Morning Headlines - Thursday, Feb. 12, 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

Democrats Seek To Weaponize Trump Tariffs Against GOP

Senate Republicans are staring down a major headache as Democrats ready constant votes targeting President Trump’s tariffs, a political vulnerability given the unease many in the GOP feel about the import taxes.

The Senate GOP will have to deal with the issue because the House GOP was unable to unify behind a rule that would have prevented the votes in the lower chamber. Three House Republicans on Tuesday night sided with Democrats on the matter, dealing a blow to the White House.

Ukrainian Star Disqualified From Winter Olympics Over Helmet Honoring War Dead

A Ukrainian athlete has been disqualified from the Winter Olympics over his insistence on wearing a helmet honoring people killed in his country's war with Russia.

The International Olympic Committee said in a statement early Thursday that skeleton racer Vladylsav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian flag bearer, was "not allowed to participate at Milano Cortina 2026 after refusing to adhere to the IOC athlete expression guidelines."

US Colleges Received More Than $5 Billion In Foreign Gifts, Contracts In 2025

U.S. colleges received more than 5 billion dollars in reportable foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, according to a new website from the U.S. Education Department. The release is part of a push by the Trump administration to make foreign influence in colleges and universities more transparent.

Among the biggest recipients, the data show, are Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Americans’ Complicated Relationship With News

Americans today describe a complicated relationship with the news. Most say being informed is essential for civic life – especially voting – yet many feel overwhelmed, skeptical and selective about how they engage with information, according to a new Pew Research Center study from the Pew-Knight Initiative.

A central tension shapes today’s news landscape. Most people believe Americans have a civic responsibility to be informed when they vote. But far fewer say regularly following news is extremely or very important in general, and roughly half say they can stay informed even if they don’t actively follow it.

Krispy Kreme Giving Away 13K Boxes Of Doughnuts. How To Get Yours

Krispy Kreme is hoping to make thousands of customers feel lucky this Friday the 13th by giving away free boxes of doughnuts.

According to company officials, Krispy Kreme will be handing out 13,000 coupons on Friday, Feb. 13, to guests at random across its U.S. stores.

Those coupons can then be redeemed alongside any purchase for a free box of Original Glazed dozens, the doughnut chain said.

Senate Passes Bill On Transgender Athletes, Transition Procedures For Minors

The state Senate today approved transgender-related bills dictating what teams those athletes can play on, limiting what pronouns students can use at school and allowing lawsuits for injuries from transition procedures performed on minors.

Dem Sen. Mark Spreitzer, of Beloit, slammed the bills as an effort to “legislate trans people out of existence.”

But GOP Sen. Rob Hutton, who co-authored the sports and lawsuit bills, rebuffed that suggestion. He argued the bills barring transgender athletes from playing in K-12 and college teams designated for females are about fairness and protecting opportunities for girls and women. The Brookfield Republican also told the chamber he has met regularly with members of the transgender community.

Wisconsin Senate Passes Bill Criminalizing Grooming A Child

A new bill that aims to make grooming a child for sexual activity a crime has passed the Wisconsin State Senate. The bill now awaits Gov. Tony Evers' signature to become law.

The bill, which received bipartisan support, seeks to criminalize efforts to condition, seduce or entice a child into sexual conduct. This includes both verbal and digital communications intended to seduce a minor.

With Legislative Session Nearing End, Evers, GOP Leaders At Odds On Tax Deal

With just a few weeks left in Wisconsin’s legislative season, GOP leaders and the Democratic governor are continuing talks over a deal on property taxes.

But a split among Senate and Assembly Republican leadership over how to treat Gov. Tony Evers’ so-called “400-year veto” may mean that no final deal can clear both chambers.

Wisconsin Wake Boats Debate: Local Control And Property Rights

Assembly Bill 1033, introduced by Rep. Rob Brooks and Sen. Dan Feyen and backed by the Water Sports Industry Association, would mandate that wake surfing (wake-enhanced boating) occurs at least 200 feet from shore, docks, or other boaters—without any minimum depth requirement or safeguards for existing local ordinances.

From a free-market perspective, this bill represents flawed, top-down regulation that undermines private property rights, local control, and decentralized decision-making. AB 1033's 200-foot standard adds little protection—many lakes already have 200-foot slow-no-wake rules—and risks preempting stricter local ordinances on over 400 lakes across 76 towns. This invites lawsuits from out-of-state interests against communities tailoring rules to their lakes' unique conditions, eroding genuine local sovereignty.

Wisconsin's Jordan Stolz Wins Gold, Sets Olympic Record In Men’s 1,000m Speed Skating

U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz won the men’s 1,000 meters at the Milan Cortina Games on Wednesday in an Olympic-record time for the first of what he hopes will be a four-gold Winter Games.

Skating in the next-to-last pairing at Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility constructed for these Olympics that has been producing fast times so far, Stolz finished in 1 minute, 6.28 seconds.