Morning Headlines - Tuesday, July 22, 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

Trump Administration Releases Records On Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination

The federal government on Monday released thousands of records on the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. — a move that was ordered by President Trump earlier this year.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the documents, which number over 230,000 pages, "had never been digitized and sat collecting dust in facilities across the federal government for decades, until today."

The records include the FBI's "discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, and documents related to James Earl Ray's former cellmate, who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot," according to ODNI. The agency says the release also includes CIA records on the search for Ray, who fled the U.S. before he was eventually captured and pleaded guilty to assassinating King.

Inside The GOP's Mission To Deliver Trump's Megabill

Just after midnight on July 3, a day before the GOP's self-imposed deadline to pass President Donald Trump's megabill, full of a laundry list of campaign promises, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer was reminded that just about anything can happen on the House floor.

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, a fiscal conservative and frequent thorn in the side of Trump and his Republican colleagues, marched up to Emmer. After a brief exchange observed by ABC News reporters and confirmed by GOP lawmakers, Massie walked to the well of the chamber and changed his vote from "yes" to "no" on a key procedural step to advance Trump's bill to the floor -- bucking GOP leadership.

Frustration And Fear Ripple Through NPR And PBS Affiliates After Congress Approves Clawbacks

Staffers at local NPR and PBS stations around the country were devastated by the news that Congress approved $1.1 billion in federal funding cuts to public media last week, a move that could jeopardize the futures of dozens of stations.

Small, as well as rural, public media stations that heavily rely on federal funding to operate are now bracing for possible staff cuts after Congress approved a package on Thursday that will claw back Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding.

5 Things To Know As The GENIUS Act Becomes Law

President Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law on Friday, enacting the first major cryptocurrency legislation.

The bill, which sets up a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, reached Trump’s desk after a tumultuous week in the House, in which competing GOP factions revolted over a trio of crypto bills.

The chaos brought the House floor to a standstill and resulted in the longest vote on record in the chamber. Republican leaders struck a deal late Wednesday night to move forward with consideration of the bills, unfreezing the floor and allowing votes to proceed on Thursday.

The House ultimately voted 308-122 to pass the GENIUS Act, with 102 Democrats joining most Republicans to support the legislation.

Here’s are five things to know about the newly minted stablecoin law:

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, The Cosby Show Star, Drowns Aged 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, an actor best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died.

Warner, who was 54, drowned at the weekend while on holiday in Costa Rica, local authorities said.

He appears to have been dragged out to sea by a swift ocean current while swimming at Playa Grande around 14:00 (20:00 GMT) local time on Sunday in Cocles, a town in the province of Limón, Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency said.

Wisconsin To Eliminate State Sales Tax On Energy Bills

Soon Wisconsin taxpayers will no longer pay sales tax on their home energy bills under the state’s new bipartisan budget. The new deal is expected to save Wisconsinites an estimated $178 million over the next two years.

Previously, state sales tax exemptions on electric and natural gas bills only applied from November through April. The new law extends the exemption year-round.

Tiffany Announces Nearly $1 Million For Superior Shipyards

Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) announced that Fraser Shipyards in Superior will receive $817,146.23 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The funding comes through the Small Shipyard Grant Program, which Congressman Tiffany has long supported. The funding will help Fraser Shipyards purchase a Link-Belt 130-ton Telescopic Boom Rough Terrain Crane to enhance its operations.

"The Trump administration’s commitment to maritime dominance is producing real results for small shipyards across the country, including right here in Wisconsin," said Congressman Tiffany. "This investment not only strengthens our domestic supply chain and bolsters national security, but also supports the future of shipbuilding in the Twin Ports region."

Berrien Tells ‘UpFront’ He Has ‘Great Chance’ Of Winning Trump Endorsement

Bill Berrien, the Wisconsin businessman and Republican candidate for governor, says he has “a great chance” of receiving President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite his previous criticism of Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have the vision for making Wisconsin literally ground zero for the reindustrialization that he’s trying to lead in the country,” Berrien, CEO of manufacturing and machining firm Pindel Global Precision, said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,“ which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “I mean, nowhere else in the country is it more likely. We’ve got a 125-year-old manufacturing ecosystem. We have a highly trained, highly trainable workforce. You have the tariffs that are incentivizing businesses to consider investing in the country. And now you have the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act that, it’s like a Black Friday sale, a factory expansion, no coupons required, between all the business incentives in manufacturing.”

Wisconsin Attorney General Files 34th Legal Challenge To Trump Administration

Wisconsin’s attorney general is closing-in on three-dozen lawsuits or other legal filings against the Trump Administration.

A-G Josh Kaul on Thursday joined a multistate lawsuit against President Trump over new rules that make changes to the Affordable Care Act.

“The Trump Administration’s final rule would make numerous amendments to rules governing federal and state health insurance marketplaces which the administration estimates will cause up to 1.8 million people to lose their health insurance, while causing millions more to pay increased insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs,” Kaul’s office said in a statement.

Wisconsin State Bar Settles Lawsuit, Ends Race-Based DEI Programming

The State Bar of Wisconsin has agreed to eliminate race-based diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) criteria from its programs following a federal lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL).

In December 2023, WILL sued the Bar on behalf of Daniel Suhr, a Wisconsin trial and appellate attorney, challenging what it called discriminatory DEI practices.

“Our client, Daniel Suhr, had objected to one way which they were spending the money,” said WILL Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington.