Morning Headlines - Friday, Feb. 14, 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

Judge Orders Temporary Restoration Of Foreign Assistance Program Funding

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate funding for foreign aid contracts and other awards while litigation moves forward, delivering yet another setback for the president as he seeks to make sweeping changes to the federal government.

14 States File A Lawsuit Arguing Elon Musk's Authority At DOGE Is Unconstitutional

The suit, filed by Democratic attorneys general from states like Arizona, Michigan and Rhode Island, takes aim at the magnitude and scale of Musk’s power, noting that DOGE has led the Trump administration’s efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce, dismantle entire agencies and access sensitive data.

OPM Directs Agencies To Fire Government Workers Still On Probation

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials met with agency leaders across government Thursday and directed them to begin firing employees still in their probationary period a year or more after being hired.

U.S. And India To Double Bilateral Trade In Five Years, Prime Minister Modi Says, As Trump Tariffs Loom

New Delhi and Washington will work to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. Speaking at the conclusion of the two leaders’ meeting in Washington, Modi also said that “Our teams will work on concluding very soon, a mutually beneficial trade agreement.”

2nd Bird Flu Virus Detected In Western US. What Does This Mean For Prevention?

Bird flu is continuing to spread across the U.S., and experts say they are "concerned" as public health officials attempt to control the virus.

Milwaukee Schools Audit Identifies Planning And Operational Issues, Calls For More Transparent Practices

The Milwaukee public school district struggles with a “culture resistant to change” that has undermined its ability to function properly, disproportionately harming its most vulnerable students, an audit ordered by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers released on Feb. 13 found.

Wisconsin’s Largest Teachers Union Confident In Act-10 Challenge

Wisconsin’s largest teachers union is not worried about having to wait to get its latest challenge to Act-10 before the Wisconsin's Supreme Court. The high court on Wednesday declined to hear a direct challenge to Act-10, and instead ordered that a lower court hear the case first.

Attorney General Kaul And 13 Attorneys General Release Statement On Preliminary Injunction Issued In Birthright Citizenship Case

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a coalition of 13 attorneys general in releasing the following statement in response to a preliminary injunction being granted by a federal judge against President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order terminating birthright citizenship.

2 GOP State Lawmakers Pushing To Advance Nuclear Energy In Wisconsin

Two Republicans who chair state legislative committees on energy and utilities say they want to bring more nuclear power online in Wisconsin in the coming years. To start that effort, they introduced a resolution calling on the Legislature to publicly support nuclear power and fusion energy.

Dozens Of Wisconsin Schools Again Turn To Referendums For Help Financing Operations And Building Projects

Once again, school districts statewide will go to referendum in droves this spring, seeking additional money from voters to help pay for daily operating costs and building projects to improve district facilities. Statewide, 86 districts will put 94 referendum questions to voters. A few are scheduled for the Feb. 18 primary, but voters will see the majority on the April 1 general election ballot.