Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Sep. 1, 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

'Stay The Course': Lindsay Clancy Jury Resumes Deliberations

Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial will return for another day of deliberations Tuesday as the Massachusetts mother awaits a verdict in the killings of her three young children.

Clancy admitted to killing her children in 2023 before attempting to take her own life, but her defense argued she suffered from postpartum psychosis and wasn’t criminally responsible for her actions.

The jury reviewed the case Thursday after five weeks of testimony and hundreds of pieces of evidence — including extensive and often conflicting testimony about Clancy’s mental state at the time of the killings.

Made In America: How AI Is Keeping This U.S. Factory Competitive

Today, American factories are under extraordinary pressure to perform perfectly. They must turn out flawless products, efficiently, in order to compete with imports from rivals overseas. It used to be up to people to achieve good results. Now, manufacturers are leaning heavily into advanced technology and artificial intelligence to up their game.

The goal at GE Appliances has always been to minimize errors, equipment downtime and scrap — and to ensure every appliance produced passes inspection and gets sent out to the consumer, problem-free.

Now, with AI bringing its analytical prowess to troubleshooting, perfection seems tantalizingly within reach.

Apple Enters John Ternus Era As AI Challenges And Memory Crunch Intensify

Tuesday is John Ternus’ first day at the helm of Apple, following Tim Cook’s 15-year run as CEO.

Ternus takes over as Apple confronts major challenges due to soaring memory costs and the company’s precarious position in AI.

“The company is in a new environment. It’s going to have to keep evolving and competing,” said Kathy Gersch, CEO of consulting firm Kotter.

Trump Approval Dips To New Low As Iran War Weighs On Support: Poll

President Trump’s approval rating sank to a new low in a University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst poll as the Iran war drags on.

Just 32 percent of 1,000 respondents to the national survey, which the university conducted Aug. 21-26, approved of the president’s job performance. That marked a decrease of 1 point relative to a March poll UMass conducted.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 64 percent, disapproved of Trump’s performance. That included 54 percent who “strongly” disapproved.

Former Crips Boss Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Guilty Of Murder For 1996 Slaying Of Rap Legend Tupac Shakur

One-time Crips boss Duane 'Keffe D' Davis has been found guilty of plotting the drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur in 1996.

Davis, 63, was convicted on Monday of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Prosecutors argued Davis planned the strike after Shakur's entourage attacked his nephew, Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson, a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas following a Mike Tyson fight.

Eau Claire Seeks Clarity On Drop-Offs Of Homeless Individuals As Other Cities See Same Challenge

Eau Claire leaders are asking for a response from the state about how to handle people who are homeless being shipped without their consent into that community.

The City Council voted unanimously voted last week to push for a response to a 2025 letter they sent to the Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul outlining the challenges of homeless drop-offs across Wisconsin.

In a meeting, the city’s attorney, Stephen Nick, called it a “common practice.”

Blatnik Bridge Replacement Breaks Ground Between Wisconsin And Minnesota

Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz broke ground Monday on the replacement of the John A. Blatnik Bridge connecting Superior and Duluth, Minnesota.

The groundbreaking follows months of delays in releasing more than $1 billion in federal funding for the project. Evers and Baldwin, along with Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to release the funds.

Wisconsin Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearm

Jade McClaren, 42, Rock Springs, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William Conley to one year and one day in federal prison for lying on a form during the purchase of a firearm. McClaren pleaded guilty to this charge on April 20, 2026.

“Straw purchasing” is when a gun buyer lies to a firearms dealer to purchase a gun for someone else. Most often straw purchases occur either because the straw buyer can pass the required background check and the actual buyer cannot, or because the actual buyer wants to avoid having their name associated with the gun transaction. Straw purchasing is a serious threat to public safety because it undermines background check laws and contributes to the illegal gun market.

On June 2, 2026, McClaren purchased a handgun from a gun store purporting to be the actual purchaser of the handgun. She later admitted that she was really purchasing the handgun for Brandon Bent, an individual she knew could not legally purchase a firearm. Bent has been charged in Sauk County with first degree intentional homicide. The case against him remains pending and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Wisconsin’s Prison Population Hits A Record High

There’s a record number of people serving time in Wisconsin prisons, according to the latest state data.

The state’s prison population is at 23,854, according to numbers released Friday by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. The state’s adult institutions are designed to have a capacity of 17,867 people.

The prior record was set in 2019, according to Wisconsin Watch, which was also the first to report on the new state record Friday.

Marquette’s Franklin: Voters Dislike Data Centers, But It’s Not A Top Issue

The head of the Marquette Law School Poll is using a bit of caution after the most recent poll shows most people in Wisconsin don’t like data centers.

The new poll, which was released last week, shows that 78% of voters believe the costs of data centers outweigh the benefits. That’s up from 55% just last fall.

Poll Director Charles Franklin said that is a huge, and rapid swing.

“The opinion on this has changed more than any other issue we’ve asked about in 15-years of Marquette Polls,” Franklin said during a weekend appearance on UpFront. “Going from just 55% saying the costs outweigh the benefits, to 78% now. And it’s bi-partisan. Almost two-thirds of Republicans say the costs outweigh the benefits. That goes up to 90% of Democrats and 80% with independents.”