Morning Headlines - Thursday, Dec. 11, 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

US Lawmakers Voice Concerns About Venezuelan Tanker Seizure: ‘Sounds A Lot Like The Beginning Of A War’

US lawmakers have shared their concerns over escalating tensions between the US and& Venezuela after US forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

Senator Rand Paul told NewsNation, as reported by the Hill, that the action “sounds a lot like the beginning of a war” and it was not “the job of the American government to go looking for monsters around the world, looking for adversaries and beginning wars”.

The major escalation of Donald Trump’s four-month pressure campaign against the South American country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was described by the Venezuelan government as “an act of international piracy”.

Trump confirmed the operation on Wednesday.

Frustrated Republicans Move To Force Obamacare Vote As Warnings Mount About The Midterms

A group of House Republicans moved to force a vote on extending Obamacare health insurance subsidies that will expire in just three weeks, directly challenging party leaders who appear determined to let them lapse.

At least six Republicans signed a discharge petition filed Wednesday on a bill authored by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) that would extend the expiring tax credits for two years while imposing new eligibility requirements. The subsidies are currently used by more than 20 million Americans.

House GOP Health Care Package Will Exclude ACA Subsidy Extension

House GOP leaders will bring a vote next week on a package of health care bills that does not include an extension of expiring ObamaCare enhanced subsidies, as Republicans remain divided about how to address the health care cliff ahead of a midterm election year.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters the legislation will comprise GOP-backed ideas that “every Republican agrees to,” which have been discussed across various House committees this year.

Here Are The Five Big Takeaways From Wednesday’s Fed Rate Decision

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a much-anticipated quarter percentage point interest rate cut at a meeting that was packed with intrigue and surprises.

Here’s a look at five top takeaways:

You Can Now Share Live Video With Emergency Services On Android

Google launched Android Emergency Live Video on Wednesday, which allows people to stream video when contacting emergency responders. This feature could help give first responders extra context in circumstances like car accidents, fires, or medical crises.

There’s no setup required to use this feature. Instead, during an emergency call or text, a dispatcher can send a request to your device. Then you can opt into sharing your camera’s live video, which is encrypted and can be stopped at your discretion.

GOP Bill Would Ban Local ‘Rights Of Nature’ Ordinances

A Wisconsin Senate committee held a public hearing Tuesday on a Republican bill that would bar local governments from passing ordinances that grant legal rights to natural resources.

Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, and Rep. Joy Goeben, R-Hobart, introduced the bill. The legislation would prevent a city, village, town or county from passing “rights of nature” ordinances that grant legal rights to protect against pollution or maintain a healthy ecosystem.

GOP lawmakers have said there’s a growing national trend of local governments providing legal standing to rivers, forests and ecosystems. More than 30 local governments in at least 10 states have adopted or attempted to pass such measures.

Wisconsin Unemployment Holds Steady, Labor Participation Falls

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate continues to hold steady, but the jobs picture in the state is not great. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development on Wednesday released the latest jobs report for the state. It shows the unemployment rate held steady at 3.1%, but the number of people working fell once again.

DWD's report shows that Wisconsin’s labor force dropped by 11,400 jobs over the month, and is down by 51,500 jobs through September of this tear.

DWD says just over 3 million people are working in Wisconsin.

WARF Touting Modified Soybean Plant As Top Licensing Prospect

WARF is spotlighting an altered form of soybean plant as a top licensing prospect, with potential applications in food dye production as an alternative to more harmful synthetic chemicals.

The soybean plant was engineered to produce large amounts of a natural red pigment called betalain in hopes of replacing synthetic dyes like Red Dye No. 3, which have come under fire by the FDA due to possible health concerns.

It was created by a group of scientists including UW-Madison Prof. Hiroshi Maeda, graduate student Soyoung Jung and Ray Collier, a department manager within the university’s Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center.

Transportation Projects Commission Advances US 53 Eau Claire And I-94 Waukesha County Project Studies

The Transportation Projects Commission (TPC) today voted to advance two major highway studies that will investigate safety improvements and operational solutions along high-volume routes in northwest and southeast Wisconsin.

The studies of the US 53 corridor in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties and I-94 in Waukesha County (Willow Glen Road – Zoo Interchange) received unanimous votes from the bipartisan, 15-member commission, which reviews major highway project candidates and makes recommendations to the governor and legislature. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will initiate these studies, and results will be presented to the TPC at a future meeting.

3 Corrections Staff On Leave Following Slender Man Stabber Morgan Geyser’s Escape

Three Wisconsin Department of Corrections staff members are on administrative leave as the department investigates the escape last month of a woman convicted of a stabbing when she was in middle school.

Morgan Geyser removed her ankle monitoring bracelet the night of Nov. 22 and fled from the group home. She was arrested at a truck stop in a Chicago suburb one day later and was later extradited back to Wisconsin.

Geyser was in sixth grade in 2014 when she stabbed her classmate in order to please the fictional horror character known as Slender Man.