Morning Headlines - Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025

Start your day informed with today’s must-read headlines from around Wisconsin and the world. And don’t forget to check out our Meme of the Day at the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Over 6,000 Irs Employees Expected To Be Terminated By End Of Week

Over 6,000 Internal Revenue Service employees are expected to be terminated by the end of this week, according to a source familiar with the agency's plans. More than half of these employees — over 3,500 — are expected to be from just one division at the IRS, according to text of an email obtained by CBS News and shared by an IRS employee.

The email was sent to managers of the IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division Wednesday, and it says that the affected SBSE employees will be notified Thursday by the IRS Human Capital Office.

Trump Floats Giving 20% Of DOGE Savings To American Citizens

President Donald Trump floated the idea Wednesday of returning some of the savings recouped by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to U.S. citizens, with an equal amount going to pay down the federal debt.

"There's even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens, and 20% goes to paying down debt, because the numbers are incredible," Trump said.

Ex-Presidents’ Silence On Trump Dismays Some Democrats

Former Presidents Clinton, Obama, Biden and George W. Bush have barely uttered a word about President Trump’s actions a month into his second term, to the dismay of Democratic critics who say their voices are badly needed.

Those calling out for the ex-presidents to speak say Trump’s actions and the potential for him to bypass court orders should be red flags to the former occupants of the Oval Office.

Moscow Loathed The U.s. For Years As Its Economy Paid A High Price For War — Now, It’s Doing A U-Turn

Since invading Ukraine three years ago, Russia has spent a significant proportion of its time pitching the U.S. as its arch enemy.

Moscow has denigrated the U.S.′ leadership, economy and culture — and what it saw as its “hegemony” in the global world order — but now things are changing.

Russian officials and state media have performed a U-turn when it comes to their position on Washington, with coverage and comments turning positive.

5 Years Later: America Looks Back At The Impact Of COVID-19

The most significant pandemic of our lifetime arrived as the United States was experiencing three major societal trends: a growing divide between partisans of the left and right, decreasing trust in many institutions, and a massive splintering of the information environment.

COVID-19 did not cause any of this, but these forces fueled the country’s divided response. Looking back, nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (72%) say the pandemic did more to drive the country apart than to bring it together.

Fundamental differences arose between Americans over what we expect from our government, how much tolerance we have for health risks, and which groups and sectors to prioritize in a pandemic. Many of these divides continue to play out in the nation’s politics today.

Wisconsin Headlines

State Assembly Passes Republican-Backed Bill To Change Educational Assessment Program

The state Assembly passed a bill that would change Wisconsin's educational assessment program and accountability.

The Republican-backed bill would tie the state to the National Assessment of Education Progress, otherwise known as the Nation's Report Card, and require the Department of Public Instruction to use the same scores for report cards published back in the 2019-2020 school year.

According to the 2024 results of the Nation's Report Card, only 31% of Wisconsin students can read at proficient level. Republicans in the Assembly say that number is concerning and a wake-up call.

Minocqua Brewing Company Owner Courts Controversy, Donations Around Rare Criminal Defamation Charge. It’s Part Of A Yearslong Pattern

In the Facebook post, the female editor of a Northwoods newspaper stands over the paper’s publisher. She is wearing the latex and rubber gear of a dominatrix and holding a riding crop. The publisher is telling her “whip me harder.”

The image is a Photoshop creation, with cartoon-style speech bubbles, and the post explicitly states that it is a parody. Still, it had a heavy impact on the editor, Heather Holmes of Minocqua’s Lakeland Times. She told police she “gasped” when she saw the post. She felt degraded by the image and afraid it would make her a target of attacks online or even in person. She had been sleeping with a knife near her bed, according to court documents.

The image was posted in August by Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company and the affiliated Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, which advocates for liberal causes.

Wausau Man Sentenced To 8 Years For Methamphetamine Trafficking

Bee Her, 45, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 8 years in federal prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Her pleaded guilty to this charge on November 26, 2024.

In 2023, investigators with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force identified Bee Her as a multi-pound methamphetamine dealer operating out of Wausau. On October 13, 2023, a confidential informant purchased one pound of methamphetamine from Her at Her’s residence. On October 23, 2023, a confidential informant received two ounces of methamphetamine from Her at Her’s residence.

DNR Seeking Public Comment For Environmental Review Of Chetek Safe Drinking Water Loan Program Project

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the city of Chetek is an applicant for funding through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program to improve its public drinking water system.

The project includes relocation of a water main to Kleve Street in the city of Chetek.

Activities related to this project are minor actions under Chapter NR 150, Wis. Admin. Code, for which no environmental analysis is required; however, following the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program federal requirement 40 C.F.R. §35.3580, an environmental review must be conducted before funding this project.

Franklin Family Looks For Answers After Daughter’s Disappearance

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for the Franklin family as the search for missing pregnant 16-year-old Sophia Franklin continues with no answers as to where she may be.

For the first time on Wednesday, Action 2 News is hearing from Sophia’s mother as the search for her daughter surpasses two weeks.

Sophia is said to be right now traveling with 40-year-old Gary Day of Arkansas, the father of her unborn child.