Morning Headlines - Friday, Jan. 31, 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

DC Plane Crash Victims: What We Know About Those Aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, Army Black Hawk

Dozens of people are dead after a regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night over Washington, D.C., officials said, the nation's first major commercial airline crash since 2009.

The aircraft went down in the frigid Potomac River, breaking into multiple pieces. The flight -- which had departed from Wichita, Kansas -- was approaching Reagan National Airport at the time of the collision, officials said.

There were no survivors in the crash, officials said Thursday.

Trump Warns Canada, Mexico Tariffs Are Coming On Saturday

President Trump on Thursday said he plans to follow through on Saturday on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.

“We’ll be announcing the tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a number of reasons,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He cited the influx of migrants at the southern border, the flow of fentanyl into the United States and the trade deficit the U.S. has with its neighbors.

“I’ll be putting the tariff of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico, and we will really have to do that because we have very big deficits with those countries,” he said. “Those tariffs may or may not rise with time.”

Implemented Or Not, Trump’s 25% Tariff Threat Is Challenging The Auto Industry

As President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico as soon as Saturday looms, the global automotive industry is collectively holding its breath.

Regardless of whether Trump implements the duties, automakers such as General Motors — the country’s top-selling automaker — want clarity so they can act accordingly.

On a sales basis, German automaker Volkswagen is the most exposed to tariff risk, followed by Nissan Motor and Stellantis, S&P Mobility reports.

"The Sopranos" Made It Famous. Now, The Star-Ledger Is Stopping Print Editions

Two longstanding New York City area newspapers, including one immortalized in "The Sopranos," are vanishing from newsstands, leaving Jersey City without printed news as media struggle against nationwide headwinds.

Across the river from New York, the fate of New Jersey's Star-Ledger -- read by fictional mob boss Tony Soprano -- and The Jersey Journal is leaving locals without a physical paper and some journalists, paperboys and printers without jobs.

The Star-Ledger is going online-only and The Jersey Journal is closing up shop altogether, reports NJ.com, which posts content from both, among other outlets. NJ Advance Media owns The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger and N.J.com.

Ravens' Justin Tucker Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By 6 Massage Therapists

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior at four Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers, according to the Baltimore Banner.

Six massage therapists accuse Tucker of "exposing his genitals, brushing two of them with his exposed penis, and leaving what they believed to be ejaculate on the massage table after three of his treatments."

Some of the therapists allegedly ended sessions early and refused to deal with Tucker again following their encounters, which occurred between 2012 and 2016.

Wisconsin Headlines

Hagedorn Steps Aside In The Act 10 Case The Wisconsin Supreme Court Could Hear

A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice said Jan. 30 that he will not participate in a pending case that will determine whether tens of thousands of public sector workers regain collective bargaining rights that were taken away by a 2011 law.

Justice Brian Hagedorn drafted the law, known as Act 10, when he was chief legal counsel for then-Gov. Scott Walker. His decision to recuse himself from the case leaves the court with four liberal justices and two conservatives.

The Federal Funding Freeze Sparked Anxiety In Wisconsin. Some Groups Are Still On Edge

Days after a White House announcement that a wide range of federal funds would be frozen across the country, Wisconsin nonprofits and agencies that rely on those dollars say they still don’t know where things stand.

With conflicting information coming out of Washington and federal courts getting involved, Wisconsin nonprofits spent days in the dark about whether they’ll be able to pay employees and vendors, or even keep their doors open.

An initial memo pausing all funding was rescinded, but underlying executive orders from President Donald Trump ending funding for certain types of programs are still in effect — with little clarity for individual programs awaiting routine payments or seeking to stay in compliance with rapidly changing federal guidelines.

Brittany Kinser: State Superintendent’s Race Should Be About Reading, Not Politics

Brittany Kinser is not a Republican. She’s said that she is a Blue Dog Democrat, but she also said that she’s running for Wisconsin State Superintendent to figure out a way to dramatically improve Wisconsin's reading score.

Kinser spoke on News Talk 1130 WISN Thursday morning.

“I know I’m on the record for calling myself a Blue Dog Democrat. That was when I thought I wasn’t running,” Kinser said. “I am able to work across the aisle. And I’ve done this. During my work here in Wisconsin I’ve been able to work with the Republicans, and the Democrats, and the governor’s office. And then here in Milwaukee I’ve been able to work with the Democrats and the Republicans, because it was all for kids.”

Criminal Complaint Alleges $600K Embezzlement By Former Goodman Community Center Finance Leader

A criminal complaint filed in Dane County Court Wednesday detailed alleged embezzlement by a former vice president at the Goodman Community Center in Madison.

The complaint claims Dewayne Powell, 42, spent just over $600,000 of the center’s money on foreign currency transitions, gambling at Ho-Chunk casinos in Madison and Baraboo and on various other unauthorized personal expenses. He faces two counts of uttering a forgery and seven more of theft. All are felonies.

DMV Releases New Wisconsin County Forests Association Special License Plate

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) now offers a new specialty license plate from the Wisconsin County Forests Association.

The Wisconsin County Forests Association is a non-profit organization that works to educate and sustain more than 2.4 million acres of healthy and productive forests for recreation and to provide materials to the state’s forest product’s industry. To receive this special plate, Wisconsinites will need to commit to a $25 annual donation which will be used to help advocate for and promote sustainable forest management in the State of Wisconsin.