Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Dec. 9, 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

450 New Dollar General Stores To Open Next Year

Dollar General says it’s gearing up to open roughly 450 new stores over the next 12 months.

The dollar store giant shared last week that net sales had increased by nearly 5% through the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year. More customers shopped at its stores, and it also squeezed more profit out of each $1 in sales that it made.

“We are especially pleased with the continued progress we are making against our key initiatives and are excited about the opportunities ahead of us at Dollar General, including the 2026 real estate growth plans we announced today,” CEO Todd Vasos said in Thursday’s release.

Trump Administration Announces $12 Billion In One-Time Payments To Farmers

The Trump administration announced $12 billion in one-time payments to farmers in the wake of this year's tariff hikes on Monday, primarily targeting farmers who grow crops such as soybeans and corn.

The move was outlined during a White House roundtable event, featuring farmers affected as well as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Trump touted the program in relation to the revenue the government is taking in as a result of his sweeping tariff program and also referenced his popularity among farmers.

Trump Ban On Wind Power Projects Overturned By Federal Judge

A federal judge on Monday struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping ban on new wind power projects in the U.S., a major victory for an industry that has been singled out by the White House since the administration’s first day.

Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that Trump’s ban is “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law,” tossing out the president’s action in its entirey.

Trump issued a memorandum on Jan. 20 halting permits and leases for offshore and onshore wind farms, pending federal review.

Religion Holds Steady In America

Pew Research Center polling finds that key measures of religiousness are holding steady in the United States, continuing a period of relative stability that began about five years ago.

The shares of U.S. adults who identify with Christianity, with another religion, or with no religion have all remained fairly stable in the Center’s latest polling.

The percentages of Americans who say they pray every day, that religion is very important in their lives, and that they regularly attend religious services also have held fairly steady since 2020.

NOAA Forecasts Strong Geomagnetic Storm For Tuesday: What To Expect

A powerful solar eruption is expected to hit Earth soon, according to a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

A coronal mass ejection -- a massive burst of solar material and magnetic field from the sun's outer atmosphere -- is expected to arrive at Earth early to midday Tuesday, according to NOAA. The CME, linked to an M8.1 solar flare, could cause elevated geomagnetic activity and potentially a G3 storm, the third level on the Space Weather Scale.

Barnes Tells ‘UpFront’ His Focus Is Tiffany, Not Rest Of Dem Field

Mandela Barnes, the latest Dem candidate for governor, says he’s immediately turning his focus to the general election instead of the more than half-dozen other Dem candidates in the primary.

“We’re making sure that we have everything, every resource ready to take on Tom Tiffany because he is the likely nominee,” Barnes told WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “It’s not about confidence. I’m going to tell you right now, I’m going to work harder than anybody. I have a lot of respect. I take every challenger. I take it completely seriously. I have respect for, I am friends with the people who are running, but my focus is on Tom Tiffany.”

Recovery Foundation Seeks To Prevent Drug Overdoses In Wisconsin Schools

After losing his son to a drug overdose, a Wisconsin man has made it his mission to make sure no other parent goes through the same pain.

George Moore III lost his son, George Moore IV, to an accidental drug overdose in 2016.

After his son's death, Moore has made it his mission to get NARCAN overdose kits in all schools in the Badger state.

Energy Emergency In Wisconsin Due To Pipeline Disturbance

A pipeline disruption hundreds of miles away is causing major delays for propane suppliers right here in Wisconsin, prompting Governor Tony Evers to declare an energy emergency.

Temperatures are dropping across Northeast Wisconsin, and demand for oil and propane is climbing, as families work to keep their homes warm. But a pipeline issue is slowing down how quickly that fuel gets here.

“With the delay in the delivery, it can create a backlog of the drivers at the terminals, and it’ll make things tight across the country,” explained Carl Kiedrowski, the Energy Division Manager at Country Visions Cooperative.

State Bill Would Give Tax Credits To New Nuclear Power Plants In Wisconsin

A bill in the Wisconsin Legislature aims to incentivize the development of new nuclear power plants through state tax credits and would make nuclear power a high-priority energy source.

Under the bill, new nuclear plants coming online in 2030 or later would be able to qualify for tax credits based on their energy generation. The bill would also create a tax credit for nuclear plants that are relicensed by federal regulators.

State Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Gibson, is one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill in the Assembly. He said it’s aimed at lessening the costs of bringing nuclear energy to Wisconsin.

Sen. Wanggaard Blasts Evers' WEC Veto

There are a lot of lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol who are angry about Gov. Tony Evers’ Friday vetoes, but perhaps none are angrier than Sen. Van Wanggaard.

Wanggaard, R-Racine, on Friday blasted the governor for vetoing a plan that would have spelled-out a workable appeals process to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

“The Elections Commission [has ruled] you had to have suffered a ‘legally recognized harm.’ Because of the decision in Brown v WEC, it is now virtually impossible to appeal a decision of WEC,” Wanggaard explained.