Morning Headlines - Thursday, Mar. 6, 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

Trump Offers One-Month Tariff Exemption To U.S. Automakers

President Trump is giving a one-month exemption to U.S. automakers from the round of tariffs that took effect on March 4, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.

The announcement comes after Mr. Trump spoke with leaders of the so-called Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram — on Wednesday, Leavitt said.

Russian Strike Kills 4 In Ukraine Amid US Aid, Intelligence Freeze

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there can be "no pause" in pressure on Russia after another night of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, the latest barrage coming the day after the U.S. confirmed it had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

President Donald Trump's decision to pause all U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing has raised concerns that Ukraine's air defenses will become less effective in the days, weeks and months to come.

Scientists Discover New Part Of The Immune System

A new part of the immune system has been discovered and it is a goldmine of potential antibiotics, scientists have said.

They've shown a part of the body known to recycle proteins has a secret mode that can spew out an arsenal of bacteria-killing chemicals.

The researchers in Israel say it transforms our understanding of how we are protected against infection.

And gives a new place to look for antibiotics to tackle the growing problem of superbugs that resist our current drugs.

What The Data Says About Gun Deaths In The U.S.

Nearly 47,000 people died of gun-related injuries in the United States in 2023, according to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the number of gun deaths in the U.S. fell for the second consecutive year, it remained among the highest annual totals on record.

Here’s a closer look at gun deaths in the U.S., based on a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the CDC, the FBI and other sources.

Jack Daniel’s Maker Says Canada Pulling U.S. Alcohol Off Shelves ‘Worse Than Tariff’

Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman’s CEO Lawson Whiting said on Wednesday that Canadian provinces taking American liquor off store shelves was “worse than a tariff” and a “disproportionate response” to levies imposed by the Trump administration.

Several Canadian provinces have taken U.S. liquor off store shelves as part of retaliatory measures against President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Wisconsin Bill Would Crack Down On Predatory Practices By Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Independent pharmacists and community health advocates in Wisconsin are rallying behind legislation to crack down on third-party companies that dictate how patients can access their prescriptions.

Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, serve as brokers between drugmakers, health insurance companies and pharmacies. The three largest PBMs manage nearly 80 percent of all prescriptions filled in the United States, according to a Federal Trade Commission report from July.

Seventh Inmate Dies At Troubled Wisconsin Maximum Security Prison

Another inmate has died at Wisconsin’s oldest prison, the seventh since 2023 and less than a year after the then-warden and multiple members of his staff were charged with misconduct and felony inmate abuse.

Damien Evans, 23, died Tuesday at the Waupun Correctional Institution, the state Department of Corrections offender website shows. It doesn’t provide any details. A department spokesperson didn’t immediately reply to a Wednesday message seeking comment. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said in an email that his agency is investigating Evans’ death, but that he had no information to share.

Wisconsin Teen, A Person Of Interest In Mom’s And Stepdad’s Deaths, Is Found 800 Miles Away With A Gun

A Wisconsin teenager was arrested in Iowa, more than 800 miles from the home where his mother and stepfather were found slain, authorities said Tuesday.

The juvenile was stopped for running a stop sign in WaKeeney, Iowa, at 11:25 p.m.

"The subject was taken into custody with no further incident. The subject was identified and found out to be a juvenile wanted out of Wisconsin," Romero added. "The subject is a person of interest in a double homicide that this Wisconsin sheriffs office is still investigating."

Weight Restrictions Begin Thursday For Majority Of Wisconsin Highways

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is enacting Class II restrictions for the majority of Wisconsin (highways south of US 8), including Zone 2 through Zone 5, on Thursday, March 6 at 12:01 a.m. Class II restrictions for far northern Wisconsin (Zone 1) will start on Monday, March 10 at 12:01 a.m.

Poll: Many Voters Don't Know Enough About Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidates

There is less than one month to go from a consequential state Supreme Court to determine the ideological balance of the bench, but poll results released Wednesday show many voters still don't know enough about the candidates.

The latest Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin voters found many don't know enough to have an opinion about the candidates on the ballot.

For the state Supreme Court race, 29% of registered voters said they had a favorable opinion, and 32% had an unfavorable opinion of candidate Brad Schimel, while 38% have not heard enough about him.

For Susan Crawford, 19% were favorable, 23% were unfavorable, and a majority 58% have not heard enough about her to have an opinion.