Morning Headlines - Thursday, Dec. 18, 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

5 Takeaways From Trump’s White House Address

President Trump delivered an address to the nation on Wednesday night intended to mark the close of his first year back in power.

Trump appeared before the cameras in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room with his poll ratings at a mediocre ebb, and the issue of affordability in particular serving as a drag on his fortunes.

But Trump’s defenders point to the drastic reduction in migration across the southern border as a key success for him, while his willingness to plunge feet-first into the nation’s culture wars also excites his base.

Trump’s remarks were comparatively brief, lasting roughly 17 minutes — probably a nod to the needs of the national broadcast TV networks, which carried the speech live. Afterward, according to journalists in the room, he had a brief exchange with his chief of staff Susie Wiles in which she lauded the president for keeping it at a time at the required length.

Here are the biggest takeaways.

How Rare-Earth Mining In Texas Could Help US Break Ties With China

An otherwise nondescript mountainside in West Texas could be part of the Trump administration’s solution to ending the United States’ reliance on countries like China for rare-earth materials that are essential to building missiles, fighter jets and technology.

NewsNation received an exclusive look at one key location that is being targeted for mining these rare materials. Locating these minerals could provide the United States with economic independence from China. Officials have gone as far as characterizing the issue as a matter of national security and say that mining operations could begin as early as 2028.

From Starbucks To Burger King: Western Food Giants Are Selling Large Stakes To Chinese Private Equity Funds

Chinese private equity firms tend to move fast, revamping menus, adjusting prices and scaling rapidly, including into lower-tier cities.

Their readiness to shake up management and stronger ties to local suppliers, distributors, landlords and regulators also make divesting more appealing.

China subsidiaries of multinational brands have also become prized targets for financial sponsors eager to deploy idle capital after years of tepid dealmaking.

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Makes Its Closest Approach To Earth Tonight: Here's What You Need To Know

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday, Dec. 19, marking a key moment in the journey of one of the rarest visitors ever observed in our solar system.

Discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescopes in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object known to have passed through our cosmic neighborhood, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. Its trajectory shows that it originated from beyond our solar system and will eventually travel back into interstellar space.

Powerball Jackpot Hits Estimated $1.5 Billion After No Ticket Won Grand Prize Of Roughly $1.25 Billion

The Powerball jackpot leaped to an estimated $1.5 billion after no one won Wednesday night's pot of gold of approximately $1.25 billion.

The winning numbers for that grand prize were 25, 33, 53, 62 and 66 with a Powerball of 17.

The new jackpot has an estimated cash value of $686.5 million, Powerball said.

Wisconsin Headlines

Data Center Opponents Launch Recall Of Port Washington Mayor

Residents who have been opposing a $15 billion data center in Port Washington for months are now trying to recall the city’s mayor. They say he’s refused to listen to their concerns about the massive development’s impact on the environment and energy usage.

Construction has already begun on the data center, which is part of a national push to expand capacity for tech giants Open AI and Oracle as part of the national Stargate project.

But opposition has been fierce. Three members of opposition group Great Lakes Neighbors United were arrested at a Port Washington City Council meeting in early December.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Bill To Close School Racial Achievement Gaps

Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a bill aimed at closing the state's racial achievement gaps in schools.

The legislation would allow the University of Wisconsin system to designate one high-performing charter school as a "demonstration public school."

The selected school would receive additional funding to experiment with teaching methods and share the results. Lawmakers say the goal is to spread successful, evidence-based strategies across the state.

Bad River Band Files Suit To Block Pipeline Reroute

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa today filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to approve a permit for Enbridge to reroute its Line 5 oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin.

Enbridge is seeking to relocate a 12-mile segment of Line 5 and build a new 41-mile segment around the Bad River Band’s reservation after a federal judge in 2022 ruled Enbridge had illegally trespassed on the tribe’s land.

The tribe has argued the reroute will endanger waters, fish and wild rice beds that citizens rely on. Bad River Band Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle in a statement said the tribe has endured the pipeline’s unlawful trespass for more than a decade.

Federal Prosecutors Rest Case Against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan

Federal prosecutors have rested their case in the high-profile trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces charges related to allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade federal agents.

The prosecution concluded its case after calling 19 witnesses over three days at the federal courthouse in downtown Milwaukee.

The defense is expected to begin presenting its case with four witnesses, though it remains unclear whether Dugan herself will testify.

MacIver Condemns Wisconsin Elections Commission For Rejecting DOJ Voter Data Request

The MacIver Institute for Public Policy condemns the Wisconsin Elections Commission's (WEC) decision last week at its Dec. 11 special meeting to reject a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) request for full voter registration data needed to help identify and remove non-citizens from Wisconsin's voter rolls. In a 5-1 vote, the bipartisan commission refused to sign a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would have allowed the sharing of sensitive voter information, citing state confidentiality laws as overriding federal authority.

"The WEC's refusal to cooperate with the federal government on this critical election integrity matter is deeply troubling," said MacIver Institute CEO Annette Olson. "Wisconsin voters spoke clearly when they overwhelmingly approved the 'U.S. Citizens Only' constitutional amendment. The commission should be working tirelessly to ensure only eligible citizens are voting, not erecting barriers to federal efforts aimed at the same goal."