Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Feb. 19, 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

Judge Won't Block Musk And DOGE From Accessing Data, Making Cuts At 7 Agencies

A federal judge on Tuesday declined to stop Elon Musk and the White House's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, from accessing data systems at seven federal agencies and firing or putting their employees on leave.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected a request for a temporary restraining order sought by 14 Democrat-led states as they pursue a challenge to Musk's actions. The states have argued that Musk, who the White House said is categorized as a special government employee, has unchecked authority and is violating the Constitution's Appointments Clause.

Trump’s Whirlwind First Month Leaves Heads Spinning

President Trump has done more to disrupt Washington norms in one month than what he touted on the campaign trail with a flood of executive orders and mass firings across the government taking his top priorities.

Trump moved at lightning speed when he came into power on Jan. 20, signing dozens of executive orders aimed at cracking down on immigration, leaning into culture wars, and freezing federal and foreign funding that upended programs and U.S. agencies worldwide.

False Killer Whales Stranded In Australia Are Expected To Be Euthanized After Unsuccessful Rescue Mission

More than 150 false killer whales have washed up on the coast of the Australian island state of Tasmania, with none of them expected to survive, officials said Wednesday.

The 157 whales were found Tuesday afternoon on a remote beach near Arthur River on Tasmania’s northwest coast. By Wednesday afternoon, only 90 appeared to still be alive, The Associated Press reported, citing the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.

Chance Of Asteroid Striking Earth In The Next Decade Rises To 3.1%, NASA Says

The chances of an asteroid striking Earth within the next decade has more than doubled in a matter of weeks, according to NASA astronomers.

The asteroid, discovered just after Christmas and named 2024 YR4, could strike the planet in December of 2032, according to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies.

When the detection of the asteroid was announced last month, NASA predicted just a 1.3% probability of it hitting Earth. The likelihood has increased to 3.1%.

KFC Moves U.S. headquarters From Kentucky To Texas

KFC is leaving Kentucky. The fried chicken chain’s U.S. headquarters will move from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, Texas, owner Yum Brands said Tuesday. About 100 KFC U.S. employees will be required to relocate over the next six months.

The relocation is part of Yum’s broader plan to have two corporate headquarters: one in Plano, the other in Irvine, California. KFC and Pizza Hut’s global teams are already based in Plano, while Taco Bell and the Habit Burger & Grill’s teams are located in Irvine.

Wisconsin Headlines

Dr. Jill Underly And Brittany Kinser Advance In The 2025 Spring Primary Election For Wisconsin's Schools Superintendent

Wisconsin’s Democratic-backed incumbent state schools leader will face a Republican-supported challenger after both advanced in the three-person primary on Feb. 18.

The winner in the April 1 general election will guide education policy in the battleground state during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Jill Underly, currently serving her first term as state superintendent, and Brittany Kinser, a private school advocate, both advanced in the Feb. 18 primary. Jeff Wright, a rural school superintendent, was eliminated.

Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Calls For Tax Cuts, Pushback On Trump's Tariffs

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday decried what he called “irresponsible decisions in Washington" and “needless chaos,” saying his new two-year spending proposal was designed to prepare for drastic cuts from the federal government.

Evers released his budget as he considers seeking a third term in the battleground state that President Donald Trump narrowly won in November.

Wisconsin Republicans Propose $10K Income Tax Break For Hurricane And Wildfire Relocations

People who lost their homes to Hurricane Helene or California wildfires could get a sizeable tax break to move to Wisconsin.

Republican legislators in the Dairy State have proposed a bill that would give anyone who moves to Wisconsin from North Carolina or Los Angeles County because they were displaced by one of the disasters a $10,000 income tax credit for the 2025 tax year. People who have been convicted of felonies wouldn’t be eligible.

Evers Budget Calls For Schools Funding Boost And Tax Cuts, Tax Hikes For Wealthy, Manufacturers

Gov. Tony Evers Tuesday night called for boosting funding to Wisconsin schools by $3.4 billion, creating a new program to audit health insurance companies that deny too many claims and passing a series of tax cuts.

The tax cut package totals $2 billion in relief via cutting local property taxes, eliminating the income tax on tips, and exempting products such as diapers and utilities from Wisconsin’s sales tax.

And he called for a new individual tax rate that would hit millionaires. He again called for a cap on a tax break for manufacturers. The moves would generate more than $2 billion in new revenue for the state.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging The 2022 Use Of A Mobile Voting Van In Racine

A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Feb. 18 that a Republican Party official lacked the standing to bring a lawsuit challenging the use of a mobile voting van in 2022.

The lawsuit sought to ban the use of mobile voting vans in any future election in the presidential battleground state. The court did not address the legality of mobile voting sites in its ruling, meaning mobile voting vans could be used in future elections.