Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Feb. 18, 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

Iran’s Supreme Leader Threatens To Sink US Warships As Nuclear Talks Continue

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened on Tuesday to sink U.S. warships amid continuing nuclear talks between the Middle Eastern nation and the U.S.

“The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran,” Khamenei posted on the social platform X. “Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware.”

“However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” he added.

‘Crap’: Stephen Colbert Blasts CBS For Denying It Blocked James Talarico Interview From Air

“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert called CBS’s denial of his claim that it blocked the broadcast of his interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico “crap.”

Colbert urged the network and its parent, Paramount Skydance, to stand up to the “bullies” in the Trump administration, including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr.

The host on Monday had said CBS’ lawyers told him “in no uncertain terms ... that we could not have [Talarico] on the broadcast.”

Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Grew Toxic Plants In Nursery, Emails Show

The latest batch of the Jeffrey Epstein files points to the disgraced financier allegedly growing toxic plants in his nursery.

Emails linked to Epstein from 2014 and 2015 show him referencing “trumpet plants” and articles on scopolamine. Scopolamine is a psychoactive drug known for causing suggestibility and memory loss.

The drug reportedly doesn’t show up on toxicology reports.

Bayer Proposes $7.2 Billion Settlement To Resolve Roundup Weedkiller Cases

Bayer said on Tuesday that its Monsanto chemical subsidiary has proposed a $7.25 billion settlement to resolve lawsuits by customers alleging that its Roundup weedkiller product caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

If the settlement wins court approval, Monsanto would make annual payments for up to 21 years. People diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma who were exposed to Roundup before the proposed legal remedy was announced on Tuesday can file a claim to receive payments.

Astronomers May Have Just Found One Of The Missing Links In Galaxy Evolution

A team of 48 astronomers from 14 countries, led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has discovered a population of dusty, star-forming galaxies at the far edges of the universe that formed only a billion years after the Big Bang, believed to have occurred 13.7 billion years ago.

The galaxies may represent a snapshot in the galactic life cycle, linking recently discovered ultradistant bright galaxies formed 13.3 billion years ago with early "quiescent" (dead) galaxies that stopped forming stars about two billion years after the Big Bang.

Wisconsin Headlines

Details Released Of UW Student Who Recorded Others In Bathroom

The UW-Madison student who was arrested after recording other students in a residence hall bathroom is charged with three counts of capturing an intimate representation without consent and three counts of disorderly conduct.

Braden Berndt, 19, was arrested after being caught dropping a blue iPhone between two bathroom stalls with the lens face up multiple times to other students, according to the criminal complaint.

In Talks With Evers, Wisconsin GOP Leaders Back $2.3B Plan To Spend Down Surplus

With the end of the legislative session drawing near, the state’s top GOP leaders say they’ve agreed on a $2.3 billion plan to spend Wisconsin’s budget surplus on tax rebates for residents and additional money for special education.

But whether Democratic Gov. Tony Evers can get on board remains an open question.

Last week, Evers and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, appeared to be making progress toward a $1.3 billion agreement that would lower property taxes and increase school funding. But Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, opposed the plan.

Data Center Regulation Bills Get Hearing At Senate Committee

Several bills surrounding data center restrictions got a public hearing at the State Capitol Tuesday afternoon.

SB 843 and AB 840 address regulating companies wanting to build data centers in Wisconsin.

SB 729 would regulate energy consumption of data centers and SB 932 addresses the legal status of artificial intelligence.

Evers Demands Lawmakers Pump Money Into K-12, Property Tax Relief In Final State Of The State

Dem Gov. Tony Evers tonight demanded GOP lawmakers provide additional funding for K-12 education and property tax relief while pushing the Legislature to continue working with him on an unfinished agenda rather than heading out for the campaign trail.

Evers, who leaves office in less than 11 months, threatened to continue calling lawmakers back into extraordinary session if needed to prod them to finish the job with the state looking at a $2.5 billion surplus by the end of this budget in mid-2027.

He also dismissed a $2.3 billion package GOP legislative leaders sent him earlier this week. The package included a $1.5 billion tax rebate plan, $500 million for a property tax credit and $200 million to boost special education reimbursement. 

Minocqua Olympian Narrowly Misses 2026 Winter Games Roster After Self-Funding World Cup Season

A Minocqua native who competed for Team USA in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics narrowly missed making the roster for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, despite ranking high enough statistically to earn a spot.

Kevin Bolger finished 17th in the Men's Sprint at his first Olympics in Beijing, an experience that left him hungry for another Olympic run despite the COVID-19 restrictions that shaped those games.