Morning Headlines - Monday, June 16, 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

Minnesota Shooting Suspect Vance Boelter Is Arrested After Democrat Lawmakers Were Gunned Down

The gunman accused of shooting two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota has been taken into custody after making a fatal error.

Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested late Sunday night for the murders of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the attempted murder of Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife.

The suspect had been on the run for nearly two full days when he was caught - after he was seen passing a trail camera in a rural town in Sibley County.

'Most of the search had concluded then,' Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said. 'But the trail cam picture alerted SWAT teams to go to the area, search a perimeter and with the help of drones, identify his location.'

The lawmaker shootings in Minnesota are a disturbing trend: Analysis

Violence against public officials has been increasing in recent years, including the two recent assassination attempts in 2024 against President Donald Trump. The 2011 assassination attempt on Rep. Gabby Giffords, initially perceived as an anomaly at the time, now appears to have been a precursor to a rising tide of threats against an expanding sphere of elected officials.

This trend was further highlighted in 2017 when a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, was targeted by an individual motivated by political grievances. Five people were wounded, including Majority Whip Steve Scalise, when the gunman unleashed a hail of 70 rounds.

Trump Told Israel Not To Kill Iran's Supreme Leader, Says Report

US President Donald Trump rejected a plan by Israel to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, three US officials have told BBC's US partner CBS News.

Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that assassinating Khamenei was "not a good idea", according to one official. The president has not commented publicly on the report.

The conversation is said to have happened since Israel launched its attack on Iran on Friday.

Immigration Protests Put Democrats In Tricky Territory

Nationwide protests against President Trump’s crackdown on immigration are putting Democrats in tricky political territory ahead of the high-stakes midterms.

After demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids roiled Los Angeles and prompted Trump to call in the National Guard despite California’s objections, protests cropped up this week in cities big and small, thrusting to the fore what has been a winning issue for Republicans in recent elections.

While many in the party, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), are using the moment to hammer Trump on executive overreach, some also see the controversy as a key opening for Democrats to define themselves on immigration, where the GOP has held the advantage.

The AI Revolution Is Likely To Drive Up Your Electricity Bill. Here's Why.

New Jersey residents got some bad news earlier this year when the state's public utilities board warned that their electricity bills could surge up to 20% starting on June 1. A key driver in that rate hike: data centers.

The spread of these large-scale computing facilities across the U.S. amid growing demand for artificial intelligence, data storage and other technology services is projected to increase electricity consumption to record highs in the coming years, according to experts.

A report from Schneider Electric, a company that specializes in digital automation and energy management, projects that electricity demand will increase 16% by 2029, mainly due to the proliferation of data centers. Most data centers rely on the nation's electrical grid for energy, meaning it will be Americans ratepayers who pick up the tab.

Wisconsin Headlines

Democratic Party Of Wisconsin Announces New Chairman Sunday

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, commonly known as WisDems, elected Devin Remiker as the successor to former chairman Ben Wikler, who announced he would not run for re-election in April.

Remiker was elected during the state convention that ran over the weekend on June 14th and 15th. He will take over for Wikler on July 1st, following the former chairman's last day.

After the election, Remiker praised WisDems as a political force in the state and said it was a model for how Democrats can succeed nationwide.

Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Methamphetamine Trafficking

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Xa Xiong, 32, St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Xiong pled guilty to this charge on February 21, 2025.

In July 2024, investigators received information from a confidential source that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being stored inside a storage unit in Eau Claire. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the storage unit and found a backpack with about six pounds of methamphetamine inside, ultimately linked to Xiong.

On July 26, 2024, Xiong sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A week later, Xiong met up with the same undercover officer to sell the officer two pounds of methamphetamine and Xiong was arrested during the attempted delivery.

Milwaukee Police Might Trade 2.5M Mugshots For Facial Recognition Technology

The Milwaukee Police Department is considering a trade — 2.5 million mugshots for new facial recognition technology.

The department first floated the trade with facial recognition AI company Biometrica at an April meeting of the city’s Fire and Police Commission.

The trade would give MPD two free licenses to use the company’s software — one in its criminal investigations unit and the other at the Southeastern Wisconsin Threat Analysis Center, a “fusion center” run with the Department of Homeland Security.

Wisconsin Democrats Approve Resolution In Support Of Limiting Weapons Transfers To Israel

Dem activists today approved 236-30 a floor resolution supporting a House measure backed by U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan to limit the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel and thanking Pocan for supporting the proposal.

The House resolution referenced is H.R.3565, the “Block the Bombs Act,” which includes provisions to ensure Israel is using offensive weapons in accordance with United States and International law.

The resolution states the Democratic Party of Wisconsin base “is overwhelmingly supportive of restricting weapons to Israel.” Dem activists rejected an amendment to remove that phrase. 

The Lowdown On The Low Technology Institute

Are you feeling suffocated by technology’s grasp on your daily life? The Low Technology Institute might be the place for you.

Located in the historic village of Cooksville, the nonprofit’s mission is to research ways to live locally and sustainably without a reliance on fossil fuels.

For leaders of the institute, that often means looking back to earlier generations for inspiration.