Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Dec. 24, 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

Epstein Docs Bombshell Exposes 10 Possible Coconspirators As Redacted Docs Reveal Late Pedophile's Sinister Syndicate: 'Who Are They Protecting?'

The Trump administration was accused of 'protecting' Jeffrey Epstein's alleged co-conspirators as newly released documents suggest at least 10 others were involved in his child sex trafficking ring.

The damning evidence of Epstein's accomplices came to light in an email that was sent between federal investigators trying to contact around 10 'co-conspirators' after the late pedophile's arrest in 2019.

The documents were among a trove of files related to the late financier's sex crimes that were published on Tuesday.

The email, which was shared online by Miami Herald reporter Julie K Brown, was sent just one day after federal agents arrested Epstein on sex trafficking charges and raided his Manhattan home.

19 States And D.C. Sue HHS Over Effort To Ban Transgender Care For Minors

A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and its inspector general over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.

The declaration issued last Thursday called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria, or the distress when someone's gender expression doesn't match their sex assigned at birth. It also warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid if they provide those types of care.

Where The National Redistricting Fight Is Heading In 2026

The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching, but for some states, their congressional boundary lines are far from settled.

After six states enacted new congressional maps this year, a handful of others could join the mid-decade redistricting fight next year that could help determine which party controls the House.

“We’re still squarely in the middle of this redistricting crisis,” said John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

Student Loan Wage Garnishment To Resume Early Next Year

Student loan borrowers in default could see their wages garnished as soon as early next year.

Roughly 1,000 defaulted borrowers are expected to be sent the first garnishment notices the week of Jan. 7, and the notices will “increase in scale” each month, the Education Department said in a statement to NewsNation on Tuesday.

The decision comes after a years-long, pandemic-era pause on wage garnishment and could ultimately affect millions who are behind on their loans.

Trump’s Marijuana Order Throws Lifeline To Hemp Industry

President Trump threw the hemp industry a lifeline with his order to speed up marijuana rescheduling and launch Medicare coverage of CBD, giving more strength to a significant lobbying fight that looms in the year ahead.

The hemp industry has been on its back foot since November, when a provision passed through the government funding bill to close a loophole that allowed hemp-derived products to flourish with barely any regulation.

Industry has been warning that provision could ban nearly all hemp-derived consumer products, like full-spectrum CBD, and put companies out of business when it takes effect next year.

Wisconsin Headlines

Judge Dugan Asks For New Trial

Milwaukee County’s convicted judge, Hannah Dugan, is asking for a new trial.

Dugan’s lawyers filed a notice with the federal court on Tuesday.

No one is yet saying why they are asking for a new trial, their motion does not list a specific reason. There is also no word when the official request will be filed.

Dugan’s lawyers have said since her verdict came-in last week that they would be filing an appeal.

WisPolitics Review: Barnes PAC Spending More On Administrative Costs, Giving Less To Candidates Than Average

The group Mandela Barnes created after his failed U.S. Senate run spent four times what the average federal leadership PAC dropped on administrative costs while giving a third as much to other campaigns, a WisPolitics review shows.

But Barnes’ gubernatorial campaign argued focusing on the $138,396 that The Long Run PAC gave directly to other campaigns in 2023-24 doesn’t properly account for the solicitations it made on behalf of others. All told, the campaign says it both raised and directly contributed more than $445,000 for campaigns in the state and nation when also taking into account the first half of 2025.

Northern Wisconsin Town Agrees To Bring Accessible Voting Machine Back

After losing its case in two federal courts, a northern Wisconsin town has agreed to use an electronic voting machine designed for people with disabilities.

The dispute stems from the town’s 2023 decision to remove voting machines due to their “controversial nature.”

In a settlement approved by U.S. District Court Judge James Peterson on Dec. 19, the Rusk County Town of Thornapple agreed to make at least one voting machine designed for people with disabilities available in all federal elections through 2026. The agreement caps a court battle between the U.S. Department of Justice and the town dating back more than a year.

Felzkowski: Wisconsin Can’t Wait On Washington For Health Care Reform

Republican state Sen. Mary Felzkowski says stalled health care legislation remains her biggest frustration heading into the new year.

In an end-of-year interview, Felzkowski said states should “grab the bull by the horns,” when it comes to reforming the state’s medical system.

The Psychiatric Peddlers In Your Schools

As a teacher in the public school system I encountered the following kind of student in each of my classes. They were usually wont to ignore my instructions; they would lose their notebook or writing utensil; fail to complete their classwork and forget their unattempted homework at home; avoid beginning any task I gave them by concocting a much more urgent assignment for themselves like needing to organize all the papers in their bag; and they’d space out on a window or painting, or more often drop their chin to their hand and stare at their desk.

No doubt these behaviors are ubiquitous in every classroom, at every school, in every country, and at every time throughout history. Yes, I’m sure even Plato suffered such disinterest on the part of his students, which would most likely explain the antics of his pupil, Diogenes, who ran into Plato’s seminar with a plucked chicken crying: Behold! A man!