Morning Headlines - Friday, Jul. 3, 2026

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

Trump Says ‘Nothing Illegal’ About Massive Crypto Profits

President Trump denied Thursday there was anything illegal in the massive profits from cryptocurrency seen in his financial disclosure forms released this week. 

“I could know about it. I didn’t. There’s nothing illegal. There’s nothing wrong with it I could know,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.

The president’s personal financial disclosures released Tuesday showed he raked in more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture he co-founded with his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

Olympian David Hearn Charged With Destruction Of Property At Reflecting Pool

Olympian David Hearn has been indicted by a D.C. grand jury on a felony charge related to alleged vandalism at the Washington, D.C., Reflecting Pool, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Thursday.

Hearn, 67, is accused of ripping out a piece of sealant on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool on June 19, Pirro said. Pirro said National Park Service employees observed him removing the bottom liner of the pool.

Gold Prices Set For First Weekly Rise In A Month As Investors Scale Back Fed Rate Hike Bets

Spot gold rose on Friday, putting it on course for its first weekly gain since late May.

It came as investors scaled back their bets on the Federal Reserve hiking rates in September.

A firmer dollar and a hawkish turn among central banks has weighed on gold prices this year.

NBC's NFL Negotiations Are About To Get Much More Difficult Post-Spin

Should Comcast actually go forward with its planned spin of NBCUniversal in about a year’s time, as it announced on Monday, retaining NFL rights is about to become much more difficult for NBC.

As has been discussed at length on this website, the NFL is looking to renegotiate new deals with its current broadcast partners prior to its opt-out options at the end of the decade, which would allow the league to take its game inventory to the open market. The league aims to secure billions of dollars more per year in rights fees from its incumbent broadcasters and, in exchange, plans to remove opt-out clauses present in the current deals and allow broadcasters, at the higher rates, to retain their packages through the formal expiration of the contracts after the 2033-34 season.

How Did 16 Hidden Ohio Kids Go Undetected For Years? Experts Weigh In

Four adults face felony child endangerment charges after 16 kids were found living in squalid conditions inside a home in Hamden, Ohio.

Law enforcement arrested Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders, identified as the children’s parents and grandparents.

The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, spent most of their time in a 12-by-12-foot room contaminated with human waste, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson told NewsNation local affiliate WCMH. Wilson described the children as almost feral.

Wisconsin Headlines

WEC Staff: Green Bay Clerk Likely Violated Law By Sending Duplicate Absentee Ballots

Wisconsin's Billion-dollar Lead Pipe Replacement Effort

Wisconsin is receiving another infusion of federal money to tackle its lead pipe problem, but some prominent Democrats have argued that the proposed federal budget will not provide enough funding for clean water initiatives and lead pipe replacement. While nearly everyone agrees that lead in drinking water is bad, where the money should come from to replace those pipes is another question entirely.

Six Charged In Homeland Security Task Force Drug Trafficking Case

Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that six people have been charged with drug trafficking in the Madison, Wisconsin area. All the defendants have now made their initial appearances in federal court.\

Christain Garrett, 26, Jerden Montgomery, 55, Edward McClain, 56, and Antanisha Branch, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, and Tevin Newell, 27, and Cierra McGary, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, are charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, methamphetamine, and fentanyl between March 3, 2025, and January 27, 2026.

Wisconsin DNR, Law Enforcement Team Up For ‘Operation Dry Water’ Ahead Of Holiday Weekend

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and law enforcement agencies are teaming up this holiday weekend on a nationwide campaign to prevent impaired boating on waterways.

The campaign, called “Operation Dry Water,” encourages everyone on a boat — not only the driver — to remain sober.

Wisconsin Wasn’t A State In 1776. What Did Life Look Like Here 250 Years Ago?

Tomorrow’s Fourth of July marks the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Wisconsin wouldn’t join the nation until 1848, more than 70 years after its founding. But, the many tribal nations who called this region home were closely tied to European settlers by 1776 and became part of the history of the American Revolution.

University of Wisconsin-Madison history professor John Hall joined WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” to talk about that history and life in the region 250 years ago.