Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Aug. 5, 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

DOJ Launching Grand Jury Investigation Into Russiagate Conspiracy Allegations

Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered a grand jury investigation into the intelligence regarding President Trump and Russia in the run-up to the 2016 election.

She has directed Justice Department staff to begin legal proceedings and ordered a federal prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury about the matter to secure a potential indictment, according to a source familiar with Bondi's efforts. It is unclear what the charges would be and who would be charged.

Texas Governor Orders Police To Find And Arrest Democrats Who Fled Over Redistricting

Texas House Republicans on Monday voted 85-6 to authorize the House sergeant-at-arms and related officers to track down and civilly arrest Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP redistricting efforts.

"The sergeant-at-arms and any officers appointed by her are directed to send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purposes of securing and maintaining their attendance under warrant of arrest, if necessary, until further order of the House," said Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows, the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs Denied Bail While Awaiting Sentencing

A federal judge in New York declined on Monday to grant Sean "Diddy" Combs bail, finding no "exceptional reasons" to release him prior to his October sentencing. Combs was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution, which the judge said mandates incarceration. His sentencing is set for Oct. 3.

Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs remains a risk of flight and a danger to the community, pointing to the violence exhibited on 2016 hotel surveillance footage that shows him kicking and dragging Cassie Ventura.

Early GOP Rift Emerges As Congress Braces For Shutdown Fight

Rifts are emerging between Republicans over how to approach next month’s government funding fight, with some pushing for leaders to try to pass new full-year spending plans and others already expressing openness to another funding patch if it means less spending.

When lawmakers return from their monthlong recess in September, they’ll have just weeks before an end-of-month deadline to keep the government funded or risk a shutdown.

World’s Largest Chipmaker TSMC Says It Has Discovered Potential Trade Secret Leaks

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it had detected “unauthorized activities” that lead to the discovery of potential trade secret leaks.

TSMC said it has taken action against the personnel involved and launched legal proceedings.

The world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturer dominates the market for the manufacturing of the most advanced chips and counts major firms like Apple and Nvidia as clients.

Texas Democrats Flee State, Echoing Wisconsin Lawmakers’ 2011 Move To Block Act 10

Texas Democratic lawmakers have stopped their GOP’s new congressional maps, for now, by fleeing the state. The new maps, if passed, would favor Republicans, likely flipping five seats in their favor.

By leaving the state, these Democrats denied a quorum, meaning there were not enough lawmakers present to be able to move forward.

However, this is not the first time Democrats have fled to protest a vote. It happened in Wisconsin in 2011 in response to Act 10, which ended collective bargaining rights.

Hagedorn Says He’ll Likely Seek Reelection In 2029

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn says he’ll likely seek another 10-year term on the state’s high court when his term is up in 2029.

“I’m proud of my record and proud of where I stand,” Hagedorn said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “At the moment, I’m inclined to, but we’ve got three important races between now and then. So, like I’ve said, I’ve kept my promises. I’m proud of the work that I’ve done.”

Hagedorn, a member of the court’s conservative minority, has sometimes faced backlash from supporters after siding with the court’s liberal justices on several key decisions.

Zoning Reform: Eau Claire Leads The Way

The city of Eau Claire is nearing the end of a multi-year process to update and reform its zoning and land use regulations.

The city is expected to put the new plan into effect by October, after it settles the debate surrounding fee schedules––particularly tree preservation fees.

At MacIver, I've written often about the property rights issues that zoning and land use regulations impose, and have conducted a case study for the cities of Lake Geneva and Williams Bay that attempts to measure the impact of zoning regulations on home prices.

Spoiler: zoning makes housing more expensive––much more expensive.

Health Officials Urge School Year Vaccination Following Wisconsin Measles Cases

State health officials are urging families to vaccinate their children before the upcoming school year, following the first cases of measles reported in Wisconsin this weekend.

Though the cases were linked to the same out-of-state exposure and deemed low risk to the public through contract tracing, officials at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services are still discouraged by the state’s school vaccination rates.

“It tells us that we still have work to do.” Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for communicable diseases at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, told reporters Monday.

Rebate Programs Helping Wisconsinites Improve Energy Efficiency Of Their Homes

Governor Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin celebrated the one-year anniversary of the state's Home Energy Rebate programs.

The programs are the Home Efficiency Rebate (HOMES) Program and the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program. HOMES was launched in August of 2024. HEAR was launched a few months later.

The programs have helped Wisconsin residents be more energy efficient and lower their utility bills.