Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Jun. 17, 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

Trump falls short in Georgia governor’s race: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries

Georgia Republicans dealt a blow to President Trump on Tuesday, bucking his preferred pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R), for healthcare executive and billionaire Rick Jackson in the Peach State’s gubernatorial primary.

Jackson defeated Jones by single digits in the Republican gubernatorial runoff — marking the second time one of Trump’s endorsees in a major statewide race has lost this cycle.

Here are The Hill’s takeaways from Tuesday night’s primaries and runoffs:

Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Go Right Back To Dropping Bombs’ If He Doesn’t Like Iran Deal

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the proposed MoU with Iran to end the Middle East conflict is “not final,” and warned that the U.S. could revert to “dropping bombs” if he doesn’t like the deal.

The president was speaking alongside the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi at the G7 conference in Évian-les-Bains, France.

The proposed agreement is set to be signed in Geneva this week.

Pizza Hut Restaurant Chain To Be Sold For $2.7 Billion

Pizza Hut, the 68-year-old chain that has long struggled with growing competition and outdated restaurants, will be sold for $2.7 billion by parent company Yum Brands.

Yum Brands said Tuesday that the private equity firm LongRange Capital will buy Pizza Hut, excluding the mainland China business, for about $1.5 billion.

El Niño Is Here, So What Does It Mean?

This summer was already predicted to be hot for much of the planet, after a near-record year of global heat last year. But El Niño — the influential weather pattern associated with heat, unlike the cooler La Niña — has arrived, and it's raising more alarm.

"If we have a big El Niño on top of the long-term warming trend, that just really enhances the probability that we'll see a new record global mean temperature," says meteorologist Nat Johnson of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who is part of the El Niño forecasting team.

Benadryl Challenge: Deadly TikTok Trend Keeps Coming Back

The so-called Benadryl Challenge encourages teens to take excessive amounts of the over-the-counter allergy medication to trigger hallucinations.

Health officials have warned about the dangers since 2020, when the FDA issued an alert after reports of hospitalizations and deaths linked to the trend. Yet experts say the challenge continues to resurface because the medication is easy to obtain and social media can expose new users to old trends.

Wisconsin Headlines

Bangstad’s Minocqua Brewing Company Sues Over Beer Seizure

The Minocqua Brewing Company has filed suit against the state Department of Revenue, arguing the company is being blocked from selling its Illinois-brewed beer in Wisconsin.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Dane County Circuit Court, argues the state agency did not provide the brewery with an avenue to pay some $500 in outstanding excise taxes before agents seized 1,200 cans of beer last week.

Liberal activist and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Kirk Bangstad owns the brewery.

Former Trump Attorneys, Aides Plead Not Guilty To Wisconsin Fake Elector Felony Charges

President Donald Trump’s attorney for the 2020 campaign in Wisconsin and two former aides all pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony forgery charges for their roles in a fake elector scheme designed to overturn Trump’s loss in the swing state.

Jim Troupis, a former judge who was Trump’s Wisconsin campaign attorney, Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020, and Ken Chesebro, a former Trump legal adviser, all entered the pleas in Dane County Circuit Court.

Group Seeks To Fight ‘Largest Transmission Line Ever Constructed’ In Wisconsin

A proposed upgrade to the electric transmission line in Wisconsin’s Driftless region is facing opposition from local farmers and homeowners, and a group’s lawsuit is trying to stop its construction.

The Dairyland Power Cooperative says it will help improve the flow of electricity. Locals claim it could take their land, hurt cattle and they won’t be able to connect to the new power lines.

Wisconsin Beagle Research Facility That Drew Protests Is Closing As Rescue Group Takes In Dogs

A Wisconsin beagle breeding and research facility that’s been the site of recent violent protests is closing, and its remaining dogs are being taken in by a Florida rescue group.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue announced Monday that it has reached an agreement for the permanent closure of Ridglan Farms and the transfer of its 475 remaining beagles starting this week.

WILL Sues USDA Over Unconstitutional Milk Tax

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (Dairy Board) on behalf of three Wisconsin dairy farmers.

The lawsuit challenges the unconstitutional Dairy Checkoff program, which forces dairy farmers to fund private, third-party organizations that promote radical and ideologically driven Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agendas. The unconstitutional tax applies to every gallon of milk, raising costs to consumers.