Morning Headlines - Monday, Jun. 15, 2026 | Recent News

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

UK Announces Social Media Ban For Under-16s

Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, calling it “a big moment for our country.”

Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, intended to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time. He said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.”

U.S. And Iran Announce A Deal To End The War, Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

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.

SpaceX Gains 6% In Premarket After Record Debut. Here’s What’s Driving The Valuation Debate

Shares of SpaceX were around 6% higher at the start of premarket trading on Monday. SpaceX jumped 19% on Friday in what was the biggest initial public offering in history.

The company’s valuation, which sits at around $2 trillion, has sparked debate over whether it is justified.

Social Security’s Looming Insolvency Sparks Alarm In Congress

Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) call for Republicans to act on Social Security reform if they keep control of Congress in 2027 is getting pushback from Senate Republicans who warn it’s a bad political message heading into November.

Yet, a trustees’ report that the popular retirement program will become insolvent sooner than expected has lit a fire under lawmakers in both parties to call for reforms such as raising the cap on payroll taxes, “means testing” beneficiaries, raising the retirement age, and creating personal accounts to invest in the stock markets.

San Andreas Fault Stress Hits 1,000-Year High, Raising Quake Risk

Tectonic stress along Southern California's San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems has reached — and in some areas exceeded — the highest levels seen in the past 1,000 years, according to new research led by Earth scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Researchers say the system is not showing signs of an imminent rupture, but is operating under unusually high stress in a long-term seismic cycle that could support large earthquakes, including multi-fault events.

Rodriguez Wins WisPolitics Straw Poll For Governor, With Hong Close Behind

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was the favorite of Democratic Party of Wisconsin activists in a WisPolitics straw poll at this weekend’s state convention, with state Rep. Francesca Hong just behind in second place.

Those who voted in the WisPolitics straw poll also backed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the Dem presidential nomination in 2028.

In the governor’s race, 164 of those who voted in the straw poll, of 27.5%, backed Rodriguez, who served one term in the Assembly representing a Waukesha County seat before her election as lieutenant governor in 2022.

Hong, a democratic socialist in her third term in the Assembly, was second with 138 votes, or 23.1%.

Dem Gubernatorial Candidates Knock Trump, Tiffany In Pitches To Party Activists

Dem gubernatorial contenders knocked Donald Trump as they argued to party activists that they’re best positioned to beat Republican Tom Tiffany this fall.

They also knocked Tiffany, a Republican congressman from northern Wisconsin who’s the presumptive GOP nominee, with former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes calling him a “coward.”

Wisconsin Egg Production Cut In Half As Farms Struggle With Avian Flu, Higher Expenses

Egg production in Wisconsin is less than half of what it was a year ago, reflecting a major decline in the number of laying hens in the state.

Wisconsin produced 91.7 million eggs in April, the latest month available. That’s down 57 percent from the same month in 2025.

Wausau Man Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud And Money Laundering

A Wausau man has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Madison to wire fraud and money laundering, according to Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.

Stanley Pophal, 64, Wausau, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today to defrauding investors out of $14.25 million and using investor funds to fund his lifestyle.

Deputy Shot At Town Of Elba Dog Park Released From Hospital After Serious Injuries

A Dodge County Sheriff's deputy is out of the hospital after being shot and seriously injured while responding to a disturbance at a dog park Sunday evening.

Deputies from the Dodge County Sheriff's Office and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office responded to River Run Dog Park in the Town of Elba just before 7 p.m. after receiving a report of an intoxicated man causing a disturbance and threatening members of the public. The park is located north of the City of Columbus.