Morning Headlines - Monday, May 18, 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

Analytics Firm Connects Bets Made On War With Signs Of Insider Trading

Nine connected Polymarket accounts have raked in more than $2.4 million betting almost exclusively on U.S. military actions in what digital detectives from the data analytics firm Bubblemaps have identified as a potentially egregious case of insider trading.

The anonymous accounts made winning bets on the specific dates of pivotal moments in the war with Iran: the first U.S. strikes, the removal of Iran's supreme leader, and the announcement of a ceasefire.

Across more than 80 bets, the accounts had a 98% win rate, even as many wagers were made when the odds of winning were low.

FDA Drops Guardrails On Vaping Industry In Major Trump Pivot

The Trump administration is pivoting hard on vaping, taking down guardrails that have limited the industry’s growth in recent years and making clear the tobacco industry’s enduring influence over Washington.

In the span of two weeks, the Trump administration granted marketing authorization to four flavored vaping products and issued new guidance allowing unauthorized vapes to stay on the market.

For almost a decade, federal authorities had sought to tamp down on the proliferation of flavored vapes that appeal to youth, including during President Trump’s first term.

ChatGPT Now Has Personal Finance Tools

OpenAI has launched several new tools aimed at helping ChatGPT users manage their personal finances.

According to TechCrunch, the “personal finance experience” is available to users with a ChatGPT Pro account. Users can connect their bank accounts and access a dashboard showing portfolio performance, spending, subscriptions and upcoming payments.

Weight-Loss Wars Go Global As Novo Nordisk Bets Big On Its Wegovy Pill

Novo Nordisk sees a “major opportunity” outside of the U.S. and says that telehealth partners could help grow the global market for weight loss drugs.

The battle for dominance over the lucrative market has so far focused largely on the key U.S. market, currently accounting for more than half of both Novo’s and Eli Lilly’s respective sales.

Analysts highlight the UK, Germany, and Denmark as likely countries where the Wegovy pill could launch next.

Democrat Congressional Candidate 'Twerking For Votes' Issues Defiant Response To Critics

A Michigan congressional candidate had strong words for critics who claimed she was 'twerking for votes' online.

Shelby Campbell, a Democratic candidate running for the state's 13th district, has gained attention on social media for her creative campaign strategies.

Running on 'women, children, public education and working families,' the 32-year-old single mom has posted several TikTok videos of herself twerking between informational posts about her campaign.

Though many of the videos have since been scraped from her profile, in one remaining post, Campbell danced on her kitchen counter, calling herself a 'classy b****.'

Wisconsin Headlines

Beagles From Wisconsin Research Lab Thriving In New York

Dozens of beagles recently sprung from a Wisconsin breeding and research facility have shown amazing progress under the care of a New York City animal welfare organization, the group’s president says.

Second Chance Rescue in Queens took in the dogs as part of a larger effort to find homes for 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, the Madison area test lab that was the site of animal-rights protests earlier this year.

Ridglan Farms gave up its license and sold the dogs after authorities said the lab violated state veterinary standards. Several animal shelters across the U.S. partnered in the effort to provide a pipeline for the dogs’ adoption.

Call For Unity At GOP Convention About Getting Behind Tiffany, Past Efforts To Oust Schimming

On the surface, the call for unity at this weekend’s GOP state convention was about getting the activist base behind gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany.

The subtext, though, was a push to move past the internal squabbles over state Chair Brian Schimming that some party insiders fear could hobble Tiffany’s pursuit of the governor’s office this fall.

None of the elected officials who made pleas for unity from the stage mentioned Schimming by name, though numerous party activists said in interviews there was a dual purpose to the message.

Judge Halts Some Work On Enbridge’s Line 5 Reroute In Northern Wisconsin

Canadian energy firm Enbridge can keep building a new stretch of its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in northern Wisconsin except in waterways where the company needs additional permits, a Bayfield County judge ruled Friday.

The decision is largely a win for Enbridge and its embattled project to reroute Line 5 around the Bad River Tribe’s Reservation in northern Wisconsin. The judge, however, granted a partial victory to the tribe and environmental groups who sued for review of a decision upholding state approvals for the reroute. In February, an administrative law judge upheld permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for the project.

Why Is Gen Z So Anti-Capitalist?

The future of free markets in the United States is in danger, as support for capitalism among younger generations has fallen to an all-time low. According to a poll conducted by the Cato Institute in 2025, 62% of Americans aged 18 to 29 say they hold a “favorable view” of socialism. Perhaps even more troubling, 34% of young Americans say they hold a “favorable view” of communism.

This is a stark contrast from previous generations. Baby Boomers overwhelmingly hold a positive view of capitalism at 68%. Only 32% of our elder generation holds a positive view of socialism.

Wisconsin-Made Film "Winter Hymns" Gets More Showings On The Silver Screen

A movie that's produced and filmed right here in Wisconsin, Winter Hymns tells the story of a palliative care doctor meeting with a series of dying patients over a one day span.

Writer and Director of the film Nathan Deming sat down with 27 News anchor Lucas Kihmm to talk about the movie and says he was inspired by his father, who was a palliative care physician, to make the film.