Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Sept. 30, 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

Lawmakers Locked In Stalemate As Shutdown Deadline Looms

The threat of a government shutdown loomed Tuesday morning ahead of a midnight deadline to keep the government working and funded.

Republicans want Democrats to approve a plan to fund the federal government through most of November, but Democrats want to see provisions added, including the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies and the overturning of Medicaid cuts tied to Trump’s “big, beautiful” legislation.

Both sides have blamed the other for the stalemate.

YouTube Agrees To Pay Trump $24 Million To Settle Lawsuit Over Jan. 6 Suspension

YouTube will pay $24.5 million to President Trump to resolve a 2021 lawsuit that claimed he was the victim of censorship when the site suspended his account following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's supporters, according to federal court papers filed on Monday.

YouTube parent company Google will dedicate $22 million of the settlement toward the construction of a $200 million Mar-a-Lago-style ballroom in the White House, according to the settlement documents, which state that a nonprofit called the Trust for the National Mall is being tapped to finance the renovations.

How The World Is Responding To Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump’s new Gaza peace plan Monday drew early reactions of support from leaders in the Arab and Muslim world, upping the pressure on Hamas and Israel to commit and follow through on the deal to end the two-year war.

Qatar and Egypt have transmitted Trump’s proposal to Hamas for consideration, although it’s not clear how long the U.S.-designated terror group will have to respond. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he endorsed Trump’s plan, promising to “finish” destroying Hamas if it fails to agree to the terms.

EA Agrees To $55 Billion Sale In Largest Leveraged Buyout On Record

Electronic Arts said it will be acquired by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners in an all-cash deal worth $55 billion.

Shareholders of the maker of Battlefield, The Sims and the Madden NFL will receive $210 per share.

Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is CEO of Affinity.

2025 MLB Playoffs: World Series Odds, Postseason Preview

Wow, what an amazing finish to the MLB regular season! Now it's your turn, October.

The 2025 MLB playoffs start Tuesday (1 p.m. ET on ESPN), and we're here to get you ready for what is setting up to be a thrilling postseason.

Wisconsin Headlines

Former Wisconsin Democratic Economic Development Head Joins Governor’s Race

The former state economic development director for Wisconsin, who previously worked as an executive at a dairy cooperative, announced Monday that she is running for governor as a Democrat, promising to reject “divisive politics.”

Missy Hughes joins an already crowded field of Democrats for the open seat in the battleground state. The primary is just under 11 months away. There are two prominent announced Republican candidates.

Wisconsin Senate Republicans Introduce Medical Marijuana Plan

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate are making what could be their last pitch to legalize marijuana only as medicine.

Senate President Mary Felzkowski on Monday introduced a medical marijuana plan.

“Forty other states allow for the legal use of medical cannabis products. After learning from the experiences in other states, this new legislation creates a program in Wisconsin to license growers, processors, labs, and dispensaries,” Felskowski said in a statement. “Additionally, the legislation includes safeguards to ensure that medical cannabis is not abused or accessed by those without a medical need.”

Tiffany On ‘UpFront’ Declares Himself Gop Frontrunner After Berrien Drops Out Of Wisconsin Governor’s Race

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany declared himself the GOP frontrunner in the 2026 race for governor after businessman Bill Berrien dropped out.

Berrien’s departure leaves the Minocqua congressman and Washington County Exec Josh Schoemann as the top two Republican candidates.

“I do believe I’m the leader at this point, yes,” Tiffany said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics-State Affairs. “I took a few years to really evaluate is this the best thing to do, and I asked two questions. One, where can I do the most good for the people of the state of Wisconsin, and am I the best candidate? And I believe that I am the best candidate to provide the leadership that the state of Wisconsin needs.”

Wisconsin Utility Regulators Approve 2 New Clean Energy Projects

State utility regulators approved a pair of renewable energy projects last week, including Wisconsin’s first large-scale wind farm in more than a decade.

The Badger Hollow Wind Project in Iowa and Grant counties and the Whitewater Solar Project in Jefferson and Walworth counties received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, or PSC, on Thursday.

The Badger Hollow Wind Project is a 118-megawatt wind farm that will be able to generate enough electricity to power more than 30,000 homes, while the Whitewater Solar Project is a 180-megawatt solar farm that will be able to generate enough electricity to power more than 21,000 homes, according to the developers.

'General In Nature'; Wisconsin DNR Presents Its Case On Line 5 Relocation Project

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is presenting its case on the Line 5 relocation project.

The pipeline that's been operating since 1953 is set to stop operating through the Bad River Reservation by June 2026.

Line 5 starts in Superior and runs through Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland and Iron counties. Line 5 cuts across Michigan before ending in Ontario, Canada.