Morning Headlines - Friday, Oct. 10, 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

Ceasefire In Gaza Has Taken Effect

A ceasefire agreement in the war in Gaza came into effect Friday morning, the Israeli military announced.

The Israel Defense Forces announced the news on social media, writing that “The Ceasefire Agreement Came Into Effect at 12:00,” and adding that “Since 12:00, IDF troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages.”

The IDF said its troops would continue to “remove any immediate threat.”

Texas' Governor Threatens To Withhold Funding To Cities Over Rainbow Crosswalks

Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Department of Transportation to make sure cities and counties remove rainbow crosswalks and other non-standard road markings that, according to the governor, promote “political ideologies.”

“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday. “I directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets.”

China Retaliates Against U.S. Port Fees With New Charges On American Ships

China on Friday announced that starting Oct. 14, it will start charging U.S. ships for docking at Chinese ports.

The move was a direct response to similar U.S. port fees on Chinese ships set to take effect the same day.

The U.S. only accounts for 0.1% of global shipbuilding, versus 53.3% for China, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

5 Takeaways From The Heated Virginia Governor’s Debate

Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) faced off in the first and only gubernatorial debate following a headline-grabbing controversy involving violent texts sent by the Democratic nominee for attorney general.

Jay Jones, who’s running to be the commonwealth’s top prosecutor, sent the texts back in 2022 after he left the state House. In the messages, which he sent to a Republican state lawmaker, he talks about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R).

New York AG Letitia James Indicted For Alleged Fraud

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted on charges of alleged fraud, becoming the second political figure in a span of two weeks to face prosecution after President Donald Trump's public demand that the Justice Department move "now" to charge his political enemies.

James, who successfully brought a civil fraud case against Trump last year and leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration's policies, was indicted on a federal charge of bank fraud and a charge of making false statements to a financial institution.

Wisconsin Headlines

Legislative Democrats Pitch New Tuition, Student Retention Aide Programs

Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol want to send more money to the University of Wisconsin to keep students coming back, and want a new scholarship program for the non-Madison campuses.

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein and Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer on Thursday introduced what they are calling the “Higher Education Powers Wisconsin” Package.

“The bills we are introducing today will help keep our homegrown talent here in Wisconsin, improve affordability and make higher education more attainable for more Wisconsin students and their families,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

Lawmakers Debate Gop Bills Designed To Cut Back On State Regulations

Wisconsin lawmakers are debating Republican-backed bills designed to cut back on the number of state regulations.

The bill package takes aim at rules put out by state agencies that regulate everything from businesses to the environment to childhood vaccinations.

The legislation advanced to a public hearing Thursday with support from conservative groups like the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, as well as business interest groups including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

Despite Conservative Backlash, Trump Pick For Appeals Court Clears Key Hurdle

By a party-line vote Thursday, Milwaukee prosecutor Rebecca Taibleson was approved by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to be the next judge for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals — a high-profile federal position reserved for a Wisconsin jurist.

But Taibleson’s journey to the federal judiciary has been unusual, as she faced a degree of pushback from fellow conservatives that legal experts say marks an internal division in President Donald Trump’s administration over conservative legal values and priorities.

Parole Possible For Man Convicted In 1994 Murder-For-Hire Scheme, Judge Rules

A man convicted in a 1994 murder-for-hire scheme in Jefferson County had his sentence modified on Thursday by a judge.

It's been 30 years since Michael Maldonado, 46, was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide - party to a crime for the killing of Ruben Borchardt. Maldonado was 15 at the time.

He has been serving a life sentence for the crime.

On Thursday, Judge William V. Gruber ordered the sentence be modified, allowing Maldonado to be eligible to apply for parole.

New Rainbow Crosswalks Mark Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ History

Eighty years ago in the gritty industrial neighborhood of Walker’s Point, its smoke-blackened buildings showed few signs of color, save for the glowing embers of factory furnaces and the neon beer signs shining in tavern windows.

Around that time, as soldiers transitioned to civilian life, some bars added a new color to the street by illuminating the stoop with a single blue light bulb. At the time, and up to nearly the end of the century, this was a sure sign that a gay bar lay beyond the front door. Eventually more and more blue lights shone, until the district, centered at the intersection of S. 2nd Street and W. National Avenue had one of the highest concentrations of gay-friendly spaces anywhere in the nation.