Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Oct. 7, 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

Government Shutdown Stretches Into Second Week As Senate Rejects Funding Bills Again

The stalemate over how to end the government shutdown is stretching into another week without a clear resolution in sight, as both parties trade blame for the funding lapse.

Two dueling measures to fund the government and end the shutdown failed in the Senate for a fifth time Monday.

Senate Republicans have been seeking to peel off Democratic support for a House-passed measure, which would fund the government until Nov. 21, while Democratic leaders have remained firm in their demand that a funding measure include an extension of health insurance tax credits.

Supreme Court Weighs Challenge To Bans On Conversion Therapy Aimed At LGBTQ Kids

The Supreme Court on Tuesday considers a free speech challenge to a Colorado law that bans conversion therapy aimed at young people questioning their sexual orientations or gender identities in a case likely to have national implications.

The ruling could affect more than 20 states that have similar bans and raise new questions about other long-standing state health care regulations.

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority that often backs conservative free speech claims, will hear oral argument in a case brought by Kaley Chiles, a Christian therapist, who says the 2019 law violates her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment.

As Book Bans Decline, Concerns Mount Over Librarian And Teacher Self-Censoring

The fight against book bans is entering a new phase, as the number of bans plummets but concerns grow that librarians and teachers, looking to stay out of the fray, are self-censoring.

Data shows a surprising and significant drop in book challenges from the 2023-2024 school year to the 2024-2025 term after years of increases in bans among classrooms and libraries.

Instead, advocates trying to protect the right to read are now not only battling banned books in the courts but looking to provide legislative protections to officials who fear retaliation based on the titles picked for students.

Mark Sanchez now facing felony charge of battery involving serious bodily injury

Former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports color commentator Mark Sanchez, who was arrested for multiple misdemeanors following a physical altercation this weekend, is now facing a felony charge of battery involving serious bodily injury, prosecutors in Indianapolis announced.

The more serious charge was added after investigators learned of the severity of the victim's injuries, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said at a news conference on Monday.

Americans Increasingly See Legal Sports Betting As A Bad Thing For Society And Sports

Public awareness of legal sports betting has grown in recent years – and so has the perception that it is a bad thing for society and sports, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Today, 43% of U.S. adults say the fact that sports betting is now legal in much of the country is a bad thing for society. That’s up from 34% in 2022. And 40% of adults now say it’s a bad thing for sports, up from 33%.

Despite these increasingly critical views of legal sports betting, many Americans continue to say it has neither a bad nor good impact on society and on sports. Fewer than one-in-five see positive impacts.

WEC Promises Appeal Of Voter Citizenship Ruling

The legal fight over whether Wisconsin will check the citizenship of people on its voting rolls has likely just begun.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission did not formally comment after a Waukesha County judge said the state must cross-check its voter database with the DMV’s database to make sure non-citizens are not voting, but WEC did tell reporters they expect further legal filings.

The judge on Monday said the Wisconsin Elections Commission is ignoring both state and federal laws by not cross-checking the voter list and the DMV’s list.

Sen. Johnson To Donate Paychecks To Jobs Initiative During Government Shutdown

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) said he plans to donate his paychecks to a faith-based jobs initiative during the federal government shutdown.

Johnson's paychecks will go to The Joseph Project, which provides participants with a one week training program and then connects them with companies looking to hire.

According to its website, The Joseph Project "started as a constituent service through the office of U.S. Senator Ron Johnson in partnership with Greater Praise Church of God in Christ founding Pastor Jerome Smith Sr."

Advocates Continue To Push For Online Voting For Disabled Wisconsinites

Disability advocates are continuing to push for Wisconsin’s disabled voters to be able to request, mark or return their ballots online. Advocates say online access would give disabled voters the opportunity to vote privately and independently.

“Every election that passes in Wisconsin in which plaintiffs and Wisconsin voters are denied equal access to voting privately and independently is one too many,” Jared Grubow, the plaintiff attorney argued.

However, the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature is concerned online voting presents security risks for election integrity. The legislature’s attorney, Misha Tseytlin, said “the legislature has the right to intervene.”

University Of Michigan Study Finds Large Animal Farms Might Be A Significant Source Of Air Pollution

Impacts from animal feeding operations — which include Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs — are getting more attention as they become more prevalent. Some of the big concerns about CAFOs are the potential to pollute water, degrade soil quality and cause animal suffering.

Benjamin Goldstein, an assistant professor of environment and sustainability and head of the Lab for Sustainable Urban-Rural Futures at the University of Michigan, was one of the scientists behind the new study. He explained what its findings can and can’t illuminate about large animal feeding operations.

Vos Says He May Not Seek Reelection Next Year

Republican Robin Vos, the state’s longest-serving speaker, says he’s considering not running for reelection next year.

“I’m considering it,” Vos said on WISN-TV’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “Yeah, I mean, I’m trying to think through, like, I’ve done this for a long time. How long am I going to do it? I don’t know. Now that Tony Evers is leaving, I’m kind of excited about the fact of working with a different governor, so I just have to decide, I won’t decide until sometime in January.

“The last time around before I went through that recall over that whole craziness, I thought about not running two years ago,” Vos added. “And then they launched a recall. They had all the craziness that kind of got me reengaged, right? And I went through the process, and I won pretty handily.”