Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Oct. 1, 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

5 Takeaways As A Government Shutdown Begins

The government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after lawmakers did little to prevent it over the last two days.

Republicans are adamant that their proposed measure to keep the government ticking for the next seven weeks, already approved by the GOP-held House, should be passed with no baggage attached in the Senate.

Shutdowns have some instant effects, such as the likely shuttering of national parks and federally funded museums, and the ramifications grow deeper with time.

Here are the five takeaways on how we got here and what it means.

Hegseth Rails Against 'Woke,' Lays Out Standards In Speech To Top Generals, Admirals

In a speech Tuesday morning before an auditorium packed with several hundred of the nation's most seasoned military commanders, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called for an end to "woke" culture in the military and railed against a litany of complaints such as diversity and probes into hazing.

"The era of politically correct, overly sensitive, don't-hurt-anyone's-feelings leadership ends right now," Hegseth said at the gathering at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia -- a secure site an hour south of the nation's capital.

Spirit Airlines On Track For A $475 Million Bankruptcy Lifeline

Spirit has an agreement with noteholders for up to $475 million in debtor-in-possession financing, the airline’s restructuring lawyer said in a court hearing.

The airline has also reached an agreement for $150 million from aircraft lessor AerCap.

The budget carrier last month filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in less than a year after high costs, weak demand and other lingering problems drove up losses.

Florida Approves Land For Trump’s Future Presidential Library

Florida is now one step closer to possibly becoming the home of President Donald Trump’s future library.

The Florida Cabinet gave the green light for Trump’s future presidential library to be located at Miami-Dade College.

While Florida Republicans are rolling out the welcome mat for the president, there’s been some pushback. Not only for folks protesting in Miami, but also Democrats at the statehouse.

Judge Rejects Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Bid To Toss Prostitution Convictions

The judge in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ criminal case rejected the hip-hop mogul’s request to toss out his prostitution-related convictions Tuesday, setting the stage for his sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw Combs’ eight-week federal trial in New York this summer, turned down Combs' motion to throw out his convictions on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, which each carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.

What Does A Government Shutdown Mean For Wisconsin?

Hours out from the end of the fiscal year, with lawmakers in Congress unable to reach an agreement on how to continue funding the government, Wisconsinites are staring down the possibility of a federal shutdown.

That could affect around 18,000 civilian federal workers in Wisconsin, some of whom will be furloughed and some who will be deemed essential and told to report to work without pay.

While many services will remain in operation — including food assistance, Social Security, the post office and air traffic control — the effects of a shutdown on Wisconsin are hard to predict, says Philip Rocco, a political scientist at Marquette University.

Wisconsin Republican Lawmakers Push For Legalized Medical Marijuana In The State

There’s another push in Wisconsin to legalize medical marijuana.

It’s being led by three Republican lawmakers who will need to convince members of their own party to support the legislation, after several previous attempts to pass it, dating back to 2019, failed.

Supporters of this bill say it’s not a step towards legalizing recreational use, but strictly about preventing people who need it medically from breaking the law, or having to travel out of state, to fill a prescription.

Assembly Dems Get New Committee Appointments After Ortiz-Velez Leaves Caucus

Speaker Robin Vos granted a request from Assembly Dems to add one of their members to each of the three committees that Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez serves on after the Milwaukee lawmaker left the caucus.

Ortiz-Velez, D-Milwaukee, continues to serve on the Consumer Protection, Housing and Real Estate, and Judiciary committees.

Along with adding new Dem members, Vos, R-Rochester, also appointed new Republican members to two of the committees.

Former Superintendent Candidate Kinser Urges Parents To See Reading Scores

There is a new way for parents to see how well their kids’ school is doing on the state’s reading tests, but it’s not just informational.

Brittany Kinser, who ran for state superintendent last year, is driving the Kids Win in Wisconsin literacy dashboard.

Launched last week, it’s a place where parents can search for their kids’ elementary or middle school, and get a snapshot of how well that school is teaching reading and writing.

Endangered Whooping Crane Dies Of Avian Flu At Wildlife Refuge In Southern Wisconsin

Ducky is dead.

The International Crane Foundation announced Sept. 29 that Ducky, an endangered female whooping crane the foundation planned to release into the wilds of Wisconsin later in the fall, died on Sept. 25 after becoming infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, a strain of avian flu.

Foundation officials said in a news release that Ducky’s death marks the first time the strain has killed a whooping crane.