Morning Headlines - Thursday, Feb. 5, 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

What To Know About The Congressional Fight Over ICE Restrictions, And Another Possible Government Shutdown

A partial government shutdown has recently come to an end, but another one may be on the horizon if Democrats and Republicans can't hammer out an agreement on potential restrictions to put on immigration enforcement tactics that have been put in the spotlight after two fatal shootings by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis last month.

A day after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the overwhelming majority of his caucus voted against a funding deal Senate Democrats had struck with the White House, Democratic leaders presented a unified message as they laid out their demands for reform at the Department of Homeland Security -- calling on Republicans to "get serious" as lawmakers face a Feb. 13 deadline to fund the agency.

Military Threatens To Break From Boy Scouts Over DEI

The Defense Department is threatening to cut ties with Scouting America, the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts.

Sean Parnell, assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs, made a lengthy social media post where he threatened to withdraw military support for the organization over their policies.

“As a result, over the past several months, the Department of War has been reviewing its relationship with Scouting America—formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America. A great organization, that has — in many ways — lost its way,” Parnell wrote.

Nike Faces Federal Probe Over Allegations Of Discrimination Against White Workers

The federal agency for protecting workers' civil rights revealed Wednesday that it is investigating sportswear giant Nike for allegedly discriminating against white employees through its diversity policies.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed the investigation in a motion filed in Missouri federal court demanding that Nike fully comply with a subpoena for information.

Alphabet Resets The Bar For AI Infrastructure Spending

Alphabet announced Wednesday that its capex spend in 2026 could be more than double what the company spent in 2025.

The capex will go toward AI compute capacity for Google DeepMind and to meet “significant cloud customer demand as well as strategic investments in other bets,” Alphabet CFO Anat Ashkenazi said.

Google’s expectations for capex increases exceed the forecasts of its hyperscaler peers.

Did Astronomers See A Black Hole Explode? An 'Impossible' Particle That Hit Earth In 2023 May Tell Us

An incredibly energetic "impossible" particle that hit Earth in 2023 may have been debris from an exploding primordial black hole formed during the Big Bang. If that is the case, then it could prove the existence of primordial black holes, which could then help explain what the universe's most mysterious "stuff," dark matter, is made of.

The particle in question was a neutrino with an energy 100,000 times greater than that of the highest-energy particles produced by the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Wisconsin Headlines

No Progress Yet On Property Tax Relief In Wisconsin

There’s no plan yet to tackle property relief at the Wisconsin Capitol.

The heads of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday skirted questions about any negotiations between Republican lawmakers and Gov. Tony Evers on either the governor’s 400-year veto, or his request for $1.3 billion in property tax relief.

“The important work isn’t before us today, but it is on-going in our caucuses,” Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam said.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos last month said he’s open to working with the governor on property tax relief, but Vos said the governor must end his 400-year veto first.

Lawmakers Debate Pared-Back Stewardship Reauthorization Ahead Of June Funding Lapse

 A pair of GOP lawmakers urged passage of their proposal to extend the state’s stewardship program for two years before funding lapses in June amid an ongoing battle for support from both sides of the political aisle.

Co-authors Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, and Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, at yesterday’s Senate Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage Committee hearing emphasized the challenges of addressing various concerns related to renewing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Explore Age Verification Requirements On Companionship Chatbots

As a proliferation of free and easy artificial intelligence tools transform how people learn, work and socialize, Wisconsin lawmakers heard testimony Wednesday on a proposal that seeks to regulate kids’ use of human-esque chatbots.

The bill seeks to limit the exposure of minors to chatbots, amid growing concern that teens are socially influenced — sometimes to the point of self-harm — by interacting with lifelike AI companions from companies like ChatGPT or Character.AI.

Air Wisconsin Airlines Sells Aircraft Fleet For $110 Million

Air Wisconsin Airlines sold its fleet of aircraft to two other companies last month in a deal that brought in around $110 million.

The sale was finalized on Jan. 9, according to company information.

Harbor Diversified Incorporated, which owned the fleet, no longer owns any assets to support an airline as a result of the transaction.

Marquette Law School National Poll Finds 63% Of People Say The US Supreme Court Should Limit Trump’s Tariff Power

A new Marquette Law School poll found that 63% of Americans say that the U.S. Supreme Court should uphold a ruling that limits President Donald Trump’s power to impose tariffs.

37% of adults approve of how Trump is handling tariffs. Within this group, 78% say the Court should allow the president to keep his authority over tariffs, while 22% say the Court should limit his authority. Of those who disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs, 89% say the Court should limit his authority, while 11% say he should keep the power to set tariffs.