Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Jul. 1, 2026

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

Far-Left Extends Victory Streak Into Denver: Key Takeaways From Colorado’s Primaries

The far-left faction of the Democratic Party landed another major upset on Tuesday after democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated progressive Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in the Democratic primary for a Denver-based House seat – a win that’s sure to delight Republicans while worrying House Democratic leadership ahead of November.

Kiros, a former attorney who was fired for penning a letter criticizing the idea that calling for the elimination of the state of Israel was antisemitic, defeated a 15-term incumbent and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The win came just a week after two democratic socialists won their House primaries in several competitive New York City races.

Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Striking Down Trump's Order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down President Trump's executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, reaffirming the more than 100-year-old understanding that nearly all of those born in the United States are citizens.

In a divided decision in the case Trump v. Barbara, the Supreme Court split 6-3 in finding that Mr. Trump's policy is unlawful. Five of the justices — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson — agreed that Mr. Trump's executive order violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately to say he believes the order violates federal law.

Supreme Court Upholds State Bans On Transgender Girls In Girls' Sports

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state bans on transgender girls from participating in girls' and women's competitive sports, reversing a pair of lower court decisions that had blocked the bans as violations of Title IX and the 14th Amendment.

The 6-3 decision written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh broke along ideological lines.

Trump’s Annual Financial Disclosure Shows More Than $580M In Crypto-Related Income

President Donald Trump’s annual financial disclosure report was released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.

Trump’s crypto-related income included about $515 million from the sale of tokens released by World Liberty Financial, and $65 million from sales of equity in WLF’s holding company.

Trump disclosed he received $635 million in royalties from “Celebration Coins.”

The president reported more than $290 million in income from golf and club properties.

The ethics office also released Vice President JD Vance’s annual disclosure, which totaled 17 pages, compared to 927 pages for Trump.

Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Notes Are Fake, FBI Tells Reuters

The FBI has told the news outlet Reuters that the three Nancy Guthrie kidnapping notes recently highlighted in the media are fake.

An FBI official speaking exclusively with Reuters said the three debunked messages included two ransom notes sent to media outlets in early February, just days after Guthrie was reported missing. Then, there was a third note that was sent out last week.

“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” an FBI official told Reuters.

Wisconsin Headlines

Xcel's St. Croix Solar Project Talks Stall, Goes To PSC For Approval

For more than a year Xcel Energy has been in talks with St. Croix county to reach an agreement on a 300MW solar project. But after negotiations between the utility and the county reached an impasse, Xcel has announced it will no longer pursue negotiations with the county board.

This was a welcome result for those opposed to the development; that is, until Xcel revealed that it doesn't need to strike an agreement with the county, and would simply get the project approved by the PSC.

Now, questions abound on what exactly the purpose is of informing communities of utilities' plans to develop projects if their assent isn't required to proceed.

WisGOP Calls For Investigation After Green Bay Again Sends Multiple Absentee Ballots To Voters

The state GOP is calling on the Elections Commission to investigate the city of Green Bay for sending duplicate absentee ballots to voters for a second time this year.

Yesterday’s call follows the party previously helping to file a complaint against Green Bay Clerk Celestine Jeffreys after her office mailed duplicate absentee ballots to 152 voters ahead of the spring election.

“Green Bay voters deserve reliable elections, not repeated failures that undermine trust,” said state GOP spokesperson Anika Rickard. “WEC must hold the clerk accountable, investigate, and ensure these issues are fixed before November. One voter, one ballot. Wisconsin law demands nothing less."

Us Supreme Court Ruling On Campaign Finance Mirrors Decade-Old Wisconsin System

The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that political parties can raise and spend as much as they want on campaigns. That will change the campaign finance landscape nationwide — but a little less so in Wisconsin, where state parties have been allowed to transfer unlimited money to campaigns for years.

In a 6-3 decision, the court’s conservative justices said that limiting party spending violates the First Amendment. That overturns a portion of the Federal Election Campaign Act, a 1970s-era law, expanded in the wake of the Watergate scandal, aimed at lessening the risk of electoral corruption.

Personal Info May Have Been Exposed In Wisconsin Medicaid Mailing Error

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced that letters containing personal and private information about benefit increases were sent to outdated addresses for some Medicaid members in the state's Supplemental Security Income program.

DHS discovered the issue on April 30 and immediately identified the affected individuals and stopped all future mailings to the incorrect addresses.

Wisconsin Kwik Trip Cited For Raising Fuel Prices More Than Once In 24 Hours, State Says

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) issued a formal warning to a Hartford Kwik Trip after the store raised its fuel prices more than once within a 24-hour period — a violation of state law.

DATCP said it was made aware of the issue through consumer complaints.

When TMJ4 News visited the store, employees deferred questions to corporate. A Kwik Trip corporate representative declined to address the matter.

"We don't comment on gas prices," he said.