Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Dec. 17, 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

Trump Approval Rating Rebounds After Second-term Low: DDHQ Average

President Trump’s job approval rating has rebounded after a second-term low, according to new polling averages from Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

The president’s approval rating in the DDHQ average of polls stands at 44.8 percent, marking a 3.5 point increase from last month.

As of Tuesday, his disapproval rating sits at 51.7 percent, per DDHQ. In mid-November, Trump’s disapproval peaked at 55.5 percent.

Trump To Address Nation Wednesday Nighttrump To Address Nation Wednesday Night

resident Donald Trump said Tuesday he'll deliver a live national address on Wednesday at 9 p.m. from the White House.

"It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!" Trump posted on his social media platform.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt teased Trump's upcoming address in a gaggle with reporters on Tuesday, saying he will talk about the "historic accomplishments" notched by his administration over the past year and what's expected to come next.

Most Americans Plan To Spend Less On Holiday Gifts: Survey

More Americans plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year, according to a new survey.

In the NBC News Decision Desk poll, 55% of respondents said that they are going to shell out “less” cash for gifts in comparison to last year. Nine percent said they are going to spend “more” on holiday gifts, while 36% said they were going to spend “about the same.”

The poll also found that 41% of respondents described their personal financial situation as “about the same” compared to a year ago, while 35% called it “worse” and 24% called it “better.”

NASA Completes Next-Gen Telescope, And It Could Soon Reveal Whether We're Alone

The Roman is an infrared telescope that's set to become a flagship in the telescope fleet. It has only two instruments, the Wide-Field Instrument (WFI) and the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI).

Its WFI gives it a view that's 100 times larger than the Hubble's, and its coronagraph will let it block out the starlight when observing exoplanets and exoplanet-forming disks.

Its primary science objectives are to study dark energy, complete an exoplanet census, detect primordial black holes, and use its coronagraph to image nearby exoplanets and their spectra directly.

Google Tests An Email-Based Productivity Assistant

Productivity is one space where companies keep wanting to experiment with AI assistants in the hope that they will save time for users, and as a result, they will want to use those assistants more. Google today launched one such experimental email-based assistant called CC through a Google Labs experiment.

CC, which is powered by Gemini, can connect with your account, such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar, and provide you with a daily brief via email. This “Your Day Ahead” email makes users aware of their tasks, summarizes their calendar, and provides key updates for the day from these accounts.

Wisconsin Headlines

Rep. Stubbs Continues Fight To Pass Bill For Missing And Murdered African American Women

State Rep. Shelia Stubbs says she has not given up on trying to pass a bill to create a task force to investigate missing and murdered African American women and girls.

The Task Force for Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls would collect data, address violence and provide support to victims and their families.

At a public hearing at the Capitol on Tuesday, several people took to the podium to support the bill, including Republican Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp) and Madison police chief John Patterson.

Fire Departments Sue Firetruck Makers, Including Two Wisconsin Companies

Several more municipalities filed lawsuits against Oshkosh Corporation and others over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy involving firetrucks.

It’s a story we first alerted you to last August, when the city of La Crosse filed the first lawsuit in federal court in Green Bay.

The complaints are similar, alleging the manufacturers, which include REV group, based in Waukesha County, Oshkosh Corporation, which owns Pierce Manufacturing, and Rosenbauer America, along with the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association, conspired to suppress supply and raise prices of firetrucks.

Evers Urges Trump To ‘Abandon’ AI Executive Order

President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting state regulations of AI could be setting up another dispute with the State of Wisconsin, after Gov. Tony Evers warned the president his actions could make “kids and families in Wisconsin less safe.”

On Dec. 11, Trump signed an executive order to ban states from establishing their own regulations of AI, arguing that a patchwork approach to regulating the technology would create a burden to innovation.

“My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones,” Trump wrote.

Fellow Wisconsin Judge ‘Shocked’ By Hannah Dugan’s Response To Immigration Officers

A colleague of the Milwaukee judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant evade arrest testified Tuesday that she was shocked by her fellow judge’s behavior.

“Judges shouldn’t help defendants evade arrest,” Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Kristela Cervera testified at Hannah Dugan’s trial.

The testimony on the second day of trial came after officers involved in the arrest told the jury that Dugan’s behavior on April 18 made it more dangerous for them to do their jobs.

State Senate Launches Oversight For Wisconsin Department Of Justice

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate are now, officially, keeping a closer eye on Wisconsin’s attorney general.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu on Monday announced a new Special Committee on Oversight of the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

“The people of Wisconsin deserve transparency and accountability from every corner of their government,” LeMahieu said.

His vision is to have the State Senate look into the "statutory authority" of A-G Josh Kaul’s office, with a keen interest in whether Kaul is "serving the public interest,” and “not the agenda of third parties or outside organizations.”