Morning Headlines - Friday, July 11, 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

State Department To Start Layoffs In Coming Days, Cutting U.S. Staff By 15%

The State Department will begin layoffs as early as Friday as it seeks to cut the size of its U.S. workforce by about 15%, CBS News has learned — part of the Trump administration's sweeping plan to reorganize the department.

The cuts will include layoffs, or reductions-in-force (RIF), as well as voluntary departures by State Department staffers who took part in the Trump administration's buyout programs, two senior State Department officials said Thursday. The department is also closing or merging scores of U.S.-based offices and rearranging its organizational chart shortly after.

Iran Could Recover Some Enriched Uranium After US Strikes, Israeli Official Says

Israel believes that Iran could potentially retrieve enriched uranium buried beneath one of the three facilities struck by US forces last month, according to a senior Israeli official.

Speaking to US reporters, the official said that reaching the enriched uranium at Isfahan would be extremely difficult and any attempt would prompt renewed Israeli strikes.

Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that US air and missile strikes on Iran in June "obliterated" the country's nuclear facilities, even as some US intelligence agencies have taken a more cautious view.

Trump’s 200% Tariff Threat Leaves Pharma Firms Scrambling With Scenario Planning

The pharmaceutical industry is scrambling with scenario planning as U.S. President Donald Trump’s 200% tariff proposal threatens to drive up drug prices and rip out corporate profit margins.

The president once again warned that long-awaited industry-wide tariffs would be announced “very soon” after the administration launched a so-called 232 investigation into the sector in April.

Trump suggested that those levies would not go into effect immediately, but get a grace period of “about a year, year and a half to come in.”

New Poll Delivers Troubling Signs For Democrats

The Democratic Party’s credibility with voters has plummeted even further since the 2024 election, raising alarm bells as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election, according to a new poll obtained by The Hill.

The poll, which was conducted between May and June by Unite the Country, a Democratic super PAC, showed voters perceived the Democratic Party as “out of touch,” “woke” and “weak.”

Ferrero To Buy Froot Loops Maker WK Kellogg In $3.1 Billion Deal

Froot Loops cereal is getting an Italian twist.

Ferrero, the European confectionery giant behind Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, is set to acquire WK Kellogg Co., the maker of Froot Loops and other classic American cereals, in a $3.1 billion deal.

Under the agreement, Ferrero will purchase all outstanding shares of WK Kellogg Co for $23 per share in cash, the release said. Once finalized, WK Kellogg Co will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrero and will no longer be publicly traded.

Wisconsin Headlines

Former Wisconsin Police Chief Allegedly Tried To Help A Dealer Illegally Import Armor Piercing Rounds Into US

A former Walworth County police chief allegedly tried to help an ammunition and firearms dealer import illegal armor-piercing rounds into the U.S. in return for money for squad cars and supplies for his police department.

Former town of Linn Police Chief James Bushey is named in a federal plea agreement filed July 2 in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin. The plea agreement alleges that Darin Dowd, the operator of California-based United Forces Enterprises, enlisted Bushey’s help to get “armor piercing incendiary” from Bosnia into the United States by falsely stating on an application that the rounds were for the small police department.

Bushey has not been criminally charged. But his involvement in the purchase scheme is outlined in Dowd’s plea agreement and in warrant documents associated with the case.

Family Of Couple Found Dead In Town Of Middleton Home Releases Statement

The family of the couple found dead in their Town of Middleton home on Tuesday has released a statement about the tragedy.

The Dane County Medical Examiner said they were David and Teresa "Teri" Pabst, both 64 years old.

Authorities believe they were shot by their 25-year-old son, James Pabst. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound that same day, in his vehicle in Vernon County.

Students React To University Of Wisconsin–Madison Dissolving DEI Division

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is dissolving its Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement (DDEEA) as part of a broader institutional reorganization, university officials announced this week.

The move, university leadership said, is aimed at streamlining student support services, but some students and community members fear it may unravel years of work toward campus inclusion.

WILL’s Esenberg: Liberals Will Regret Empowering Governor

There is a warning about the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s recent moves to reshuffle the balance of power at the Capitol in Madison.

Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty founder Rick Esenberg said the liberal majority on the court will regret handing the governor so much power.

“We’ve fundamentally changed the balance of power in our government, and not for the better,” Esenberg told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber Wednesday.

Esenberg said the Wisconsin court’s decision to allow state agencies to craft rules, and then enforce those rules without legislative oversight leaves the state with an “unconstitutional system.”

More Wisconsin Residents Dying From Alcohol-related Liver Failure, According To New Research

New research has found that deaths from liver failure stemming from alcohol abuse have risen nationwide — with the rates of liver cirrhosis in Wisconsin jumping more than a third in just four years.

The investigation published in JAMA Open Network in June found deaths from liver disease tied to alcohol use increased nearly 9 percent nationwide. But a recent review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more stark numbers for Wisconsin: Deaths from alcohol-related liver cirrhosis shot up 35 percent from 2019 to 2023.