Morning Headlines - Thursday, Jul. 16, 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

Iran Targets Military Bases As US Launches Wave Of Strikes

Tehran has launched fresh attacks on US military bases in neighbouring Gulf states, while Washington continued to strike sites across Iran overnight.

Tehran said it had struck targets in the region, including in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, as a sixth day of renewed hostilities strained their preliminary deal to end the war.

Meanwhile, the US military said it inflicted a six-hour wave of strikes in multiple locations to "degrade Iran's ability to threaten innocent mariners" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Source Of Stomach Parasite Outbreak May Never Be Found, Expert Says

It’s been months since the first U.S. cases of cyclosporiasis were reported, and health officials have yet to identify the source. Dr. Ashish Jha spoke with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert and said that he doesn’t believe we ever will.

“Unfortunately, that window has already closed,” said Jha. “This has spread so far. I am not convinced we are gonna find the one or two original sources. It may be multiple sources now. It’s spread in so many places. So this is gonna be tough to get … under control.”

U.S. Grocery Slowdown Deepens As Shoppers Buy Fewer Items, Raising Pressure On Food Companies

Grocery unit sales fell 1.8% in June vs. last year as shoppers cut back, outweighing food inflation, new Bain data shows.

Groceries cost about 33% more than in 2019, driving consumers to buy less, switch to cheaper brands and hunt for deals.

PepsiCo, Walmart and Kroger are leaning into promotions, price cuts and value as the industry shifts from dollar growth to volume growth.

GOP Leaders Face Frustrations, Time Pressure On $95 Billion Reconciliation Package

House Republican leaders are facing pressure from the clock and from their own members over a $95 billion reconciliation 3.0 framework that they will attempt to advance out of the Budget Committee on Thursday, raising questions about whether the package will make it out of the House, let alone to President Trump’s desk.

The budget framework released Wednesday outlines $73 billion for defense and intelligence funding, $12 billion for agriculture aid, and $10 billion for a fund to encourage Trump-backed voting restrictions.

Dangerous Wildfire Smoke Continues With Air Quality Alerts In At Least 17 States

Air quality alerts are in place on Thursday across at least 17 states, from Minnesota to New Hampshire to Virginia, as dangerous smoke drifts into the U.S. from Canadian wildfires.

Smoke from the more than 180 wildfires burning in Canada is traveling more than a thousand miles to reach places like New York City. At least another nine large fires are burning in northern Minnesota.

Campaign Finance Reports Offer First Look At Governor Race Fundraising

Campaign finance reports filed on Wednesday are offering the first look at fundraising totals from the first half of the year.

Gubernatorial candidates had to file the reports for the first 6 months of the year by 11:59 p.m.

Can Hong Beat Tiffany? Can Tiffany Beat Any Other Democrat? Experts Weigh In.

With an open slot for governor on the ballot in 2026, a large group of Democrats has jumped into the ring.

Francesca Hong, the Democratic socialist and Madison Assembly representative, has narrowly led most polling in a crowded Democratic field, with former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes close behind, though the majority of respondents have said they don’t know who they will support.

Wisconsin Republicans likely have their candidate for governor, the MAGA-aligned northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany, but state Democrats must choose from a handful of remaining candidates in the primary election Aug. 11.

Dem 7th CD Candidates Call For Greater Federal Regulation Of Data Centers

In their only televised debate of the race, all three Democratic candidates in the 7th CD said they supported greater federal regulation of data centers but stopped short of endorsing a moratorium.

IT business owner Chris Armstrong and family law attorney Ginger Murray both endorsed mandating environmental impact reviews and requiring data centers to draw power from renewable sources.

Meanwhile, former state Rep. Fred Clark said the federal government should monitor data center projects to ensure developers were financially solvent and that communities could demand sufficient payment from those companies to benefit local communities and insulate them from risk.

A Northern Wisconsin College Spent Down Its Endowment Before It Closed. Some Donors Think It Broke The Law.

Northland College in Ashland says a state law allowed the institution to borrow $22M from its endowment.

Brett Norgaard thinks the college violated a law that governs how institutions manage and invest endowment funds, and he wants the attorney general’s office to take another look at the college’s figures.

DNR Uses Restitution From Kayaker Who Faked Death To Fund Sonar Equipment

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday that restitution from the Ryan Borgwardt case is helping them fund new equipment.

Ryan Borgwardt faked his death in 2024 by staging his kayak on Big Green Lake to make it seem like he drowned. He then fled the country, leaving his wife and three children, to meet a woman in the country of Georgia.