Morning Headlines - Monday, Dec. 22, 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

Democrats Renew Government Shutdown Threat As Tensions Flare With Trump

Senate Democrats are raising the threat of another government shutdown in late January as tensions with President Trump escalate over a series of recent maneuvers by the White House that Democrats say need a forceful response from Capitol Hill.

Senate Democrats walked away from a potential deal to fund a broad swath of the federal government, including the departments of Defense, Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services, which make up roughly two-thirds of the discretionary budget, before Congress adjourned for the Christmas recess.

CBS Postpones ’60 Minutes’ Report On Notorious Salvadoran Prison

CBS News pulled a “60 Minutes” report on El Salvador’s CECOT prison just hours before its scheduled Sunday broadcast, saying it would air at a future time.

“The broadcast lineup for tonight’s edition of 60 Minutes has been updated,” the program posted on social media. “Our report ‘Inside CECOT’ will air in a future broadcast,” the program posted on X and other social media platforms three hours before it was slated to air.

A CBS News spokesperson said in an email that the segment “needed additional reporting.”

The New York Times, citing a copy of a note written by Sharyn Alfonsi, a correspondent who reported the segment, said CBS pulled the segment for “political” reasons.

Max Space Unveils Plans For Commercial Space Station

Max Space, a startup developing expandable module technologies, plans to build a commercial space station that could launch on a single Falcon 9 rocket.

The company unveiled plans Dec. 17 for Thunderbird Station, a space station featuring a single large module that would expand to a volume of 350 cubic meters, about one-third the volume of the International Space Station, once in orbit. The station is designed to support four people continuously and includes two docking ports for visiting vehicles.

Epstein Files: DOJ Restores Image Showing Trump After Backlash

The Department of Justice restored online a photo from the Jeffrey Epstein files that contained images showing President Donald Trump after backlash over its removal.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier said the DOJ removed several Epstein file documents from its website to comply with part of a federal court order aimed at protecting victims.

Blanche denied the removal of a specific photo had anything to do with it showing images of Trump.

Powerball Jackpot Hits $1.6b After No Ticket Wins Grand Prize In Saturday's Drawing

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $1.6 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday night's drawing, marking the fourth-largest prize in the lottery game's history.

The next drawing is set for Monday night.

The game's largest prize ever was $2.04 billion, won on Nov. 7, 2022.

Wisconsin Headlines

K-12 Property Taxes Rise 7.8% Statewide, Largest Increase In 30 Years

Based on all the emails we at Action 2 News have received, some viewers aren’t happy with their property tax bill.

We want to assure you that you are not alone in seeing increases in that bill, and we can tell you the majority of that increase is because of school funding.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum just released research showing that property tax levies for all Wisconsin schools increased 7.8% statewide in 2025, the largest increase in more than 30 years. It comes on the heels of a nearly 6% increase in 2024.

Implosion Takes Down The Nearly Century-old Black Hawk Bridge Over The Mississippi River

A nearly 100-year-old bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin was imploded on Dec. 19, an unusual spectacle that clears the way for a modern replacement.

The Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, was completed in 1931. It connects Lansing, Iowa, to Wisconsin. The landmark stood out for its unique cantilever design — a center arch and two towerlike trusses.

Sex Offenders Who Are Homeless Would Have To Wear GPS Monitors Under Republican Bill

Several Republican legislators say they want to close a “gap” in the state’s sex offender registry law they contend leaves communities in the dark about the whereabouts of convicted offenders who are homeless.

The bill would require any registered sex offender in Wisconsin to wear a GPS ankle monitor unless they can provide a permanent address. In prepared remarks before the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, state Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, said it would create a uniform standard.

“(The bill) is not meant to demonize a portion of the population just because they are homeless,” Maxey said. “This bill is meant to keep Wisconsin’s communities safe.”

Wisconsin Senate Wants Relationship Info From AG Kaul, Bloomberg Funded Group

The Wisconsin Senate is not wasting any time in looking into Wisconsin’s special environmental prosecutor.

The Senate’s new Committee on Oversight of the Department of Justice on Thursday voted to request documents from Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul about the communication between his office and the New York University State Impact Center and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Republican Senators believe that those outside groups, not Kaul himself, are driving the environmental policy in Kaul's office.

Packers Monitoring Willis’ Shoulder Issue As Well As Love’s Progress After OT Loss To Bears

Jordan Love isn’t the only Green Bay quarterback dealing with a health issue as the Packers attempt to regroup from a brutal 22-16 overtime loss in Chicago that made their playoff hopes more tenuous.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday that Malik Willis hurt his shoulder while playing the majority of the game in place of Love, who’s in concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Austin Booker in the second quarter of Saturday night’s game.