Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 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

CBS In Turmoil As 'Spiked' 60 Minutes Segment On Trump Deportations Explodes Online After Accidentally Airing On Canadian TV

A 60 Minutes segment that was spiked from Sunday night's episode just hours before airtime has been leaked online after being played during the show's Canada broadcast.

The newsmagazine had been set to air veteran journalist Sharyn Alfonsi's 'Inside CECOT' segment, featuring interviews with a group of Venezuelan men who thought they were being deported back to their home country - only to wind up at the notorious El Salvador prison.

But just two hours before the program was set to air, 60 Minutes announced on social media that the lineup had been updated and '"Inside CECOT" will air in a future broadcast.'

Republicans Divided On Whether Trump Should Topple Venezuela’s Maduro With Military Force

Republican lawmakers are divided over whether President Trump should escalate military pressure on Venezuela to oust President Nicolás Maduro, with some Republicans warning that “regime change” has a history of backfiring on the United States.

Senate Republicans largely support Trump’s aggressive targeting of Venezuelan speedboats suspected of smuggling drugs, but some warn that attacking Maduro’s regime more directly, either by striking targets on land or putting “boots on the ground,” could go too far.

DOJ Releases Thousands More Epstein Files Overnight

The Department of Justice on Tuesday released thousands of new pages related to its investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The latest drop includes approximately 11,000 files, including references to President Donald Trump and hundreds of videos.

According to media reports, some new documents were available on the site for hours Monday but were taken down at 8 p.m. It is unclear if the documents made available in the early hours of Tuesday are the same ones.

Federal Student Loans Are Changing. Here's What To Expect In 2026

Borrowers have spent much of 2025 trying to keep up with dizzying changes to the federal student loan system.

The Trump administration and Congress are in the process of overhauling everything from how much Americans can borrow to how quickly they have to pay it back.

Here's what to know as we head into a new year:

Gas Prices Fall To Four-year Lows As Millions Embark On Holiday Road Trips

Holiday road-trippers are feeling some relief at the pump this year.

The average price of unleaded gasoline in the U.S. has been below $3 a gallon for most of the month — the lowest level since 2021, according to AAA. The association said it’s shaping up to be the cheapest December for drivers filling up their tanks going back to the pandemic year of 2020.

Wisconsin Headlines

Gov. Evers Signs Executive Order, Extends Wisconsin's Energy Emergency

Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order on Monday, extending the state of Wisconsin's energy emergency. 

The executive order cited challenges from a pipeline disruption, plus high demand for residential heating fuel, like heating oil and propane. 

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin reports that several suppliers are having continued trouble, needing to drive longer distances to get the products that they need.

Wisconsin Doesn't Track How Many Prisoners Participate In Work Release Programs

Most of the jobs available to Wisconsin prisoners are paid not in dollars, but cents. Minimum wage laws don’t apply behind bars, so some people scrub toilets for less than a quarter an hour.

But one type of job lets people leave prison for the day to earn the same wages as anyone else.

Wisconsin was the first state to offer this opportunity, known as work release. The century-old program matches the lowest-risk prisoners with approved employers, who are required by law to pay them as much as any other worker. In some cases, that’s more than $15 an hour.

More Than 130K Wisconsin Borrowers In SAVE Student Loan Program Will Need A New Plan

Benjamin Lee’s monthly student loan payment recently jumped from $450 a month to $1,300.

Lee, a Milwaukee resident, had been enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education plan, better known as SAVE.

The Biden-era student loan repayment plan was the most flexible and generous income-driven repayment plan available.  The plan promised expedited loan forgiveness and monthly payments as low as $0 for low-income borrowers.

Good News: Congress Reauthorizes The Secure Rural Schools Program

Rural communities in northern Wisconsin have reason to celebrate this holiday season. In December 2025, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025, extending a vital federal program that supports schools and local services in areas with significant national forest land.

This bipartisan legislation was signed into law by President Trump on December 18 covers fiscal years 2024 through 2026, and restores funding that many rural districts have been missing.

Dugan Attorney Tells ‘UpFront’ Defense Gearing Up To Ask Judge To Set Aside Guilty Verdict

Steve Biskupic, one of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan’s top defense attorneys and the former U.S. attorney, says her legal team is preparing to ask U.S. District Judge Lynn Adleman to set aside her guilty verdict.

The jury convicted Dugan of a felony obstruction charge and not guilty of a misdemeanor.

Jurors asked Adelman two similar questions related to whether she needed to know the identity of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the undocumented immigrant federal agents were preparing to arrest. Adleman said yes to the misdemeanor and offered a more complicated answer to the felony.