Morning Headlines - Friday, Dec. 12, 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

Supreme Court Confronts Gun Rights Pileup

An unusually large pileup of Second Amendment challenges has landed at the Supreme Court, which will consider taking up the cases behind closed doors Friday.

It would add to what is already a major term for gun rights. The justices previously agreed to hear two cases early next year that involve whether unlawful drug users can carry firearms and Hawaii’s gun permitting regime.

As those cases move ahead, the new petitions present additional opportunities for the conservative majority to make clear the bounds of their recent gun rights expansion.

Trump Signs Executive Order For Single National AI Regulation Standard, Limiting Power Of States

President Donald Trump signed an executive order issuing a single regulation framework for artificial intelligence.

Alongside the president for signing were David Sacks, the White House AI and crypto czar, and fellow tech investor and podcaster Chamath Palihapitiya.

The move marks a win for tech companies that have lobbied to limit the power of states when it comes to regulating AI.

The State Department Reinstates An Old Font, In A Typeface About-Face

The State Department has reversed a Biden-era font change that aimed to make its paperwork more accessible to readers with disabilities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed diplomats around the world to switch from Calibri to Times New Roman 14-point font in all official documents, starting on Wednesday, the State Department said in a statement to NPR. The difference between the two fonts comes down to a few finishing strokes.

US Countering Military Tech Threats From Russia And China With AI

NewsNation got an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the latest AI training occurring at the Army’s Fort Carson base in Colorado.

Named Ivy Sting 3, it is the latest round of Army training with artificial intelligence, giving commanders more flexibility to hit enemy targets faster, making the Army even more lethal.

The nature of future warfare means there is an increasing reliance on AI, and battle testing is well underway. Old school protractors, rulers and maps are behind the new technology platform soldiers are testing now.

What Is A Hostile Takeover? What To Know About Paramount's Bid To Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount in recent days launched a hostile takeover bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, just days after Netflix struck a deal to purchase a large part of the media giant.

The rival, multi-billion-dollar efforts to acquire streaming platform HBO Max and movie studio Warner Bros., among other assets, could upend the media industry and shape content viewed by hundreds of millions of people.

Netflix counted 301 million global subscribers as of late 2024, the most recent date for which data is available, an earnings report showed.

What To Know As The Trial Of Judge Hannah Dugan Begins

Defense attorneys and prosecutors on Dec. 8 started picking the jurors who will decide whether a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal officers committed a crime.

Federal prosecutors charged Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in the spring of 2025 with obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest. They allege she showed 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz out of her courtroom through a back door when she learned federal authorities were in the courthouse looking to arrest him.

As US Senate Votes Down ACA Subsidy Extension, Baldwin Says Premiums Will Skyrocket

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said extending federal tax credits used to lower the cost of marketplace health insurance plans is the “only workable solution” to keep premiums affordable for Wisconsinites.

The U.S. Senate voted down two competing health care bills Thursday as current subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of the month.

The bill favored by Baldwin and fellow Democrats would have extended the tax credits for three years. Speaking to WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” on Thursday before the vote, Baldwin said continuing the subsidies in the short term would keep insurance costs from skyrocketing next year while leaving the door open for Congress to address problems in the health care system.

Joel Brennan, Former Top Evers Aide, Joins Crowded 2026 Wisconsin Governor Race

Joel Brennan, a former top official in Gov. Tony Evers’ administration, announced Thursday that he is running to succeed the two-term Democrat, joining a crowded primary field for the 2026 election.

Brennan, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, told The Associated Press that he would be a governor who both fights President Donald Trump’s “chaos and dysfunction” and works across the aisle with Republicans in the state.

“You don’t grow up in a family of 11 kids without learning how to fight,” Brennan, the 10th of those 11 children, said in an interview. “But there’s a difference between just fighting and getting something done.”

How States Other Than Wisconsin Select Their Supreme Court Justices

Wisconsin is one of the only places on Earth that thrusts top judges into big-time politics.

Its Supreme Court candidates compete in officially nonpartisan statewide elections that have grown increasingly polarized and expensive, with campaigns now costing far more than those in any other state. The $144.5 million high court contest in the spring of 2025 marked the first time that campaign spending approached that of recent races for governor and U.S. senator.

WisDOT’s Non-Driver Advisory Committee Considers Impacts Of Automated Vehicles

Stakeholders and transportation partners met with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Thursday to continue discussions about emerging vehicle technologies. The Wisconsin Non-Driver Advisory Committee (WiNDAC)’s December meeting focused on the use of automated vehicles (AVs) for those who don’t drive in Wisconsin.

With feedback from transportation partners, WisDOT is currently developing a Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) stakeholders resource guide that will help communities consider what’s needed to implement CAV technology, including potential infrastructure upgrades, the impact on commercial transportation, and anticipated costs.