Morning Headlines - Thursday, Oct. 16, 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

Mark Cuban Warns That OpenAI's New Plan To Allow Adults-Only Erotica In Chatgpt Could ‘Backfire. Hard’

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban is warning that OpenAI is walking into a massive trust crisis with parents and schools after CEO Sam Altman announced the company plans to begin allowing erotica in ChatGPT for “verified adults” starting in December.

Cuban called the move reckless and said parents will abandon ChatGPT the second they believe their kids could bypass the company’s age-verification system to access inappropriate content.

“This is going to backfire. Hard,” Cuban wrote in response to Altman on X. “No parent is going to trust that their kids can’t get through your age gating. They will just push their kids to every other LLM. Why take the risk?”

Senate GOP, Thune Throw Curveball Into Shutdown Fight

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is throwing a curveball into the shutdown fight as he plans to bring a full-year spending bill for the Pentagon to the floor on Thursday, effectively daring Democrats to oppose it as part of their push to keep health care at the forefront of the impasse.

Democrats have been almost completely united in their opposition to the GOP’s “clean” bill to fund the government through Nov. 21. The Senate voted against the House-passed continuing resolution for the ninth time on Wednesday, with another vote on the stopgap expected on Thursday.

US-China Rare Earth Minerals Fight Explained

Just weeks before the planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, China dramatically expanded its restrictions on rare earth minerals, a move the Trump administration sees as a sharp escalation in China's efforts to tighten its grip on global manufacturing.

China's new rules, which apply to all countries, are set to take effect in phases on Nov. 8, then Dec. 1.

"It is an exercise in economic coercion on every country in the world," Ambassador Jameison Greer said Wednesday during a press conference alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "This will give China control over basically the entire global economy and the technology supply chain."

JD Vance Dismisses Bipartisan Outrage Over Racist And Offensive Young Republican Group Chat

The public release of a Young Republican group chat that included racist language, jokes about rape and flippant commentary on gas chambers prompted bipartisan calls for those involved to be removed from or resign their positions.

The Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s political organization for Republicans between 18 and 40, called for those involved to step down from the organization. The group described the exchanges, first reported by Politico, as “unbecoming of any Republican.”

Republican Vice President JD Vance, however, has weighed in several times to speak out against what he characterized as “pearl clutching” over the leaked messages.

Trump Confirms He's Authorized CIA Operations In Venezuela, Looking Into Land Strikes

President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed he had authorized CIA action in Venezuela, and indicated his administration is exploring land strikes inside the South American country.

Trump said he could not give more information on the covert CIA operations, which were first reported by the New York Times, but said he authorized them because of the flow of migrants and drugs from the country.

"I authorized for two reasons, really. Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. They came in through the, well, they came in through the border," Trump said as he took reporter questions in the Oval Office.

Gov Evers Begs Trump Admin To Keep Clean Energy Project Money

Wisconsin’s governor is asking to keep $1.5 billion in federal clean energy money.

Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday released the letter he wrote to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

“Given these clear benefits and the importance of these investments to Wisconsin’s and our nation’s economy, I was deeply concerned to see reporting last week containing a list of over 600 DOE funding awards that are potentially going to be targeted for termination with no clear reasoning or justification,” Evers wrote.

State Ends Fiscal Year With $4.6 Billion Surplus, Governor Announces

Gov. Tony Evers says the state’s budget surplus grew, ending the fiscal year with $4.6 billion in the General Fund.

The amount in the state’s main checking account was $265 million more than previous estimates.

In addition, the Budget Stabilization Fund, also referred to the “rainy day fund,” grew to about $2 billion, the largest in state history.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Review Bills To Reshape College Costs And Campus Rights

Lawmakers gathered at the State Capitol to review several higher education bills that could reshape student planning, tuition policies, and campus rights across Wisconsin.

These proposed changes aim to impact college access and affordability statewide. One bill seeks to expand tuition remission and fees for veterans and their families. Sen. André Jacque expressed support for the bill, emphasizing its potential benefits.

"Veterans and their families that earned degrees in Wisconsin are more likely to stay, work and pay taxes and start businesses here," Jacque said.

TMJ4 Responds To MPD's Accusation Of Inaccurate Reporting, As Victims Continue Pushing For Answers

In July, Chloe Handrich and Samantha Zganjar were hit by a woman, on Water Street in downtown Milwaukee, who drove through police barricades and severely injured them both.

The driver was cited for failing to yield and driving without insurance and registration.

Since the crash, the victims and their families have been trying to get answers from Milwaukee Police and so has TMJ4 News.

The Handrich's and Zganjar's call the police and city's response a "failure."

What Nuclear Power Returning To Kewaunee County Means For Wisconsin's Workforce

In a small farming community off the shore of Lake Michigan, Kewaunee County’s nuclear power plant has sat lifeless for over a decade. But increased demand for power driven by artificial intelligence and data centers could change that.

Plant owner EnergySolutions and WEC Energy Group are asking the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for approval to build a new nuclear facility at the site. If it is granted, officials expect construction could begin in the early 2030s and the plant could come online by 2040. The process would likely require labor from thousands of workers, WEC spokesperson Brendan Conway said.

Wisconsin Watch asked two professors in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics how this might impact the local workforce and economy.