Morning Headlines - Wednesday, May. 13, 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

Hantavirus Not A COVID-Like Pathogen, Ex-CDC Director Says

A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the hantavirus outbreak will hit a dead end within several days.

“These hantaviruses have been around for a long time,” Dr. Robert Redfield told “Katie Pavlich Tonight” on Tuesday. “We have these hantaviruses that are in rodents in many of our cities.”

At least 18 people are under strict monitoring in the U.S. after disembarking the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of the current virus outbreak.

Maryland Reaches $2.25 Billion Settlement Over Key Bridge Collapse

Maryland has reached a $2.25 billion settlement with the owners and operators of the cargo ship MV Dali over the 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The disaster killed six construction workers and temporarily shut down a critical shipping route for the Port of Baltimore.

Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the settlement Tuesday, ahead of a trial scheduled for next month.

The announcement came the same day federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against companies involved in operating the ship that struck the bridge. A federal grand jury also indicted the vessel’s technical superintendent.

Trump’s Gas Tax Holiday Proposal Has Uphill Climb In Congress

President Trump’s idea to pause the federal gas tax as the Iran war drives up fuel prices faces an uphill climb in Congress.

While rank-and-file GOP lawmakers are eager to get Trump’s backing on any plan to address cost-of-living concerns in a midterm election year, top Republicans are hesitant to endorse the gas tax idea.

Record Number Of Immigration Cases Now Ending In Voluntary Departure, Report Says

Immigrants are giving up their claims in immigration court and opting to voluntarily leave the U.S. in exponentially higher numbers under the current Trump administration's immigration crackdown than at any time previously, according to a new report based on federal data.

The report by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that the number of people in removal proceedings receiving "voluntary departure" decisions has risen dramatically -- particularly among those held in federal detention. 

Why The Nasdaq 100's AI-Driven Stock Boom Still Looks Tame Compared To The Dot-Com Era

For all the worries about an artificial intelligence bubble, the Nasdaq 100’s advance still seems relatively tame compared to the exuberance of the dot-com-era run-up and crash, LPL Financial chief equity strategist Jeff Buchbinder said.

The comparison of the current AI boom and the dot-com era is reasonable, the strategist noted. When comparing the Nasdaq 100 returns at the start of the dot-com bubble (pinned to the launch of Netscape) and those starting with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the patterns are broadly similar.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Budget Committee Republicans Show Support Towards Tax Rebates, School Funding; Democrats Push Back

24 hours after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced that he had reached a bipartisan agreement with Republican leaders, the Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 to pass the bill that would invest more than $600 million in K-12 schools, provide property tax relief and eliminate income taxes on tips and overtime.

All 12 of the votes in favor of the bill were from JFC Republicans, while the 4 votes against were from Democrats.

Republican lawmakers say this will help bring money to Wisconsinities right now, by pulling nearly $2 billion from the state surplus.

Christian Counselors Challenge Wisconsin Rule On Conversion Therapy

Two Christian counselors are asking a federal judge to overturn a state rule regarding attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The counselors are getting help from conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. The federal lawsuit names Gov. Tony Evers as the main defendant, alongside members of the state licensing board.

The lawsuit challenges a state administrative rule that labels methods intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, with certain exceptions, as unprofessional conduct.

Wisconsin Ranks 33rd In Math And 30th In Reading Recovery Among States

Reading scores have continued to decline in Wisconsin since 2022, leaving students more than a half of a grade below pandemic levels. 

At the same time, math scores in the state haven’t budged. That has left some students in districts including Sun Prairie, Oshkosh and West Allis-West Milwaukee lagging more than a full grade level behind 2019 math benchmarks.

That’s according to the latest Education Score Card at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.

Wisconsin School Board Votes To Remove LGBTQ+ History Piece From Student Concert

The Watertown School board voted to remove a piece of music from a high school student concert scheduled for next week.

The piece honors the legacy of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ history.

More than 30 students at Watertown High School have spent months preparing for their spring concert. The board will debate the meaning behind a piece they have been practicing for their spring concert in less than a week.

Investigation Leads To Indictment Of Four Illegal Aliens From South America In Million Dollar Multistate Burglary Ring

Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 12, 2026, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin returned an indictment charging Chilean nationals Luciano Alexis Silva Cifuentes, Enjerbet Alejandro Rojas Silva, and Leandro Felipe Pino Uribe, and Venezuelan national Nobuaki Jesus Lara Watay with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 (conspiracy to violate the laws of the United States), 2314 (interstate and foreign transportation of stolen property), and 1956(h) (conspiracy to launder criminal proceeds).

According to publicly filed criminal complaints that preceded today’s indictment, this case arises out of an investigation initially commenced by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office and joined by the Milwaukee area Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). The HSTF is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security–Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

The investigation led to charges against a group of Chilean nationals who are in the U.S. illegally and allegedly traveled from South America to commit burglaries across the United States. This South American theft group is allegedly tied to more than a dozen completed and attempted residential burglaries in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Florida, with a total loss of approximately $1,000,000 worth of U.S. currency, jewelry, firearms, precious metals, and rare coins. The Chilean burglars are alleged to have repeatedly traveled from Florida to Wisconsin and Minnesota by rental car, with the support of Watay, who is living in the U.S. illegally in Florida, and who reserved Airbnb rentals for the burglary crew, posted their bail when needed, and conducted financial transactions on the group’s behalf.