Morning Headlines - Monday, Sept. 15, 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!

U.S. and World Headlines

FBI Director Kash Patel Criticized For His Actions And Posts During Charlie Kirk Shooting Investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel’s activities during the investigation of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination raise questions about his decision-making during a crisis, four former FBI officials and two administration officials told NBC News.

From the shooting Wednesday to a suspect’s arrest Friday, Patel took steps that gave pause to some federal and local officials and raised questions about his judgment, the sources said. Several spoke on the condition of anonymity, some because they were not authorized to speak publicly and others citing fear of retaliation from the Trump administration.

Those actions ranged from where Patel was on the evening of the assassination to what a former official described as his “grandstanding” about his own role after the arrest.

Charlie Kirk Shooting: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox Shares New Details

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said that the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk is “not cooperating” with authorities as the investigation into the motive of the shooting continues.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested Friday on suspicion of a connection with the killing of Kirk while he was speaking at a rally at Utah Valley University.

Cox said that official charges in the case are expected to be filed on Tuesday, “and there will be much more evidence and information available then.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Endorses Zohran Mamdani For NYC Mayor

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged New Yorkers to vote Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, giving the Democratic nominee one of his most significant endorsements to date in the contest to lead the nation’s biggest city.

Writing in the New York Times’ opinion section, Hochul said that while she and Mamdani diverged on some issues, they came together on the importance of addressing the affordability crisis in the city and across the state.

The stunning success of Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party as it struggles to repair its brand more than half a year into Donald Trump’s presidency.

Here Are The States Banning Cellphones In Schools

While many states have at least partially banned cellphones in the classroom this back-to-school season, some are still leaving those decisions to their local education agencies.

Overall, 20 states (including D.C. and the Virgin Islands) have completely banned wireless communication devices -- including personal phones or tablets -- for the entire instructional day.

In contrast, 17 states -- such as Maryland and Wyoming -- have not banned the use of wireless communication devices in schools on the state level.

A Record Number Of Congressional Lawmakers Aren't Running For Reelection In 2026. Here's The List

NPR is tracking the record number of Congressional lawmakers who have announced they do not plan to run for reelection to their current seats in 2026. That number currently stands at 10 senators and 27 House members.

Fifteen are retiring from public office with the rest running for a different office – 11 looking to become governor of their state, 10 looking to make the jump from House to Senate and one, Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, is looking to become his state's attorney general.

There are more Republicans signaling their desire to exit Washington (27) than Democrats (10).

Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys Launches Bid For Governor

Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys has officially announced her candidacy for governor, entering what is expected to be a competitive Democratic primary race.

Roys, who was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, has represented the state's 26th District since 2021. Before her current role in the state Senate, she served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2009 to 2013, where she became the Democratic Caucus Chair and was the youngest state representative in the Assembly at the time.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes To Resign

Missy Hughes is leaving her position leading the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Hughes has served as the agency’s secretary and CEO since she was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in 2019. The governor’s office announced Friday that she’s leaving the administration next week. Evers plans to announce her replacement in the coming weeks.

During Hughes’ time leading WEDC, the agency worked with companies to secure more than $8 billion in planned investment and create or retain more than 45,000 jobs, according to the governor’s office.

Rep. August Criticizes Sen. Larson Over “Words Matter”

The second-in-command in the Wisconsin Assembly is taking a Democratic senator to task for language online.

Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August, R-Walworth, on Friday chastised Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, after Larson took to X with a post calling Republicans at the Capitol in Madison “corrupt.”

He made that post at 10:10 Friday morning. That was just six minutes before he posted this on his official Senator Chris Larson account.

Women Carry A Household’s Mental Load. Now, A Wisconsin Researcher Has Receipts

Managing a household can feel like a never-ending to-do list.

There are the visible tasks like cooking meals, doing the laundry, cleaning the bathroom or taking out the trash. But underneath all of that is a layer of invisible noticing and planning: “Are we running out of eggs? Or toilet paper? When does soccer sign-up open? Who is going to watch the dog while we go on vacation?”

This is what sociologist Allison Daminger, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, calls “cognitive labor”: anticipating issues, identifying options, making decisions and monitoring the results.

Number Of Measles Cases In Wisconsin Rises To 36

There are now 36 confirmed cases of measles in Wisconsin, all from Oconto County, according to updated data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The Department of Health Services updates the dashboard to share the latest data on measles cases in Wisconsin every Tuesday and Friday.

The dashboard shows 100% of the cases are unvaccinated. Two people have been hospitalized.