News of the Day

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is fast-tracking review for a Canadian energy firm’s plan to build a $750 million tunnel for its oil and gas pipeline on the bottom of the Great Lakes.

The decision comes after President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a notice Tuesday that the project will be subject to emergency permitting procedures in line with the order, shortening the timeline for review.

The project would replace a roughly 4-mile stretch of Enbridge’s pipeline that’s vulnerable to rupturing in the Straits of Mackinac. Line 5 runs 645 miles and carries up to 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas liquids daily from Superior to Sarnia, Ontario.

The project has been under review for five years, and the agency previously said it would issue a draft environmental review this year and a final decision in 2026. Under emergency permitting procedures, Corps Detroit district office regulatory chief Shane McCoy said it’s still working with Enbridge to determine new timelines, but he expects a draft environmental impact statement will be issued around June.

“All of the review is still being used in the analysis. It’s under the emergency orders. However, the timelines associated with our coordination and conducting those reviews are truncated,” McCoy said.

The Corps received more than 17,000 public comments during its initial review. The emergency procedures fast-track the process under the National Historic Preservation Act and other federal regulations.

Katie Otanez, Detroit district office regulatory project manager, said it’s still evaluating requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act under the emergency process when asked whether public hearings may be eliminated.

The emergency procedures allow 15 days for public input once the agency’s draft is released. The Army Corps could issue a decision 30 days after a final environmental impact statement is issued, but it’s unclear when that may be. The agency said the process will result in a “legally defensible and well-informed” decision on the project.

Consumer spending was stronger than expected in March as demand remained high, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The advanced estimate of retail sales showed an increase of 1.4% on the month, higher than the 0.2% increase in February. The year-over-year rise was 4.6%, according to numbers adjusted for seasonality but not prices, while the monthly increase was the biggest since January 2023.

Excluding autos, the numbers also were stronger than expected, with sales up 0.5%. Motor vehicle and parts dealers reported a surge of 5.3% in sales.

Aside from the big move in auto-related sales, sporting goods, hobby and music stores saw a 2.4% increase, while building material and garden stores rose 3.3%. Food service and drinking places were up 1.8%, while gasoline stations reported a 2.5% decline as prices fell during the month.

Yesterday, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) announced that 19 organizations have received nearly $3.2 million in Small Business Development Grants (SBDG) to uplift small business development in local communities across the state. The SBDG Program provides grants to local communities and organizations to directly invest in small businesses and small business creation, including bolstering Main Streets, supporting youth entrepreneurship, improving infrastructure, providing technical assistance, and more.

The competitive Small Business Development Grants range from $50,000 to $250,000 and were awarded to local and regional economic development organizations, municipalities, and counties to support small business development and creation. The organizations will pass 100 percent of the SBDG funds on to small businesses.

The 19 grant recipients include:

City of Beaver Dam | $50,000 – The city of Beaver Dam will use the funds to expand their existing Downtown New Business Recruitment Grant to provide $5,000 to brick-and-mortar businesses in the city for lease and mortgage payments, operating expenses, and building repairs and improvements.

Villages of DeForest and Windsor | $250,000 – The villages of DeForest and Windsor are partnering to create a small business grant program to provide grants to businesses for repairs or upgrades to existing commercial properties.

Door County Economic Development Corporation | $225,000 – The organization will use the funds for the Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program, which offers grants to help rehabilitate and upgrade commercial buildings. The program allows business owners to enhance the appearance and functionality of their businesses.

Eagle River Revitalization Program Inc. | $250,000 – Eagle River will use the funds for the Eagle River Impact Grant, which will resolve vacancies, blight, and underused property and encourage entrepreneurship. Grants can be used for façade improvements, building and infrastructure rehabilitations, building transformations, or new commercial space development.

City of Fond du Lac | $215,000 – Funds will be used to supplement and expand the city of Fond du Lac’s small business programs, including the Building Improvement Grant, Catalytic Project, Building Security Grant Program, Downtown Fond du Lac New Business Grant, and Downtown Fond du Lac Experience Generator Grant. These programs address exterior façade renovations and lighting improvements and provide startup funds.

Green County Development Corporation | $60,000 – Green County will use the funds to establish a two-pronged project to encourage entrepreneurship and create long-term small business support. The Youth Entrepreneur Program will provide workshops, mentorship, and funding opportunities to students. Funds will also be used to establish a small business revolving loan fund.

Iowa County | $125,000 – Iowa County will use the funds to support small businesses through its Business Boost Initiative, which has a tiered grant structure to assist with both large and small business expenses, including development, expansion, and physical infrastructure improvements.

Juneau County Economic Development Corporation | $250,000 – Juneau County will use the funds to create a series of five grant programs related to entrepreneurial development, leadership, patents, startup support, and profitability investments.

City of Kiel | $60,000 – The city of Kiel will use the funds to supplement its façade revolving loan fund, which will support growing local, small businesses by providing low-interest loans for building improvements and financial support.

City of Ladysmith | $250,000 – The city of Ladysmith will use the funds to expand its Business Renovation Program, which provides grants to new and existing businesses for permanent property improvements. It will also create the Down Payment/Rent Assistance Program to assist startup businesses with down payments or the first three months of rent.

Lafayette County | $90,000 – Lafayette County will use the funds to expand its existing Launch Lafayette County Grant, which is a competitive grant program that supports business building improvements and aims to enhance the visibility and prominence of Lafayette businesses.

Marquette County | $50,000 – Marquette County will use the funds to provide small businesses with grants to advertise their products and services online. The program includes technical assistance to educate businesses on how to advertise online, evaluate previous advertisements, and create a marketing plan.

City of Medford and Village of Gilman | $120,000 – The city of Medford will create the FIX-IT Grant, which will support business improvements for façade, interior, exterior, inclusiveness, and teardown. The city of Medford has partnered with the village of Gilman, and grants will be available to businesses in both municipalities.

Milwaukee County | $200,000 – Milwaukee County will use funds to create the Bridge Building Small Business Grant Program, which will provide businesses with grants to purchase or lease commercial spaces or expand operations in their current space.

City of Ripon | $240,000 – The city of Ripon will use the funds for the WRNC (Waupun, Ripon, North Fond du Lac, and Campbellsport) Business Opportunity Fund, which will promote the growth and sustainability of small businesses in these communities.

Vernon County | $150,000 – Vernon County will use the funds for the Elevate Vernon Program, which will provide technical assistance and grants of up to $10,000. The grants can be used for marketing, branding, equipment, building improvements, signage, software, hardware, staff training, or consulting.

The U.S. Postal Service today filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of mailing services price changes to take effect July 13. The new rates include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 73 cents to 78 cents.

The proposed adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 7.4 percent. If favorably reviewed by the commission, the price changes would include:

The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters will increase from 28 cents to 29 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for the Special Services products. Notably, the Postal Service will apply a price reduction of 12 percent for postal insurance when mailing an item.

As changes in the mailing and shipping marketplace continue, these price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization’s Delivering for America 10-year plan. USPS prices remain among the most affordable in the world.

Following a directive from the PRC, the Postal Service is filing two sets of prices for Marketing Mail and Package Services products. While only one set of rates will go into effect on July 13, these prices address the pending proposal to eliminate Bound Printed Matter and expand Marketing Mail, pending the commission’s approval. USPS will release additional communications to address price changes in these categories.

The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the commission’s website under the Daily Listings section. The Mailing Services filing is Docket No. R2025-1. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The consumer price index, a broad measure of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in March, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.4%, down from 2.8% in February.

Excluding food and energy, so-called core inflation ran at a 2.8% annual rate, having increased 0.1% for the month. That was the lowest rate for core inflation since March 2021.

Slumping energy prices helped keep inflation tame, as a 6.3% drop in gasoline prices helped drive a 2.4% broader decline in the energy index. Food prices climbed 0.4% on the month.

Moreover, shelter prices, among the most stubborn components of inflation, increased just 0.2% in March and were up 4% on a 12-month basis, the smallest gain since November 2021. Used vehicle prices were off 0.7% while new vehicle costs increased just 0.1%, ahead of tariffs that are expected to hit the auto industry hard.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday dropped new tariff rates on imports from most U.S. trade partners to 10% for 90 days to allow trade negotiations with those countries.

The president also said in a social media post that he was raising the tariffs imposed on imports from China to 125% “effective immediately” due to the “lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets.” China, which is the U.S.’s third-largest trading partner, earlier Wednesday said it would increase its tariff rate for imports from the U.S. to 84%.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a tweet, said that he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sat with Trump while he wrote out the announcement on Truth Social, “one of the most extraordinary Truth posts of his Presidency.”

“The world is ready to work with President Trump to fix global trade, and China has chosen the opposite direction,” Lutnick wrote.

China unveiled retaliatory tariffs of 84% on imports of US goods on Wednesday, matching additional tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump earlier in the day.

President Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs took effect earlier on Wednesday. China was the hardest-hit nation with a levy now totaling at least 104% on all its goods. The two countries have been involved in a game of tit-for-tat on trade, with Beijing standing firmly against each new tariff introduced by Washington.

The amped-up retaliation comes after China repeatedly warned that it would “fight to the end” if the US moved forward with further tariffs. On Wednesday, President Trump’s additional levies on Chinese imports had originally been set to increase by 34 percentage points.

But the President tacked on another 50 percentage points after Beijing refused to back down from the standoff. Prior to the latest rounds of escalation, President Trump had already imposed 20% levies on China since his return to the White House.

In addition to the increased levy, China’s Commerce Ministry imposed export controls on 12 American companies, barring Chinese companies from supplying them with dual-use items that have both military and civilian applications.

It also added six more US firms to its “unreliable entity list,” banning them from trading or making new investments in China, and filed a complaint to the World Trade Organization over the latest US tariffs.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has shrugged off China’s retaliatory move, telling Fox Business on Wednesday that it is unfortunate that China does not “want to come and negotiate” a tariff deal. He called China the “worst offenders in the international trading system.”

“They have the most imbalanced economy in the history of the modern world, and I can tell you that this escalation is a loser for them … They’re the surplus country,” Bessent said. China’s “exports to the US are five times our exports to China. So, they can raise their tariffs. But so what?”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent weighed in on America’s tariff negotiations with other countries during a late Monday afternoon appearance on “Kudlow.”

Bessent told host Larry Kudlow that Trump is “better than anyone at giving himself maximum leverage, so what he has done is we outlined the tariffs on April 2 and then gave countries several days to think about it.”

“As I advised on many shows on April 2, I suggested that the foreign officials keep your cool, that you do not escalate and come to us with your offers on how you’re going to drop tariffs, how you’re going to drop non-tariff barriers, how you’re going to stop your currency manipulation, how you’re going to stop the subsidized financing, and at a point, President Trump will be ready to negotiate,” he explained.

During his appearance, Bessent defended the Trump administration using trade deficits in its calculus for determining reciprocal tariffs on imports from some foreign countries. He also noted that “academic studies have shown that it’s the non-tariff trade barriers that are the real problem in the U.S. having free and fair access to these markets.”

We Energies is asking state utility regulators to approve special rates for data centers that would require those users to pay for infrastructure built for their developments.

In an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin this week, the utility outlined rate proposals for customers that are expected to need enough energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes each year.

It’s the first attempt to craft a rate structure for data center-scale customers in Wisconsin. Data centers are among the most “energy intensive” types of buildings, using 10 to 50 times more energy per floor space than a typical commercial office building.

Several data centers have been planned within We Energies’ service territory. Microsoft is developing a more than $3.3 billion data center campus in Mount Pleasant, with additional plans for another site in Kenosha. Data center developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure has another project planned in Port Washington.

Under the proposal, customers with a load of at least 500 megawatts, enough energy to power more than 300,000 homes annually, would agree to be responsible for costs related to new resources that the utility builds to meet their demand.

Resource agreements with those “very large customers” would be “effective for the depreciable life of the resource, except for wind or solar resources which will have a term of 20 years or more,” We Energies said in its application.

We Energies asked regulators to approve the proposal by the end of the year. The utility has already applied to build new generation resources to support Microsoft and other industrial development in southeast Wisconsin. The state commission is reviewing plans for more than $2 billion in natural gas infrastructure, including new plants in Oak Creek and Kenosha County.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley was elected by the Court today to serve as chief justice, effective May 1, 2025. She succeeds Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler in this role. Justice Bradley was first elected to the Court in 1995 and will leave the Court after serving three full 10-year terms on July 31, 2025. Justice Bradley has indicated she will step down as chief on June 30, 2025, after two months in the role.

“It is a tremendous honor to be elected by my colleagues as the leader of this great court,” said Justice Bradley. “It has been my life’s goal to honor the rule of law, enhance access to justice, and serve the 5.9 million people who call Wisconsin home. Serving as Chief Justice enables me to further those goals. The court system is full of wonderful staff and justices, from the circuit court to the appellate Court to our Supreme Court. So I deeply appreciate the opportunity to serve as the administrative head of this august institution.”

In anticipation of Justice Bradley’s retirement, the Court elected Justice Jill J. Karofsky to become Chief Justice as of July 1, 2025. Justice Karofsky was elected to the Court in 2020 and will serve the remainder of the two-year Chief Justice term until April 30, 2027.

Pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 (3) of the Wisconsin Constitution, the chief justice of the Supreme Court is the administrative head of the judicial system and exercises administrative authority pursuant to procedures adopted by the Supreme Court. In this role, the chief justice works with fellow justices, the director of state courts, chief judges and other administrators to ensure the courts operate efficiently.