Morning Headlines - Thursday, Aug. 14, 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

Ahead Of Summit, Trump Questions What’s Changed About Putin

President Donald Trump has often bragged about his warm relationship with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. But in the months leading up to the leaders’ first meeting in six years, Trump began asking Europeans and White House aides what’s changed about his counterpart.

The line of questioning, described to CNN by three people familiar with the matter, speaks to Trump’s growing frustration with Putin leading up to their summit in Alaska Friday to discuss ending Russia’s years-long invasion of Ukraine. Trump promised to quickly broker a peace deal even before he took office. Not only has Putin resisted ceasefire proposals, but Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukraine this year.

Jeffrey Epstein Battle Set To Reignite In Congress

The Capitol Hill battle over Jeffrey Epstein is poised to heat up when Congress returns to Washington next month.

While GOP leaders left town early to avoid the radioactive issue, the conspiracy-ridden saga is set to ramp back up come September for a number of reasons.

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers have vowed to force a vote on their resolution requiring the administration to release the federal files it’s withholding and plan to bring survivors of Epstein’s abuse to Capitol Hill in the first days of Congress’s return.

Appeals Court Ruling Will Let Trump Administration Cut Billions In Foreign Aid

A federal appeals court has reversed a lower court's ruling, clearing the way for the Trump administration to cut billions in foreign aid funding this year.

In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overruled a lower court's decision that prohibited the Trump administration from making drastic cuts to USAID funding that had already approved by Congress.

The court sidestepped the substantive question of whether the cuts were constitutional, instead deciding that the nonprofits that sued the Trump administration lacked the standing to bring a case.

NBA Approves Sale Of Boston Celtics To Bill Chisholm For Record $6.1 Billion

The NBA on Wednesday unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by private equity mogul Bill Chisholm, a deal that values the franchise at $6.1 billion — the largest ever for an American professional sports team.

The league said the transaction is expected to close shortly. When it does, Chisholm will take ownership of at least 51% of the team, with full control coming by 2028 at a price that could bring the total value to $7.3 billion.

Rabbits With 'Horns' In Colorado Are Being Called 'Frankenstein Bunnies.' Here's Why

A group of rabbits in Colorado with grotesque, hornlike growths may seem straight out of a low-budget horror film, but scientists say there’s no reason to be spooked — the furry creatures merely have a relatively common virus.

The cottontails recently spotted in Fort Collins are infected with the mostly harmless Shope papillomavirus, which causes wart-like growths that protrude from their faces like metastasizing horns.

Viral photos have inspired a fluffle of unflattering nicknames, including “Frankenstein bunnies,” “demon rabbits” and “zombie rabbits.” But their affliction is nothing new, with the virus inspiring ancient folklore and fueling scientific research nearly 100 years ago.

Wisconsin Headlines

Redistricting Reform Advocates Alarmed By Escalating Gerrymandering Battle

Advocates pushing to create an independent redistricting process in Wisconsin say they’re alarmed by a partisan push in other states to lock in control of Congress through targeted redistricting.

After Texas first announced plans to create new congressional maps in an attempt to secure more Republican seats in Congress, California and other states responded with their own plans to influence the outcome of the 2026 midterms.

Still, members of the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition say their not giving up on redistricting reform.

WEC Attorney: ‘Unreasonable And Absurd’ That Agency Can’t Order Madison To Fix Absentee Ballot Issues

It is “unreasonable and absurd” for the Madison attorney to suggest the Elections Commission lacks the power to direct the city clerk to take specific actions after unlawfully failing to count 193 absentee ballots last fall, a commission lawyer argues.

Mike Haas, who’s also been serving as Madison’s clerk, last week urged the commission to dial back a series of proposed recommendations it will consider at Friday’s meeting. Among other things, he argued the commission lacks the power to direct Madison to take specific actions without applying the same directives to other communities through the administrative rules process or a change in state law. He also warned against micromanaging local clerks.

Wisconsin’s Surplus Is Waning. Next Budget Will Mean ‘Coming Back To Earth.’

Wisconsin could be facing a more difficult budget than it has seen in recent years with recently approved spending and tax cuts consuming most of the state’s historic surplus, according to the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum.

The research organization described the state’s most recent budget as an “all of the above” plan in its recent report. Mark Sommerhauser, communications director and policy researcher at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, said the previous budgets showed more restraint from policymakers when it came to spending and tax cuts.

“There were some tax cuts, there were some spending increases, but certainly not of the magnitude that could have occurred,” Sommerhauser told the Wisconsin Examiner in an interview. “In this budget, we saw a lot more of both.”

Sommerhauser said it was “clearly a budget that was much more focused on the here and now than on where the state’s finances would be in two or four years.”

Wisconsin Governor Seeks FEMA Support For Storm Recovery

Gov. Tony Evers seeks federal assistance to assess widespread storm damage and flooding across Wisconsin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency support request was submitted on Wednesday after state officials determined damage likely exceeded the threshold for federal aid.

"Disastrous storms and flash flooding across our state in recent days have displaced kids and families and damaged homes, businesses, community centers, and so much more," Evers said. "The damage caused by recent extreme weather is extensive, and it's going to take significant time and resources to recover, repair infrastructure, and help support the folks and communities who have been affected."

Ascension Wisconsin Plans To Outsource Icu Doctors, A Move That Concerns Nurses

A nonprofit chain of Wisconsin hospitals will replace some of its doctors with services from a national physician staffing agency, WPR has confirmed.

As first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ascension Wisconsin is developing plans to staff some of its intensive care units with doctors from TeamHealth, a private equity-backed company based in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Those doctors will provide care both in person and via telehealth, and the full coverage plan is still being developed, a spokesperson for Ascension Wisconsin told WPR.