Morning Headlines - Friday, May. 8, 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

Trump Threatens EU With ‘Much Higher’ Tariffs If No Trade Deal Signed By New Deadline

President Donald Trump has said he will give the European Union until July 4 to ratify its trade agreement with the U.S., threatening to raise tariffs to “much higher” levels if the 27-nation bloc fails to do so.

In a post on Truth Social late Thursday, Trump issued a new trade deadline during a “great call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, one in which he said both leaders agreed Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.

USPS Weighs Proposal To Let People Mail Handguns; Attorneys General Push Back

For the first time in 100 years, handguns could be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service if a proposed rule, which has drawn opposition from a coalition of 22 Democratic attorneys general, takes effect.

In a comment letter submitted this week, the attorneys general argued that the Postal Service lacks the authority to override a 1927 federal law that bars the mailing of concealable firearms except by licensed dealers.

AI Arms Race Is Eating Into Big Tech's Cash Flow

The AI boom has made Big Tech richer, bigger, and suddenly much hungrier for cash.

Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta are all pouring more money into the physical backbone of AI — the data centers, chips, servers, and power-hungry infrastructure needed to keep the boom running.

FIFA Triples Price To $32,970 For Its Best Available Tickets To The World Cup Final

FIFA tripled the price of its best available tickets to the World Cup final, making $32,970 seats available Thursday for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Soccer's governing body listed those seats as front category one on its sales site.

It previously had a high price of $10,990 for category one. The $10,990 category for the final was available Thursday night only as wheelchair and easy access amenity category one.

Cyberattack Shutters Canvas Learning Platform For Schools Across The U.S.

A system that thousands of schools and universities use was offline Thursday due to a cyberattack, creating chaos as students tried to study for finals and underscoring education's dependence on technology.

The hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Instructure, the company behind the learning management system Canvas, said Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emisoft.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Regulators Approve Rates For Meta’s Beaver Dam Data Center, With Sharp Criticism

Wisconsin utility regulators signed off on Alliant Energy’s proposed rates for Meta’s $1 billion data center campus in Beaver Dam, but they ordered the utility to set a standard rate for future data center customers.

The Public Service Commission required Alliant to apply for standard rates for large loads of 100 megawatts or more from future data centers. Regulators also called for more reporting, cost-of-service studies and an incremental cost analysis to show what Alliant’s system would look like with and without energy demand from Meta.

Homeland Security Task Force Indicts Eighteen Defendants In Wide-Ranging Drug Trafficking Organization Operating

Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 5, 2026, a grand jury returned an indictment charging eighteen defendants with offenses related to drug-trafficking organizations that operated out of apartments owned and operated by Samuel P. Stair through his S2 Real Estate business.

Included among the defendants is Samuel P. Stair, who is described as the owner and registered agent of forty-three LLCs that are alleged to have facilitated the drug-trafficking offenses described in the indictment. According to a criminal complaint issued prior to the indictment, Stair rented properties he owned to drug traffickers for the purpose of storing and distributing controlled substances, including cocaine and fentanyl.

Wisconsin Air National Guard Selects New Senior Leader

The Wisconsin Air National Guard selected Michael Alvarez to become the ninth command chief master on May 3.

“You accomplished amazing things as Command Chief at the Fighter Wing,” Van Roo, Wisconsin’s deputy adjutant general for Air, said to Alvarez. “You inspired Airmen and built teams across the wing and the state, just as I knew you would.”

Rodriguez Won’t Seek Reelection To Suburban Milwaukee Assembly Swing Seat

GOP state Rep. Jessie Rodriguez announced today she won’t seek reelection to her swing state in the Assembly this fall, saying she wants to give more time to her family after nearly 14 years in the Legislature.

Rodriguez, 48, is one of five Assembly Republicans representing seats where Dem Kamala Harris took more votes than Donald Trump in 2024. She is the second of the five to decide against seeking reelection, complicating GOP efforts to hold onto the 54-45 majority they started with this session.

Wisconsin Football Announces Season Opener Time For Game Against Notre Dame At Lambeau Field

The kickoff time for the Wisconsin Badgers’ season opener against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field was announced Thursday.

The season opener game time was set for 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6. The game will air on NBC.

The matchup between the Badgers and Fighting Irish will be played before the start of the NFL season as part of the 2026 Labor Day slate of college football.