Morning Headlines - Friday, May 2, 2025 | 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

Bipartisan Push To Ban Lawmakers From Trading Stocks Gets Boost From Trump

President Trump and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., don't agree on much. But their public support of legislation to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks could revive prospects for a bipartisan effort that's stalled on Capitol Hill for years.

Earlier in April around President Trump's tariff announcement, a flurry of lawmakers' stock trades raised questions about whether they got any advance notice.

Trump Taps Mike Waltz As UN Ambassador, Names Rubio As National Security Adviser

President Trump is tapping national security adviser Mike Waltz to be his ambassador to the United Nations following reports of his ouster in the midst of a controversy over a group text chat.

Trump also announced Thursday he naming his Secretary of State Marco Rubio to replace Waltz as national security adviser on an interim basis.

Waltz leaving his post at the National Security Council and moving to the ambassador role, which will require Senate confirmation, marks the first major shifting of positions in Trump’s second administration.

Trump Signs Executive Order Cutting Funding To PBS, NPR

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged "bias" in the broadcasters' reporting.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies "to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS" and further requires that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media post announcing the signing, said the outlets "receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'"

Four Ways The Film Conclave Sheds Light On The Secretive Way Popes Are Chosen

The 2024 film Conclave - a box office hit and Oscar winner - tells the story of a papal election in which there are no obvious favourites. For many people, it was a glimpse into the rarefied world of the Vatican, and the highly secretive process of choosing a leader for the Roman Catholic Church.

On Wednesday 7 May, life follows fiction when 134 cardinals begin the process of electing a successor to Pope Francis. As viewers of the film will know, the papal conclave will take place entirely behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, beneath its world-famous Michelangelo frescoes.

Nobody outside the confines of the Vatican will know the outcome until a plume of white smoke curls from its chimney, signifying that the Roman Catholic Church has a new leader.

But what does the film tell us about how the conclave could unfold, and why do people find the process so fascinating?

Exoplanet Discovered In 2020 Has The Coldest Temperatures Ever Measured, Scientists Say

An exoplanet discovered in 2020 contains the coldest temperatures ever measured on a planetary body, according to scientists.

The planet, called WD 1856+534 b, is a gas giant exoplanet the size of nearly 14 Jupiters and nearly six times its mass. Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope in space, suggest that the exoplanet's average temperature is about -125 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the coldest planet ever detected.

Kohl’s Ousts CEO Buchanan After Investigation Into Some Vendor Transactions

Kohl’s has terminated its new CEO Ashley Buchanan after an investigation determined that he directed the retailer to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Kohl’s named Chairman Michael Bender as interim CEO, effective immediately. In connection with the appointment, Bender will step down as a member of the board’s audit, compensation and nominating and environmental, social and governance committee, according to the retailer’s regulatory filing.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann Enters The 2026 Wisconsin Governor's Race

Republican Josh Schoemann, the top elected official in a suburban Milwaukee county, has created a committee to run for governor in 2026, making him the first candidate from either major party to get into the race.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has not yet said whether he will seek a third term. Evers has repeatedly said he will announce his intentions after the state budget is passed and signed into law, which typically happens around early July. Asked for a reaction, a spokesperson for Evers referred to a comment from the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

State Legislators Announce The Formation Of The Wisconsin Legislative Asian Caucus

Wisconsin legislators held a press conference Thursday to announce the formation of the Wisconsin Legislative Asian Caucus.

The announcement comes at the start of Asian and Pacific Island Heritage Month.

The caucus is the first in state history dedicated to advancing the rights, visibility, and well-being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in the Badger State.

Evers Changes Explanation On Anti-ICE State Employee Guidance

Wisconsin’s governor is offering a different explanation of the memo that tells state of Wisconsin employees not to cooperate with immigration officials.

The governor once again on Wednesday described the memo from DOA deputy secretary Anne Hanson as ‘legal advice.’

“All I’m saying is the people that understand, state employees are doing work. They're doing good work. And we're asking our attorneys that work in every agency to be with them. Simple as that,” the governor told a reporter in the Fox Valley.

That’s a far different tone than the memo.

Wisconsin Cheese Takes Fashion Forward At This Year’s Kentucky Derby

This weekend, Wisconsin cheese will make its debut at the Kentucky Derby atop the heads of stylish spectators.

And these hats aren’t your average Cheeseheads — they are elaborate designs that pair six award-winning Wisconsin cheddars, goudas and fontinas with high fashion.

“The main thing you want to see with a Derby hat is elegance,” designer Christine A. Moore told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”