Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jul. 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

US Unleashes Third Wave Of Punishing Strikes On Iran In Major Five-Hour Mission

The US announced a new round of strikes on Iran on Monday, hours after President Donald Trump said that the United States is 'reinstating' a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

'We're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the strait, the Hormuz Strait,' Trump told CBS News Monday evening.

'And I think in the end we will end up just controlling the whole thing.'

Trump said the US is prepared to hit Iran 'very hard' on Monday and Tuesday, saying the country’s heavily fortified nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain was a target.

AI Companies Are Creating "Generative Ghosts" Of Deceased Loved Ones

A number of startups now offer these services, including Séance AI, You, Only Virtualand re;memory. For example, Re;memory, lets users create lifelike avatars of their loved ones based on photos and voice recordings.

"By allowing you to interact with a lifelike digital avatar of your loved one, you can find solace in expressing your love and forgiveness, creating a bridge to the cherished moments you hold dear," the company says on its website. The tool "allows you to see and hear your parents as they were in their cherished photos, rather than just imagining them."

Wall Street Banks Set To Pull In Almost $39 Billion From Trading

Wall Street's trading bonanza is poised to keep rolling.

The biggest US banks — set to kick off a marathon Tuesday with five of those firms reporting second-quarter earnings — are reaping the benefits of a volatile past few months that's spurred more action from clients wanting to trade. Analysts expect JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley to report nearly $39 billion in trading revenue for the second quarter.

South Carolina Governor Picks Lindsey Graham's Sister To Finish His Senate Term

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced on Monday that he is appointing Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister Darline Graham Nordone to take his U.S. Senate seat for the rest of his term.

"I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted and I plan to honor him in this way," Nordone said at an event announcing her appointment. "Lindsey has always been there for me. And now I will be there for him."

Netflix Fixed The Home Run Derby’s Biggest Problem And Created A New One

Netflix’s second crack at live baseball came with a built-in advantage: the Home Run Derby doesn’t need much help to be entertaining. Strip away the ceremony, and it’s just batting practice with stakes, and this year, MLB handed the streamer a genuine upgrade by scrapping the countdown clock in favor of a format that lets hitters keep swinging as long as they’re producing. It’s the best change the event has seen in years, and it deserved a broadcast that didn’t get in its own way.

For long stretches, Netflix delivered that. For other stretches, it seemed determined not to.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez Campaign Short Hundreds Of Thousands After Campaign Accounting Errors

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, a Democratic candidate for governor, said Monday her campaign has hundreds of thousands of dollars less than she thought after her campaign manager double-counted contributions.

The admission came a day after Rodriguez fired the manager, Kara Spencer, citing “serious mismanagement and inaccuracies” in the campaign finance reports Spencer prepared.

The end result, Rodriguez said, is that her campaign has about $200,000 cash on hand in its account, considerably less than expected with the Aug. 11 primary less than a month away.

Ad Wars Heat Up In Closing Weeks Of Governors Primary

Reports are due Wednesday showing how much candidates raised in the first half of this year, and ad buys offer one barometer of campaigns' viability.

Wisconsin Medicaid, FoodShare Members Must Update Preferences To Keep Benefit Alerts

Monday is the deadline for Wisconsin Medicaid and FoodShare members to confirm their communication preferences to keep receiving text and email updates about their benefits.

Wisconsin residents can receive benefit updates through text and email from state health and family services departments.

Wisconsin County Man Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

Tyler Briggs, 33, Mosinee, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 ½ years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Briggs pled guilty to this charge on April 23, 2026.

On January 29, 2026, an undercover officer with the Wausau Police Department arranged to buy a small amount of methamphetamine from Briggs outside of a Wausau bar. When Briggs arrived, police arrested him and found over 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine in his backpack. During an interview, Briggs admitted to police that he was a drug dealer.

Wisconsin State Patrol And Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association Team Up To Promote Safe Driving

Wisconsin State Patrol troopers will be riding alongside semitruck drivers this week in the annual Trooper in a Truck enforcement and education campaign. In partnership with the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association (WMCA), Wisconsin State Patrol troopers use the higher vantage point in the cab of a semitruck or the back of a bus to spot risky driving, especially near commercial motor vehicles (CMV).