Morning Headlines - Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025 | Recent News

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

Counter-Counter-Tariffs? Trump Threatens To Hit Back Against EU’s Retaliation

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to hit back against Europe’s own retaliatory move to Washington’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

As the latest tariffs went into effect Wednesday, the European Union (EU) announced it would impose counter-tariffs on 26 billion euros ($28.33 billion) worth of U.S. goods starting in April.

Trump later said on Wednesday that he would respond to the countermeasures with additional levies, telling reporters that the White House will be “doing reciprocal tariffs so whatever they charge us with, we’re charging them. Nobody can complain about that.”

Democrats Look To Save Face In Shutdown Battle

Senate Democrats say privately that they will not allow the government to shut down on Saturday, despite growing pressure from activists and liberal lawmakers who want them to kill a GOP-crafted six-month stopgap spending bill.

Senate Democratic sources say Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is giving plenty of room to centrists in his caucus to vote for the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) if doing so is the only way to avoid a government shutdown at week’s end.

EPA To Review Landmark 2009 Finding That Greenhouse Gases Are A Danger To Public Health

The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said it would "formally reconsider" a landmark 2009 finding by the agency that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health.

The announcement was one of a flurry of actions by the EPA to roll back a wide swath of environmental regulations, including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants and electric vehicles. The EPA's announcements also included narrowing the definition of waterways such as wetlands and streams that are protected under the Clean Water Act.

'Stranded' Astronauts' Return Delayed After SpaceX Launch Postponed

A Nasa-SpaceX mission that aimed to clear the way for two "stranded" astronauts to get back to earth has been postponed.

The Falcon 9 launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was put back due to a hydraulic ground issue. There is another possible launch opportunity on Thursday.

The rocket aimed to fly four new crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) and pave the way for the return of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.

Samsung Starts Android 15-Based One UI 7 Beta For Galaxy S23, Beta 1 Released!

As promised, Samsung has now opened the One UI 7 Beta Program for Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphones. The update is currently live for users in India and Korea. The company will soon expand this update to more countries.

One UI 7 Beta Program lets Galaxy users enjoy new features and enhancements ahead of the official release. Now, the Galaxy S23 series is part of this Beta Program, along with the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Flip 6, and Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series is getting the One UI 7 Beta 1 update in India and Korea with the builds given below.

5 Takeaways From The Feisty Wisconsin Supreme Court Debate

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel traded barbs and defended their track records on Wednesday night during their only debate for an open seat on the high court.

Recognized as the liberal and conservative candidates respectively, Crawford and Schimel participated in a one-hour debate moderated by WISN 12 at Marquette University Law School. The April 1 election will determine partisan control of the court.

Here are five takeaways from their feisty Wisconsin Supreme Court debate:

Wisconsin Clerk Who Failed To Count Almost 200 Ballots Is Suspended

The mayor of Wisconsin's capital city said Wednesday she has placed the municipal clerk on leave as investigators work to determine how she failed to count almost 200 absentee ballots in the November election.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said in a statement that the city has launched an investigation and that she needed to suspend City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl to maintain public confidence in the clerk’s office. The mayor added that the city will spare no expense to ensure every vote is counted heading into the swing state's spring election. The state Elections Commission also is investigating whether Witzel-Behl violated any state laws or abused her discretion.

Wisconsin Appeals Court Overturns Ruling That Allowed For Emailing Absentee Ballots To Disabled Voters

A Wisconsin appeals court ruled March 12 that disabled people are not allowed to receive absentee ballots by email, overturning a lower court’s ruling less than three weeks before the April 1 election.

The initial ruling by a Dane County Circuit Court judge allowing for the ballots to be emailed, made in June, was appealed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. The appeals court in August put the ruling on hold and no ballots were emailed ahead of the November presidential election.

After Earlier Meetings Turned Contentious, Wisconsin Republicans Switch To Virtual Town Halls

After being told to stop hosting in-person town hall events to avoid Democratic activists, some Republicans in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation have gotten the message. Instead, they’ve been hosting much less confrontational virtual town halls, with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden saying it’s because of “George Soros-funded agitators.”

Online or telephone town halls are nothing new, but they’ve gotten more attention since the head of Republicans’ national congressional campaign arm told GOP members of Congress to stop holding in-person town halls amid a backlash to federal cuts launched by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Three Thoughts On Wisconsin's Upcoming Big Ten Tournament Opponent

Wisconsin has its Big Ten Tournament matchup set after Northwestern took down Minnesota 72-64 on Wednesday afternoon.

The Badgers, who earned a bye in the tournament, were tasked with facing the winner of Northwestern and Minnesota. With the Wildcats' commanding second half finish, UW knows its next opponent heading into Thursday.

Here are a few thoughts on where Wisconsin stands in the upcoming postseason matchup.