Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Dec. 16, 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

Trump Picks Fight With MAGA Allies In Issuing AI Executive Order

President Trump has picked a fight with allied MAGA conservatives on Capitol Hill by issuing an executive order to chill state efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI), a proposal similar to one that conservative critics of Big Tech defeated on Capitol Hill earlier this month.

Trump is trying to avoid an open fight with Republicans who want to rein in the titans of AI by reaching out to GOP lawmakers to make the argument that state regulation of the industry could cripple its growth.

As Brown University Shooting Manhunt Continues, Fbi Offers Reward For Info Leading To Conviction

The FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the alleged gunman in Saturday’s fatal mass shooting at Brown University, as members of the bureau's Boston Division aided the Providence Police Department in their search for the assailant.

The FBI released a poster with three images of a person whom they’re seeking, calling them an "unknown suspect" and including a short description: "The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5'8" with a stocky build."

Kraft Heinz Taps Former Kellanova CEO Steve Cahillane To Lead Company Ahead Of Breakup

Former Kellanova CEO Steve Cahillane will become Kraft Heinz’s latest CEO in the new year, the company announced.

Kraft Heinz is planning to break up into two separate publicly traded companies by the second half of 2026. After the split, Cahillane will lead the business that will own high-growth brands like Heinz, Philadelphia and Kraft Mac & Cheese.

The Google Search Homepage Adds A ‘Plus’ Menu

Historically, google.com does not change very often. After adding an AI Mode shortcut earlier this year, there’s now a ‘plus’ menu on the Google Search homepage.

On google.com, the Search bar now has a plus icon at the far left that replaces the magnifying glass. Clicking lets you “Upload image” or “Upload file.” It very much matches the AI Mode experience.

Those two capabilities aren’t new, but this plus menu does help emphasize that you can use Google to accomplish tasks, and not just find information.

A Pretty Penny: Last US Cents Sell For $16.7 Million

America's smallest coins just brought in some big bucks.

Pennies from the final minted set of the coin sold for over $16.76 million at auction Thursday, according to Stack’s Bowers Galleries in California.

The auction house sold 232 sets of three coins each featuring a 2025 penny from the Philadelphia Mint, a 24-karat gold penny from the Philadelphia Mint and a 2025-D penny from the Denver Mint.

Wisconsin Headlines

Lawyer In Maps Case Tells ‘UpFront’ He’s Looking To ‘28 For Resolution On Congressional Lines

Jeff Mandell, co-founder of Law Forward which is suing to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional maps, says he’s looking to 2028 and not the 2026 midterms for a resolution.

“The ultimate goal is to have fair maps here in Wisconsin,” Mandell said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “We do believe that voters are disenfranchised every time that we go to the polls without those fair maps, but I don’t know that it’s really realistic at this point to have those for the 2026 elections.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court assigned two separate three-judge panels to hear two separate lawsuits. Scheduling hearings were held Friday.

Public Affairs Network WisconsinEye Goes Off The Air

WisconsinEye, a network dedicated to government transparency, is off the air.

The nonprofit covered everything that was happening at the State Capitol, from legislative sessions to legislative committee meetings to news conferences held by lawmakers.

In the end, WisconsinEye ran into issues with funding.

Toney Rips Kaul Over Lagging State Crime Lab

Wisconsin’s state crime lab is once again the focus of the race for attorney general.

Republican candidate, and Fond du Lac County D.A., Eric Toney on Friday blasted current Attorney General Josh Kaul over the latest report that shows fewer cases and longer wait times at the crime lab.

"Under Kaul’s leadership, Wisconsin crime labs have seen longer DNA and toxicology turnaround times, with performance metrics worse than during the prior administration," Toney explained. "Despite receiving significant legislative funding, Kaul has shifted blame to Republicans while critics say he prioritized politically driven cases over fixing core public safety failures."

Dugan Trial Begins With Prosecutors Making Their Case Against The Milwaukee Judge

Prosecutors played audio recordings on Dec. 15 as they tried to show jurors that a Wisconsin judge knew what was at stake earlier in 2025 when she directed an immigrant to a private door while federal agents were in the courthouse to arrest the man.

“I’ll get the heat,” Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan told her court reporter as they discussed who would assist Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, according to courtroom audio.

Dane County Judge Rules Trump Aides Must Face Trial In 2020 Fake Electors Scheme

A Wisconsin judge ruled Dec. 15 there is enough evidence to proceed to trial in a felony forgery case against an attorney and an aide to President Donald Trump for their role in the 2020 fake elector scheme.

The charges relate to attempts by the former aides to present a slate of Republican electors to Congress falsely claiming that Trump had won Wisconsin that year even though he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.