Morning Headlines - Friday, Aug. 1, 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 Sets New Tariff Rates, Shifts Timeline In Latest Trade Twist

President Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries late Thursday as he presses ahead with new levies on U.S. trading partners and shifts timelines to clinch agreements.

Trump announced a new deadline of Aug. 7 for steep tariffs on more than 60 countries. The move, delivered hours before a midnight deadline for rates to kick in, gives officials more time to prepare to implement the tariffs while extending the runway for the White House to land more deals.

Prosecutors Seeking Long Prison Term For Sean "Diddy" Combs And Opposing Bail

Prosecutors said they now expect music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs could face a prison sentence "substantially higher" than the four-to-five years they once thought he was likely to face after his conviction on two prostitution-related charges.

They made the observation late Thursday in a Manhattan federal court written submission in which they also opposed Combs' request this week to be released on $50 million bail while he awaits an Oct. 3 sentencing.

Russia Launches 6,400 Drones, Missiles Into Ukraine In Record-Breaking Month

More than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainians across the country retreat each night to bomb shelters and metro stations in a nightly ritual necessitated by the long reach of Moscow's drones and missiles. This summer, Ukrainians are spending more time in such shelters than ever before.

The first bombardments of Kyiv and other major cities began in the early morning of Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian troops surged across Ukraine's borders on several axes. In the years since, the attacks have never stopped.

Alaska Ignored Budget Crisis Signs. Now, It Doesn't Have Money To Fix Schools

When Alaska House Speaker Bryce Edgmon toured the public school in Sleetmute last fall, he called the building "the poster child" for what's wrong with the way the state pays to build and maintain schools. The tiny community 240 miles west of Anchorage had begged Alaska's education department for nearly two decades for money to repair a leaky roof that over time had left part of the school on the verge of collapse.

Seated at a cafeteria table after the tour, Edgmon, a veteran independent lawmaker, told a Yup'ik elder he planned to "start raising a little bit of Cain" when he returned to the Capitol in Juneau for the 2025 legislative session.

How Much Are Southwest’s New Assigned Seats? It Depends

The price depends on the route, when you’re traveling and where you sit. Selecting your ideal seats can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a family vacation, similar to flying on other airlines.

For example, a roundtrip ticket in the “Choice” ticket class — the second cheapest type of ticket — between Denver International Airport and Orlando International Airport leaving Feb. 14 and returning Feb. 21, which coincides with Presidents Day, was going for $692 on Southwest’s website on Thursday. For seats the airline deems “preferred,” it would be $46 for a window or aisle seat in Rows 7 to 13, or $41 for a middle seat in those rows.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsinites: Limit Time Outside Due To Canadian Wildfire Smoke

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is recommending Wisconsinites reduce their time outdoors Thursday, July 31 and into Friday, Aug. 1 due to ongoing air quality advisories resulting from Canadian wildfire smoke.

Canadian wildfire smoke will continue to impact Wisconsin's surface air quality over the next several days. Widespread Unhealthy levels of PM2.5 are expected across Wisconsin on Thursday, with values in the Very Unhealthy category possible. Conditions are expected to slowly improve beginning Friday; however, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy levels will remain possible through the weekend.

The current advisory in effect statewide until noon on Thursday, July 31 has been extended through noon on Friday, Aug. 1.

Chippewa Falls Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Methamphetamine Trafficking

Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Barnard, 39, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Barnard pleaded guilty to this charge on May 9, 2025.

Barnard sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant two times in October 2024. While traveling back from his source of supply in Minnesota, law enforcement stopped and arrested Barnard. They searched his car and found more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, 85 grams of fentanyl, and $3,696 cash.

LFB: ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Impact On Wisconsin Medicaid Program Unclear

It is unclear what the full impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” will have on Wisconsin’s Medicaid program, partly because the federal government has yet to detail some of the implementation requirements, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

The nonpartisan agency also noted in a memo this week that the reconciliation bill will likely over time reduce the amount of money Wisconsin sends to hospitals as part of a move in the state budget designed to boost those payments.

LFB this week wrote a memo outlining how the legislation impacts Wisconsin’s Medicaid program as well as FoodShare.

The agency noted it’s hard to gauge what some of the changes will mean until the federal government provides more guidance.

Why Sara Rodriguez’s Campaign Launch Video Controversy Matters

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers shocked precisely no one when he announced that he would not seek a third term, but his retirement opens up next year’s gubernatorial race in a way that seems almost impossible to predict.

Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez would have seemed to be Evers’ logical successor—a younger, ambitious go-getter with a relatable backstory—but her campaign launch has been disastrous, as she has been unable to explain something as simple as why her launch video was posted to YouTube a full week before Evers’ announcement.

US Rep. Bryan Steil Met By Hostile Audience During Raucous Town Hall

Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil was met by a hostile crowd attempting to shout him down Thursday evening during his first town hall gathering since the passage of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

Some supporters left early calling the spectacle “disgusting,” while one Democratic activist said the Janesville Republican “got what he deserved” for being a rubber stamp for Trump and the GOP.

The Elkhorn High School auditorium was filled with around 200 people, some of whom carried signs with slogans like “Resist,” “God is King no Others” and “Hands off SSI and Medicare.” When he entered the stage, Steil was met a by a roar of boos mixed with some cheers from a smaller group of his supporters.