Brian Dake

FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Wisconsin to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from April 13-23, 2026.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Marathon, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca and Winnebago counties and the Oneida Nation. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and families recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kewaunee, Outagamie, Rock, Vernon and Waupaca counties and the Oneida Nation.

Individuals and families who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App.

Wisconsin’s peak power demand is projected to jump 40% over the next six years, largely driven by the massive data centers being built in the state.

That’s according to a draft of the latest biennial Strategic Energy Assessment released last week by the state Public Service Commission. The report, based on data provided by the utilities, shows peak demand will hit 20 gigawatts by 2032 – up from 14.2 GW this year.

About 4.17 GW of that projected increase — making up 72% of the demand spike — is attributed to three hyperscale data center developments in Beaver Dam, Port Washington and Mount Pleasant, the last of which was recently brought online by Microsoft. They’re located within the service areas of Alliant Energy and WEC Energy Group.

“These load forecasts illustrate the outsized impact data center development is anticipated to have on the energy landscape in Wisconsin in the coming years,” authors wrote.

The latest estimate shows a marked increase from the last SEA report, which acknowledged the role of data centers in driving up energy demand but forecasted a more modest increase. Utilities in 2024 projected peak electric demand to decline by about 5% from 2023 to 2024, followed by a 14.8% increase in demand through 2030.

Meanwhile, utilities are also planning substantially more natural gas generation to keep up with projected demand compared to the previous projections. The latest SEA shows electric providers plan 5,400 megawatts of new natural gas capacity or upgrades to existing natural gas facilities by 2032 — more than double the 2,500 MW planned by 2030 in the previous report.

The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the U.S. government does not intend to renew a trilateral trade deal with Mexico and Canada that governs nearly $2 trillion in annual commerce.

President Donald Trump wants to replace the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement with separate treaties with each of the trading partners.

The announcement starts a 10-year countdown to the treaty’s expiration date unless the three countries can resolve their differences.

“The United ​States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer ⁠said in a statement. “As a result, the USMCA is not renewed. The United States will continue to engage with Mexico and ​Canada to address the agreement’s shortcomings and our trade deficits with these countries.”

The announcement coincides with the July 1 deadline for a joint review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to update the six-year-old treaty.

President Trump has said that one of his primary objections is that the USMCA could open a back door for Chinese competitors against U.S. manufacturers.

He wants stricter “rules of origin,” which refers to regulations that dictate what percentage of a product’s components must be made within North America.

Mexico has been importing Chinese components for its booming automobile manufacturing industry. Many of the vehicles are exported into the United States on behalf of American automakers without tariffs because of the USMCA.

The Trump administration is demanding that vehicles built for the American market must contain at least 50% U.S. content.

U.S. factories that make vehicles and auto parts have lost more than 21,000 jobs since the USMCA took effect. It replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Another source of dispute is Mexico’s recent energy policy reforms. They favor its state-owned oil and gas enterprises over foreign private investors, which prompted complaints from the United States and Canada.

Despite the Trump administration’s announcement, the USMCA remains in effect.

With the state’s Child Care Bridge Payments program expiring this week, providers across Wisconsin are expected to raise rates, putting a further strain on parental budgets.

Rep. David Armstrong, R-Rice Lake, says the end of the program “is going to hurt.” He spoke Friday during a virtual panel organized by the Wisconsin Policy Forum focused on what’s ahead for the state’s childcare industry.

The Child Care Bridge Payments Program was established when the earlier Child Care Counts pandemic-era stabilization program was set to expire about a year ago, but is now ending June 30th with nothing to replace it. Panelists emphasized the impact of the program’s loss, both on childcare programs and the families that rely on them.

Jeff Pertl, secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, noted the Child Care Counts program helped reverse a downward trend in the number of childcare providers in the state.

“I think at every data point, we really see that this sort of foundational investment in providers stabilizes the market,” he said, adding “Counts really worked, and without it, we’re going to see fewer providers and higher prices.”

Friday’s panel followed the release of the latest childcare market rate survey, showing 60% of childcare slots in Wisconsin are considered affordable. While that’s an improvement from 41% in 2025, it’s below the 75% federal and state affordability threshold.

The state Department of Children and Families last week warned the end of the childcare subsidy program would likely mean higher prices for families across the state.

The rate at which Wisconsin distributes too much or too little food assistance is among the lowest in the nation, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to the estimates measuring all states and U.S. territories, Wisconsin’s error rate for the last fiscal year was 5.72 percent. That’s just over half of the nationwide error rate of 10.62 percent.

Just seven other states, and the Virgin Islands, had lower error rates, according to the USDA data.

If there’s room for agreement on anything in Washington, it’s that lawmakers need to do something to make homeownership more affordable. On Tuesday, legislators on both sides of the aisle clinched the final vote in the House to pass the largest piece of housing legislation in decades.

The bill, called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, passed 358-32 in the House. The Senate approved it Monday with similarly overwhelming bipartisan support. It now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

Rather than making a single change, the bill is a hodgepodge of provisions designed to either encourage housing construction or make it easier for home seekers to buy. The flashiest part of the package is a ban that prevents corporate investors from buying up more single-family homes to rent out. If one of those groups already owns at least 350 houses, it won’t be able to buy others.

While the legislation doesn’t provide new federal dollars for homebuilding, it streamlines some of the regulations homebuilders must follow to get existing federal financing.

For example, it allows builders to skip the environmental review when a housing project is going up between two buildings that have already gone through the process.

A different provision creates a grant program for communities to develop “pattern books” of preapproved housing designs, so builders won’t need as many approvals to get up to code.

Another is aimed at making manufactured homes more affordable by getting rid of the rule that those houses must have a permanent chassis, or a steel frame that makes them movable. Manufactured homes are often installed onto permanent foundations, and housing policy experts say that removing the chassis requirement could cut $5,000 to $10,000 off construction costs and allow for designs that could more easily incorporate a second story or basement.

The bill also encourages local governments to speed up the homebuilding process by giving more federal dollars to places that build more housing.

Governor Tony Evers asked the United States Small Business Administration on Monday to declare a Rapid Disaster Declaration for Wisconsin communities hit by severe storms and flooding this spring.

The governor requested disaster assistance for Marathon, Rock, Vernon and Waupaca counties based on damage assessments. If approved, federal disaster loans from the SBA will be available for residents and businesses in those four counties, as well as their contiguous 20 counties.

Joint damage assessments were conducted by SBA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state, county and local staff.

“As severe weather continues to affect communities across Wisconsin, my administration and I are hard at work to ensure communities and small businesses have every opportunity to get the support they need, and to make sure the state prepares for and responds to any potential emergencies in the future,” Evers said.

Governor Evers last month formally requested a disaster declaration from President Donald Trump in response to April’s severe storms and flooding. That request includes FEMA’s Individual Assistance for affected residents and families in 19 counties and one Tribal Nation, FEMA’s Public Assistance for emergency work and infrastructure repairs in 14 counties and one Tribal Nation, and FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to help reduce the impact of future disasters for the entire state. President Trump has not responded, and a declaration has not been made.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced that it will hold interest rates steady due to concerns about elevated inflation amid the war in Iran, as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s tenure leading the central bank begins in earnest.

Fed policymakers voted 12-0 to leave the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at its current range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The move follows the central bank’s decision to hold rates steady in January, March and April following three successive 25-basis-point rate cuts in September, October and December to close out last year.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the central bank’s panel responsible for monetary policy moves, noted in its statement that inflation remains elevated above the central bank’s 2% goal, which it said was “in part reflecting supply shocks that have driven price increases in certain sectors, including energy.”

They also noted that job gains have kept pace with the workforce, while reiterating support for the dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment. Policymakers added that, “Economic activity is expanding at a solid pace despite elevated uncertainty that owes, in part, to the conflict in the Middle East.”

Warsh spoke to the media at his first post-meeting press conference on behalf of the FOMC.

“We recognize that inflation has been running well ahead of the Fed’s long-stated inflation goal of 2%. That’s been going on for more than five years. Persistently high prices are a burden for the American people, but the recent past need not be prologue,” Warsh said.

“I am pleased to report that members of the FOMC are unambiguous and unanimous – this committee will deliver price stability,” he added.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling issued formal letters to the governors of 53 U.S. states and territories today, demanding immediate action to combat fraud, waste, and abuse within the unemployment insurance program.

In the letters, the department announced its intent to crack down on rampant fraud and end mismanagement, improper payments, and corruption within the UI program. Acting Secretary Sonderling notified states that, in partnership with the Office of the Inspector General, the department will use every available enforcement tool—including withholding administrative funds from states for the first time in history—to ensure compliance in protecting UI system integrity and safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

In the letters, Acting Secretary Sonderling, a member of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President JD Vance, detailed how years of failed oversight, outdated technology, weak identity verification, and lax controls allowed unprecedented fraud to flourish.

Among the most glaring examples:

• California – More than $20 billion in debt to the federal government after years of fraud, improper payments, and mismanagement of its UI system.
• New York – Losing an estimated $2 million every day to fraud and improper payments, while posting one of the highest improper payment rates in the nation, exceeding 20%.
• Illinois – Improperly paying out more than $320 million in taxpayer funds at a rate of more than 14%, one of the highest improper payment rates in the nation.

The Department of Labor is committed to rooting out fraud, enforcing UI eligibility requirements, and protecting American taxpayers. States that fail to safeguard these programs jeopardize benefits intended for hardworking Americans who demonstrate a legitimate need for temporary assistance.

Additional guidance and directives will be issued to the states in the coming weeks.

President Trump and Iran declared they’ve reached an agreement intended to end more than three months of war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The deal, scheduled to be formally signed Friday in Switzerland, marks a major breakthrough in the conflict that set the Middle East aflame and shook the global economy.

“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump wrote on social media on Sunday evening.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the deal was reached “following a difficult and intensive period of negotiations lasting several months.”

If the agreement works as planned, several key developments are supposed to happen almost immediately.

The U.S. and Iran will end the sporadic attacks that have been taking place despite a ceasefire. The Israel-Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon should stop. And Iran and the U.S. will lift their dueling blockades of the Strait of Hormuz.

The text of the deal was not immediately released, but has been widely described by U.S. and Iranian officials and in media reports.

The agreement extends the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire for 60 days. The goal in upcoming talks will be a permanent end to the war.

The text of the deal was not immediately released, but has been widely described by U.S. and Iranian officials and in media reports.

The agreement extends the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire for 60 days. The goal in upcoming talks will be a permanent end to the war.