Morning Headlines - Friday, Nov. 21, 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

GOP Barrels Toward ObamaCare Cliff As Prospects Dim For Subsidy Extensions

Prospects look dim for Congress to agree to an extension of ObamaCare’s enhanced subsidies, as Republicans run headlong toward a December cliff without a clear plan to break their fall.

GOP leaders are trying to coalesce around a unified path on health care, but it’s looking increasingly likely that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced subsidies are not going to be part of it.

President Trump on Tuesday told Congress not to “waste your time and energy” on extending the subsidies, and two Republican senators have competing plans they both say deliver exactly what Trump wants.

Border Patrol Quietly Tracking Drivers Using Hidden Plate Readers

The Border Patrol is quietly monitoring millions of American drivers and detaining people through a surveillance program that flags “suspicious” travel patterns.

The predictive intelligence program has led to drivers being stopped, searched and sometimes arrested. It records license plates from a network of cameras and an algorithm analyzes where vehicles came from, where they’re headed, and which routes they take. When the system flags a license plate, federal agents may alert local law enforcement.

White House Crafting Executive Order To Thwart State AI Laws

A draft executive order that could soon be signed by President Donald Trump would challenge states’ efforts to enact their own artificial intelligence laws.

The order would establish an AI taskforce to launch lawsuits and threaten federal funding for states with contested AI laws.

AI industry leaders including Sam Altman’s OpenAI and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz oppose a state-by-state policy approach.

Transportation Department Endorses Crash Test Dummy That More Closely Resembles Women

The U.S. government on Thursday released a new crash test dummy design that advocates believe will help make cars safer for women.

The Department of Transportation will consider using the dummy in the government's vehicle crash test five star-ratings once a final rule is adopted, the agency said in a news release.

Women are 73% more likely to be injured in a head-on crash, and they are 17% more likely to be killed in a car crash, than men.

Former Congressional Staffer Accused Of Faking Politically Motivated Attack

A former congressional staffer has been accused of fabricating a violent attack against herself at a New Jersey park, according to a criminal complaint.

Natalie Greene, 26, paid a body modification artist to scar her and then claimed she had been assaulted in a politically motivated crime in July, the complaint alleges.

The Ocean City, New Jersey, resident has been charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Clerks Referred 46 Cases Of Suspected Fraud, Irregularities In The November 2024 Election

Wisconsin election clerks referred 46 instances of suspected fraud and voting irregularities to prosecutors related to the November 2024 presidential election, a report showed, representing a tiny fraction of the more than 3.4 million ballots cast.

In total, 127 cases of potential fraud or irregularities covering several elections were referred to prosecutors between Sept. 13, 2024, and Nov. 5, 2025, the Wisconsin Elections Commission report made public on Nov. 19 showed.

Proposed State Legislation Aims To Secure Over $450 Million For Clean Water Initiatives

State Democratic lawmakers introduced three separate bills on Thursday aiming to secure $452.5 million total for clean water initiatives.

If passed, LRB 5401 would allocate $2.5 million annually for grants for testing wells. LRB 5243 would put $200 million toward bonds for lead lateral replacements, while LRB 5480 would provide $250 million toward Wisconsin's water fund.

Lawsuit Seeks To Shield Some Landowners From Wisconsin’s Spills Law

The legal arm of Wisconsin’s largest business lobbyist is mounting another challenge against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, seeking to bar the agency from enforcing the state’s spills law against innocent landowners.

The WMC Litigation Center, which is affiliated with Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, is suing the DNR on behalf of Tomahawk couple Steven and Mary Benaszeski. The lawsuit filed in Jefferson County alleges the agency is holding the couple responsible for contamination they didn’t cause on property they own in the town of Monico.

Wisconsin Democratic Legislators Join Training On How To Monitor ICE Presence

Democratic state lawmakers and organizers participated in a training session at the Wisconsin State Capitol on how to alert communities about immigration enforcement and ICE presence.

“This program does not ask you or train you to anything that is against the law. It is all legal and constitutionally protected,” Nat Godley, an organizer at the event said.

The training included role-playing exercises where organizers demonstrated door knocks from ICE agents, how to say don’t open the door in Spanish and the right to record interactions with law enforcement on public property.

Plan To Vote On Wisconsin Wheel Taxes Advances

The plan to allow people to vote on local wheel taxes is slowly making its way forward at the Wisconsin Capitol.

There was a hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government Wednesday on the proposal from Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield.

He wants cities and counties to have to ask voters to raise or create wheel taxes. He says it’s fairer.

“This bill simply requires local officials to make their case directly to the people and ensures taxpayers have the final say at the ballot box. This added accountability and transparency in tax decisions is particularly important for those least able to absorb new costs like these wheel taxes,” Hutton said.