Briefs
Tiffany, Zunker virtually debate in final days before congressional special election
In a virtual debate held Monday evening, the two candidates in a special election for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District started off by answering a question related to the reason the debate was held online — coronavirus. When asked what should be prioritized in future federal relief packages, the Republican candidate, state Sen. Tom Tiffany, said […]
Senators to Trump: Rewrite meatpacking order to promote safety
More than a dozen Democratic senators, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), sent a letter calling on President Donald Trump to tighten up his executive order last week compelling meatpacking plants to keep operating in the face of outbreaks of COVID-19. Trump invoked the Defense Production Act last week to keep the plants open, even as […]
State expands COVID-19 testing with pop-up, ad-hoc sites
With more testing capacity than people who have been given tests for COVID-19, state agencies have begun setting up local, pop-up testing sites around Wisconsin. Drive-through testing was scheduled for Friday, May 1, in Alma for residents of Buffalo and Pepin counties. The event was organized by the State Emergency Operations Center, the Wisconsin Department […]
May Day caravan to support safety, help for working people
A week after more than a thousand people rallied on the state Capitol lawn to demand — against the advice of health experts — that Wisconsin end the shutdown of businesses and public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, another group will demonstrate in support of the state’s continued restrictions on gatherings — but also for […]
Evers: Get up every day and comb your hair
One very human moment from Gov. Tony Evers’ virtual news conference on Wednesday came in his answer to a question posed by Mark Halvorsen from WWIB radio in Chippewa Falls. During these conferences, held multiple days every week during the pandemic crisis and often exceeding an hour in length, each news outlet can have one […]
Justice Kelly ‘unrecuses’ himself from voter purge case
Justice Daniel Kelly has decided to “unrecuse” himself from a Supreme Court case involving the possible purge of more than 200,000 voters from the rolls in Wisconsin. Kelly sent a letter to the lawyers in the case, Zignego v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, on April 15 explaining that he had originally recused himself from the case […]
Restrictions on state parks and certain businesses relaxing
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been directed by Gov. Tony Evers to re-open several state parks on May 1. Of course, there are a few catches, given social distancing guidelines and limitations to park operations. The move comes on the heels of another Evers order relaxing some restrictions on businesses, which goes into […]
Justice Kelly asks whether to ‘unrecuse’ himself in two cases
Justice Daniel Kelly, the conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who lost the April 7 election to Dane Co. Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky, is pondering whether or not to “unrecuse” himself from two separate cases involving Wisconsin voters. On April 15, Kelly, who was appointed to his seat by former Gov. Scott Walker, sent a letter […]
Labor unions go remote to mark Workers Memorial Day
Workers Memorial Day — an annual observation for workers who have lost their lives or suffered injury or illness on the job — is usually an occasion for somber parades, memorial services and rallies to raise the issue of workplace safety. In 2020, the April 28 event is being celebrated differently in Wisconsin because of […]
State urges employers to avoid layoffs with Work-Share
Wisconsin’s revised Work-Share program is now up and running, enabling employers to schedule full-time workers as part-timers, while workers who lose hours can get unemployment compensation to make up for lost wages. Language making it easier for employers to implement a Work-Share program was included in the COVID-19 relief bill passed and signed into law […]
National Guard troops return from Afghanistan amid COVID-19 operations
About 150 soldiers of the National Guard’s 1st Battalion 128 infantry, are returning from a nearly seven-month mission in Afghanistan. According to the Guard, their return marks a continued draw-down of troops headed to the embattled country, officials say. The war in Afghanistan, at 19 years, is America’s longest-running war. Some soldiers deployed there today […]
Gypsy moth spraying program begins in western Wisconsin
Over the next month, if you notice a yellow plane spaying areas of your county, don’t worry. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), will begin an aerial spraying operation in May to control populations of invasive gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar dispar). Planes will begin spraying as early as 5 A.M in some […]