Wisconsin Right Now

  More than 2,100 have been rescued in North Carolina, the federal government said Thursday as the death toll from Hurricane Helene reached 204, fifth deadliest in the last three quarters of a century. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said 38 search and rescue teams are in operation, cellular connectivity is at 62%, and distribution of commodities, feeding and hydration is happening throughout western North Carolina. The Appalachian Mountain region from Virginia to South Carolina and Georgia absorbed 24 inches of rain in many places, and more than 30 in some locations. Buncombe County, home of the region’s largest city of Asheville at just under 100,000, has reported 61 deaths. Thursday marked the seventh day of search and rescue and eighth day since Helene crashed into the Big Bend of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 mph. Damage estimates for the Southeast range from $95 billion to $160 billion, pending the metrics of inclusion up to and i...

There is more criticism from the Wisconsin capitol after Milwaukee Public Schools missed another deadline on another state-required report. Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said MPS missed last month’s deadline to turn its District Aid Certification into the state’s Department of Public Instruction. “This was the very first step under the agreed-to Corrective Action Plan and they missed it,” Wanggaard said in a statement. “MPS and State Superintendent Jill Underly agreed that submitting this report on time and accurate was ‘high-priority and high-urgency.’” MPS agreed to that Corrective Action Plan after the city’s schools failed to turn in two other required financial reports last year. So far, the failure to file those reports, as well as other reporting failures with MPS’ federal Head Start program, have cost Milwaukee Schools $17 million. MPS has said it could lose as much as $50 million because of its financial reporting problems and their fallout. Wanggaard said this is ...

  More chain stores closed in 2023 as a result of high inflationary costs, with the trend continuing in 2024 led by the iconic department store, Macy’s. In 2023, retail stores, pharmaceuticals, and fast-food chains continued a trend of previous years: declaring bankruptcy and closing their doors or shutting down some locations to cut costs, citing inflation, higher costs, and profit losses. Last May, discount retailer Tuesday Morning announced it was closing its doors nationwide after being in business for 49 years. Home goods chain Christmas Tree Shops filed for bankruptcy and liquidated all of its stores as did the largest bridal-store chain in the U.S., David's Bridal, laying off tens of thousands of employees. Sears, once the largest retailer in the world with more than 700 stores in the U.S., shuttered hundreds of locations. Now, only 12 stores remain open. New York-based specialty athletic retailer Foot Locker also announced it was closing 400 stores in North Amer...

The plan to spend more than $500 million in taxpayer money on the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium is headed for a vote next week, even though there continues to be opposition at the Wisconsin Capitol. An assembly panel approved the framework for the public funding of American Family Field. The latest plan has a lower price tag. Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will now have to pay $67 million over the next 27 years, as opposed to the $200 million that was originally proposed. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said that's a price tag he can afford. “The Milwaukee Brewers are an important asset for our community. That’s why I’m pleased to see the progress that has been reached thus far to keep the organization in Wisconsin,” Crowley said in a statement. “While we’ve secured a positive agreement in the Wisconsin State Assembly, I now look ahead to engaging with members of the state senate on a path forward. My main priority has not changed: to deliver a bipartisan solution tha...

  Texas has bused more than 50,000 people who’ve illegally entered the U.S. and were unlawfully released into the U.S., Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday. The majority have been bused to New York City, followed by Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles. Abbott began the busing strategy in April 2022. He first sent foreign nationals who illegally entered the U.S. in Texas to Washington, D.C. Since then, over 12,500 people chose to be transported to the nation’s capital. Last year, he expanded the strategy to send people to New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Since last August, Texas bused more than 18,500 people to New York City and over 13,500 people to Chicago. Since last November, Texas bused over 3,200 people to Philadelphia. This year, he began busing people to Denver and Los Angeles. So far, more than 3,200 people have arrived in Denver since May 18, and over 940 to Los Angeles since June 14. The governor recently directed additional bu...

  More than 40% of U.S. small business owners say they couldn’t pay rent on time or in full for the month of November, the highest this year. The small business network group  Alignable released the survey, which found that the hardship varies by industry. A notable 57% of beauty salons said they couldn’t make rent as well as 45% of gyms, 44% of retail and 44% of restaurants. “Making matters worse, this occurred during a quarter when more money should be coming in and rent delinquency rates should be decreasing,” Alignable said. “But so far this quarter, the opposite has been true.” This latest report continues a steady increase in businesses that can't pay rent this year. “Last month, rent delinquency rates increased seven percentage points from 30% in September to 37% in October,” Alignable said. “And now, in November, that rate is another four percentage points higher, reaching a new high across a variety of industries.” Business owners cite a range of reasons for t...

Tim Michels is suggesting more changes at the state’s Department of Natural Resources. Michels told the crowd at the Rotary Club in Milwaukee on Tuesday that he could see splitting the DNR into separate agencies. “Maybe we break the DNR into two parts. One that services the business side, and one that services the hunters’ side,” Michels said. “I don’t have all the answers today, but I will sit down with the smart people and figure that out.” Michels made headlines when he suggested during his only debate with Gov. Tony Evers last Friday that the DNR is broken. “It’s not my opinion that the DNR is broken. It’s what I hear everywhere I go,” Michels explained. “Go talk to some hunters, they don’t feel that the DNR has their backs right now. They feel that the DNR is out to get them. Michels said he wants to “recalibrate” the DNR. The DNR deals with both hunting, fishing, and boating as well as environmental regulations. Michels said he’s heard from a lot of businesses who a...

There is a call for more gender, harassment, bullying, and Title IX investigations in Wisconsin schools. The group Fair Wisconsin, which calls itself the leading statewide organization advocating for LGBTQ+ people, on Thursday said local schools need to be supported after what happened with the misgender/sexual harassment investigation into three middle schoolers in Kiel. “Young people in Wisconsin are facing a spike in antitransgender harassment this spring. Anti-transgender extremists in Kiel have even threatened to bomb schools and libraries following a Title IX investigation into an incident of anti-trans bullying and harassment in a local middle school. These threats come amid a nationwide trend in harmful rhetoric and extremist political attacks on transgender students, from curriculum censorship laws to health care bans to sports participation bans,” Fair Wisconsin said in a statement. Kiel Schools closed their investigation into the three eighth-grade boys last week. The...

More seats are open to more people on the Madison Police Civilian Oversight Board. The city’s common council on Tuesday night eliminated a racial quota from the board. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty said it looks forward to settling its lawsuit against Madison now that the Oversight Board ordinance has changed. WILL represents Madison resident, David Blaska, who applied for the Board but is ineligible for nine of the eleven seats because of his race. In September 2020, the City of Madison enacted an ordinance, Madison General Ordinance § 5.20 , that requires four members of the Police Civilian Oversight Board to belong to the following specific racial groups: “African American,” “Asian,” “Latinx,” and “Native American.” The Madison Common Council then added another racial quota requiring “at least 50% Black members.” “The City of Madison has not identified a compelling government interest that would justify racial quotas. The Constitution’s guarantee of equal pr...

Two more economic markers Wednesday raised concerns about the state of the U.S. economy, even as gas prices rise, inflation soars, and the invasion of Ukraine further threatens the supply chain. The National Federation of Independent Businesses released a report Wednesday showing that small businesses have become increasingly concerned about their future. "In February, the NFIB Optimism Index decreased by 1.4 points to 95.7, the second consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98," the group said. "Twenty-six percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business, a four-point increase since December and the highest reading since the third quarter of 1981." Inflation remains chief among those concerns after the Consumer Price Index has shown for months the most significant price increases in about 40 years. “Inflation continues to be a problem on Main Street, leading more owners to raise selling p...

Among more than 1,100 registered voters surveyed, 65% support school choice compared to 19% who oppose it, while 16% remain unsure. (The Center Square) – A majority of voters support school choice, a new poll from Echelon Insights shows. “Public support for school choice is nothing new,” American Federation for Children President and CEO Tommy Schultz said. “This year already, at least a dozen states have enacted new school choice programs or expanded existing programs because they're recognizing just how popular this issue is amongst K-12 families. We are grateful that lawmakers are listening to the needs of families, but millions of children are still waiting for better options. We will continue fighting for those kids and to empower parents with the funds meant to deliver a high-quality education." The findings were consistent across party lines, with 75% of Republicans, 60% of independents, and 61% of Democrats saying they strongly or somewhat support school choice....