Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jan. 27, 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

Key Legislators Seek Justice Department Records On Alex Pretti And Renee Good Killings By Next Week

Congress is ratcheting up its scrutiny of the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Monday asked Justice Department officials to hand over records about the probe of Pretti's killing to the panel by Monday, Feb. 2, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi obtained by CBS News.

Key Things To Watch As Minnesota Holds Special Elections After Latest Shooting

Minnesota is set to hold some of the state’s first elections of this year as two separate shootings tied to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown have rocked the state in recent weeks.

Voters in parts of St. Paul and portions of the city’s eastern suburbs will be heading to the polls on Tuesday to weigh in on two special elections for House Districts 64A and 47A.

Here are the key things to watch as Minnesota holds its special elections amid growing backlash to the shootings:

People Are Protesting AI Data Centers, And It's Scrambling Political Lines

Demand for more artificial intelligence has led to a rapid growth of AI data centers — and lots of concerned citizens. The politicians aren't far behind.

In recent months, protesters in Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states have shut down proposals for new building sites.

The large-scale facilities are necessary to match the electricity demand required for AI, but high energy costs come with them, angering residents.

Meta, TikTok And YouTube Face Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims

Three of the world’s biggest tech companies face a landmark trial in Los Angeles starting this week over claims that their platforms — Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok and Google’s YouTube — deliberately addict and harm children.

Jury selection starts this week in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. It’s the first time the companies will argue their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms. The selection process is expected to take at least a few days, with 75 potential jurors questioned each day through at least Thursday. A fourth company named in the lawsuit, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum.

Google Pays $68M To Settle Claims Its Voice Assistant Spied On Users

Google agreed to pay $68 million to settle claims its voice assistant illegally spied on users to, among other things, serve them advertisements, Reuters reports.

Google did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement of the class-action case, which accused the firm of “unlawful and intentional interception and recording of individuals’ confidential communications without their consent and subsequent unauthorized disclosure of those communications to third parties.” The suit further claimed that “information gleaned from these recordings was wrongly transmitted to third parties for targeted advertising and for other purposes.”

Microsoft’s Plans For 15 More Data Centers Win Approval At Former Wisconsin Foxconn Site

The village board in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, unanimously approved Microsoft’s site plans for 15 more data centers near an existing facility.

Jobs at the project could last 10 years, said Mount Pleasant’s village board president, David DeGroot.

The taxable value of the developments as Microsoft proposed exceeds $13 billion.

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates Differ In Response To Deadly Border Patrol Shooting In Minnesota

The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota has become a big topic on the gubernatorial campaign trail in Wisconsin. The person who succeeds Gov. Tony Evers next year will have a lot of influence over how much Wisconsin works with federal agents.

Some candidates, like State Sen. Kelda Roys and State Rep. Francesca Hong, both Democrats, have called for ICE to be abolished. On the other end of the spectrum, US Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican, said Monday he would work with federal law enforcement if voters elect him.

Fundraising Reveals Party Priorities In Battle For Wisconsin Legislature

Wisconsin Democrats and Republicans both say they’re fighting for control of the full state Legislature, but recent fundraising suggests they may each have a favorite chamber.

Big donors are pouring money into the Republican campaign to retain control of the state Assembly, while Democrats are outraising Republicans in their push to flip the Senate.

The fundraising reflects opportunities and challenges facing the parties in their second election under competitive legislative maps, one that will take place during a midterm that could favor Democrats.

Nullify The Car Kill Switch

Back in 2023, Rep. Thomas Massie was the sole critic of a dubious, Orwellian, and blatantly illegal provision hidden in President Biden's Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, 2021).

A provision which would require every new vehicle to include advanced drunk driving prevention technology that would monitor drivers and disable their vehicles if necessary.

So a bill includes a provision to require automobile manufacturers to install a piece of technology which does not exist into every passenger (>=2 seats) vehicle, in clear violation of the 4th and 5th amendments, and not a single lawsuit has been filed?

WisDOT Congratulates High School Students For Efforts To Make Roads Safer In Annual MSG 2 TEENS Driving Safety Contest

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) proudly congratulates the winners and participants in the 18th annual MSG 2 TEENS Driving Safety Contest. The contest engages local teens in traffic safety by challenging them to produce original commercials that promote safe driving. Sponsored by Madison broadcaster Fox47, WisDOT has been a partner in the annual contest since it began in 2008.

“On average, a teen driver is involved in a crash every 28 minutes in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan said. “This unique contest provides an avenue to reach more teen drivers through messages that resonate with them, because they are created by their peers. We are grateful to the participating students for their interest in traffic safety as well as our partners at Fox47 for their support in raising awareness for traffic safety issues.”