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
Bondi’s Stormy Tenure Ends With Her Dismissal
Pam Bondi’s loyalty to President Trump wasn’t enough to save her.
She constantly praised him during press conferences. She was combative in congressional hearings where she defended him and even lauded the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
But he still fired her Thursday after 14 months on the job, leaving her with one of the shortest tenures of an official confirmed to the office.
Sources say everything from her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files to a lack of success in prosecuting his enemies all soured Trump on Bondi, with whom he had worked since she defended him in some of his cases challenging the 2020 election.
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Hegseth Ousts Army Chief Of Staff Gen. Randy George
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, the service’s top uniformed officer, to step down from his position and retire immediately, the Pentagon said Thursday.
“General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.”
The Army chief of staff normally serves a four-year term. George took the role in 2023, nominated by then-President Joe Biden, and would have been in the position until 2027.
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Amazon To Add 3.5% Fuel And Logistics Surcharge For Sellers As Iran War Drives Up Energy Prices
With the Iran war now in its fifth week, Amazon is adding a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for third-party sellers in the U.S. and Canada.
The surcharge takes effect April 17, according to a notice to sellers.
“Elevated costs in fuel and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” Amazon wrote in the notice.
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Cuba Says It Released Over 2,000 Prisoners As Trump Administration Heaps Pressure On Island
The Cuban government said late Thursday it has pardoned and released 2,010 prisoners, a sweeping move that comes as the island nation grapples with intense pressure from the Trump administration, including an oil blockade that – until recently – cut off fuel shipments.
Calling it a “humanitarian and sovereign gesture,” Cuba’s Embassy in the U.S. It said those released include younger people, women, people over the age of 60, Cuban citizens who live abroad and foreign nationals. Prisoners who are guilty of various violent crimes were not eligible, according to the embassy.
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Major Airline Breaks Ranks As It Becomes First To Allow Calls On Flights With New Mega Wi-Fi
Passengers could soon face noisier flights after British Airways (BA) announced it will allow in-flight phone calls for the first time.
The airline is rolling out Elon Musk’s ultra-fast Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet – and, unlike most carriers, it won’t ban voice or video calls.
That means travelers could soon be making WhatsApp calls, joining Zoom meetings or even livestreaming from 40,000ft in the air.
BA, a partner of American Airlines in the Oneworld alliance, says it will rely on etiquette rather than enforcement – asking passengers to use headphones and keep noise to a minimum.
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Wisconsin Headlines
Lazar, Taylor Paint Each Other As Extreme On Abortion In Only Supreme Court Debate
Chris Taylor said it was “tragic” that conservative rival Maria Lazar is running for the state Supreme Court after celebrating a U.S. Supreme Court decision ending the right to an abortion that the liberal candidate said has harmed victims of rape and incest.
Lazar fired back in their only debate of the race that Taylor was lying about her position. The conservative appeals court judge in turn cast Taylor as the extreme candidate in the race for proposing legislation while in the state Assembly that Lazar said would’ve allowed abortion up until the moment of birth.
“I have never wanted women injured, ever, ever, ever,” Lazar said during the debate at WISN-TV studios in Milwaukee just days before Tuesday’s election.
Taylor said Lazar has repeatedly called the 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade “wise.”
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Universities Of Wisconsin Leaders Looking To Oust System President Who Refuses To Quit
The president of the University of Wisconsin is apparently fighting over his job.
President Jay Rothman said in a letter to university regents that he is not planning to resign.
“Since to date you have not provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership, I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation,” Rothman said in a letter first reported on by the Associated Press.
The internal strife is a surprise to people outside the university, but reportedly has been building for a while.
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Sen. Baldwin Addresses NewCap Investigations As Affected Families Look For Relief
This week, 134 households were left hanging in the balance after local non-profit NewCap announced it was closing its doors.
Multiple investigations are now underway at the state level over accusations that the organization had mishandled its funds.
When asked about the allegations, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said it’s important to think about those impacted by the sudden decision and how to make sure no one slips through the cracks while officials look for answers.
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Wisconsin DNR Announces Finalized Deal To Expand Devil’s Lake State Park
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that a deal has been finalized to permanently protect land that will expand Devil’s Lake State Park by 100 acres.
In 2025, the land, previously one of the largest privately owned parcels inside the park, was purchased by The Conservation Fund – which buys at-risk land with high conservation value – to save it from future development. And now, thanks to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the DNR has acquired this land and will open it up for the public to enjoy.
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BLS Data: Wisconsin January Employment Numbers Released; Unemployment Ticks Up to 3.3%
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the following information for Wisconsin’s labor market, reflecting January 2026 preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Employment – There were 3,017,400 people employed in Wisconsin, up 800 over the month and down 18,600 over the year.
- Labor Force – The state’s labor force participation rate increased to 64.3%, which is 1.8 percentage points above the national rate of 62.5.
- Nonfarm Jobs – The total nonfarm jobs in the state were 3,032,500 an increase of 8,000 over December.
- Unemployment – The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked up over December to 3.3% which is 1.0 percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 4.3%.
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