Morning Headlines - Tuesday, May 6, 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

The IRS Has Lost Almost One-Third Of Its Tax Auditors After 2 Months Of DOGE Cuts, Report Says

The Trump administration's plan to trim the IRS workforce has resulted in almost one-third of its tax auditors leaving the agency through March, according to a report from the U.S. Treasury Department's watchdog.

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has sought to trim the federal workforce through a combination of layoffs and so-called deferred resignation. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, said on the electric vehicle maker's April 22 earnings call that DOGE's efforts "in addressing waste and fraud" will "get the country back on track."

U.S. Seeks Breakup Of Google’s Ad-Tech Products After Judge Finds Illegal Monopoly

The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed that Alphabet’s Google divest its AdX advertising marketplace and ad server DFP, a court filing showed Monday, after a federal judge found the company illegally dominated two online ad-tech markets.

The judge set a September trial date Friday, after hearing from Google and the DOJ on potential remedies for the company’s dominance in ad tools used by online publishers.

The Justice Department said the proposed remedies, including divestitures, are necessary to end Google’s monopolies and restore competition in the ad-exchange and publisher ad-server markets.

FBI Has Opened 250 Investigations Tied To Violent Online Network '764' That Preys On Teens, Top Official Says

FBI officials say they are growing increasingly concerned about a loose network of violent predators who befriend teenagers through popular online platforms and then coerce them into escalating sexual and violent behavior -- pushing victims to create graphic pornography, harm family pets, cut themselves with sharp objects, or even die by suicide.

The online predators, part of the network known as "764," demand victims send them photos and videos of it all, so the shocking content can be shared with fellow 764 followers or used to extort victims for more. Some of the predators even host "watch parties" for others to watch them torment victims live online, according to authorities.

It's Last Call For Skype As The Once-Popular Video Calling App Shuts Down

Skype, the pioneering online video calling service that has been around for more than two decades, will go offline for good after Monday.

Microsoft, which owns Skype, announced in February that the service would be available until May 5 and urged users to switch over to the free version of Microsoft Teams, its communication platform that features the ability to video call.

McDonald's, Wendy's And Other Burger Joints Are Leaning Into Chicken

Chicken: It’s what’s for dinner — even at major restaurant chains long known as temples to beef.

The first permanent menu item McDonald’s has rolled out in four years consists entirely of white meat. In introducing McCrispy Strips last month, the fast-food giant acknowledged that diners “have made one thing clear: they want more chicken.”

The 5 Most Competitive Gubernatorial Races To Watch In 2026

All eyes are on Evers in the Badger State as both parties wait to see whether the Wisconsin governor runs for a third term.

Evers ousted two-term incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R) in 2018 by just more than a percentage point, later beating Trump-endorsed candidate Tim Michels (R) by more than 3 points in 2022. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported in January that Evers appeared inclined toward running for another term.

Fitzgerald Says House Judiciary Committee Closely Watching Dugan Case

U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, says Republican lawmakers in Congress are closely watching the fallout after the FBI arrested Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan.

“There’s been a lot of discussion with Chairman Jordan about that,” Fitzgerald said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “I don’t think anything has really fully developed to the point where Congress would be weighing in on anything specific, but certainly it falls under our purview if there are some things that emerge nationally for us to take a look at. Sen. Lee has also been watching this closely. So I guess we’ll see. We’ll see where this is headed.”

‘Deliberate Indifference’ To An Inmate’s Suffering Led To His Death At Waupun Prison, Lawsuit Says

Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections is facing another lawsuit over a death at the maximum security Waupun prison.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed last week in U.S. Circuit Court alleges prison workers were deliberately indifferent to 62-year-old Donald Maier’s physical and mental health needs and, as a result, subjected him to suffering that amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

Maier died in February 2024 of dehydration and malnutrition while he was locked up in solitary confinement.

AG Kaul Joins Lawsuit Asking Federal Judge To Reverse Deep Cuts To US Health And Human Services

Attorney General Josh Kaul joined 19 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and other Trump administration officials to stop the dismantling of HHS.

They say the Trump administration's massive restructuring has destroyed life-saving programs and left states to pick up the bill for mounting health crises.