Morning Headlines - Thursday, Apr. 30, 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

Sinaloa Governor Charged By US With Drug Trafficking, Weapons Offenses

The Justice Department has charged Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, with drug trafficking and weapons offenses.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the DEA administrator announced the charges against Rocha and nine other current and former high-ranking Mexican officials in a news release.

Officials alleged that the group had a partnership with the Sinaloa cartel to distribute “massive quantities” of drugs into the U.S. in exchange for political support and bribes.

Rocha’s office told Reuters it was not made aware of the accusations against him.

Fed Holds Rates Steady But With Highest Level Of Dissent Since 1992

An unusually divided Federal Reserve held its key interest rate steady.

Policymakers are grappling with the challenge of balancing the threats of persistent inflation and a softening labor market.

The meeting likely was the last with Chair Jerome Powell at the helm. He is due to step down from the top job in mid-May, although his term as a Fed governor doesn’t expire until January 2028.

During a news conference, Powell said he plans to continue to serve on the Board of Governors until an investigation of the Federal Reserve is “well and truly over with transparency and finality.”

Supreme Court Roils 2026 Midterms With Voting Rights Act Ruling

Senators in both parties say the Supreme Court has roiled the political landscape ahead of the midterm elections by effectively striking down majority-minority House districts as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

Democrats vented their rage over a ruling they said would return the nation to the Jim Crow-era policies of the 1950s and early ’60s, when Black citizens voted at far lower rates than today because of restrictions such as poll taxes and literacy tests. They also fear it could help Republicans pick up as many as 19 new GOP-leaning House seats.

Wall Street Takes A Rollercoaster Ride After A Manic Five Minutes Of Mega Tech Earnings

Markets went on a wild ride on Wednesday as four giant tech companies worth a quarter of the value of the entire stock market reported results.

Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon are the biggest, most well-know names in tech, and they are frenemies with rivals OpenAI and Anthropic in a death race to dominate the future of artificial intelligence.

Wall Street analysts were perplexed by the dramatic swings at first, as all four firms disclosed sales and profits that were well ahead of expectations - typically a reason for investors to smash the buy button.

Talks To Bail Out Spirit Airlines Stall As Company Teeters Toward Collapse

Spirit Airlines only has enough available cash to continue operations for a matter of days, not weeks, and talks for a government-backed rescue of the no-frills carrier have stalled, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

Facing two bankruptcies since 2024 and rising fuel prices due to the Iran war, Spirit has sought a lifeline from the federal government.

Evers Administration Seeks Approval To Finish Paying States For Helping With RNC Security

The Evers administration is asking lawmakers to sign off on spending $10.4 million to finish reimbursing states that provided law enforcement to assist in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention nearly two years ago.

The ask is part of a passive review request seeking about $11 million in increased spending authority that the Department of Administration forwarded to the Joint Finance Committee yesterday.

DOA is also asking the committee to sign off on $477,687 after Wisconsin sent teams to assist with search and rescue operations during flooding in Texas last year and $100,000 in anticipated support for other states through the end of the fiscal year.

Wisconsin Headlines

Prosecutors Say Wisconsin Police Chief Helped California Gun Dealers' Illegal Scheme To Import Ammo

Two California brothers could each face up to five years in prison for allegedly recruiting a small-town Wisconsin police chief to help them illegally import nearly half-a-million armor-piercing rounds into the U.S.

Jacob and Darin Dowd ran a gun dealership in Vacaville, California, federal prosecutors say in online court records. In June 2021, Jacob Dowd submitted an application to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fires and Explosives to import about 490,000 armor-piercing rounds from Smart Energeo Sistemi, an arms company based in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Multi-Year Drug Investigation In Central Wisconsin Successfully Concludes After Last Defendant Sentenced

Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced the successful conclusion of a multi-year drug trafficking investigation in central Wisconsin, following the sentencing of the last of thirteen defendants.

U.S. Attorney Elgersma praised the collaborative efforts of the law enforcement agents involved, “This outcome is the result of years of dedication, coordination, and trust among our law enforcement partners. I want to thank all the agents from around the state who worked tirelessly to identify and hold this criminal organization accountable for distributing large quantities of dangerous narcotics in our communities. Their collective efforts stand as a powerful example of what can be achieved when federal and state agencies work together.” He also reaffirmed his office’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations in the Western District of Wisconsin.

In February 2022, officers with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force began investigating a methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking organization led by Tommie L. Haney and Quo Vadis Lewis operating in Marathon County, Wisconsin. The investigation involved the seizure of drug-laden packages from the mail, thirty-two controlled purchases of narcotics, and search warrants executed at residences. As part of the investigation, officers seized over 12 kilograms of cocaine, 285 grams of crack cocaine, 6 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of marijuana, 14 firearms, and $47,405. Haney and Lewis, the leaders of the conspiracy, were sentenced to 14 years and 12 ½ years respectively.

State Senator André Jacque Not Seeking Re-Election

State Senator André Jacque, a New Franken republican, says he is not running for another term.

In a statement, Jacque says he’ll work with a variety of non-profits in our area after he leaves office.

Jacque has represented the 1st district in the Wisconsin State Senate since 2019. He spent eight years in the Assembly before that.

Latest Marquette Polls Find Deep Skepticism Of Data Centers, Artificial Intelligence

Marquette University Law School is out with a new national survey and Supreme Court poll that finds significant skepticism about data centers and artificial intelligence across all demographics.

The survey, conducted between April 8-16, found majorities of Republicans, Democrats, independents, men, women, all age groups and income levels believe the costs of data centers outweigh their potential benefits.