Morning Headlines - Tuesday, July 1, 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

House GOP Fumes Over Senate Megabill: ‘How Did It Get So Much F‑‑‑ing Worse?’

Moderate Republicans and hard-line conservatives in the House are expressing increasing opposition to the Senate’s version of the “big, beautiful bill” just days before the lower chamber is set to consider the legislation, a daunting dynamic for GOP leaders as they race to meet their self-imposed Friday deadline.

The Senate on Monday kicked off the hours-long vote-a-rama with members considering a series of amendments that could be make-or-break for support in the lower chamber, including changes to Medicaid cuts and tax provisions. The upper chamber is expected to vote on final passage early Tuesday morning.

Elon Musk Says He’ll Launch Third Party If Megabill Passes

Elon Musk said Monday he would follow through on threats to establish a third party if President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is enacted by Congress.

Musk said on X his “America Party will be formed the next day” after its passage. He posted as the Senate moved closer to a final vote on what he called an “insane” domestic policy bill.

“Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE,” he continued.

Bryan Kohberger Agrees To Plead Guilty To All Counts In Idaho College Murders Case

Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to all counts in the killings of four University of Idaho students, sparing him from the death penalty, according to a letter sent to victims' family members informing them of the plea deal.

Kohberger -- who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the 2022 killings of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin -- will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count, according to the plea agreement.

Trump Rips AT&T Service Weeks After Trump Mobile Licensing Deal Announced

President Donald Trump criticized AT&T in consecutive Truth Social posts, saying the cell phone carrier “ought to get its act together.”

He said that “AT&T obviously doesn’t know what they’re doing!” after there were technical issues on a conference call he was holding with faith leaders.

The Trump Organization on June 16 launched a wireless plan with a $499 smartphone.

Shoppers Are Trading Down To Store Brands Without Even Realizing It

Many consumers are buying retailers’ cheaper alternatives to name-brand items without even meaning to.

So-called private-label products have been getting more popular for years as inflation-weary shoppers hunt for bargains. U.S. sales of store-brand products rose nearly 4% last year to a record $271 billion, the Private Label Manufacturers Association estimated in January. But it isn’t just affordability driving the shift. Many customers can’t distinguish name-brand products from private-label ones as well as they think they can.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Governor, GOP Reach Budget Deal To Cut Taxes, Fund University

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republicans who control the state Legislature announced a deal Tuesday on a new two-year budget that cuts income taxes, increases funding for the Universities of Wisconsin despite a threatened cut and raises taxes to pay for transportation projects.

The deal in the battleground state, where Evers and Republicans have a long history of not working together, emerged the day after the deadline for enacting a new budget. However, there is no government shutdown in Wisconsin when the budget is late. The Legislature is scheduled to pass it this week.

Budget Deal Would Put $1.2 Billion Into Education, Child Care, Cut Taxes $1.5 Billion

Dem Gov. Tony Evers and legislative leaders announced they have reached an agreement to pump an additional $1.2 billion into K-12 education, child care and the UW System.

The deal also includes a $1.5 billion tax cut package, adding two of the guv’s priorities to what the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee had already approved.

Evers hailed the deal as a “pro-kid budget that’s a win for Wisconsin’s kids, families, and our future.”

Meanwhile, GOP legislative leaders touted the tax cuts in the deal along with adding changes to the Universities of Wisconsin such as new requirements for increased teaching loads in exchange for the $256 million in additional state aid the system would receive.

Minocqua Brewing Company Owner Charged With Harassment Of Northwoods Newspaper Publisher

The owner of Minocqua Brewing Company has been charged with harassment after he held what he called a “political protest” outside the offices of a Northwoods newspaper publisher.

Kirk Bangstad has been embroiled in a yearslong feud with leaders in Minocqua and Oneida County. In April, he lost the conditional use permit that allows him to operate the brewery’s Minocqua location. He nevertheless opened the business for the summer tourism season. State court records show about a dozen tickets related to the permit since mid-May.

Bangstad’s business sells “progressive beer” often themed around Democratic politicians, and he operates a liberal super PAC. He has long held that he is the victim of unfair or unconstitutional treatment as a result of his liberal politics in the largely conservative Northwoods county.

Vote For Wisconsin State Patrol In Best-Looking Cruiser Contest

The polls are open in the race for America’s best-looking cruiser! Show your support for Wisconsin State Patrol in the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) annual nationwide contest.

Wisconsin’s photo this year features a State Patrol cruiser parked in front of the SS Badger, the last coal-fired steamship in the United States and a National Historic Landmark.

DNR Announces Sharp-Tailed Grouse Hunting Season For Fall 2025

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that a sharp-tailed grouse hunt will be held this fall, the first since 2018. The season will run from Oct. 18 to Nov. 9, 2025.

An application period will run from June 30 until Aug. 1 for entry into a limited-drawing lottery. Preference points from prior years will be honored.

Wisconsin has had a long history with sharp-tailed grouse. Beginning in the 1990s, state biologists noticed a steady decline in population numbers. Fragmentation and loss of their core habitat (pine barrens) are believed to be the primary causes of the decline.