Morning Headlines - Thursday, June 26, 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

Intel Chiefs Say Iran's Nuclear Program Could Take "Years" To Rebuild After U.S. Strikes

The heads of two key American intelligence agencies issued statements Wednesday on what they said was "new" intelligence on the damage resulting from the recent U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, each noting the Iranian program was likely to have been set back by "years."

The statements were released after President Trump decried a leaked, preliminary assessment produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency that said Tehran's nuclear program had only been pushed back by a matter of months.

Mr. Trump had ordered airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities late Saturday, adding to a more than weeklong Israeli campaign against targets in Iran.

GOP Senators Push Back Hard On Medicaid Cuts, Endangering Trump Bill

Republican senators are pushing back hard on hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid cuts included in the Senate version of President Trump’s budget reconciliation package, endangering Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) plan for a vote as soon as Friday.

Two Republicans are a hard “no” on the bill — Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) — and a handful of other Republicans won’t say whether they’ll vote to begin debate on the package because they are concerned that deep cuts in Medicaid spending could cause millions of Americans to lose their coverage and push scores of rural hospitals around the country into bankruptcy.

Work Begins To Create Artificial Human DNA From Scratch

Work has begun on a controversial project to create the building blocks of human life from scratch, in what is believed to be a world first.

The research has been taboo until now because of concerns it could lead to designer babies or unforeseen changes for future generations.

But now the World's largest medical charity, the Wellcome Trust, has given an initial £10m to start the project and says it has the potential to do more good than harm by accelerating treatments for many incurable diseases.

How Ikea Is Doubling Down On Price Cuts To Attract Cost-Conscious Customers

Ikea shoppers will see price cuts of up to 50% at many of the company’s restaurants globally, as the Swedish retail giant aims to attract cost-conscious consumers.

The steep price cuts will be a temporary measure to help consumers “stretch their budgets” at a time of heightened economic uncertainty and high cost-of-living pressure, the company said, without specifying when the cuts will come into effect. The home and furniture retailer said it would also offer free meals for children.

2025 NBA Draft: Round 1 Winners, Surprise Picks, Questions

Round 1 of the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday began with Cooper Flagg, the first of three Duke players selected, being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 pick. And it ended with the LA Clippers drafting center Yanic Konan Niederhauser with pick No. 30.

There were winners and surprises, such as the Utah Jazz selecting Rutgers guard Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick and the Phoenix Suns landing the top-ranked center in Duke's Khaman Maluach at No. 10.

55% Don’t Want Gov. Evers To Run For 3rd Term: Marquette Poll

A majority of voters approve of the job Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is doing, but a larger majority don’t want him to run for a governor again in the newest state Marquette Law School Poll.

The survey taken between June 13 and June 19 asked registered voters for their views on the governor, legislature, and state Supreme Court. It also updated opinions on President Trump, fiscal policies and immigration.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Refuses To Hear A Challenge To The State’s Congressional District Boundaries

The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear a challenge brought by Democrats seeking to throw out the battleground state’s current congressional district boundaries before the 2026 midterms.

Democrats asked the court to redraw the maps, which would have put two of the state’s six congressional seats currently held by Republicans into play. But the court, for the second time in as many years, refused to hear the challenges without comment.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Sides With Republican Legislature In Fight With Governor

A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court handed a victory to the Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday in a power struggle with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, reining in the governor’s expansive veto powers.

The court, in a ruling where the four liberal justices joined with three conservatives, struck down Evers’ partial veto of a Republican bill in a case that tested both the limits of his veto powers and the Legislature’s ability to exert influence by controlling funding.

The court also ruled that the Legislature can put money for certain state programs into an emergency fund under the control of its budget committee. Evers had argued such a move was unconstitutional.

Sen. Baldwin Introduces 'No War Against Iran Act'; Republicans Respond

Lawmakers across the country were quick to voice disapproval of the U.S. strikes against Iran Saturday.

Many of them say President Trump did not ask Congress to authorize the attacks.

Democrats, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), are emphasizing that events like Saturday's attack should pass through Congress first.

Baldwin is sponsoring the "No War Against Iran Act," a bill that would prohibit the use of federal funds for any military action in or against Iran without congressional approval.

Misiorowski Dazzles In Historic Pitching Duel As Brewers Draw Season-High Crowd

A midday game in June typically draws a few thousand fans, but Wednesday's highly anticipated pitching matchup between Brewers' rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski and Pirates' star ace Paul Skenes packed American Family Field with more than 42,000 spectators – the team's largest attendance this season and fifth sellout of the year.

The Brewers' rookie has been nothing short of phenomenal in his brief major league career. Through three starts, Misiorowski has compiled a perfect 3-0 record with 19 strikeouts over 16 innings pitched. Even more impressive, batters are hitting just .030 against him.