Morning Headlines - Friday, Aug. 15, 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 And Putin To Meet In Alaska For High-Stakes Summit

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet today in Anchorage, Alaska, at 3:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. local time). Trump said he believes Putin wants to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, but also that the meeting has a 25% chance of failure.

Live Updates:

Trump’s Tariffs And ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Face More Opposition Than Support As His Job Rating Slips

Six months into his second term, public evaluations of President Donald Trump’s job performance have grown more negative. His job approval stands at 38% (60% disapprove), and fewer Americans now attribute several positive personal characteristics to him than did so during the campaign.

Two of the new administration’s signature accomplishments – the rollout of its tariff policies and the tax and spending law known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” – garner considerably more disapproval than approval.

Trump Signals Push To Finish Biden’s Marijuana Reform

President Trump says he’s open to following through on former President Biden’s push to reschedule marijuana, a move that comes up short of legalization but would still provide a major boost for the cannabis industry.

The Biden administration had sought to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to the lesser Schedule III but ultimately left the process unfinished. The move would bring negligible changes in criminal justice reform.

DOJ, SEC Charge Two Men In $200 Million Water Vending Machine Ponzi Scheme

Two men have been indicted in New York on federal criminal charges in connection with a water vending machine Ponzi scheme that allegedly swindled investors out of more than $200 million, the Department of Justice said.

The two men, Ryan Wear and investment advisor Jordan Chirico were also hit with civil charges related to the same scheme involving Wear’s Water Station Management by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Many of the swindled investors in the scheme were retail investors and military veterans, an indictment in Manhattan federal court alleges.

Kellogg Says It Will Remove Artificial Dyes From Cereals By The End Of 2027

WK Kellogg Co. has announced that they will stop using artificial dyes in its breakfast cereals by the end of 2027, according to a statement from the company.

The maker of Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, just to name a few, said that they are evolving their portfolio of cereals “to provide consumers with more of what they want and need -- such as whole grains and fiber and less of what they don’t.”

Wisconsin Headlines

Evers Bypasses Gop-Led Committee To Implement Pay Raises For State Workers

Gov. Tony Evers’ administration says a 2024 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling allows him to issue state employee pay raises included in the state budget without getting approval from a legislative committee. It marks a major shift in how the governor and Wisconsin Legislature approve compensation.

In an email to state employees, Evers said state workers will see a 3 percent raise in 2025 as of Aug. 10 and another 2 percent increase in 2026. The raises were included in the 2025-27 state budget passed by Republicans and Democrats and signed by Evers on July 3.

Clear GOP Frontrunner Emerges For Wide Open Governor Race, Polling Shows

Republican Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany is the clear favorite among likely Republican primary voters in the state’s open 2026 gubernatorial race, according to recent polling.

Tiffany holds a commanding lead over a hypothetical primary field with 40% of the vote, followed by Washington County executive Josh Schoemann at 13% and former Navy Seal and manufacturing executive Bill Berrien at 10%. Tiffany is well-positioned to secure the Republican nomination if he enters the race and would likely cruise to the general election with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, according to a polling memo conducted by Republican firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

As Wildfire Smoke Chokes Us, Republicans Issue Demands To Canada While Democrats Emphasize Climate Change

Republican lawmakers are blaming Canada for not preventing and containing wildfires, and in letters expressing outrage and indignation, suggest the smoke fouling air over North America could be an issue in tariff talks while demanding forest thinning, prescribed burns and other measures.

But what they haven’t done is acknowledge the role of climate change — a glaring and shortsighted omission, according to climate scientists.

Protesters Show Up At Rep. Van Orden's Latest Visit

As Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden visited La Crosse for a Chamber of Commerce meeting Thursday, so did a group of protesters, lining the sidewalk and road just outside.

Van Orden was speaking at the Pearl Street Brewery to members of the chamber about the Big Beautiful Bill while those gathered outside with signs as they chanted "DVO Must Go."

They said the Third Congressional District representative still refuses to meet with his constituents in any town hall setting.

Wisconsin DNR Has Lost 500 Positions Since 2003, Causing Permitting Delays

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has lost 500 positions over roughly two decades, leading to slower permitting times and loss of capacity for habitat management. The head of the agency’s board called the decline a “slow, insidious loss of resources.”

Bill Smith, chair of the Natural Resources Board, said at the board’s Wednesday meeting that the steady loss of positions combined with inflation means less work being done to protect natural resources and the environment.