Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Jan. 28, 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

2 Federal Agents Fired Shots At Alex Pretti: DHS Report

Two federal agents fired shots at Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti, according to a Department of Homeland Security report to Congress obtained by multiple media outlets.

Border Patrol agents were attempting to move a woman and Pretti, 37, out of a Minneapolis road on Jan. 24. During the struggle, an agent yelled, “He’s got a gun,” multiple times, the report conducted by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility said.

“Approximately five seconds later, a BPA discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti,” the report read. It is unclear whether both agents’ gunfire struck Pretti.

GOP On Defense Over Noem’s Future As Congress Nears Shutdown Deadline

Kristi Noem’s continued leadership of the Department of Homeland Security is becoming a major obstacle to getting a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown passed through the Senate.

A growing number of Senate Democrats are calling for Noem to be ousted, casting doubts on the prospect that they would agree to any concessions from President Trump to avoid a shutdown at the end of this week if Noem remains in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Amazon Laying Off About 16,000 Corporate Workers In Latest Anti-Bureaucracy Push

Amazon is laying off about 16,000 corporate workers in its latest push to reduce bureaucracy.

It marks the second round of mass job cuts at the company since last October.

A day earlier, some employees in Amazon’s cloud unit received an email sent in an apparent error acknowledging “organizational changes” at the company.

Federal Reserve Expected To Hold Interest Rates Steady, Defying Trump

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday is set to announce its latest decision on the level of interest rates, marking its first rate move since news surfaced of a federal criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

The investigation ratcheted up an extraordinary clash between the nation's top central banker and the White House, which has urged the Fed to significantly reduce interest rates.

Astronomers Discover Over 800 Cosmic Anomalies Using A New AI Tool

Here's a use of AI that appears to do more good than harm. A pair of astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) developed a neural network that searches through space images for anomalies. The results were far beyond what human experts could have done. In two and a half days, it sifted through nearly 100 million image cutouts, discovering 1,400 anomalous objects.

The creators of the AI model, David O'Ryan and Pablo Gómez, call it AnomalyMatch. The pair trained it on (and applied it to) the Hubble Legacy Archive, which houses tens of thousands of datasets from Hubble's 35-year history.

Wisconsin Headlines

President Trump Endorses Tom Tiffany For Wisconsin Governor

President Donald Trump has endorsed U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, in his bid to be the next governor of Wisconsin.

Trump announced the endorsement Tuesday night, writing on his social media platform Truth Social that Tiffany had his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

“He will fight to advance Common Sense Values, and put WISCONSIN, AND AMERICA, FIRST,” Trump wrote.

Tiffany Targets 400-Year Veto As Centerpiece Of Property Tax Plan

Tom Tiffany is making a day-one pledge which he says will lower property taxes in Wisconsin.

Tiffany on Monday announced his plan to lower rising property taxes across the state, and said the first step is cancelling Gov. Tony Evers’ 400-year school funding order.

“My plan repeals the 400-year property tax hike, lowers taxes for every homeowner, and gives Wisconsinites the certainty they deserve by ensuring property taxes cannot be raised when I am governor,” Tiffany said. “It’s time to make Wisconsin a place where seniors can afford to stay in their homes, young couples can start a family, and the next generation can build their future right here at home.”

Gov. Tony Evers Blasts Madison’s Defense In Lawsuit Over Uncounted Absentee Ballots

Gov. Tony Evers is blasting the City of Madison for arguing in a lawsuit that absentee voting is a “privilege” and not a “right.”

Wisconsin’s second-largest city is advancing that argument as it tries to fight a lawsuit over 193 ballots that went uncounted in the November 2024 election.

Those untallied ballots would not have changed the outcome of any local, state or national race or referendum.

Wisconsin Receives Failing Grades In Tobacco Control, American Lung Association Report Shows

The American Lung Association's 24th annual "State of Tobacco Control" report highlights troubling grades for Wisconsin's tobacco control policies.

The report urges the state to improve efforts to protect communities from tobacco use, especially after a rollback of federal prevention efforts in 2025.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., with over 7,850 Wisconsin residents dying each year.

DWD Awards Equipment Grants To Three School Districts

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has awarded $23,249 in Wisconsin Fast Forward grants to three school districts throughout the state.

Turtle Lake School District, Barron County, $7,167: The funds will be used to update equipment and enhance safety with Miller Multimatic 220 AC/DC Welders and a Hypertherm Powermax Plasma Cutter, enhancing the quality of the instruction.