Wisconsin Right Now

President Joe Biden’s commitment to only nominate a new Supreme Court justice who is a Black woman does not have broad support, a newly released poll suggests. The ABC/Ipsos poll found that 76% of surveyed Americans say Biden should consider "all possible nominees" to fill Breyer’s seat while 23% say Biden should “consider only nominees who are Black women, as he has pledged to do.” Biden promised several times during the campaign to nominate a Black woman justice, saying he is “looking forward to making sure there’s a Black woman on the Supreme Court.” “Number one, I am committed that if I'm elected president and have an opportunity to appoint someone to the courts, I'll appoint the first Black woman to the courts,” Biden said in March 2020. "It's required that they have representation now. It's long overdue." Republicans have called on Biden to nominate a centrist judge. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, echoed the sentiments of the ABC poll and bla...

They pushed him to the ground, shot him and then stomped on him. A George Webb's security guard was shot in Wauwatosa over the weekend, multiple sources have confirmed to Wisconsin Right Now. Details on the George Webb's shooting were scant on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Wauwatosa police have not released a statement. Our sources say that, preliminarily, it's believed the security guard was shot in the face. The shooter was with a group of people and was a customer. Sources tell us the group was trying to skip out on paying the bill. The victim tried to stop them. They pushed him to the ground, shot him and then stomped on him. Sources tell us the security guard was originally in grave condition at the hospital but has since stabilized. We contacted Wauwatosa police for further comment but haven't heard back yet. The George Webb's restaurant is located at 12201 W North Ave, Wauwatosa. It is open 24 hours. The George Webb's shooting is certain to...

The rest of the media, however, were silent in the 24 hours after the George Webb's shooting. A George Webb's employee was shot in Wauwatosa over the weekend, multiple sources have confirmed to Wisconsin Right Now. Details on the George Webb's shooting were scant on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Wauwatosa police have not released a statement. It's not clear whether there is a suspect. The motive is also not clear. What is clear from the sources is that a shooting occurred, and an employee was shot but survived. Our sources say that, preliminarily, it's believed the employee was shot in the face. The shooter was with a group of people and was a customer. We contacted Wauwatosa police for further comment but haven't heard back yet. The George Webb's restaurant is located at 12201 W North Ave, Wauwatosa. It is open 24 hours. The George Webb's shooting is certain to raise community concern about crime. George Webb's Shooting Reported On USF...

When people have a choice, public schools "have to compete," said Thompson. He believes choice makes all schools better. Former Gov. Tommy Thompson pushed a major expansion of school choice in Wisconsin Friday, urging the state to make school choice available for all Wisconsin parents who want it, saying that rules and regulations limiting who can use the popular program should be removed. "Why should there be restrictions on people having choice?" asked Thompson. "Why should we not have everybody have choice?" From a poor family in Elroy to a person who is middle-income in Middleton, "why should they be deprived from having an opportunity to make a choice?" If you "leave it up to the parents, they will make the right decision, if the state gives us the opportunity. Get rid of the rules and regulations. Allow whoever wants to choose, choose," said Thompson. Republican gubernatorial candidates Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nichols...

Justice Brian Hagedorn was the deciding vote in the four to three ruling. The other three conservative justices dissented, deciding the stay should have been lifted. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that absentee ballot drop boxes will be allowed for the spring primary election. In a 4-3 ruling, the court ruled drop boxes must be allowed for the Feb. 15 primary in order to avoid confusion—as absentee ballots were already mailed out to voters, some with instructions indicating voters could use drop boxes. The court also agreed to hear an expedited appeal of the case to rule on the legality of absentee ballot drop boxes for future elections in Wisconsin. According to Wisconsin Public Radio , Hagedorn explained that it was too close to an election to change the rules for voting, saying, "Whether the circuit court's decision to deny a stay constituted an erroneous exercise of discretion or not, further judicial relief would be inappropriate at this time." ...

Milwaukee Mayoral candidate Bob Donovan, speaking at the site where a Milwaukee police officer was shot Thursday, called the "crisis this city is facing...unprecedented in our 175-year history," and slammed Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson's "anti-violence" plan, differing sharply on the approach to restoring law-and-order in Milwaukee. Donovan noted that Johnson proposed an additional $5 million for the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention . Donovan called that office a "questionable agency," saying, "I can't even tell you in all my years at City Hall what they've accomplished substantively to reduce violence." Yet, Gov. Tony Evers has also proposed funneling $8 million to that office, said Donovan. Putting more money into that office is "not the answer," he said. Furthermore, Donovan noted that Johnson "proposed diversity training for our police officers. Our police officers have received a lot of diversity traini...

This is another chapter in Wisconsin Right Now’s investigative series – the “No Process Files” – exploring the Milwaukee County DA’s high percentage of non prosecuted cases. If you would like us to feature a case from that or another county, email jim.wirightnow@gmail.com. We keep all of our sources strictly confidential.  Jetrin Rodthong , the accused shooter of a Milwaukee Police Officer, was arrested on Sept. 23, 2021, with two other men by Wauwatosa police. Police reports obtained exclusively by Wisconsin Right Now show that the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office refused to prosecute Rodthong and a second suspect after Tosa police say they found their car loaded with guns and drugs outside an auto parts store. Employees of the store believed that Rodthong, armed with a gun, and one of the other suspects, were "casing" the auto parts store. [caption id="attachment_47328" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Wauwatosa police...

The criminal complaints into Jetrin Rodthong's three open felony cases show that the man accused of shooting a Milwaukee police officer on January 27 has endangered officers before, allegedly leading them on dangerous chases in stolen cars, prompting one to take "evasive action to avoid being struck." Yet he continued to be released on low bail amounts by Milwaukee County court commissioners Rosa Barillas and Alexis Liggins: a signature bond, $300 cash bail, and then $3,000 cash bail, and the backlogged court system delayed resolution of his multiple cases (pending since 2020) due to "congestion" and COVID-19 policies. As a result, Rodthong, who was wanted on warrants at the time of his arrest, allegedly was on the streets to shoot the police officer, who had responded to a report of a man slumped in a vehicle. Rodthong is also accused of stealing the officer's squad car before crashing it. He's in custody, and the officer is recovering and expected ...

Former Alderman Bob Donovan, who is running for Milwaukee mayor in the Feb. 15 primary, is calling for state legislators to change state law to require mandatory minimum bail amounts for violent crimes and bail jumping offenses. Donovan detailed the criminal history of Jetrin Rodthong , the accused shooter of a Milwaukee police officer, which was outlined in a Wisconsin Right Now story. He also called out Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, calling him "dangerously weak on crime." Donovan's comments came just hours after Wisconsin Right Now reported that the man accused of shooting a Milwaukee police officer multiple times at N. 21st St. and W. St. Paul Ave. was out on bail for three open felony cases in Milwaukee County. We also reported that Jetrin Rodthong, the suspect, was arrested in September on serious crimes in Wauwatosa, but Chisholm's office declined to prosecute him. Read about that here. Bob Donovan's Full Statement on Mandat...

Former Alderman Bob Donovan, who is running for Milwaukee mayor in the Feb. 15 primary, is calling for state legislators to change state law to require mandatory minimum bail amounts for violent crimes and bail jumping offenses. Donovan detailed the criminal history of Jetrin Rodthong , the accused shooter of a Milwaukee police officer, which was outlined in a Wisconsin Right Now story. He also called out Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, calling him "dangerously weak on crime." Donovan's comments came just hours after Wisconsin Right Now reported that the man accused of shooting a Milwaukee police officer multiple times at N. 21st St. and W. St. Paul Ave. was out on bail for three open felony cases in Milwaukee County. We also reported that Jetrin Rodthong, the suspect, was arrested in September on serious crimes in Wauwatosa, but Chisholm's office declined to prosecute him. Read about that here. Bob Donovan's Full Statement on Mandat...

Jetrin Rodthong, the man suspected of shooting a Milwaukee police officer near N. 21st St. and St. Paul on Thursday night, was wanted on a bench warrant in three open Milwaukee County felony cases that were filed in 2020 but dragged on and on in the backlogged Milwaukee County court system. He was released in those cases on a signature bond, $300 cash bail, and then $3,000 cash bail, court records show. The constant delays - because of "calendar congestion," COVID policies, defense attorney requests, and other reasons - meant that Rodthong remained on the street to allegedly re-offend. And re-offend again. By the time he encountered the MPD office near N. 21st St. And St. Paul on Jan. 27, 2022, he had three open felony cases with multiple charges. They include felony bail jumping charges. Yet he remained on the street with almost deadly consequences to a Milwaukee police officer, sources say. It's the third time in two weeks that a Milwaukee area law enforcement ...

Another Milwaukee police officer has been shot, this time at 21st St. and St. Paul, sources tell Wisconsin Right Now. We heard there is a suspect in custody. The officer's condition is unclear. It is the third time a Milwaukee County law enforcement officer was shot in the last two weeks. An off-duty Milwaukee police officer was shot and survived; a Milwaukee County deputy was also shot multiple times and survived. The latest officer was shot in the chest and upper shoulder and possibly the stomach. This is a developing story.

Kevin Nicholson announces to Wisconsin Right Now and The Regular Joe that he's running for governor. Kevin Nicholson, the former combat veteran and U.S. Marine who ran No Better Friend, Corp., officially announced that he is running for governor on January 27, 2022. Instead of a traditional announcement, Nicholson made it clear that he is going to run as an outsider in the Republican primary by announcing that he was running for governor to only two news outlets: Wisconsin Right Now and The Regular Joe Show. He also urged Wisconsinites to not choose a governor who is from the "same, tired political class," and criticized critical race theory, the handling of elections, and spiking violent crime. Read his column to Wisconsin Right Now here , which announces his run. Wisconsin Right Now, which is based in southeastern Wisconsin, is the #1 Alexa ranked independent, online news site in Wisconsin and has a large following among conservatives throughout the state. The R...

By: Kevin Nicholson At a crucial point in history, Wisconsin has lost its way. Our state and our society are being torn apart by a shameless and ineffective political class whose leadership failures have destroyed businesses and crushed Wisconsin’s economy. Our children are taught the intellectual poison of critical race theory, which encourages them to hate each other based on their race. Our very notion of law and order is falling apart before our eyes as violent crime skyrockets. Our elections are a mess, and our politicians seem incapable of cleaning them up. We can’t take Wisconsin to new heights if we elect a Governor from the same, tired political class that lacks the vision, ability, and will to fight for the future of our state. Wisconsin needs someone with solutions to the problems plaguing our state – and the leadership skills to implement those solutions. I’ll bring the practical leadership lessons I’ve learned both on the battlefield as a Marine, and as a businessman...

By Lexi Dittrich “It was challenging for quite a while.” As in every other school, Green Bay’s St. Thomas More Catholic School met a new set of challenges when the coronavirus spread to their area. “The staff really came together and did everything they could” to serve the kids, says Principal Jamie Froh Tyrrell, who joined the team in July of 2020. “They really tried.” But STM’s efforts were being roadblocked by a critical missing piece: the school didn’t know where many of their students and families were. STM currently educates 172 3k-8 th grade students, 90% of whom are enrolled through the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. 95% of these students identify as Hispanic, most are Catholic, and many students primarily speak Spanish at home. The kids’ families are “very transient in many ways,” says Principal Froh Tyrrell, “moving houses, switching phone numbers.” Many of these families also had a lack of experience with technology, some without any working devices at home. CO...

By Edgar Zaragoza Wisconsin’s private school choice program has benefited my family and—through my work at the Green Bay Area Catholic Education School System (GRACE)—I’ve personally seen it change the lives of hundreds of families for the better. Why not bring the blessing of choice to more families? About a decade ago, I worked at a public school, but hoped for a different quality of education and faith-based environment for my oldest daughter. By asking many questions about our options, I learned about Wisconsin’s School Voucher Program and applied for it through GRACE. When we received a voucher, I thought the benefit of it was so great, it must just be for a single year. Upon learning we could renew the voucher until my daughter graduated, I was amazed. What I thought a decade ago, I still think today: All families deserve to know about this choice program’s benefits. To respond to that need, I started volunteering in a bilingual capacity, and eventually working full-time ...

An Outagamie County judge is not going to stop a team of medical workers from taking new jobs. Outagamie County Judge Mark McGinnis on Monday refused to continue an injunction that would have stopped seven former employees at ThedaCare from leaving. ThedaCare asked the judge to intervene this month, complaining that losing the seven members of their interventional radiology and cardiovascular team would leave stroke patients in the Appleton area without care. Judge Mark McGinnis ruled on Monday that the argument didn’t carry enough weight to force the seven to stay. Technician Kailey Young testified on Monday that she left ThedaCare for a new job at Ascension Northeast because it was a better offer. She said her new job had “life changing money,” and a better "work-life balance.” Other nurses and techs told the judge the same thing. ThedaCare accused Ascension of “poaching” the team. Ascension maintained that it simply offered team members opportunities, and they...

New Attorney General candidate Adam Jarchow raised zero dollars in his first campaign finance report, deleted a childish website he created painting his Republican opponent as a marionette, said police reform is probably needed in Milwaukee, and once pushed a bill with liberal Democrats to decriminalize some possession of marijuana cases and argued to legalize the drug. We think there's an even bigger problem, though: He's never prosecuted a criminal case. There's a new Republican candidate for state Attorney General and, as with Professor Ryan Owens , Adam Jarchow has never handled a single criminal case in Wisconsin, according to a review of online court records. He's tweeted, "Running DOJ has nothing to do with courtroom experience" before scrubbing his Twitter account, and a Madison newspaper reported that he doesn't think Republicans should define the state's top law enforcement official (Attorney General) as the state's top cop. Here...