Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Jun. 10, 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

Experts Agree UFO Disclosure Finally Capturing Americans Attention

The continued push for UFO disclosure has a former Pentagon UFO researcher feeling the greatest cover-up in American history is being shattered.

Luis Elizondo’s comments follow lawmakers and UAP whistleblower David Grusch calling on the White House to give whistleblowers immunity during a gathering at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. The group also called for the release of files related to alleged encounters with nonhuman beings and information regarding extraterrestrial life.

U.S. And Iran Exchange Strikes After Apache Helicopter Is Downed

The U.S. completed strikes on Iran Tuesday night in response to Monday's downed helicopter, the military said at about 9p.m.

The strikes, which began at 5 p.m., were a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," U.S. Central Command said on social media.

The U.S. struck "Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said, adding "U.S. forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression."

Bill Gates To Face Questions From House Oversight Panel Regarding His Relationship With Epstein

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will face questions on Wednesday about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, marking one of the most high-profile interviews conducted by the House Oversight Committee since it began probing the government's handling of its investigations into the notorious sex offender.

Gates has called his relationship with Epstein a "mistake" and has denied witnessing or participating in any crimes, though his association with the late financier has roiled his nonprofit and reshaped the public perception of the tech billionaire who was once the world's richest man.

GM Eyes New Battery Chemistry To Grow AI Data Center, Energy Storage Business

GM is expanding efforts to capitalize on the growth of energy storage and data centers, as well as the development of next-generation sodium-ion batteries.

The company also announced additional support for its EV owners to help them combat higher energy costs.

The actions are meant to address concerns about rising energy costs amid an AI boom that many expect will mean a big data center buildout.

House Judiciary Report Could Be Toughest Blow To NFL's Antitrust Defense Yet

The NFL has long defended Sunday Ticket’s pricing and structure as reasonable because the league contends it is a premium product geared toward avid fans. Avid here means the fan is an NFL junkie, interested in all of the league’s games, not just a displaced Dallas Cowboys booster located outside of the team’s broadcast zone, only interested in Dallas’ games.

This paradigm is an NFL defense in the ongoing lawsuit brought by restaurants, bars, and average fans against the league over Sunday Ticket’s pricing and refusal to offer single-team packages. The league argues games are widely available to a team’s fans, and Sunday Ticket is really only servicing a small subset of fans who want more than just their favorite team. Now, a House Judiciary committee may have given the plaintiffs a new data point to use in the long running litigation.

Minocqua Brewing Company Owner Kirk Bangstad Denied Ballot Access For Governor’s Race

The Wisconsin Elections Commission confirmed Tuesday that the owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company failed to qualify to have his name on the ballot for the Wisconsin 2026 gubernatorial election.

Last week, Kirk Bangstad submitted signatures to be included on the ballot, but according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, only 1,500 of those signatures were valid. He needed 2,000 to make it on the ballot.

Bangstad posted what appeared to be an email from the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Minocqua Brewing Company’s Facebook page, with the email stating that some signatures were not valid because the election date listed on the form was wrong.

Wisconsin Ranked 8th For Child Well-Being, But Racial Disparities Persist

Wisconsin ranked eighth nationally for overall child well-being, but racial disparities in the state persist, according to a new Annie E. Casey Foundation report for 2024.

The charitable foundation’s report evaluates child well-being in states since 2019 based on several economic, education, health and family and community-related factors, such as the number of children in poverty, proficiency in math and reading for certain grade levels, child and teen deaths, and more.

According to an analysis of U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics and National Assessment of Educational Progress data in the KIDS COUNT report, 69% of fourth graders in Wisconsin weren’t proficient in reading in 2024 compared to 64% in 2019.

Wisconsin Students Win Big At 2026 SkillsUSA National Competition

Wisconsin career and technical education students brought home medals from the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference held in Atlanta, Ga. June 1-5.

SkillsUSA Wisconsin sent 102 students representing 42 schools to compete in the national workforce event. The students participated in 65 different events, competing in trades like carpentry, cosmetology, diesel equipment technology, welding and advertising design.

Watch For Pavement Buckles With High Temps This Week

High temperatures are forecast across parts of Wisconsin later today and tomorrow (June 10), which could create conditions for pavement buckling. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is advising motorists to be alert and take extra caution.

Pavement can buckle when the weather quickly goes from cool to very hot. These conditions can cause pavement slabs to expand and push against one another. If the pressure becomes great enough, the pavement can buckle and create unexpected bumps or dips.

Flag Day And What We Can Learn From Our History

This week, as we approach Flag Day on June 14th, we’re reminded of the timeless symbol that unites our nation—especially as Wisconsin and America prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of our independence in 2026.

Here in Wisconsin, Flag Day has deep roots. In 1885, a young teacher named Bernard J. Cigrand in the small community of Waubeka placed a flag in his classroom and led students in honoring it. His efforts helped spark a nationwide tradition. Waubeka is rightly called the Birthplace of Flag Day, and Congress has recognized it as such.