Morning Headlines - Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

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

Tariff Refunds In Sight As Importers Start Signing Up

Importers are inching closer to receiving tariff refunds this week as companies begin to work through the government’s newly launched system.

It enables companies to formally request their piece of the $166 billion in collected duties invalidated by the Supreme Court. Still, the Trump administration warns it may be weeks before funds change hands.

AI Data Center Backlash Threatens Pennsylvania GOB Incumbents In 2026 Election

Amazon and Microsoft data centers to power AI are springing up in some of the most competitive congressional districts in Pennsylvania.

Incumbent Republicans in those districts are at risk of being blamed amid a backlash over those AI data centers and over rising energy prices linked to their construction and operation.

Republicans have a slim majority in the U.S. House going into the 2026 midterm election, which will determine which party controls Congress.

Pennsylvania already has more than 100 data centers.

After 2 Failed Votes, Mike Johnson Unveils New Plan To Extend Key U.S. Spy Powers

Speaker Mike Johnson, R.-La., is forging ahead with his latest proposal to renew a key American spy power. His bill, revealed Thursday, is largely unchanged from a previous plan which failed in a series of overnight votes earlier this month.

The program at center of the debate, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), is set to expire on April 30.

Missing Scientists: Death Of NASA Engineer Joshua Leblanc Draws Scrutiny

A NASA electrical engineer is among the latest individuals joining the baffling list of U.S. researchers who have died or gone missing under mysterious circumstances in the past half-decade.

The body of 29-year-old Joshua LeBlanc was pulled from the burnt wreckage of his Tesla last July 22 near Huntsville, Alabama, and identified days later by state forensic officials. LeBlanc’s vehicle reportedly struck a guardrail and several trees before it burst into flames.

Ex-Assistant To Fired Michigan Coach Speaks Out

Paige Shiver, the former mistress of fired Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, became pregnant during their yearslong affair but was forced to terminate the pregnancy over health concerns.

As she revealed in her bombshell interview with ABC, Shiver was already pregnant when she learned she was suffering from Pompe disease, a rare, inherited lysosomal storage disorder that weakens muscle. Doctors feared for her safety while Moore, the 40-year-old married father with whom she was having an affair, urged her to terminate the pregnancy.

Wisconsin Headlines

Latest Marquette Poll Shows Lagging GOP Voter Enthusiasm

Republicans could once again face a challenge from their own voters in the next election.

The latest Marquette Law School Poll shows that Republicans are far less excited to vote in November compared to Democrats.

“[Regarding] enthusiasm about voting in November among registered voters, with 50% of Democrats saying they are very enthusiastic, compared to 33% of Republicans,”pollsters wrote Tuesday.

The poll shows there’s also a gap in the number of Republicans and Democrats who say they plan to vote.

Resignations From Literacy Council Delayed Curricula Recommendations

Nearly half of the state’s early literacy council resigned while the body was reviewing early literacy instructional materials, leading to a “months-long” delay in finalizing the recommendations, according to DPI.

It’s at least the second time the council has had delays in approving curricula recommendations following the enactment of 2023’s Act 20, which requires a phonics-based approach to literacy instruction.

Liberal Supreme Court Justices Won’t Step Away From Troupis Forgery Case

Two liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court justices will not step aside from an ongoing criminal case against one of President Donald Trump’s ex-campaign attorneys who helped orchestrate the 2020 false elector scheme.

Jim Troupis, along with fellow attorney Kenneth Chesebro and former Trump campaign aide Mike Roman, face 11 counts of felony forgery for allegedly making false documents claiming Trump won the 2020 election. The documents were signed by 10 Wisconsin Republicans posing as presidential electors. The charges were filed by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul in 2024.

US Supreme Court Rules For Michigan In The State's Lawsuit To Shut Down Line 5 Section

The Supreme Court on April 22 sided with Michigan in ruling that the state’s lawsuit seeking to shut down a section of an aging pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel will stay in state court.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for a unanimous court that the Enbridge energy company waited too long to try to move the case to federal court.

Wisconsin Attorney General Sues Betting Companies Over Alleged Illegal Sports Wagering

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is suing online betting companies Kalshi, Robinhood, Coinbase, Polymarket and Crypto.com, along with their affiliates, claiming they are disguising sports bets as event contracts to bypass state law.

An event contract is a type of prediction market that allows users to buy into a yes-or-no outcome on an event. For example, someone could bet on whether Fernando Mendoza would be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.