Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Apr. 22, 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

With Virginia Vote, Democrats Gain Edge Over Trump's National GOP Redistricting Push

As time runs out before the midterm elections, Virginia took a step on Tuesday to counter and possibly surpass President Trump's national effort to redraw congressional voting maps in favor of the GOP.

Voters narrowly approved a Democratic-backed constitutional amendment to sideline the state's redistricting commission and let lawmakers directly implement a new map. The Virginia delegation to the U.S. House is currently six Democrats and four Republicans and could go to 10-to-1 under the new map.

The move still faces court challenges but could put Democrats ahead in tilting House seats their way - for now.

Lawmakers Seek To Override State Data Privacy Laws With New Bill

Two committee heads are releasing coinciding bills aimed at data privacy in tech and financial services like banks and credit cards.

The measures would preempt state laws on data privacy in more than 20 states.

Republicans are working to unite their own members around proposals after the previous Congress failed to advance a data privacy bill.

Republicans Fear Succession Of Government Shutdowns Under Trump

Senate Republicans who are scrambling to end the two-month shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fear that Democrats will trigger an even bigger government shutdown in October and are working out strategies to avert that politically disastrous scenario.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) plans to pass a budget resolution through the Senate this week that would serve as a blueprint for a budget reconciliation bill Republicans are aiming to pass later this spring. That measure would bypass a Senate Democratic filibuster to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through 2029.

Texas Can Require Schools To Display Ten Commandments In Classrooms, Court Rules

Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into classrooms.

The 9-8 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a boost to backers of similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana. Opponents have argued that hanging the Ten Commandments in classrooms proselytizes to students and amounts to religious indoctrination by the government.

Iran 'Seizes Two Ships' After Three Vessels Are Attacked In Strait Of Hormuz Following Trump's Ceasefire Extension

Iran has seized two cargo ships after attacking them as well as a third in the Strait of the Hormuz, accusing the vessels of being 'non-compliant' with the regime's demands.

It comes after US President Donald Trump announced last night he would extend the ceasefire but continue the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, as a way of exerting pressure on the Islamic Republic to reopen the vital waterway.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) identified one seized ship as 'MSC-FRANCESCA', which they said belonged 'to the Zionist regime' in reference to Israel, and the other as 'EPAMINONDAS', which they said was 'tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security'.

Protesters Converge Outside The Wisconsin Governor's Office Seeking Release Of Beagles

Animal welfare activists converged outside of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ Capitol office on April 20, chanting “Free the dogs!” and demanding that the governor and attorney general do what they can to shut down a beagle breeding and research facility where many of the protesters clashed with police two days earlier.

An estimated 1,000 activists from around the country came to Ridglan Farms in rural Blue Mounds on April 18 in an attempt to free an estimated 2,000 beagles kept there about 25 miles southwest of the capital, Madison. They were met by police who repelled them with tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department said 29 people were arrested.

Wisconsin Loses Millions In Marijuana Tax Revenue To Border States

Wisconsin residents contributed more than $36 million in marijuana taxes to Illinois last year and nearly $6 million to Michigan in 2024, according to new numbers released by the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

The revenue comes from counties bordering Wisconsin that legally sell marijuana, while bills to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana remain stalled in the Wisconsin Legislature.

Brian Schimming Is Still Running The State GOP. Party Leaders Say They Can’t Talk About It

Despite calls for his firing following a lopsided state Supreme Court loss, Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming is still on the job. But party leaders can’t talk about it.

Members of the state party committee that could have fired Schimming met over the weekend. Those who attended the meeting had little to say about it because they signed nondisclosure agreements aimed at keeping closed session matters from leaking.

According to the RPW’s website, Schimming is still chair.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Hears Case Over Access To Voter Data

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether sensitive voter data about people deemed mentally incapable of voting should be made public.

Conservative group Wisconsin Voter Alliance wants notices of voting eligibility to be made publicly accessible. These notices are sent to election officials after a court rules someone lacks the competency to vote. The Alliance argues making the information public would make it apparent if people who are not competent are indeed voting.

Report: Bad Badger Football Now Costing Wisconsin Taxpayers

There is a new report that says the University of Wisconsin’s poor performance on the football field is now costing taxpayers.

The UW’s Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy (CROWE) released its report NIL and Badger Football’s Decline last week.

"Beginning in 2021, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments and free transfer eligibility opened college football to competitive labor markets. Programs that adapted quickest gained an early edge; Wisconsin did not," the report stated.

The report details how Wisconsin went from being competitive in football, and "outperformed its spending level between 2017 and 2019. But beginning in 2021, the report notes that Wisconsin began losing games, and losing money.