Morning Headlines - Friday, May 22, 2026 | 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

U.S., Iran Signal Peace Progress — But Remain At Odds Over Enriched Uranium, Strait Of Hormuz Tolls

The U.S. and Iran have signaled progress in talks to end the war, but the combatants remain at loggerheads over Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile and tolls on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said there were “good signs” that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, but warned any such deal would be “unfeasible” if Iran pursues measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

US Move Into Quantum Computing Adds To A Portfolio That Spans Semiconductors, Steel, Nuclear, And Rare Earths

The Trump administration is expanding the government’s burgeoning investment portfolio, announcing Thursday that it will award grants to nine quantum computing companies, including a new IBM venture, in exchange ‌for equity stakes.

The move signals that quantum technology — a sector garnering intense investor interest despite questions about its near-term commercial viability — is set to join the administration’s portfolio of investments, which already spans semiconductors, steel, nuclear energy, and rare earth minerals.

Trump, Facing GOP Blowback, Sends 5,000 Troops To Poland

President Trump said Thursday that the U.S. is sending 5,000 additional troops to Poland, a week after the Pentagon canceled the long-planned deployment of 4,000 service members to the Central European country.

Lawmakers have expressed deep frustration and concern over the move to halt the planned rotation, accusing the administration of making a last-minute move with no consultation with Congress.

Trump appeared to reverse the move on Thursday, though it wasn’t immediately clear if the troops heading to Poland are the same brigade whose deployment was paused.

NASCAR Icon Kyle Busch Dies At The Age Of 41

NASCAR icon Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races across the sport's three national series than any driver in history, died at the age of 41 on Thursday, the racing series announced.

The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement saying that Busch died after being hospitalized earlier in the day as the result of a severe illness, three days before he was to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. No cause of death was given.

Stephen Colbert Signs Off "The Late Show" One Last Time

Stephen Colbert said goodbye to "The Late Show" Thursday night in the franchise's finale following a 33-year run, saying he was "lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years" and never took the experience for granted.

"There is so much history here in the Ed Sullivan Theater, and we've been honored to have been just a small part of it," Colbert said in his opening monologue.

Wisconsin Needs A New Era Of Welfare Reform

Wisconsin Works (W-2) is the state’s welfare-to-work program, which seeks to help low-income parents and pregnant mothers find employment. Wisconsin Works was enacted in 1996 under the leadership of then-Governor Tommy Thompson. It is funded through federal block grants for TANF and imposes new work and training requirements for those receiving cash assistance.

Wisconsin was considered to be a "pioneer," being the first state to replace the welfare model of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with TANF and create a system that encouraged, not discouraged, employment.

Wisconsin, Federal Government Clash Over Who Regulates Prediction Markets

A U.S. Special Forces soldier was charged with using classified information to make $400,000 on Polymarket off of the U.S.’s military operation in Venezuela. Three political candidates were suspended from Kalshi after betting on their own races, and numerous others suspiciously timed wages have occurred across these platforms.

Since then, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul sued five prediction markets and their affiliates, including Kalshi, Polymarket and Coinbase, alleging they facilitated illegal sports betting in the state.

Children’s Wisconsin, UW Health Under Pressure To Resume Care For Transgender Youth

More than 60 advocacy organizations and businesses in Wisconsin are calling on the state’s top children’s hospitals to resume providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

The letter, organized by LGBTQ+ civil rights group Fair Wisconsin, states that while gender-affirming care is legal in Wisconsin, it is “more and more difficult to access” due to the decisions of UW Health and Children’s Wisconsin.

The state’s two major children’s hospitals halted the services at the start of the year following efforts by the Trump administration to punish health care systems providing transition-related care, including puberty-blocking medications and hormone therapy.

Wisconsin Beaches Get $220,000 Boost To Keep Swimmers Safe This Season

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing $220,000 to Wisconsin to monitor water quality at beaches and notify the public when elevated bacteria levels make swimming unsafe.

The funding is authorized by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act.

BLS Data: Wisconsin April Employment Numbers Released; Unemployment Holds Steady At 3.5%

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the following information for Wisconsin’s labor market, reflecting April 2026 preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Employment – There were 3,020,100 people employed in Wisconsin, up 400 over the month and down 2,900 over the year.
Labor Force – The state’s labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 64.4% which is 2.6 percentage points above the national rate of 61.8%.
Nonfarm Jobs – The total nonfarm jobs in the state were 3,028,800, an increase of 9,000 over last month.
Unemployment – The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5%, which is 0.8 percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 4.3%