Morning Headlines - Friday, Feb. 21, 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

Senate Adopts GOP Budget Plan After Marathon "Vote-a-rama" Into Wee Hours

Senate Republicans adopted a narrower budget proposal focused on defense, border security and energy priorities after a marathon series of votes that stretched into the early hours of Friday.

The GOP senators forged ahead with the proposal despite President Trump's decision on Wednesday to endorse a competing plan put forward by House Republicans.

The Senate began what's known as a "vote-a-rama" on the GOP budget blueprint Thursday at shortly before 7 p.m., in which senators could offer an unlimited number of amendments and force the chamber to cast vote after vote through the night.

Kash Patel Confirmed By Senate To Be Trump's FBI Director

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's choice to be FBI director.

The final vote was 51-49.

Two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, voted against Patel. Democrats were unanimous in their opposition.

Measles Cases Are Rising In The U.S. Do Adults Need A Vaccine Booster?

A measles outbreak in West Texas is continuing to spread. And with kindergarten vaccination rates dipping across the country, more communities may be at risk of outbreaks.

But it's not just kids who should be vaccinated. Infectious disease experts say some adults may need to get revaccinated, too.

MLB, ESPN Opt Out Of TV Deal For 2026-28 Seasons

ESPN and Major League Baseball will no longer be partners following the 2025 season, as the sides agreed to mutually opt out of their broadcast contract Thursday.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a memo to clubs that was obtained by The Athletic, in which he confirmed ESPN had asked the league to “reduce the amount (ESPN) pay for MLB content over the remainder of the term.” Their current deal was for seven years worth $550 million annually, and featured Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby and wild-card games. But Apple and Roku have since negotiated slimmer packages of games for less cash.

Canada Defeats USA In Overtime To Claim Hockey's First 4 Nations Face-Off Title

Canada defeated USA Thursday to win the first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament, capping what had become a heated and politically charged event.

An overtime goal from Connor McDavid sealed the 3-2 win for Canada at the TD Garden Arena in Boston, where ticket prices soared in the days ahead of the hotly anticipated finale.

Group Backed By Musk Pours Money Into Ads On Behalf Of GIO Candidate In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

A conservative nonprofit backed by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk is getting involved in a race that will determine the political direction of the highest court in one of the country’s most important presidential battleground states.

The group Building America’s Future is spending $1.6 million on television ads in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race that started airing Thursday and will run for two weeks in the state’s five largest media markets. The spending comes after Musk posted a message last month on X, the social media platform he owns, drawing attention to the race and calling for the Republican to win.

All Assembly Democrats Vote Against Higher Learning Standards For Wisconsin Schools

Every single Democrat in the Wisconsin Assembly is now on the record as being against restoring learning standards for Wisconsin schools.

Republicans in the Assembly on Wednesday passed the plan, officially known as Assembly Bill 1, on a strict party-line vote.

“If it is truly the ‘Year of The Kid,’ we are going to see on the first day of session, with the first few bills that we bring-up, focusing on education, whether it is a bipartisan ‘Year of The Kid,’ or empty rhetoric on one side and reality on the other,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said at the beginning of Wednesday’s debate.

Attorney General Josh Kaul Joins Multistate Coalition To Defend The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general to warn against efforts by the Trump administration and Elon Musk to defund and disband the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The CFPB is an independent agency that oversees big banks, lenders, credit card companies, and mortgage servicers and ensures companies are following federal consumer protection laws. Since its creation, the CFPB has helped millions of Americans by helping homeowners facing foreclosure stay in their homes, stopping banks from charging junk fees, and returning more than $20 billion to the pockets of consumers nationwide.

Evers’ Plan To Reorganize Wisconsin’s Prison System Getting Mixed Reviews

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will ultimately need approval from Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature if he wants to make his half-billion dollar plan to reorganize Wisconsin’s prison system a reality.

So far, the governor’s recently released budget request for Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections is getting mixed reviews from state lawmakers, although criminal justice reform advocates and several local officials say they’re encouraged by the proposal.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Introduce Right To Repair Legislation Allowing Farmers To Fix Machinery At A Fair Cost

A week after Attorney General Kaul added the state of Wisconsin to a lawsuit against Deere & Company to protect farmers from unfair corporate tactics and and high repair costs, state Sen. Brad Pfaff introduced Right to Repair legislation.

Pfaff says the consumer protection proposal creates a right to repair agricultural equipment by requiring manufacturers to make things like repair documentation, data, parts and necessary tools available to owners and independent servicers at fair costs and terms — without surrendering trade secrets that would harm the manufacturers’ legitimate intellectual property rights.