Morning Headlines - Thursday, May. 7, 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

'Time To Say Goodbye,' Epstein Allegedly Wrote In Purported Suicide Note

An apparent suicide note written in 2019 by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released Wednesday.

A U.S. district judge ordered the release of the document at the request of The New York Times.

The note had been submitted to the court in May 2021 as part of the criminal murder case for Nicholas Tartaglione, a former cellmate of Epstein. Tartaglione has previously claimed that the note was written by Epstein after a failed suicide attempt less than a month before his death.

Senate GOP Fears $1B For White House Ballroom Represents Political Landmine

A Republican proposal to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on security for the White House ballroom has become a political landmine in the Senate debate over funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years.

Before the Senate Judiciary Committee released its bill, Republican senators warned that using taxpayer money to pay for the ballroom would be a dumb move in an election year where GOP candidates are already facing headwinds over the issue of affordability.

One Of The S&P 500's Best Earnings Seasons In 20 Years Comes With A Catch: Chart Of The Day

The S&P 500 is not just beating Q1 earnings expectations. It’s blowing them up.

This earnings season is shaping up as one of the index’s strongest in 20 years, with profit growth accelerating, beat rates running hot, and analysts lifting estimates instead of cutting them.

That’s the good news.

The catch is that Wall Street may already be treating great earnings as the new floor.

EU Weighs Restricting Use Of U.S. Cloud Platforms To Process Sensitive Government Data

The European Commission is considering proposing rules that would restrict the use of U.S. cloud platforms to process sensitive government data across EU countries, officials told CNBC.

The Commission — the EU’s executive branch — is expected to present its “Tech Sovereignty Package” on May 27.

There have been increasing calls within Europe for the region’s most critical workloads to move away from U.S. cloud providers, which currently dominate the European market.

Campaign Staffers Tell NPR They Make 'Thousands' Betting On Their Own Candidates

It was a tight race, so a campaign staffer doubted the results of an unreleased poll showing their candidate up — by a lot.

The tip about the outside poll didn't match up with the campaign's internal numbers. But accuracy aside, the staffer knew the poll would shake up the prediction markets. One market had their candidate down by double digits.

"Myself and others started placing bets before that poll came out," the staffer, who was working on a statewide campaign in the South, told NPR on the condition of anonymity over fear for their future employment. "And then, sure enough as soon as that poll came out, the stock went up and everybody made money."

Wisconsin Headlines

Tax Breaks Aren't Subsidies

Both the left and the right have been lamenting the fact that "Big Business" has been granted a number of tax exemptions and tax credits. These are often derided as "subsidies," and subsidies, we know, are bad...Why?

Because subsidies are the result of taking from one and giving to another.

As of late, this charge has been made against the AI data centers in Wisconsin. For example, prominent leftists in the Wisconsin Legislature, everyday Republicans and Democrats, and even Wisconsin Treasure, Charlie Berens, have knocked the tax exemptions granted to AI data centers. Often exemptions and credits are put-down when given to business, generally, or when they're given for residential solar or other political pet projects. There's some merit to these complaints, but more on that later.

The state's decision to grant these exemptions and credits is certainly relevant, but not for the reasons that many people think.

New Concerns Emerging Around AI In Healthcare

Even as earlier concerns around AI in healthcare are being addressed, new issues are popping up for the quickly evolving technology. 

That’s one conclusion from the May 5 WisPolitics-State Affairs and Wisconsin Technology Council event at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The luncheon explored the use of AI in addressing healthcare workforce shortages. 

Outgoing MCW President and CEO Dr. John Raymond warned of emerging dangers for the use of AI in healthcare.

Wisconsin School Board Considers Pulling Piece From Spring Band Concert Due To LGBTQ+ History Ties

Watertown High School band students have spent months preparing for their May 18 spring concert. But a piece of music will likely be struck from their set list over its history.

The Watertown Wind Symphony will learn on May 12 during a special school board meeting if they will be allowed to perform “A Mother of A Revolution.”

The piece was composed in 2019 by Omar Thomas for contemporary wind ensembles and does not have lyrics. But Thomas dedicated the work to transgender activist Marsha Johnson, a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising against police raids in New York.

Leave Food By Your Mailbox May 9 To Help 'Stamp Out Hunger' In Wisconsin

Letter carriers will collect non-perishable food items left by mailboxes on May 9 as part of the nation's largest one-day food drive, Stamp Out Hunger, benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank.

The annual event, organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, has collected more than 1.94 billion pounds of food since 1993. Residents can leave items like canned soup, pasta, rice and peanut butter in a special bag that will be delivered the week before the drive.

Wisconsin Utility Company Executive Says More Data Centers Could Be On The Horizon

The head of the company that owns Wisconsin’s largest utility said it’s discussing the potential for more hyperscale data centers with very large customers.

Scott Lauber, president and CEO of WEC Energy Group, made the comments Tuesday during an earnings call. The company owns Milwaukee-based We Energies, the state’s largest electric and natural gas utility.

Lauber said he’s optimistic about new projects in Wisconsin now that the Public Service Commission has approved special rates for very large customers in response to data center development.