Morning Headlines - Thursday, May 1, 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

Elon Musk Bids Farewell — Sort Of — To Trump Cabinet, Claims DOGE Saved $160 Billion

DOGE chief Elon Musk claimed that his federal workforce slashing initiative so far has saved $160 billion — far less than his original projections.

The billionaire Tesla CEO gave a sort of farewell to President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. He has said that going forward, he plans to work just one or two days a week on his Department of Government Efficiency.

Musk last fall said that DOGE would slash “at least $2 trillion” from the federal budget, but later admitted that target was unlikely to be met.

U.S. And Ukraine Sign Minerals Deal, Treasury Department Announces

Ukrainian and U.S. officials have signed a joint economic investment deal that includes granting the U.S. access to Ukrainian rare earths minerals, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday.

A Treasury Department press release said the two countries have agreed to establish a "United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund," referring to it as an "economic partnership." The statement did not include more detail about the agreement.

Kids And Teens Under 18 Shouldn’t Use AI Companion Apps, Safety Group Says

Companion-like artificial intelligence apps pose “unacceptable risks” to children and teenagers, nonprofit media watchdog Common Sense Media said in a report published Wednesday.

The report follows a lawsuit filed last year over the suicide death of a 14-year-old boy whose last conversation was with a chatbot. That lawsuit, brought against the app Character.AI, thrust this new category of conversational apps into the spotlight — along with their potential risks to young people, leading to calls for more safety measures and transparency.

Amazon To Spend $4 Billion On Small Town Delivery Expansion

Amazon announced it will spend $4 billion by the end of 2026 on expanding deliveries to small towns in rural America.

After making two-day delivery the standard, the company has invested in shuttling packages to shoppers’ doors in one day, or in some cases, within a few hours.

It’s been able to speed up deliveries, in part, by building a vast in-house logistics network and sprawling network of warehouses across the country.

Jeff Sperbeck, NFL Star John Elway's Longtime Agent, Dies Following Golf Cart Incident

Former NFL star John Elway's longtime business partner and former agent died Wednesday after reportedly falling from a golf cart.

Jeff Sperbeck, 62, died Wednesday after an accident Saturday evening in La Quinta, California, the Riverside County Coroner confirmed to ABC News.

State Democrats Respond To Gov. Evers’ Proposed Budget

Democratic members of the Joint Committee on Finance held a press conference on Wednesday to discuss statewide feedback they received on Governor Evers’ 2025-2027 budget.

This comes as Democrats listened to Wisconsinites voice their concerns for funding that is needed in the government right now.

They said dairy farms, broadband access, health care, childcare and schools are being impacted by federal funding cuts.

Investigators Don't Know Who Leaked A Wisconsin Supreme Court Draft Order To Take An Abortion Case In 2024

Investigators concluded in a report released on April 30 that the leak of a Wisconsin Supreme Court abortion order in 2024 was likely deliberate, but they were unable to determine who was responsible.

The June leak of a draft order showed the court would take a case brought by Planned Parenthood, which is seeking to declare access to abortion a right protected by the state constitution. A week after the leak was reported, the court issued the order accepting the case.

Wisconsin Republicans Push New Bill To Cut Red Tape For Economic Growth

Wisconsin Republicans introduced new legislation Wednesday aimed at reducing the state's regulatory burden.

The legislation, introduced by Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Reps. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) and Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie), seeks to clarify the use of scope statements, which are crucial in the state's rulemaking process.

Wisconsin Republicans Introduce Not So “Super-Sexy” Regulatory Reform Package

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are looking to roll back as many of the state’s regulations as they can.

Both Assembly and Senate Republicans on Wednesday introduced what they are calling the Red Tape Reset.

“While this bill package may not seem super-sexy, nerds like all of us really get excited about the potential impact, “ Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, told reporters at the Capitol.

‘CWD Is Winning’: Sampling Shows Deadly Deer Disease Continues To Spread Across Wisconsin

Chronic wasting disease has now spread to more than 75 percent of counties in Wisconsin as the state continues to see new detections in deer.

The disease has been found in either wild or farm-raised deer in 55 of the state’s 72 counties. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released sampling results Monday that revealed new detections in wild deer.

Erin Larson, the DNR’s deer herd health specialist, said wild deer tested positive for the disease for the first time in Pierce, Menominee, Chippewa and Manitowoc counties.