Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Oct. 8, 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

Pressure Points: Five Ways The Shutdown Could End

Congress on Wednesday enters the eighth day of the federal shutdown with neither party giving an inch and the path to a resolution nowhere in sight.

But something will have to give if lawmakers hope to reopen the government in any timely fashion, and that movement will likely be the result of external forces exerting pressure on one party — or both of them — to break the deadlock.

That’s been the case in the protracted shutdowns of years past, when a number of outside factors — from economic sirens to public frustration — have combined to compel lawmakers to cede ground and carry their policy battles to another day.

Here are five pressure points that might help to break the current impasse.

Supreme Court To Hear Arguments About Reviving Lawsuit Challenging Mail-In Ballots

Following an unprecedented surge in election-related litigation, the Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider reviving a lawsuit challenging an Illinois law that allows officials to count mail-in ballots received within two weeks of election day.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments about the broader question of who has the right to file a federal lawsuit challenging election law, the outcome of which could not only revive the mail-in ballot case but also open the door to a wave of new legal challenges to election laws.

Gold Prices Keep Rising, And Jewelry Companies Are Sounding The Alarm

Some jewelry companies that aim to offer gold products at lower price points are beginning to sound the alarm on higher prices for the precious metal.

Gold has risen significantly over the past year, reaching record highs amid recession fears and macroeconomic uncertainty, and is forecast to continue to rise through next year.

To adapt, some companies are raising prices of their products, while others are exploring alternative avenues for producing high-quality products.

Interstellar Comet Passing By Mars Seen In Rare Images

A rare interstellar comet — only the third ever confirmed to enter our solar system — was photographed last week, closely approaching Mars, the European Space Agency said Tuesday.

The images taken on Friday by two Mars orbiters show a bright, fuzzy white dot of the comet, also known as 3I/ATLAS, appearing to move against a backdrop of distant stars as it was about 18,641,135 miles away from Mars. The comet poses no threat to Earth, NASA has previously said.

Here Are The Finalists For The 2025 National Book Awards

The finalists for this year's National Book Awards have been announced. Among the 25 nominees are novelists Rabih Alameddine and Megha Majumdar as well as journalists Julia Ioffe and Omar El Akkad, who also writes fiction.

The winners of each category will be announced on Nov. 19 at an event in New York City. Also being honored are two lifetime achievement winners: author and Syracuse University professor George Saunders and author, cultural critic and Rutgers University-New Brunswick professor Roxane Gay.

Josh Kaul Passes On Governor’s Run, Announces AG Re-Election

Josh Kaul is not running for governor.

Kaul on Tuesday announced he will not join the crowded field of Democrats who are trying to replace Gov. Tony Evers, and will instead run for attorney general for a third time.

“This is a pivotal time for our nation. Some of our most basic rights are under threat. Severe cuts have been made to programs that provide opportunities and have helped communities move forward. It’s critical that we continue to have an AG who will stand up for our freedoms and the rule of law,” Kaul said in a statement.

Kaul had been considered by many as the likely frontrunner in the Democratic race.

Tiffany Announces $1M Raised For Governor Campaign

GOP governor hopeful Tom Tiffany announced he’s raised $1 million over the first two weeks of his campaign.

The campaign on Monday didn’t release any details on how Tiffany, a GOP congressman from Minocqua, raised the money.

He had a fundraiser on Friday in Milwaukee that included GOP megadonor Liz Uihlein as one of the co-hosts. The invite also listed former state and national Republican Chair Reince Priebus, former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen and conservative activist Eric O’Keefe as hosts.

Assembly Approves GOP Housing Package, Including Building Code Bill

The state Assembly approved a rash of bills on Tuesday aimed at expanding affordable housing in Wisconsin.

Backers of the GOP-authored initiatives said they’re looking to expand on bipartisan housing legislation passed in 2023 and signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, although the legislation passed Tuesday would still need to clear the state Senate.

Democrats criticized the package, claiming that Republicans had walked away from bipartisan negotiation to promote their policy preferences.

Two Proposed Bills Could Change The Way PFAS Is Cleaned Up In Wisconsin

On Tuesday, state lawmakers heard public comment on two bills that could change who's responsible for cleaning up PFAS, or forever chemicals, in Wisconsin.

Senate Bills 127 and 128 would exempt certain landowners, municipalities and firefighting agencies from enforcement under Wisconsin's Spills Law, which requires anyone who causes or controls a hazardous spill to report it to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and clean it up.

Musk's SpaceX Contests Wisconsin's Rural Broadband Plans

A representative of Elon Musk’s rocket venture SpaceX, the parent company of its satellite internet company Starlink, publicly challenged plans in Wisconsin and other states to fund high-speed internet installation in rural areas.

The Trump administration has already rescinded billions in federal grants to states intended mostly to fund the burying of fiber-optic cables that deliver superfast and highly dependable internet to homes and businesses. The administration then ordered states to reapply and expand “the use of all technologies.”