Morning Headlines - Thursday, Feb. 19, 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

Former Prince Andrew Arrested Over Suspected Misconduct In Public Office Revealed In Epstein Files

The former Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested Thursday for suspected misconduct in public office after revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

King Charles III's younger brother was arrested on his 66th birthday, about two weeks after an anti-royal organization called for police to investigate documents indicating that Andrew shared confidential government information with the late American sex offender when the royal worked as a British trade envoy.

DHS Shutdown Talks Hit A Wall As GOP Fumes

Discussions between the White House and Democratic leaders on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have hit a wall as administration officials publicly slammed the minority party for refusing to make concessions.

Ever since Democrats sent the White House legislative text of their demands to reform how the administration carries out immigration enforcement on Feb. 7, negotiators have largely kept mum the details of the proposals and counterproposals that followed in the hopes of reaching an agreement.

Dueling PACs Take Center Stage In Midterm Elections Over AI Regulation

A pro-regulation AI PAC is launching a six-figure ad buy supporting a candidate in a competitive New York congressional primary.

The lawmaker, Alex Bores, was targeted last year by a different AI PAC, Leading the Future, which opposes more regulation.

Both PACs have backing of major AI industry groups, which have collectively poured more than a hundred million into the groups.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested On Suspicion Of Misconduct In Public Office

U.K. police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Thames Valley Police, an agency that covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said it was “assessing” reports that the former Prince Andrew sent trade reports to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2010. The assessment followed the release of millions of pages of documents connected to a U.S. investigation of Epstein.

Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Sailing In The Atlantic, Headed for Strait Of Gibraltar

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its escorts are operating in the Atlantic Ocean as they sail to U.S. Central Command amid tensions with Iran, USNI News has learned.

Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are crossing the Atlantic and heading for the Strait of Gibraltar, a Navy official confirmed to USNI News Tuesday.

The carrier has operated in the Caribbean Sea since mid-November as the U.S. amassed naval power in the region before it conducted the early January raid on former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in downtown Caracas.

Wisconsin Headlines

Wisconsin PSC, UW-Madison Partnering To Identify Possible Nuclear Plant Sites

The state Public Service Commission is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to identify potential sites for nuclear power plants in Wisconsin.

Gov. Tony Evers made the announcement Tuesday evening during his State of the State address.

“Nuclear energy is the largest source of clean power in our country, and it’s a safe, reliable, carbon-free option to power our homes and businesses,” he said in the speech. “This could be a game changer for our state. I’m glad this work has received bipartisan support.”

Wisconsin Stalls On Postpartum Medicaid Extension Despite Bipartisan Support

As the Wisconsin State Assembly prepares to conclude its 2026 session this week, attention is drawn to a bipartisan bill with wide support that remains unscheduled for a vote.

The bill aims to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum women in Wisconsin.

Currently, Wisconsin provides only 60 days of postpartum Medicaid coverage for new, low-income mothers. This lags behind 48 other states that have expanded this coverage to one year.

Wisconsin GOP Supports Federal Lawsuit For State Voter Rolls

The Republican Party of Wisconsin filed a court document supporting a federal Department of Justice lawsuit against the state.

The amicus brief urges the federal court to allow the DOJ’s investigation of voter rolls to continue.

It also asks the court to require the Wisconsin Elections Commission to confidentially provide the DOJ with the state’s voter registration data.

Wisconsin Democrats Push Women’s Health Bills As Assembly Nears Final Day

With the clock winding down on the legislative session, Democrats in the Wisconsin State Assembly are making a last-ditch effort to pass two women’s health measures before lawmakers adjourn for the year.

On Wednesday, Democrats introduced amendments to nearly every bill on the Assembly calendar, attaching proposals to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage and to require insurance coverage for secondary breast cancer screenings.

The amendments were added to legislation ranging from amusement park ride regulations to the use of soybean fire suppression foam.

Senate Pulls Stewardship Bills From Calendar Amid Lack Of Needed GOP Support

Senate GOP leaders today dropped a planned vote on a $28.25 million package to extend the stewardship program after it failed to garner enough Republican support to clear the chamber.

GOP Sen. Pat Testin, who co-authored the package, told WisPolitics his efforts to get at least 17 Republican votes for the proposal had fallen short. Now, the only path forward to extend the program is to get his Senate Republican colleagues to get behind the bills that cleared the Assembly last month, Testin said. 

If that fails, authorization for the program created in the 1989-90 session will lapse June 30.