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
Newsom’s Trump Act Wins Raves From Democrats
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has figured out the best way to get under President Trump’s skin.
Act like him.
In an effort to egg Trump on — and rally his own troops in the Democratic Party — Newsom has taken a page from Trump’s playbook, mirroring everything from the president’s rants to his social media habits.
In recent days, the California governor has touted his own “beautiful” midterm redistricting proposal and his “beautiful” rally to boot — needling Trump’s braggadocious ways.
Read MoreMenendez Brothers' Long-Awaited Parole Hearing To Begin Thursday: What You Need To Know
Lyle and Erik Menendez are heading to their long-awaited parole hearing, marking a huge step forward in their push to be released after 35 years behind bars.
Erik Menendez's parole hearing is set for Thursday and Lyle Menendez's hearing will be on Friday. After the hearings conclude, the parole board will determine whether the brothers are suitable for parole.
The final decision on parole will then go to California Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve, deny or modify the decision, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. If granted parole, they'd be eligible for release immediately after the decision is finalized, which takes about five months, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If parole is denied, the denial could be for either three, five, seven, 10 or 15 years, according to the department.
Read MoreTarget’s CEO Is Stepping Down As Customers Turn Away
Target CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down after 11 years at the retailer, as the company faces slumping sales and backlash to its retreat on DEI.
Cornell’s departure was widely expected. Some industry analysts believed Target should bring in an outside voice to lead the company, but it opted for an internal candidate: Cornell will be replaced on February 1, 2026, by Michael Fiddelke, Target’s current chief operating officer. Fiddelke started as an intern at Target and has been at the company for 20 years.
Read MoreMicrosoft And NFL Announce Multiyear Partnership To Use Ai To Enhance Game Day Analysis
Microsoft and the NFL announced a multiyear extension of their partnership to bring real-time game data and analysis to the sidelines using Microsoft Copilot and Azure AI.
The partnership will upgrade the NFL’s sideline viewing system by equipping 32 teams with more than 2,500 custom-built Microsoft Surface Copilot tablets
Football club staff will soon be able to use artificial intelligence agents for player scouting and salary cap management, Microsoft said.
Read MoreIsraeli Military Will Call Up 50,000 Reservists As It Plans New Phase Of War In Gaza
An Israeli military official said on Wednesday that the country's top generals had approved plans to call up tens of thousands of reservists in order to begin a new phase of operations in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, the official said that the military will be operating in parts of Gaza City where the Israeli military has not yet operated and where Hamas is still active.
Read MoreWisconsin Headlines
WEC Schedules Hearing On Proposed Rules For Ballot Access Challenges, Candidate Declarations
The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) has scheduled a public hearing and comment period on proposed administrative rules related to nomination paper challenges and declaration of candidacy.
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 1 p.m., and will be held virtually via zoom.
The proposed rules (EL 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, and 2.08) would revise current processes for nomination paper challenges and establish a similar process for challenges to declarations of candidacy.
Anyone can provide testimony on the proposed rule text either virtually or by submitting written comments to the WEC.
Read MoreRep. Tiffany Calls On DOJ To Secure Reimbursement For The Town Of Lac Du Flambeau
Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice to ensure the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians reimburses the town of Lac du Flambeau for their “illegal shakedown.”
Tiffany states in the letter, "Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Conley ruled that the homeowners have a right to access these roads, which were listed on the National Tribal Transportation Inventory list at the time the illegal barricades went up. President Biden’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) subsequently removed the roads from the inventory in March 2023, an action that Judge Conley ruled was also a violation of the law.”
Read MoreRep. Van Orden Helps Save 11-Year-Old After Crash In Iowa Saturday
Representative Derrick Van Orden was involved in the rescue of an 11-year-old boy over the weekend.
Rep. Van Orden said he and his wife were driving on Interstate 35 near Osceola, Iowa on Saturday, August 16 when he observed a minivan crash into a semi-truck on the side of the road. He described the crash as horrific and gruesome.
"My wife asked me what that was and I looked at her and said, 'someone just died.' That's how violent that crash was," Rep. Van Orden said.
Read MoreIndustrial Ratepayer Advocate Says Rates Are Rising For American Transmission Company
An advocate for industrial ratepayers said American Transmission Company’s rates that cover the cost of building and maintaining transmission lines are rising faster than inflation.
The review commissioned by the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group comes as Republican lawmakers have put forth legislation that would give incumbent transmission utilities first crack at building transmission projects. The Midwest grid operator has approved building almost $22 billion in new transmission lines, including two major projects in Wisconsin.
The trade group represents 25 of the state’s largest energy customers. Todd Stuart, the group’s executive director, said data shows the Pewaukee-based company’s transmission rates have outpaced inflation and increased by 43 percent since 2019.
Read MoreEvers Seeking To Implement Wolf Management Plan In Rules Push
The Department of Natural Resources’ hotly debated wolf management plan is one of the 27 proposed rules Gov. Tony Evers’ administration is pushing to implement without going through JCRAR.
The wolf management plan, approved by the Natural Resources Board in 2023, lays out guidelines for regulating the wolf population in Wisconsin, including how a wolf hunt would be conducted if gray wolves are removed from the endangered species list.
Republicans in the Legislature have criticized it for failing to include a numeric statewide population goal. Last session, Evers vetoed a GOP bill that would have required a statewide population goal, arguing the approach “does not consider the social, scientific, biological and legal complexities of a recovered wolf population.”
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Last Update: Aug 20, 2025 8:51 am CDT
