Morning Headlines - Monday, Jan. 6, 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 and the end for a little humor to go with your news!

U.S. and World Headlines

Trump’s Jan. 6 Certification Marks Political Comeback

President-elect Trump’s political comeback is set to be sealed on Monday as Congress certifies his election victory, a full 180 degree turn from four years ago, when he sat stewing in the White House as his supporters violently stormed the Capitol.

Trump has spent the past four years seeking to rewrite the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters tried to halt the certification of his defeat to President Biden. On the campaign trail, he repeatedly referred to it as a “day of love,” and he has referred to those arrested for their actions that day as “hostages” and vowed to pardon them immediately upon taking office this month.

Biden To Block All Future Oil Drilling In 625 Million Acres Of US Oceans

President Joe Biden is making a sweeping move to ban all future offshore oil and natural gas drilling on America's East and West coasts, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Alaska's North Bering Sea.

"My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation's energy needs. It is not worth the risks," Biden said in a statement announcing the decision.

Social Security Fairness Act Signed Into Law By Biden, Enhancing Retirement Benefits For Millions

President Biden on Sunday signed legislation expanding Social Security benefits for millions of retired Americans, including firefighters, police officers and teachers.

"Americans who have worked hard all their life to make an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity," Mr. Biden told a gathering at the White House before signing the Social Security Fairness Act, which he said would mean an average monthly increase of $360 for more than 2.5 million Social Security recipients.

"That's a big deal in middle-class households like the one I grew up in and many of you did," the president added.

What To Know About Winter Storm Hitting North America

A huge winter storm has brought snow, ice and freezing temperatures to a broad swathe of the US, with more than 60 million Americans under weather alerts.

The eastern two-thirds of the US will experience below freezing temperatures starting on Monday, with some of the coldest conditions expected in Kansas, while the Washington DC area awaits heavy snowfall.

Forecasters say the extreme weather - named Storm Blair - is being caused by the polar vortex, an area of cold air that circulates around the Arctic.

A state of emergency has been declared in seven US states, with much of Canada also under weather alerts.

Comcast To Launch Universal Ads In Bid To Win Smaller Advertisers Over From Tech

Comcast will launch Universal Ads, an advertising platform meant to simplify the ad-buying process for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Comcast has signed deals with media companies including NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, AMC Networks, Fox Corp., A+E, Roku and others.

The platform, which will launch in the first quarter, is meant to attract more ad dollars to media companies’ streaming services as advertisers have poured money into tech and social media.

Wisconsin Headlines

Evers: ‘Joke’ To Think Schools Can Get By On Coming Increase, Will Propose Bigger Boost

Dem Gov. Tony Evers said it’s “a joke” that GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos thinks schools can get by on the spending boost due them over the next two years, vowing to propose an even bigger boost in his budget.

Evers used his partial veto authority in the 2023-25 budget to write into state law an annual increase of $325 per student over the next four centuries. The increase applies to the cap on how much schools can increase spending through a mix of state aid and property taxes. GOP lawmakers challenged Evers’ move with the state Supreme Court.

Vos, R-Rochester, suggested last month if the court upholds Evers’ veto, “schools are mostly off the table,” and GOP lawmakers will focus their attention on other areas of the 2025-27 state budget.

Fewer Men In Rural Wisconsin Participating In The Workforce, Citing Lack Of Respect On The Job

Men are dropping out of the workforce at alarming rates in part because of feeling a loss of dignity in traditional jobs, according to new studies.

A study that surveyed dozens of men from rural Wisconsin found they often have a strong sense of self-worth and think of themselves as hardworking. But some men feel they aren’t being recognized for that hard work or skill set in the traditional workforce.

A lead researcher on the study, Sarah Halpern-Meekin, who’s a professor in the School of Human Ecology and director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said at the end of the day, people want to feel like the work they’re doing is meaningful.

Wisconsin's Population Is Projected To Lose Nearly 200,000 People By 2050, Report Says

Wisconsin's population is estimated to shrink at a growing rate over the upcoming decades, according to a projection from the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

According to the report, most Wisconsin counties will face a declining population by 2050. In total, it's a projected loss of nearly 200,000 people in the next three decades.

Researchers say projected population decreases across most Wisconsin counties are associated with decreasing fertility rates or an increasing aging population, or a combination of both factors.

Packers Are 7 Seed For Playoffs After Falling To Bears, 24-22, At Lambeau

Cairo Santos hit a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, 24-22, Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay (11-6) will be the seventh seed for the NFC playoffs and will visit the second-seeded Eagles (14-3) next week. A start date and time has not been announced.

The Packers led briefly in the fourth quarter on Brandon McManus' 55-yard field goal with 54 seconds left, moments after a Bears fumble.

Wisconsin Badgers Hockey Teams Play At Wrigley Field

The top-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey team earned a hard-fought 3-3 tie against No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday as a part of the The Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series at history Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field is home to the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

The Badgers (20-1-1, 14-1-1 WCHA) won the WCHA regular-season series against the Buckeyes (13-5-3, 8-5-2-2-0-2 WCHA), as UW picked up two regulation wins and a tie against OSU.