Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Feb. 11, 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

Ocasio-Cortez’s Political Clout Grows After Recent Progressive Wins

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is seeing her political influence grow among Democrats as chatter builds about her future.

Ocasio-Cortez, who has amassed large crowds alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for their “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies around the country, had already scored a high-profile victory last year when she endorsed Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race. Now, Democratic calls are growing for her to challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) or possibly run for president in 2028, underscoring the degree to which she’s helping shape the party.

Millions Of Student Loan Borrowers Aren't Repaying Their Loans — And Defaults Are Up

Roughly a million borrowers defaulted on their federal student loans late last year, with millions delinquent on their payments and sliding toward the same fate. That's according to federal data and the latest Household Debt and Credit Report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which dropped on Tuesday. The report includes student loan data as of the end of 2025.

Student loan delinquencies have continued to worsen, said New York Fed researchers on a call with reporters, and they expect the number of borrowers in default to continue to grow.

YouTube, Meta Sued: Opening Statements In Platform Design Lawsuit

Opening arguments are set to get underway in Los Angeles in a landmark lawsuit that alleges Meta and YouTube intentionally designed their app platforms to be addictive for children.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, is expected to deliver its opening statement first. On Monday, one of the prosecutors said these companies built machines to get children addicted and they did it on purpose. The prosecutor described the case as “‘easy as A-B-C’: addicting the brains of children.”

Moderna Says FDA Refused Its Application For New mRNA Flu Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider Moderna’s application for a new flu vaccine made with Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology, the company announced Tuesday.

The news is the latest sign of the FDA’s heightened scrutiny of vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., particularly those using mRNA technology, which he has criticized before and after becoming the nation’s top health official.

Earth's Core May Contain As Much As 45 Oceans' Worth Of Hydrogen, Scientists Find

Picture all of Earth's oceans, which cover about 70% of the planet and are mostly made of hydrogen. Now multiply that by nine. That may be the amount of hydrogen in Earth's core, possibly making it the planet's largest hydrogen reservoir, researchers recently estimated.

And nine hydrogen "oceans" is the low end of their calculation; there could be as much as 45 oceans' worth of hydrogen locked in the core. Put another way, hydrogen may make up roughly 0.36% to 0.7% of Earth's total core weight. This suggests that Earth acquired most of its water — the planet's main source of hydrogen — as the planet formed, rather than later through comet impacts that would have left water on the planet's surface as some scientists have suggested.

Milwaukee Democratic Socialists Of America Endorse Hong In Gov.'s Race

The Democratic Socialists in Milwaukee have made their pick in the Democratic race for governor.

The Milwaukee DSA on Monday endorsed Francesca Hong in the crowded Democratic primary.

“Francesca Hong has fought for Wisconsinites’ right to healthcare, paid family leave for all, a vibrant union movement, and public power owned by the people and not for the profit of billionaires—the same billionaires who are now forcing us to pay for their destructive data centers,” Milwaukee DSA Co-Chair Autumn Pickett said.

Hong is one of seven Democrats running to replace Gov. Tony Evers next year. She is also the candidate furthest to the Left.

Assembly Approves $10M Wisconsineye Trust Fund

The Assembly today unanimously approved legislation to create a $10 million trust fund to ensure WisconsinEye remains on the air following a blackout period due to a lack of funding.

The chamber also signed off on a floor amendment with several tweaks to the legislation, including for the public affairs network to stream public, live broadcasts of its board meetings and maintain free, public access to unedited digital archives of the meetings.

Alliant Energy Proposes Custom Electric Rates For Meta’s Data Center Campus

Alliant Energy is asking state regulators to approve custom electric rates for Meta’s large data center campus in Beaver Dam, but the heavily redacted document hides details from the public, including the amount of energy the project is expected to use.

The utility argues the proposal would bring millions of dollars in investment and shield other customers from higher costs. But critics argue it poses risks to Alliant’s other customers who could end up subsidizing the tech giant.

State Of The Tribes Address: Chairwoman Emphasizes Education, Protecting Natural Resources, And Economic Impact

Nicole Boyd, tribal chairwoman of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, delivered the 2026 Wisconsin State of the Tribes address at the Capitol. Boyd emphasized the importance of education and collaboration with state partners to further the progress of tribal nations in Wisconsin.

"Education is the key to making tribal nations in Wisconsin great," Boyd said. She highlighted the achievements of tribal nations in 2025 and set a course for future milestones.

Wisconsin Curling Duo Makes History As First US Team In Paralympic Mixed Doubles

Wisconsin's Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt are making history as the first United States team to compete in wheelchair mixed doubles curling at the Paralympic Winter Games in March. The two-time national champions believe they have what it takes to bring home gold.

"It's the first time that mixed doubles is going to be introduced in the Paralympic Games," Dwyer said.