Morning Headlines - Monday, Apr. 20, 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

US Seizure Of Iranian-Flagged Ship Strains Ceasefire, Planned Talks

U.S. negotiators are expected in Pakistan Monday for a round of talks with Iran, though the two sides have not yet agreed to meet as their fragile ceasefire draws closer to expiring.

Iranian state media said that it’s leaders will not participate in the next round of talks, and Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Iran had “no plan” to meet.

The potential peace talks follow a ship seizure in the Strait of Hormuz and Trump accusing Iran of violating the countries’ two-week ceasefire, which is set to expire Wednesday.

8 Children Killed In Mass Shooting In Shreveport, Louisiana, As Father Targets His Family

A man killed eight children — seven of his own kids and one of their cousins— early Sunday in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, officials said. The shooter is also dead after police pursued him and opened fire.

The children killed ranged in age from 3 to 11, the coroner's office confirmed. Police identified the suspected shooter to CBS News as Shamar Elkins.

Major 7.5-Magnitude Quake Hits Off Japan, Triggers Tsunami Warnings

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (10 ft) were expected.

Two hours after the tremor, which struck at 4:52 p.m. (0752 GMT), tsunami waves as high as 80 cm had been detected, though warnings remained for possible bigger waves at the top of Japan’s main Honshu island, and the northern Hokkaido region.

Life Jacket Worn By Titanic Survivor Auctioned Off For Over $900,000

A life jacket worn by a passenger on RMS Titanic as she escaped the sinking steamship on a lifeboat sold at auction on Saturday for 670,00 pounds ($906,000).

The flotation device was worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger on the doomed ocean liner, and is signed by her and other survivors from the same lifeboat.

NFL Takes Heat From GOP, Trump DOJ On Cost Of Watching Games

Federal regulators and members of Congress are voicing frustration with the NFL’s media rights dealmaking and are vowing to rein in its unmatched leverage in the live sports marketplace.

The Roger Goodell-led pro football league is reportedly the subject of an investigation by President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ), with regulators alleging it engaged in anticompetitive behavior when negotiating its recent record-breaking deals providing the rights to several companies to broadcast its games.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin Supreme Court Looks Into Campaign-Related Recusal Rules

Following a string of multimillion dollar judicial elections, a group of retired judges wants the Wisconsin Supreme Court to tighten recusal rules in cases where judges or justices receive campaign donations from litigants.

The judges say the current recusal rules are “broken,” and while the court’s former conservative majority rejected attempts to change them, there’s hope the current liberal majority will consider it.

In recent years, Wisconsin Supreme Court races have become more partisan and far more expensive. At the same time, more litigants in politically-charged cases have asked justices to recuse themselves from proceedings because of comments and political donations from the campaign trail. For the most part, those justices have declined the invitations.

Wisconsin Officials Warn Of Million-Dollar Lottery Scam Delivered By Priority Mail

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is warning about a lottery scam that uses Priority Mail delivery to appear legitimate.

A letter delivered by Priority Mail used the name of a real lottery organization and promised a million-dollar prize.

“The consumer really thought about this and thought, is this legitimate? Because why would the scammer spend $10 to send something Priority Mail and then ask for a signature? But thankfully, the consumer paused and thought about it and realized that it was really too good to be true,” said Michelle Reinen, administrator with the Wisconsin Division of Trade and Consumer Protection.

Wisconsin Metal Plant Employees Sue Owners Over Sudden Closure, Layoffs

Dozens of former employees are now suing their former bosses after they were all abruptly laid off from a metal fabrication plant in western Wisconsin.

David Olsen is one of those employees. He said that ownership at Northern Metal Fab, Inc. called a meeting early on Monday, March 30, where they were told to pack their bags.

"There absolutey was no warning that the company was potentially going belly up, that was a shock to everyone," Olsen said.

Wisconsin Signs McFarland Native Teagan Mallegni

Wisconsin women’s basketball announced the signing of Iowa transfer guard Teagan Mallegni on Saturday.

Mallegni, a native of McFarland, Wis., appeared in 45 games in her two seasons with the Hawkeyes.

The 6-1 guard entered into her time in Iowa City as the No. 2 overall player in the state of Wisconsin, ranking 64th nationally.

Hundreds Trying To Storm Wisconsin Beagle Research Facility Met With Rubber Bullets, Pepper Spray

About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.

It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.