Morning Headlines - Wednesday, Sep. 16, 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

House Passes Iran War Powers Resolution

The House on Tuesday passed a Democratic-backed war powers resolution that would limit President Trump’s military actions in Iran.

The lower chamber voted 220-204 to pass the resolution, sponsored by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). Seven Republicans voted in favor of the measure: Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Warren Davidson (Ohio), Tom Barrett (Mich.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa), Zach Nunn (Iowa) and Nancy Mace (S.C.).

It was the third time the House has passed a similar war powers resolution, but the number of Republicans in support increased from four to seven.

Teachers Union Wants To Help Students Navigate AI Responsibly

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and while some are debating the cons of its limitless, unregulated capabilities, one group is focusing on how the next generation will master it.

“Human beings have to be in charge of AI,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on Tuesday. “The robots can’t be in charge.”

Weingarten was one of many labor leaders who spoke at the “Pro-Human Assembly” in Washington, D.C., an event aimed at defining a shared vision and articulating a better, more human-centric path for AI development.

The AI Debate Is All About Amassing Political Power

Understand what is happening with AI here and why it has more to do with amassing political power than it does computing power.

If you look back at the last 100 years in America, we have moved through 4 distinct eras of communication which each defined the types of politicians we elected.

The early 1900’s were still dominated by print, followed by radio, then broadcast television, followed by 24/7 cable news, and then the Internet and social media.

Charlie Kirk's Family Say They Will Sue Utah College And Police For Litany Of Failures That Led To Assassination

Charlie Kirk's family has signaled that they intend to sue a number of authorities in the wake of the MAGA star's assassination last year.

Kirk's family said in a new notice of claim that there was a 'series of stunning failures and reckless decisions' in the lead-up to his death on Utah Valley University's campus on September 10, 2025.

The new document comes just a few days after the one year anniversary of his untimely death, which rocked the conservative world and beyond.

Mortgage Demand From Homebuyers Drops 19% From A Year Ago, As Interest Rates Surge Abruptly Higher

Fast-rising interest rates are taking their toll on mortgage demand, as both potential homebuyers and current homeowners head to the sidelines. Total mortgage application volume dropped 4.1% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Last week’s results include a separate adjustment for the Labor Day holiday.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $832,750 or less, increased to 6.97% from 6.85% percent, with points increasing to 0.72 from 0.67, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. That is a weekly average run by the MBA, but by last Thursday, rates had moved over 7%.

Wisconsin Headlines

Second Wisconsin Elementary Teacher Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Young Student At Same Small-Town School

A Wisconsin teacher confessed to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old she babysat — after she was caught texting about her perverted behavior with another now-convicted pedophile educator.

The small town of Hudson has been rocked by the back-to-back scandals involving Abigail Faust, 25, whom cops zeroed in on while investigating fellow River Crest Elementary School teacher and convicted pervert Madison Bergmann.

Faust and Bergmann, 26 — who pleaded guilty last year to sexually assaulting one of her 11-year-old students and is currently serving a six-year prison sentence — were nabbed texting about their disgusting hookups.

Learn More About The Three Wisconsin Constitutional Amendments On The Nov. 3 Ballot

Wisconsin voters on Nov. 3 will decide whether to approve three Republican-led state constitutional amendments that GOP lawmakers say would limit government overreach and Democrats describe as unnecessary.

The general election referendums would limit the governor’s use of the partial veto to raise taxes and fees, prevent the government from stopping religious gatherings during future emergencies and ban discrimination by state and local governments and public education institutions.

To amend the state constitution, lawmakers must sign off on identical language during two consecutive two-year legislative sessions before putting the question to voters. Under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Republicans have often turned to constitutional amendments as a way to advance their priorities without confronting the governor’s veto pen.

Tariffs Cost Wisconsin About $5.5B, Or $2,179 Per Household, Report Says

Tariffs have cost Wisconsin an estimated $5.5 billion since January 2025, the 19th-highest total in the country, according to a report by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation.

That amounts to about $2,179 per Wisconsin household, the report says. The import category most affected by tariffs in Wisconsin is machinery and parts, with an estimated $525 million in additional tariffs paid since January 2025 at an average rate of 18.1%. That category is broad and includes materials used to build things, everything from lawnmowers to motorcycles to appliances.

Wisconsin AG Joins Lawsuit To Save Public Benefits For Immigrants

Attorney General Josh Kaul is part of the lawsuit that looks to allow immigrants in the US to continue to receive welfare benefits.

AG Josh Kaul added Wisconsin to the lawsuit against the Trump Administration on Monday.

“Like so much of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, this rule would foster fear and uncertainty rather than a more coherent, consistent system,” Kaul said in a statement. “The Trump administration should be stopped from moving forward with this reinterpretation of the public charge provision.”

Manufacturing Closures Hit Rural Communities In Tomahawk, Marshfield

Over 140 people are losing their jobs in central Wisconsin, after two separate manufacturing plants announced they will shut down their operations in Tomahawk and Marshfield. 

The closures will remove 68 positions in a Marshfield plant making cheese, and 76 positions from a Tomahawk plant manufacturing specialized metal tanks.

“We’re hoping we could keep everybody in Tomahawk, because we don’t want to lose any families in our community,” said Tomahawk Mayor Michael Habeck.

The shut-downs of the Samuel Pressure Vessel facility in Tomahawk and the Foremost Farms USA’s cheese plant in Marshfield are only two of the 33 operations that have closed sites across Wisconsin so far this year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.