Morning Headlines - Thursday, Nov. 13, 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

After Historic Shutdown, What To Know As The Government Reopens

President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday ending the government shutdown after 43 days, blaming Democrats for problems ranging from a delay in food-stamp distribution to a slowdown in air traffic.

“The extremists in the other party insisted on creating the longest government shutdown in American history, and they did it purely for political reasons,” the president said from the Oval Office, where he was joined by several Republican lawmakers.

Trump’s signature came within hours of the House voting 222-209, largely along party lines, to approve a bipartisan Senate package that came together over the weekend. Senate Democrats agreed to join Republicans in reopening the government, even though the deal lacked a continuance of Affordable Care Act care subsidies that Democrats had demanded. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised a separate vote on that issue next month.

5 Takeaways As The Longest Shutdown In History Comes To An End

House lawmakers voted Wednesday to reopen the government, setting the stage to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history as the legislation now heads to President Trump’s desk.

The 43-day stalemate had consumed Washington since it began on Oct. 1, freezing pay for federal workers, halting food aid to low-income families and snarling airline traffic in a torrent of flight delays and cancellations that piled pressure on Congress to reach a deal.

Here are five takeaways from the marathon shutdown and the controversial deal that ended it.

Epstein Discharge Petition Secures Final Signature Needed To Force House Vote On Releasing Files

An effort to force a House vote on compelling the Justice Department to release materials related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein secured the final signature it needed Wednesday after House Speaker Mike Johnson delayed the swearing-in of a newly elected Democrat for seven weeks.

The effort, known as a discharge petition, defies House GOP leaders, who have opposed putting legislation backed by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky on the floor. Khanna and Massie introduced the measure, titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, in July as pressure intensified on the Trump administration to release more Epstein-related files.

Alarming Rise In Childhood Hypertension: A Global Health Crisis

A startling global analysis reveals that the prevalence of hypertension among children and teenagers has nearly doubled over the last 20 years. According to The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, this trend escalated from 3.2% in 2000 to more than 6% in 2020.

The research, led by experts from the University of Edinburgh, underscores obesity as a significant factor in this rise. Notably, nearly one-fifth of obese children and adolescents are hypertensive—eight times higher than their healthy-weight peers. Obesity-induced issues like insulin resistance may complicate blood pressure management among the young.

A Penny Short: US Mints Final 1-Cent Coins After Over 230 Years In Circulation

From here on out, a penny saved is more than just a penny earned; it's also a relic of history.

The final penny was minted on Wednesday at the Philadelphia Mint after over 230 years in circulation as a useful coin flip device, a vehicle to cast wishes into lucky ponds and the smallest form of U.S. currency.

Bill To End Shutdown Could Have Massive Effect On Wisconsin’s Hemp, THC Industry

Dillon Beyer woke up Monday morning to a flurry of text messages.

A co-owner of Tree Huggers Cannabis, which is based in La Crosse with locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Beyer and his colleagues in Wisconsin’s hemp industry were beginning to learn that, tucked into the U.S. Senate bill to reopen the federal government, was a provision that could outlaw much of their industry.

That clause, inside the continuing resolution pushed forward Sunday and now continuing to the U.S. House, would ban the “unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based or hemp derived products.”

Schoemann: Move Elections To November, Eliminate Drop Boxes, Close WEC

One of the Republicans running for governor wants to completely change elections in Wisconsin.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann on Wednesday unveiled what he is calling his Secure Wisconsin Agenda which would be the largest elections overhaul in the state in decades.

Among his proposed changes, Schoemann wants to eliminate the Wisconsin Elections Commission, end the use of ballot drop boxes, and move all elections to November.

Wisconsin Leads Country In Fall Drug Take Back Collection

Wisconsin ranked first in the nation for collecting the most prescription medications during the fall 2025 Drug Take Back event, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ).

The state collected 53,498 pounds of unwanted medications.

Gov. Evers Signs Emergency Order Making It Easier For Families In Need To Receive Emergency Assistance

Governor Tony Evers signed an emergency order on Wednesday, making it easier for families struggling with homelessness or energy bills to get emergency assistance.

The move suspends rules by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families that affect any emergency assistance.

That means eligible Wisconsinites will be able to apply for housing and energy resources throughout the month of November instead of when the government shutdown ends.

State Report Cards: Majority Of Wisconsin School Districts Meet Or Exceed Expectations

The vast majority of Wisconsin’s public school districts that received report cards met, exceeded or significantly exceeded expectations for the 2024-25 school year, according to new Department of Public Instruction data.

Meanwhile, 70 public schools failed to meet expectations. No public school districts were rated as failing to meet expectations, which DPI staff during a media briefing yesterday said has typically been the case in recent years.