Morning Headlines - Friday, Mar. 13, 2026

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

Gulf Countries Press For End To Iran War With Push For Diplomacy

Gulf countries are pushing for an end to the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran, a rare moment of unity in a fight they tried to avoid.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, who rarely see first-hand conflict in the region, have all come under varying degrees of attack from Iran.

Once thought to serve as a deterrent, American military bases and diplomatic outposts in these countries are a bullseye for Iranian missiles and have come under heavy fire as the war stretches into its 13th day. Cheaply produced one-way Iranian attack drones have successfully evaded billion-dollar air defense systems.

Food Stamp Recipients Sue USDA Over Restrictions On Candy, Energy Drinks

Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday challenging its food restriction waivers that reduce the types of foods that can be purchased with benefits.

Represented by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, a nonprofit focused on advancing justice for low-income families, five SNAP recipients from Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia sued the USDA for implementing its waiver restriction pilot projects.

U.S. Launches New Investigations Into 60 Countries As It Fights To Restore Tariffs

The Trump administration's top trade official launched investigations Thursday into dozens of countries accused of failing to crack down on forced labor, flexing a law that lets the federal government impose tariffs and other trade restrictions as President Trump grapples with a Supreme Court ruling that struck down many of his tariffs.

The investigations are taking place under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a law aimed at restricting unfair trade practices. The roughly 60 countries and territories that were hit with investigations include some of the U.S.'s largest trading partners, like China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Average US Long-Term Mortgage Rate Rises To 6.11%

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose again this week, reflecting ongoing bond market jitters over the war with Iran.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate ticked up to 6.11% from 6% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.65%.

The average rate is now back to where it was five weeks ago.

Google Maps Adds Gemini AI-Powered 'Ask Maps' Feature And 3D Immersive Navigation

Google today added Gemini AI to Google Maps, enabling a new Ask Maps feature. Gemini in maps can answer complex, real-world questions that Google says "a map could never answer before."

There is a new Ask Maps button where Google Maps users can get answers to specific questions like "is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?" Google says that finding information like that would have taken a lot of sifting through reviews in the past, but now Google Maps can provide an answer with a custom map.

Wisconsin Headlines

This Year’s Wisconsin Supreme Court Fundraising Fight Is Comparatively Calm

Earlier this week, the ACLU of Wisconsin announced a nearly half-million dollar ad buy in the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

It’s an amount that’s nothing to sneeze at. But compared to this time last year — when out-of-state billionaires were pouring money into an advertising arms race — it’s a relative drop in the bucket.

Overall, the matchup between Chris Taylor, a liberal Dane County appeals court judge, and Maria Lazar, a conservative Waukesha County appeals court judge, is a quieter affair. That’s reflective of the lower stakes this year compared to last.

State Supreme Court Hears Dispute Over DOJ’s Handling Of Settlement Money Under Lame-Duck Law

Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley challenged a Department of Justice attorney’s argument that the department is sticking to a 2018 lame-duck law by putting settlement money into agency appropriations rather than handing it over to lawmakers to dictate how it’s used.

Assistant Attorney General Hannah Jurss during oral arguments yesterday said the Legislature still has to give the DOJ permission to spend the money. But she said nothing in the statute that Republicans approved before Dem AG Josh Kaul took office prevents the agency from putting the money into appropriations that are part of the general fund.

Lawmaker Reaffirms DPI Audit Following Oconto Falls Grooming Lawsuit

There is already a call for the state to take a harder look at teacher grooming after the lawsuit against Oconto Falls Schools.

A Milwaukee-based law firm on Wednesday filed a sweeping suit against Oconto Falls Schools claiming the district “had knowledge of a pervasive pattern and practice of teacher-student sexual abuse at Oconto Falls High School involving multiple teachers and multiple victims spanning multiple years.”

Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Gillett, immediately said this is why lawmakers demanded an audit for the state’s Department of Public Instruction.

Frustration Grows Over 24-Hour Data Center Construction In Port Washington

Dozens of people living near the construction site of a new data center in Port Washington are petitioning the city to limit the round-the-clock work happening near their homes.

Construction on the Vantage Data Centers Lighthouse Campus was originally limited to a 12-hour period, but the city later approved 24-hour construction on weekdays. And those living nearby are becoming increasingly frustrated by the lights, noises, traffic, emissions and dust being produced.

Wisconsin Has Two Kinds Of Piggly Wiggly. Here's What To Know

Wisconsin residents have "shopped the Pig" since the late 1940s.

Founded in 1916 in Tennessee, Piggly Wiggly has a particularly strong presence in Wisconsin with more than 85 grocery stores in the state, second only to Alabama.

With nearly 20 grocery stores carrying the Piggly Wiggly name among Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Winnebago counties, customers may presume all the stores have the same owner.