet we saw this year, and it’ll be the last. You’ll be able to view it on the 25th low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

    Viewing these events

    If you’re trying to view a planet, it might become a little tricky differentiating it from a star. Caballero-Nieves, assistant professor in Astronomy at FL Institute of Tech., explains “planets are typically brighter than stars. Stars also twinkle. This is called scintillation. Stars will change a little in brightness and even color, and planets do not.”

    “Finally, if you look at a planet over several nights or months, you will notice that it moves with respect to the stars near it. That’s where the Greeks gave the planets their names, which means wanderer.”

    If you want to view all these heavenly events this year, head to a dark area away from city lights.

    It also doesn’t hurt to buy a telescope, either. What kind of telescope should you buy?

    Caballero-Nieves suggests that “You should first decide what you are interested in observing. Reflecting telescopes use mirrors and are more compact, but reflecting telescopes that use lenses can be more affordable.”

    “Smaller telescopes are great for looking at bright things like the Moon, planets and bright stars. Larger telescopes are better for observing faint things like galaxies, nebulas and comets.”

    Hopefully, you will see some wonderful views this year!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Weather Explained: Understanding the wind chill

    Weather Explained: Understanding the wind chill

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    Learn how wind can affect the outside temperature.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • PolitiFact – Grothman falsely claims birthright citizenship doesn’t apply to migrant children born in the US

    PolitiFact – Grothman falsely claims birthright citizenship doesn’t apply to migrant children born in the US

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    As negotiations on border security legislation happen in Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., took to the House floor to decry the increase of immigrants into the U.S.

    During his speech Dec. 1, 2023, Grothman expressed contempt for ways foreign nationals and their children are illegally getting into and living in America.

    When listing legal ways migrants can become U.S. citizens, Grothman pivoted and said citizenship is incorrectly granted to their children born in America.

    “That’s not including children who are born here to parents who are not (legal) immigrants because right now our government, wrongly, is saying if you’re born in this country you’re automatically an American citizen,” Grothman said.

    Grothman didn’t respond to our inquiry seeking clarification and backup for the claim, which is known as “birthright citizenship.” But his statement aligns with that of some other conservatives, who argue birthright citizenship does not apply to children of people living in the country illegally. 

    Let’s consider the conditions of citizenship for those born in America. 

    The 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship

    The most common path toward citizenship is by being born in the U.S. or U.S. territory. 

    This is laid out in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which states “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” 

    In layman’s terms, it means anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically a citizen.

    A number of Republicans have argued that because undocumented immigrants are not legally in the country, they should not fall under the 14th Amendment’s protections. Critics have pointed to the “subject to the jurisdiction” language in the clause, arguing this means only children of legal residents are natural-born citizens.

    However, two Supreme Court cases argue citizenship is given to children of undocumented immigrants. 

    In its 1898 U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark case, the Supreme Court decided birthright citizenship applies to children of foreigners present on American soil regardless of their parent’s immigration status. The high court listed the only exceptions to birthright citizenship could be if the child’s parents are diplomatic representatives or enemies during a hostile occupation of a U.S. territory.

    This provides a direct contrast to Grothman’s claim and many GOP arguments that birthright citizenship wouldn’t apply to children of migrants.

    The issue came up again in the Supreme Court’s 1982 Plyler v. Doe case over a Texas education law that allowed the state to withhold education funds for educating the children of undocumented immigrants. In that case, the court reasoned undocumented immigrants are people “in any ordinary sense of the term” and are consequently afforded 14th Amendment protections and threw out the GOP jurisdiction argument.

    Because of the Ark and Plyler cases, former President Donald Trump and others, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have vowed to end the birthright citizenship practice via methods of executive order or constitutional amendments.

    Our ruling

    Grothman claimed “our government, wrongly, is saying if you’re born in this country you’re automatically an American citizen.”

    Grothman said it in the context of the immigration debate, suggesting birthright citizenship does not apply to children of migrants born in the U.S.

    The Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil and an 1898 Supreme Court case held that citizenship is given regardless of the origin of one’s parents.

    We rate Grothman’s claim False.

     

     

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  • 2023 saw a record 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

    2023 saw a record 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

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    The U.S. dealt with 28 disasters that each cost over $1 billion last year, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. That’s the most in one year since records began in 1980.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. had 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2023

    • 19 of them were severe storms and tornadoes

    • The 28 disasters cost an estimated $93 billion

    • Last year broke the record of 22 such events in 2020



    The average number of billion-dollar disasters since 1980 is 8.5 per year. However, from 2019 to 2023, the average was 20.4 events, including the previous record of 22 events in 2020.

    NOAA adjusts for the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation.

    Here’s when and where 2023’s billion-dollar disasters happened.

    The majority were from severe storms and tornadoes, which made up 19 of them. The rest included four floods, two tropical cyclones (including Hurricane Idalia), one wildfire, one winter storm and one drought/heat wave.

    The year may end up with one more, depending on the tally from the mid-December East Coast storm.

    In total, NCEI estimates 2023’s billion-dollar disasters cost $93.0 billion, above the average of $60.5 billion. They also say these also contributed to at least 492 deaths.

    NOAA’s information on 2023’s costly disasters came the same day that Europe’s climate agency reported the global average temperature last year set a record that was 2.66 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The Lower 48 had its fifth-hottest year on record, according to NOAA.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • Wisconsin Republicans’ medical marijuana plan gets lukewarm reception from Evers, lawmakers – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Wisconsin Republicans’ medical marijuana plan gets lukewarm reception from Evers, lawmakers – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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    Wisconsin Republicans’ medical marijuana plan gets lukewarm reception from Evers, lawmakers – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news































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  • CFP title game a preview of new Big Ten, Pac-12’s shot to go out No. 1

    CFP title game a preview of new Big Ten, Pac-12’s shot to go out No. 1

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    HOUSTON — The College Football Playoff championship is quite the stage for Washington and Michigan to get reacquainted with each other.

    The teams play for the national title on Monday night. Starting next season, they’ll compete against each other for Big Ten titles.

    What You Need To Know

    • The College Football Playoff title game will feature two teams that will be in the Big Ten next season

    • The Big Ten’s expansion helped lead to the demise of the Pac-12

    • Michigan leads the overall series against Washington 8-5

    • A Washington victory Monday night would see the Pac-12 go out with the top team in the country

    “I imagine all the Big Ten folks in Chicago in the office, they’re sitting like a rat in a cheese factory right now for sure,” said Washington co-defensive coordinator William Inge, who was a graduate assistant at Iowa and assistant at Indiana for seven years.

    The Big Ten’s coast-to-coast expansion began in the summer of 2022 when it voted in USC and UCLA beginning in 2024. The Pac-12’s demolition was assured just over a year later when it failed to land a lucrative media rights contract. Oregon and Washington in August accepted invitations from the Big Ten, and four other Pac-12 schools bolted to the Big 12.

    “The Big Ten goes into 2024 with the national championship. We can write that now,” Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said.

    Washington and Michigan have met 13 times previously, most recently in 2021, and are scheduled to play a regular-season game in Seattle on Oct. 5. Michigan leads the series 8-5.

    DiNardo, the head coach at Indiana from 2002-04, said the entry of Washington and the other three schools comes at a fortuitous time.

    The Huskies are the team of the moment, but Oregon, USC and UCLA traditionally have been the biggest brands on the West Coast.

    “We’re taking on four teams that potentially are as good as they’ve been in recent years,” DiNardo said. “It’s not an obvious marriage, but never has there been a better time for this crossover to happen.”

    ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he was a fan of the Pac-12 and has mixed feelings about its breakdown.

    “How fitting that they’ve had a heck of a run as a conference this year and then one of their teams get to the championship,” he said. “There are a lot of people from the Pac-12 excited to see how they go out. And then for the Big Ten to look into their future … It’s just weird to think this will be a conference game next year.

    “I’m from that early ‘90s era,” he added. “I remember these teams playing in the Rose Bowl back-to-back years. We’re all going to have to go through it to get used to it.”

    Herbstreit said even though he’s excited about the prospects for an 18-team Big Ten, he also is apprehensive. The Big Ten will have no divisions starting in 2024, meaning the top two teams will meet in the conference championship game, and the College Football Playoff will go from four to 12 teams.

    All that expansion, Herbstreit said, could water down the Big Ten’s most famous rivalry — Ohio State-Michigan. In the 10 years of the East-West alignment, the winner of “The Game,” as it’s known, reached the conference title game.

    Herbstreit, who played quarterback for the Buckeyes from 1989-92, said Ohio State and Michigan could meet multiple times over a month if the Big Ten power structure remains the same. Conceivably, he said, the teams’ regular-season game the last Saturday of November could be followed by a rematch the next week in Indianapolis.

    “How could it not take away from the last game in November?” Herbstreit said. “Not to say Ohio State and Michigan will do it every year. But if they play, and then again a week later, that’s bizarre. And then what if they match up a third time in the playoff? It’s part of this new world we have to get used to.”

    Michigan receiver Cornelius Johnson shares Herbstreit’s concern about the rivalry.

    “Used to be you’d play that game, and that would be basically the championship right then and there,” he said. “Now you get it adjusted. It’s going to be like an NFL-type of schedule with the playoffs.”

    As a fan, he said, he liked the Pac-12 and the four-team playoff. He also said he understood greater revenue potential was the impetus for the changes.

    “I thought it was perfectly fine the way it is,” he said. “They switched it up. The fact they did, you’ve got to roll with it. I’m excited to see how it plays out with everything new going on. It’s going to be weird getting adjusted to. There’s never been that many changes from one year to the next.”

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  • How rainbow clouds dazzle the skies

    How rainbow clouds dazzle the skies

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    Clouds come in many shapes and forms, but did you know there are rainbow clouds? 

    What You Need To Know

    • Rainbow clouds form when light scatters through tiny ice crystals and creates a cascade of colors

    • These types of clouds form in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds

    • High-altitude clouds, the uniform distribution of ice crystals, sunlight and a sun that is high in the sky is the recipe of iridescence

    According to NOAA, “a rainbow cloud can occur because of something called cloud iridescence.”

    You’ll see this dazzling phenomena in altocumulus, cirrocumulus, lenticular and cirrus clouds.

    These rainbow clouds, or as they’re scientifically known, ‘nacreous clouds’, form when small ice crystal scatter the sun’s light. Once the light hits the droplets, it creates a vibrant hue of colors.

    Check out this video of rainbow clouds see above Aylesford, United Kingdom in late December.

    Cloud iridescence is a rare phenomenon. Clouds need to be thin and have a lot of water droplets that are about the same size.

    Iridescence is a combination of high-altitude clouds, the uniform distribution of ice crystals, sunlight and a sun that is high in the sky.

    (Photo by: CameraLeon/WEATHER TRAKER/TMX)

    Nacreous clouds are rare sites to see. According to the World Meteorological Organization, you can see these dazzling sites in Alaska, Canada and parts of Scandinavia and the Arctic.

    Plus, the clouds form in colder climates because the ice crystals in the clouds need to be chilled to freezing or below.

    Whenever you see rainbow or nacreous clouds, enjoy these color clouds and experiences.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Keith Bryant

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  • Look at incredible video of tornado spinning through Fort Lauderdale

    Look at incredible video of tornado spinning through Fort Lauderdale

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    A tornado ripped through parts of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 6.

    Look at this incredible video of the tornado in the area.

    The video was shot by one of our Spectrum News photographers who was in the area covering the Buffalo Bills game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday Jan. 7.

    Ft. Lauderdale city officials on X (formerly known as Twitter) said the twister was spotted near Las Olas and the Intracoastal.

    The twister was a part of a storm system bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms to parts of South Florida.

    In another video, you can see sparks fly as the tornado spins through the area.

    Plus, the tornado touched down shortly after the National Weather Service in Miami issued a Tornado Warning for the area.

    There were no reports of injuries, just scattered debris and some power outages.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Here are your top 5 astronomical events for 2024

    Here are your top 5 astronomical events for 2024

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    Every year, avid sky gazers book their calendar full of events that are sure to have you looking up. And 2024 promises to bring a series of events you don’t want to miss.

    What You Need To Know

    • Several noteworthy events are possible in the skies above North America in 2024

    • A coast-to-coast solar eclipse will be found in April

    • A beautiful meteor shower will dazzle in August

      • A new comet could light the skies in October

    North America is set for dozens of potential sky gazing events during 2024. From a pair of eclipses to a brand new comet and several meteor showers, here are the top five astronomical events for North America in 2024.

    1. America’s total solar eclipse

    The most anticipated event of the year across the nation will come in April when the Great American Solar Eclipse will streak across the United States.

    On April 8, 2024, the nation will be greeted by the moon passing right in front of our sun, creating a breathtaking experience for those who can reach totality. While the entire nation will enjoy the eclipse, only a few select states will get the joys of totality.

    Totality occurs when the moon blocks out the entire sun from view, leading to a darker sky resembling if it were dawn or dusk.

    A look at the path of the total solar eclipse.

    Just prior to totality, another phenomenon known as Baily’s beads will occur. These beads look like distinct balls of light found just on the edge of the moon’s surface as it passes in front of the last bit of the sun.

    Baily’s beads are caused by the sun’s light shining through the craters on the surface of the moon and will flicker on and off as the sun passes through the valleys of the moon’s surface.

    Totality will be enjoyed by states like Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Maine. Totality will last for nearly four and a half minutes in cities across Texas—the longest in the nation.

    2. America’s penumbral lunar eclipse

    Just two weeks before the total solar eclipse, the nation will be greeted by an eclipse of a different kind. On March 24-25, 2024, the nation will observe a penumbral lunar eclipse.

    Often, during a total lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the inner shadow of Earth, known as Earth’s umbra. During that passage, the moon darkens noticeably, and can produce a unique nighttime effect.

    But during a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon stays out of the inner shadow and only breaches Earth’s outer shadow, known as the penumbra.

    During a lunar eclipse, the moon passes by Earth's shadow. (Spectrum News)

    During a lunar eclipse, the moon passes by Earth’s shadow.

    This leads to a less deep and typically less dramatic eclipse. Sometimes it can even be mistaken as a normal Full Moon event versus an actual eclipse.

    Regardless, this eclipse will be found nationwide. The best time to view the eclipse will be around maximum eclipse time, when one half of the moon will appear slightly darker than the other half.

    3. Planets align

    A favorite of sky gazers alike, planetary alignment is expected in late June across the nation. This celestial alignment will feature the planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn along with our Moon.

    During this alignment, you can expect to find all the planets and our moon situated near one another in the eastern sky during sunrise.

    If you are heading east during your morning commute, you may notice all these celestial bodies shining brightly next to the moon, resembling stars.

    4. Perseid meteor shower

    Often called the most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Perseid meteor shower will happen in the heart of August. The peak of the shower will occur on the nights of Aug. 12 and 13.

    The Perseid shower is caused by Earth’s movement through a debris cloud left behind from the comet Swift-Tuttle, a comet last passed by Earth in 1992.

    Two Perseid meteors, centre and lower left, streak across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower above a forest on the outskirts of Madrid, in the early hours of Monday, July 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

    Two Perseid meteors, centre and lower left, streak across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower above a forest on the outskirts of Madrid, in the early hours of Monday, July 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

    2024 is likely to be a decent year for this shower, as the moon will only be illuminated 50%. This should allow for between 200 to 350 meteors an hour if you can get to a place with no light pollution. For those in cities, expect that number to be closer to 40 to 60 meteors an hour.

    5. A new comet passes by

    While there is a bit of a debate about how big this event may be, October will bring a new comet to the skies of Earth.

    Discovered back in Feb. 2023, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will make its closest pass to Earth’s Northern Hemisphere during October. The comet will be roughly 44 million miles away from our planet, or roughly 100 million miles closer than our closest neighbor, Mars.

    The comet will appear too close to the sun to be seen in early October, but it will get into a better position for observation around and after Oct. 14.

    Comet Hale–Bopp. (NASA)

    Comet Hale–Bopp. (NASA)

    Scientists are still debating how visible the comet could be on Earth, but some scientists believe this could be a very bright passing, outshining some of the brightest stars in our sky during the peak passage.

    A few scientists believe it could be the brightest comet in our skies since Comet Hyakutake in 1996 or Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Comet Hale-Bopp was the most observed comet in human history.

    If these hypotheses prove to be correct, Comet C/2023 A3 could feature a very prominent tail that observers could see with their own eye.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Zach Covey

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  • PolitiFact – Trump’s new ‘evidence’ that Biden lost in 2020 is ridiculously wrong (and dusty). We went through it

    PolitiFact – Trump’s new ‘evidence’ that Biden lost in 2020 is ridiculously wrong (and dusty). We went through it

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    More than three years after the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump is claiming, again, to have definitive proof the election was stolen. But this new “evidence,” an anonymous 32-page document, is built on many of the same flimsy claims he’s endorsed since he lost to Joe Biden.

    “It has often been repeated there is ‘no evidence’ of fraud in the 2020 Election,” the document says. “In actuality, there is no evidence Joe Biden won. Ongoing investigations in the Swing States reveal hundreds of thousands of votes were altered and/or not lawfully cast in the Presidential Election. Joe Biden needed them.”

    The proof from swing states, it says, is enough to change the outcome.

    Trump shared the unsigned document on Truth Social, declaring it “fully verified.” 

    Stop us if you’ve heard this before: It’s not.

    Trump lawyers cited Trump’s post in a federal court document arguing Trump has immunity from prosecution in the federal election interference case. The report details dozens of claims about the 2020 election from Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Some allegations overlap with falsehoods previously debunked by PolitiFact or other fact-checkers. The report misleads about how election officials count ballots and arrive at final results. 

    “Nowhere is there a smoking gun, conclusive evidence that there was fraud or illegal ballots cast for Joe Biden,” said Justin Grimmer, a Stanford University political science professor who researches elections. “Instead, the report relies upon innuendo, implication and poor data analysis to reach a conclusion about fraudulent votes being cast when the evidence supposedly supporting that conclusion simply cannot justify that conclusion.”

    PolitiFact has documented some examples of voter fraud in 2020, such as people casting votes on behalf of dead relatives. But these instances were not enough to change the race’s outcome, and some crimes were committed by Republicans. Examples cited in the report do not prove that fraudulent ballots were cast for Biden. 

    The 2020 election’s outcome was verified in many ways. States certified the results. Congress accepted the results. Trump and his allies lost more than 60 lawsuits. A group of conservatives, including former federal judges, examined every fraud and miscount claim by Trump and concluded that they “failed to present evidence of fraud or inaccurate results significant enough to invalidate the results.” 

    On the same day Trump shared this report, USA Today published an op-ed by Ken Block headlined: “Trump paid me to find voter fraud. Then he lied after I found 2020 election wasn’t stolen.” Block, a former Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate who founded Simpatico Software Systems, was hired by the Trump campaign to try to back up Trump’s allegations after the election. His work is now in the hands of prosecutors who have charged Trump with crimes for actions leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

    “What these claims don’t take into account is that voter fraud is detectable, quantifiable and verifiable,” Block wrote in USA Today. “I have yet to see anyone offer up ‘evidence’ of voter fraud from the 2020 election that provides these three things.”

    We fact-checked a sample of the allegations in the report Trump shared. Trump campaign spokespeople and his lawyers didn’t answer our emails asking to identify the report’s author.

    This May 6, 2021, photo shows contractors for Florida-based Cyber Ninjas examining and recounting Maricopa County, Arizona’s 2020 general election ballots at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. (AP)

    Arizona

    The allegations about Arizona largely focus on Maricopa County, the jurisdiction with more than half of the state’s voters. State Senate Republicans ordered a review of the ballots and found that Biden beat Trump by about 45,000 votes — virtually the same as the county’s official canvass.

    The report Trump shared repeats some debunked claims. For example, it said that Maricopa County accepted 18,000 mail ballots the day after the 2020 election from the U.S. Postal Service. The Associated Press concluded that the claim was wrong. The number referred to a form showing when early ballots received before the deadline were handed to a private vendor for scanning, a Maricopa County Elections Department spokesperson told the AP.

    “In our legal system, there comes a time when questions are finally settled,” Paul Bender, an Arizona State University law professor, told PolitiFact “That time has come with regard to the validity of Biden’s election.”

    In this Oct. 19, 2020 file photo, a voter submits a ballot in an official drop box during early voting in Athens, Ga. (AP)

    ​​Georgia

    The report said “countless irregularities emerged” and cited “water main breaks” in reference to Georgia.

    State Farm Arena in Atlanta reported that one room being used for ballot counting had a 6 a.m. water leak. There was a brief delay in tabulating absentee ballots during the two hours required to repair the leak, which resulted from an overflowing urinal. No ballots were damaged, the arena said.

    In June 2023, the State Election Board dismissed a case about alleged malfeasance at the arena concluding “there was no evidence of any type of fraud as alleged.”

    The Trump document cites questionable sources, including True the Vote about ballot drop boxes — the focus of the “2,000 Mules” documentary by Dinesh D’Souza. The 2022 film alleged massive voter fraud involving ballot drop boxes and cellphone location data, based on several hundred phones passing by drop boxes. 

    “These assertions are part of a dancing fountain of lies that have been disproven by the count, the recount, and the audit of the 2020 vote in Georgia, and for which not one single shred of evidence has been offered,” said Mike Hassinger, a Georgia Secretary of State spokesperson. “Sixteen individual lawsuits were brought to challenge the validity of Georgia’s 2020 election results, of which 12 were dismissed by the courts, and four withdrawn by former President Trump’s own lawyers.”

    Voters wait in line Nov. 2, 2020, to fill out a ballot on the last day of early absentee voting before tomorrow’s general election at the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit. (AP)

    Michigan

    One of the report’s allegations about Michigan centered around suspected voter irregularities in Muskegon, a city of about 38,000 people. The report claimed police documented “a fraudulent voter registration scheme,” but this was kept “hidden” for almost three years.

    The report’s source is The Gateway Pundit, and in August we rated the underlying claim False.

    Here’s what happened: The Muskegon city clerk alerted police after noticing irregularities on some of the 8,000 to 10,000 voter registration forms dropped off by a canvasser. Local and state police referred the case to the FBI, because the canvasser’s employer, GBI Strategies, was operating in multiple states.

    Danny Wimmer, press secretary for Michigan’s attorney general, told PolitiFact that officials hadn’t ruled out the possibility that a crime may have been committed, but none of the agencies involved in the investigation found any evidence of successful fraudulent voter registrations.

    Philadelphia election workers scan ballots for the general election Nov. 3, 2020, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. (AP)

    Pennsylvania

    The report repeated a false claim Trump and his supporters pushed about ballot counting in Philadelphia in the days following the election. It alleged that in Pennsylvania’s largest city, “hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots were unlawfully counted in secret,” and Republican poll watchers were barred from observing the vote count.

    Election observers representing the Trump campaign and the Republican Party were allowed to observe the ballot-counting process, alongside Democrats. In Philadelphia, a judge allowed observers from both parties to view the process from 6 feet away.

    “Nothing was done in secret or against a court order,” said Nick Custodio, a Philadelphia City Commissioners office spokesperson.

    A ballot drop box sits outside City Hall in Milwaukee ahead of the 2020 election. (Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

    Wisconsin

    After losing Wisconsin to Biden, Trump allies filed lawsuits seeking to invalidate votes cast by drop box. The report cites the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in one of the lawsuits, which prohibited the use of drop boxes, except inside election offices.

    This ruling was announced one month before the state’s primary election for the 2022 midterms and applies to future elections; it does not retroactively apply to the 2020 election.

    An AP analysis found that the state’s expanded use of drop boxes in the 2020 election did not trigger widespread fraud. The Wisconsin Elections Commission saw no instances in which ballot drop boxes were damaged or used to submit fraudulent ballots.

    Our ruling

    If there was definitive evidence that Biden’s 2020 victory was secured on fraud, we would have it by now. The document shared by Trump is a lot of smoke — so much that we rate its central claim Pants on Fire!

    RELATED: Fact-check: Trump’s bogus claim on Fox News that ballots in 2020 were ‘fake’

    RELATED: In attack on Bill Barr, Trump repeats falsehood about 2020 election

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  • Weather Explained: Why bridges freeze before roads

    Weather Explained: Why bridges freeze before roads

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    It all has to do with the flow of cold air.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Look fast! A brief meteor shower peaks early Thursday morning

    Look fast! A brief meteor shower peaks early Thursday morning

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    The new year starts with the Quadrantid meteor shower. But don’t blink, or you might miss it.

    What You Need To Know

    • Astronomers named the Quadrantids after a former constellation

    • They have a very short peak

    • The peak falls early Thursday morning

    • Moonlight will obscure the fainter meteors



    The Quadrantids aren’t one of the more well-known meteor showers, but they can still bring a decent number of meteors… if you’re looking at the right time.

    Most meteor showers have a peak that lasts a couple of days, but the Quadrantids’ shower is much shorter. It should peak within a few hours of 4 a.m. Eastern Time Thursday morning, according to Sky & Telescope.

    NASA says the Quadrantids produce roughly 120 meteors per hour in perfect conditions, although that can vary quite a bit. And this year won’t have ideal conditions even if you get away from city lights, thanks to a half-full moon hanging in the southeastern sky during the peak.

    If you give it a shot, let your eyes adjust to the dark sky for at least 15 minutes and try to shield the moon from view. The American Meteor Society recommends looking north. Even if moonlight washes out the fainter meteors, you might catch a bright fireball meteor as relatively larger particles burn up in the atmosphere.

    The Quadrantids are unusual, like December’s Geminids, because they come as the Earth passes through the debris of an asteroid, rather than a comet. The name itself is also unusual; it’s from the constellation “Quadrans Muralis,” which didn’t make the cut in 1922’s official, modern list of constellations.

    An image of an etching of an astronomical chart of constellations, showing a quadrant–Quadrans Muralis–above Bootes the Ploughman. Also shown are the dogs Asterion and Chara and the hair of Berenice. (Library of Congress)

    The next noteworthy meteor shower is the Lyrids in April. Unfortunately, the moon will be nearly full for that show.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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  • Why is salt used on roads in the winter?

    Why is salt used on roads in the winter?

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    We all know that road crews and plows work hard to keep roads clear and safe for drivers this time of year. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Road crews use salt on roads and other surfaces in the winter

    • Salt lowers the freezing point of water, which prevents ice from forming 

    • Salt loses its effectiveness once the temperature falls below 15 degrees

    In addition to clearing snow and ice from roads, plows also put down a lot of salt on roads and other surfaces this time of year. 

    The usual freezing point of water – the temperature at which water freezes and becomes ice – is 32 degrees. So if there’s precipitation (snow, sleet, or freezing rain) and the ground is 32 degrees or colder, ice will form on streets and other surfaces. 

    So, why use salt on roads and other surfaces? It’s simple – salt lowers the freezing point of water, which prevents ice from forming. 

    Interesting fact: road salt is simply rock salt, which is table salt in its natural form. 

    The big difference is that the table salt that we use goes through a long purification process, while rock salt does not. As a result, rock salt still has impurities and that’s why it’s brownish or gray in color. 

    (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

    Can salt become less effective if it gets too cold? Generally, salt loses its effectiveness once the temperature falls below 15 degrees.

    When temperatures are that cold, the salt simply can’t get into the structure of the frozen water or ice to start the dissolving and melting process. Therefore, salt is much less effective or not effective at all when temperatures are bitterly cold.

    Road crews sometimes try other methods, even beet juice.

    When wintry weather hits, be careful, take your time and stay safe on the roads – especially when temperatures are cold enough to keep road treatments from doing their thing.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Carrie Cheevers

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  • The Wisconsin Supreme Court has thrown out the GOP-drawn district maps. That could be a huge change for the purple state

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court has thrown out the GOP-drawn district maps. That could be a huge change for the purple state

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    Republican Sen. Ron Johnson won reelection in 2022 in Wisconsin by just over 25,000 votes — the latest slim-majority victory in the state, which gave its 10 Electoral College votes to former President Donald Trump in 2016 with a victory of 22,000 votes and then flipped to President Joe Biden in 2020, who won the state by around 20,000 votes. 

    But despite the state’s history of winning elections on the margins, Republicans dominate the state legislature, with 64 Republicans and 35 Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly. The groundbreaking ruling in late December by the Wisconsin Supreme Court throwing out the GOP-drawn district lines could threaten that control — and change the state’s political landscape. 

    Though Republicans told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the U.S. Supreme Court will have the “last word” on the matter, now hinting at taking the fight to defend Wisconsin’s electoral maps, which have consistently favored the GOP, to the higher court.

    “We will pursue all federal issues arising out of the redistricting litigation at the U.S. Supreme Court,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel following the state Supreme Court’s decision.

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court listens to arguments during a redistricting hearing at the state Capitol on Nov. 21, 2023, in Madison.
    The Wisconsin Supreme Court listens to arguments during a redistricting hearing at the state Capitol on Nov. 21, 2023, in Madison.

    Ruthie Hauge/The Capital Times via AP


    The 4-3 ruling, issued Friday, deemed the current GOP-drawn lines unconstitutional and cites a violation of the state constitution’s requirement of “contiguous territories” in districts. Set to be enforced in March 2024, the revised map will put all 132 state lawmakers up for reelection in a pivotal year, providing Democrats with an opportunity to challenge the Republican stronghold on the state’s legislature.

    With a potential shift to a more evenly divided legislature, the new map could hold implications for key issues such as abortion, previously rejected by Republicans for inclusion on the 2024 ballot.

    Nicole Safar, executive director at Law Forward, a nonprofit law firm representing the 19 Democratic voters in the lawsuit filed against the current map, said tossing the gerrymandered map will give voters more of a voice in the legislative process.

    “I think in the next legislative session in 2025 and 2026, we will see a different kind of ability for the citizens to impact the policies that our legislature makes. We’ll see real organizing, lobbying and campaigning around things like access to abortion, gun safety and public education,” Safar said.

    The lawsuit was filed in August, shortly after state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in, which tilted the Wisconsin Supreme Court from a conservative to a liberal majority. The race was the most expensive state Supreme Court election in American history, with Democrats spending over $50 million. In television advertisements, Protasiewicz called the maps “unfair” and “rigged” and spoke about her support of abortion rights. 

    Writing the dissent on the lawsuit, Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, a conservative, drew on Protasiewicz’s past statements. Ziegler argued that liberals were only hearing the gerrymandering case due to their current majority.

    There “appears to be evidence of a partisan and political, rather than a reasoned and restrained, approach, and thus departs from the constitutional role of the judiciary,” Ziegler wrote.

    Republicans contended that the redesigned map would lead to the creation of more Democrat-friendly districts before the 2024 election and had called for Protasiewicz to recuse herself from the case.

    Speaker Vos even threatened impeachment if Protasiewicz refused. However, the Republican leader later stated during a news conference in October that they would temporarily drop impeachment charges and appeal any decisions to the U.S. Supreme Court if the state Supreme Court ruled on Republican-drawn maps and other conservative causes.

    Now that the state Supreme Court has ruled to toss the political map, the state legislature and Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are expected to agree on a new map.

    If an agreement can’t be reached, the state’s Supreme Court will step in and consider maps based on the partisan makeup of the state, as per Justice Jill Karofsky’s opinion.

    Evers, who has largely relied on his veto abilities to block the Republicans’ agenda throughout his tenure, said in a statement: “It’s clear to me that a Republican-controlled Legislature that has consistently gerrymandered itself into comfortable, partisan majorities for more than a decade is incapable of preparing fair, nonpartisan maps deserving of the people of this state. I agree with the Court’s determination that these maps are unconstitutional because the districts lack contiguity. Wisconsin is a purple state, and I look forward to submitting maps to the Court to consider and review that reflect and represent the makeup of our state. And I remain as optimistic as ever that, at long last, the gerrymandered maps Wisconsinites have endured for years might soon be history.”

    According to Mark Gaber, senior director at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group that seeks to curb partisanship in redistricting, a new map will likely not heavily favor either Republicans or Democrats.

    “Wisconsin is a politically divided state with very close elections, with down-ballot races being even closer,” Gaber said.

    And while Democrats are celebrating the redrawing of the state’s district lines, Gaber said the ruling should be viewed as a win for both parties because the new map will be “more representative of the true electorate,” which he noted as deeply purple. 

    Allison Novelo

    Allison Novelo is a 2024 campaign reporter for CBS News.

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