Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jun. 9, 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

More Than Half The U.S. States Signed Up To Participate In The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program Enacted Under The One, Big, Beautiful Bill

The Internal Revenue Service announced that 27 states have elected to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) program, which enables eligible taxpayers to claim a federal tax credit for qualified contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) providing scholarships for qualified elementary and secondary education expenses.

For taxpayers to claim the tax credit of up to $1,700, they must contribute to an SGO located in a state that elects to participate in the FSTC program and submits a list of qualified SGOs. State participation in the program, enacted under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, is voluntary.

“It’s encouraging to see that 27 states have already signed up to participate in this program that promotes and supports elementary and secondary education,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano. “We are hopeful that additional states will decide to participate.”

Bot Or Not? Walmart Believes AI Will Help, Not Hurt

Walmart is doubling down on embracing artificial intelligence to help its employees.

During the company’s Associate Week gathering last week, executives continued their push to tout how AI will assist employees with many tasks.

The company said any U.S. staff member can now get certified in the use of OpenAI.

Trump Struggles To Pull Netanyahu Back From Return To All-Out War

The latest exchange of heavy fire in the Middle East has deepened concerns within the Trump administration about its ability restrain Israel, its top ally in the region, U.S. officials told ABC News.

President Donald Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Iran launched a barrage of missiles against his country on Sunday with the intention of convincing him against mounting a counterattack, according to two sources familiar with the conversation who said Trump's position somewhat softened over the course of the call.

OpenAI Confidentially Files For IPO, Prepping Wall Street For Mega AI Debut

OpenAI has confidentially filed for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission, setting the stage for what could be one of the largest public markets debuts in history.

The confidential disclosure comes days before Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to start trading and a week after Anthropic filed confidentially with the SEC.

The companies could end up leading the three largest IPOs on record.

People Love Working From Home. But Does It Love Them Back? A New Study Says No

Remote work has soared in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. But, a new study suggests the practice has made workers more socially isolated, anxious and depressed compared to people who work in-person in offices and other settings.

"Other studies have found that workers are willing to give up 4 to 10% of their earnings in order to have the ability to work remotely," says Natalia Emanuel, an economist at Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the main author of the new study published in the journal Science. "So there is a great desire for remote work."

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Elections Commission To Decide Ballot Challenges In 8th District Democratic Primary

The Wisconsin Elections Commission will hold a special meeting Tuesday to decide ballot access for candidates facing petition challenges, including two challenges that could impact the Democratic primary race for Congress in the 8th District.

Two of the challenges target Mark Scheffler, one of three Democrats running in the August primary covering a portion of northeast Wisconsin.

One challenge comes from Scheffler’s opponent Rick Crosson, who said Scheffler did not collect the necessary valid signatures to get on the ballot.

Eau Claire County Gop Chair Tells ‘UpFront’ 3rd CD Race Will Be Challenging

Fred Kappus, chairman of the Eau Claire County GOP, says the race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District will be challenging. But he added stops from President Donald Trump, like on Friday, will help mobilize Wisconsin Republicans.

“I think the number that Derrick (Van Orden) had mentioned to me was probably $50 million will be spent on that race,” Kappus told WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics-State Affairs. “They’re going to be spending a lot of money to try and oust him.”

Senate Probes DOJ On Outside Environmental Prosecutor

The head of the Wisconsin Senate’s investigative committee is once again making a formal request for information about the state’s special, outside environmental prosecutor.

Senate President Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, on Friday sent a letter to the state’s Department of Justice asking for information about the Micheal Bloomberg-funded prosecutors who handled certain environmental cases.

"Oversight is a core responsibility of the Legislature, and the DOJ consciously chose to not turn over the records that the legislative committee originally requested. Wisconsinites deserve transparency, especially when it’s about outside influence in Wisconsin’s Department of Justice," Felzkowski said in a statement.

Milwaukee Education Leaders Frustrated With DPI Over Funding For Reading Initiative

Members of the Milwaukee Reading Coalition say the Department of Public Instruction promised to help fund an initiative to train teachers in early literacy, but has reneged and the project is now in jeopardy.

Fewer than 10 percent of children in kindergarten through third grade attending both private and public schools in Milwaukee are meeting reading targets.

In May 2025, Milwaukee Public Schools, charter schools, private schools, philanthropic and business groups came together to create the Reading Coalition.

DNR Announces 2026 Spring Turkey Season Results

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced preliminary totals for the 2026 spring turkey season. Wisconsin turkey hunters registered 47,725 birds this season, 8.6% above the 5-year average of 43,953.

This spring marks 50 years since wild turkeys were successfully reintroduced to Wisconsin. The first statewide hunt took place in the spring of 1983. Turkey numbers continue to remain stable and they are now found in all 72 counties of the state.

"The reintroduction of wild turkeys in this state has been a remarkable success. 2026 marks the 44th year we have been hunting turkeys," said Taylor Finger, DNR gamebird biologist. "With mild winters and average to above average nesting and brood rearing conditions the last several years, Wisconsin’s turkey population is very healthy, and we continue to see stable harvest trends that indicate stable to increasing numbers across most of the state."