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WSUM News Team compiles recent news in under 5 minutes every Monday through Thursday. Originally aired on the 91.7 FM stream, each newscast is re-posted in audio form.
INTRO GOOD (DAY) EVENING MADISON! YOU’RE LISTENING TO THE 5/6 O’CLOCK NEWS UPDATE ON WSUM 91.7 FM MADISON STUDENT RADIO. I’M TALULA HAYES.
IN THE NEWS TODAY,
IN STATE NEWS,
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a coalition of attorney generals on Thursday in a lawsuit to block President Trump’s tariffs. The coalition currently has over a dozen states involved, with representatives from California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Trump announced a new 15% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This is following the Supreme Court’s striking of his previous tariffs, which he says are necessary to fix shortages of trade. The coalition argues this section does not apply to trade deficits. They claim he is violating the Administrative Procedure Act by using it to justify more tariffs. Section 122 allows for a temporary 150-day tariff of up to 15% to help fix the balance-of-payment problem. Kaul said “At a time when so many people are concerned about affordability challenges, President Trump’s tariffs have made the situation worse,”.
IN NATIONAL NEWS,
Police and one U.S. Senator forcefully remove a Marine veteran protesting the Iranian war from a hearing on Wednesday. The Marine, Brian McGinnis, shouted (quote) “No one wants to fight for Israel” (end quote) and was dragged out. Alongside officers, Republican Sen. of Montana Tim Sheely attempts to intervene in the altercation. McGinnis and three officers were treated for injuries. McGinnis claims the altercation led to his arm being broken on X. McGinnis is currently facing three counts of assault on a police officer and three counts of resisting arrest and crowding, obstructing, and incommoding. This occurred at the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing. It was less than 30 minutes into the hearing which was receiving testimonies from military leaders about their branches' preparedness. Capitol Police describe his behavior as violently resisting arrest and fighting officer’s attempts to remove him from the court room. In the now viral video of the incident, McGinnis’ hand is stuck in the doorway as officers pull his body out of the room. McGinnis is currently running for U.S. Senate as a Green Party candidate in North Carolina. He served in the Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004 and traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate for the stopping of war.
ALSO IN NATIONAL NEWS,
President Trump fires Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following backlash against her leadership on Thursday. Overwhelming public criticism of her handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown led to her firing. Trump said on social media he would nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin in her place as soon as possible. This is following a two-day interrogation on Capitol Hill where GOP members and democrats questioned her abilities. During this Congressional hearing, she faced rare backlash from Republican lawmakers. This was mainly due to the $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem which tried to encourage people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. Noem claims Trump knew about the campaign, however Trump disputed this claim in an interview. Noem used to be one of Trump’s close allies, mainly due to her push for mass deportations. However, she turned into a liability to Trump’s overall image following her handling of the two deaths in Minneapolis by ICE agents. Trump said he is making her a Special Envoy for the Shield of Americas, which is a new security initiative surrounding the Western Hemisphere. Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term in office.
IN ECONOMIC NEWS,
Mortgage rates hit 6% as the Iran war has worried bond market traders. The average 30-year fixed mortgage was 6% for the week following conflict in Iran, unsettling international markets. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which mortgage rates follow, has climbed since violence after the U.S.-Israeli forces struck Iran on Saturday. The conflict has an effect due to the Strait of Hormuz in Iran, which facilitates a large oil supply trade. Last week, mortgage rates dipped to 5.98%. This is the first time they’ve fallen below 6% since 2022. This marked the crossing of a threshold where there was potential the U.S. housing market could be revived. If the conflict is prolonged, a larger bond sell-off trend could occur. Despite the increase, this week, mortgage rates have remained lower since they hit over 7% in the start of 2025. Lower rates have not yet led to a boom in the housing market. The National Association of Realtors reported home sales fell 8.4% in January, decreasing across the nation. Regardless of a lack of buyers, home prices have continued to climb.
OUTRO: THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN! FROM THE WSUM NEWS BOOTH, I’M TALULA HAYES. HAVE A GREAT EVENING MADISON!