Morning Headlines - Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 | Recent News

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!

Related: view today's obituaries.

U.S. and World Headlines

Trump Confident War In Ukraine Is Nearing An End

President Donald Trump is confident Russia’s war in Ukraine is nearing its end after separate talks with Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.

Trump, in the midst of tough peace negotiations in Europe and the Middle East this week, met with Zelenskyy on Sunday, before welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago later Monday.

After speaking with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump said several big issues still need to be resolved, but he believes a peace deal to end the conflict could be “closer than ever before.”

Trump Chooses To Go Back To The Moon — And To Do It This Decade

Just an hour or so after Jared Isaacman was at long last sworn in as NASA Administrator, President Trump published an executive order for a new space policy which, in part, constitutes the new space agency chief’s marching orders.

While part of the order concerns national security and commercial space issues, part concerns the Artemis return to the moon program. The document mandates U.S. boots on the lunar surface by 2028 — the last year of the Trump presidency. It also mandates that a nuclear-powered lunar outpost be started by 2030.

Teens Are Having Disturbing Interactions With Chatbots. Here's How To Lower The Risks

AI chatbots are a growing part of life for American teens. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that 64% of adolescents are using chatbots, with three in ten saying they use them daily.

"It's a very new technology," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician and researcher of adolescent digital media use at the University of California San Francisco. "It's ever changing and there's not really best practices for youth yet. So, I think there are more opportunities now for risks because we're still kind of guinea pigs in the whole process."

Over 21% of YouTube Is Now AI Slop, Says Report

As tools like OpenAI’s Sora and Google's Veo are making AI video creation more accessible than ever, over 21% of YouTube is now what’s called “AI slop,” according to a new report by video editing firm Kapwing.

The company simulated the experience of an “untainted” YouTube Shorts algorithm by establishing a new YouTube account and noting the prevalence of AI slop or “brainrot” videos—low-quality, trivial online content—among the first 500 videos that showed up in the feed. Though the test accounts were spared either of these for the first 16 videos in the feed, in total, 104 (21%) of the first 500 videos were AI-generated.

Play On Or Game Over? A Look Back At 2025 For The Video Game Industry

A PIF-led consortium’s $55-billion move to take Electronic Arts private marked the largest leveraged buyout in Wall Street history.

French game developer Ubisoft looked to turn its fortunes around this year, with the creation of a new gaming subsidiary with Chinese tech giant Tencent.

As focus shifts to the next generation of consoles, this past generation has seen a change in strategy for PlayStation and Xbox.

GOP Candidates Running For Governor Talk Trump, $40M Primary Fundraising Goal

While more than a half-dozen Democrats have announced campaigns for Wisconsin’s open governor’s race, the Republican field is — at this point — a one-on-one contest.

In interviews with PBS Wisconsin’s Here & Now, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany of Minocqua and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann talked about why they’re running, how much it will cost to compete in the Republican primary and what kind of impact President Donald Trump will have on the GOP nomination next August.

They’re scheduled to face off in an August 2026 primary where the winner will advance to November’s general election. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced in July that he would not seek a third term.

WisPolitics Review: Evers’ PSC Picks Approve Bigger Utility Rate Increases, Smaller Profit Margins Than Walker’s

Gov. Tony Evers’ picks for the Public Service Commission have approved $2.2 billion in utility rate increases since becoming a majority on the body, more than seven times what former Gov. Scott Walker’s nominees did over a similar period, according to a WisPolitics review.

But they’ve also approved a slightly smaller return on equity — or profit — for utilities than the Walker picks in those rate cases.

The utility rate increases, expected to be an issue in next year’s race to select Evers’ successor, have been influenced by many factors, some outside of the commission’s control. Among the many issues: inflation and the price of natural gas.

More Buildings Are Using Mass Timber. Could It Boost Wisconsin’s Forest Industry?

An emerging technology in lumber could have implications for Wisconsin’s forestry industry.

Mass timber is a process of strengthening wood, typically by gluing panels together to create dense layers of wood called cross-laminated timber or CLT.

CLT is “essentially plywood on steroids,” said Alex Anderson, forest products specialist for the state Department of Natural Resources. It’s strong enough to build skyscrapers, warehouses and other large-scale projects.

Madison Christians Gather At Capitol To Protest Violence Against Transgender People

A group of queer and transgender-affirming Christians gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol Sunday for a procession and prayer service organizers say was meant to protest violence against transgender people and the use of religion to justify it.

The event, titled ‘Not In Jesus’ Name’, took place from 2 to 4 p.m. and included a march around Capitol Square followed by a sung prayer service inside the Capitol Rotunda. Organizers say the gathering came amid ongoing national debate over gender-affirming care and concerns about religious rhetoric being used in those conversations.

’Tis The Season To Bring WisconsinEye Back

A state that cannot see itself cannot govern itself.

Wisconsin’s citizens have never lacked for political passion. From the Progressive era’s dismantling of the patronage system to Scott Walker’s reforms of public-sector unions, the people of Wisconsin—and for many years the state that represented them—have always been willing and eager to confront power, argue complex issues, and stand up for principle.

To stand up especially for the principle of open and transparent government. Wisconsinites will show up in the cold, fill hearing rooms, and shout themselves hoarse over questions of governance. Once upon a time, the same could be said about their government.