Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Mar. 4, 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

Trump Administration Pauses U.S. Military Aid To Ukraine

The Trump administration has paused U.S. military aid to Ukraine, the White House confirmed Monday. It's the latest fallout days after a contentious meeting between President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House erupted into an open dispute in front of TV cameras.

"The president has been clear that he is focused on peace," a White House official told CBS News. "We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution."

Trade Tensions Heat Up As China And Canada Retaliate Against U.S. Tariffs

China and Canada moved swiftly on Tuesday to retaliate against newly imposed U.S. tariffs, announcing their own levies on U.S. goods that could further disrupt the United States’ trade with its top three trading partners.

A 25% U.S. tariff on almost all goods imported from Canada and Mexico took effect Tuesday just after midnight, along with an additional 10% tariff on goods from China. The three countries together accounted for more than 40% of total U.S. imports last year and are also the top three U.S. export markets.

CDC Says It Is Monitoring Unknown Disease In Congo

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring an unknown disease that has killed dozens in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the agency said in a statement on Monday.

"CDC is monitoring the situation closely and engaging with DRC officials on what support the agency can offer," the agency's spokesperson said.

At least 1,096 people have been sickened and 60 people have died from the disease, the World Health Organization said Thursday in its most recent update.

Mexico Faces Off With U.S. Gunmakers At The Supreme Court

President Trump says that Mexicans are invading the United States, but at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, Mexico is arguing that American gun manufacturers are aiding and abetting an illegal invasion of guns from the United States into Mexico.

Mexico is suing Smith & Wesson and other gunmakers for damages, claiming that they are turning a blind eye to hundreds of thousands of high powered weapons made in the U.S that are illegally trafficked into in the hands of Mexican cartels.

5 Things To Watch As Trump Delivers Joint Address To Congress

President Trump will head to the Capitol on Tuesday for the first joint address of his second term emboldened by a month of mass federal agency slashing, shocking foreign policy moves and a dizzying array of executive actions that have disrupted Washington and beyond.

Trump will show off such prowess before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber, where his Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, House and Senate lawmakers, and perhaps the controversial Elon Musk prepare to be his live audience.

The president is expected to tout his sweeping efforts to reshape the government, crack down on immigration and reorient U.S. foreign policy on the heels of an Oval Office spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Here are five things to watch for in his prime-time speech.

Amber Alert Still In Effect For Missing Beaver Dam Teen

An Amber Alert for a missing pregnant Beaver Dam teen has now been in effect for a month.

Authorities are still searching for Sophia Franklin. At the time the 16-year-old went missing, Franklin was three months pregnant. She is described as being 5-feet-9-inches tall and weighing 186 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes.

Evers And Republican Lawmakers Wrestle Over PFAS Cleanup And Liability Proposals

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers continue to dig in their heels during a years-long tug-of-war over how regulators should hold property owners liable for contamination caused by “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.

They are pushing competing proposals to protect so-called innocent landowners — those who didn’t knowingly cause their PFAS pollution — from liability under Wisconsin’s decades-old environmental cleanup law.

Evers Highlights Health Care Budget Proposals During Janesville Roundtable

Gov. Tony Evers held a roundtable in Janesville Monday to highlight a number of health care proposals he's making as part of his 2025-2027 budget.

Evers says he wants to make health care more affordable for Wisconsinites by auditing insurance companies that deny claims too often, crack down on prescription price gouging and reduce appointment wait times.

For any of that to happen, Evers will need support from Republicans in the Assembly and State Senate, which could be a tall order. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has already said he opposes large swaths of the governor's budget proposal.

DOGE Terminates Leases For Federal Offices In Wisconsin

The Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk is terminating leases for at least 16 federal offices in Wisconsin, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Ashland.

The locations are included on a list of terminated lease contracts published on DOGE’s website. WPR cross-referenced the list with an inventory of leases from the General Services Administration.

The cancellations appear to affect locations listed for the Small Business Administration and Food and Drug Administration in Madison and Milwaukee. They also appear to affect a Defense Contract Management Agency office in Milwaukee and the Federal Highway Administration office in Madison.

WMC Sues Wisconsin DNR Over Lawn Mower Emissions

Wisconsin’s largest business group is going to court to challenge the DNR’s ability to regulate some emissions in the state.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce on Friday filed a lawsuit against the Department of Natural Resources, alleging the DNR has wildly overstepped its bounds with emission regulations on things like lawn mowers and snow blowers that are built in Wisconsin.