Morning Headlines - Thursday, May. 14, 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

Xi Greets Trump With Ominous Warning About Risk Of War Between US And China: 'Beware The Thucydides Trap'

Xi Jinping has greeted Donald Trump with an ominous warning about the risk of war between the US and China, as the two leaders sat down for crunch talks in Beijing.

Trump had been dazzled moments earlier by the full red-carpet treatment laid on by his Chinese host, lavished with imperial pomp rarely afforded a US leader as he was met by goose-stepping troops, thundering cannons and flag-waving children.

But as the pair took their seats opposite each other in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, Xi opened with a loaded reference to the so-called 'Thucydides Trap.'

Cuba Says Oil And Diesel Supplies Have Run Dry Under U.S. Sanctions

Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy told state media the island nation has run out of fuel oil and diesel.

Protests broke out in Havana on Wednesday as blackouts in the capital continued.

The Trump administration, which has effectively blocked oil shipments to Cuba since January, has offered assistance in exchange for political reform.

What Will Alex Murdaugh’s New Trial Look Like?

South Carolina’s high court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh’s double murder conviction paving the way for a new trial, but the second one might not look much different from the first.

Prosecutors plan to retry the disgraced lawyer, saying no one is above the law, after the state supreme court found that former Colleton County clerk Becky Hill improperly influenced jurors and deprived Murdaugh of his constitutional right to a fair trial.

Both sides now start over again.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s Billionaire Ex-Boyfriend Says He Paid Her $7.2M After Their Breakup

Ghislaine Maxwell's billionaire ex-boyfriend distanced himself from both her and Jeffrey Epstein during his interview with the House Oversight Committee, telling lawmakers he "never would've spent six years in a romantic relationship with her" had he been aware of her crimes, according to a transcript of his testimony released by the committee.

Gateway Computer cofounder Ted Waitt told lawmakers during a closed-door appearance before the committee on April 30 that he regrets not digging into Epstein's 2008 guilty plea, claiming that Maxwell downplayed the seriousness of his crimes.

Jim Phillips: ESPN Was Involved In Duke-amazon Deal From The Start

More details are emerging about how Duke pulled off its landmark deal with Amazon, with ACC commissioner Jim Phillips shedding new light on the arrangement Wednesday.

“ESPN was in every one of the conversations,” Phillips said. “To Duke’s credit, they came up with something creative and brought it to ESPN and us. Where it finished and where it started wasn’t exactly in the same spot, but they had to commit to things with ESPN.”

$1.8 Billion Surplus Package Fails In State Senate

A $1.8 billion package to put more money into schools and send rebate checks to Wisconsinites failed in the Senate after changes GOP leaders made failed to garner enough support.

All 15 Senate Dems and three GOP members of the chamber voted late Wednesday against the package. Those who opposed it include Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, even after backers included $20 million for disaster relief grants that were similar to those included in legislation that Hutton proposed this year.

Girl’s High School Flag Football Participation Growing Across Wisconsin

More high schools across Wisconsin are getting involved in girl’s flag football.

At least 35 schools have active teams looking to play, and a few dozen others have expressed interest in forming a team, according to a database maintained by the Green Bay Packers.

The organization has given away free equipment and a total of $200,000 to 40 different schools over the last two years in an effort to jumpstart the sport in the state.

Flags Will Be Half-Staff In Wisconsin Thursday For Hmong-Lao Veterans Day

Flags will be lowered to half-staff Thursday in Wisconsin in honor of Hmong-Lao Veterans Day.

Gov. Tony Evers explained thousands of Hmong-Lao people fought alongside U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

The Hmong-Lao soldiers faced harsh retaliation from Vietnamese and Lao governments for their service, forcing many families to flee their homes and resettle in other places.

Eight Defendants Sentenced After Federal Investigation Seized More Than 175,000 Fentanyl Pills

Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced eight individuals for their roles in a fentanyl trafficking organization operating in Wisconsin.

According to court records and evidence presented in court, the defendants operated a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills in the Green Bay and Milwaukee areas. Several members referred to themselves as “GTR,” short for “Getting to Riches.” Members of the organization frequently traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, where they purchased large quantities of fentanyl pills. They then shipped the pills to various cities throughout the Midwest before distributing them in and around Green Bay. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 175,000 fentanyl pills connected to the organization.

DNR Seeking Volunteers For Karner Blue Butterfly Monitoring

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking volunteers for the Karner Blue Butterfly Volunteer Monitoring Program to help survey for this endangered butterfly starting in July in select counties throughout Wisconsin.

This program is a partnership between the DNR and the public with the goal of documenting Karner blue butterfly observations throughout their range. Since 2018, volunteers have contributed data that helps our long-term view of the species’ population state, distribution and trends. Volunteer, DNR and partner data go toward the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Karner Blue Recovery Plan, which has the goal of delisting Karners as an endangered species once it reaches a certain population level.