Work & the Economy
Janesville manufacturer that fled to Mexico is selling off its assets
Less than a year after Hufcor closed its plant in Janesville and moved operations to Mexico, displacing 150 workers, the company’s Mexico plans appear to be a bust and the manufacturer’s assets in its one-time home state of Wisconsin are being liquidated. On Thursday, Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington authorized the court-appointed receiver for […]
State’s jobs numbers, unemployment are both up, although not by much
Wisconsin employers added nearly 10,000 jobs in July, the state labor department reported Thursday, continuing job growth that has been steady for six out of the seven months of 2022. At the same time, however, “we didn’t see the normal pop we get in June and July in the workforce,” said Dennis Winters, chief labor […]
Baldwin spotlights infrastructure law, climate bill on visit to Madison factory
Fresh from a marathon weekend in which Senate Democrats moved long-awaited budget legislation to address climate change across the finish line, Sen. Tammy Baldwin paid a visit Tuesday to the place where the rubber meets the road. Or the electrons meet the vehicle. At Franklin Electric, a manufacturing plant on the far southeastern edge of […]
U.S. Senate passes major health, tax and climate bill in boost for Democrats
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate, along party lines, passed a sweeping energy, health care, climate and tax package Sunday afternoon, following an overnight marathon of votes that resulted in just a handful of notable changes to the legislation. The 755-page bill was passed after Vice President Kamala Harris broke a 50-50 tie in the evenly […]
Milwaukee woman evicted from home left dilapidated by landlord
“Right now, I’m still frustrated, I’m scared ‘cause I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Patricia Williams tells Wisconsin Examiner as she sits on the front porch of the place she called home for nearly a decade. “I don’t know where I’m going to go.” Like many others across Milwaukee County, the 62-year-old mother […]
Manchin and U.S. Senate Democrats strike a deal on major health, climate, tax package
WASHINGTON — West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck an agreement Wednesday for a Democrats-only reconciliation package that would allow negotiations on some Medicare prescription drugs, end corporate tax loopholes and address climate change as well as invest in energy projects. President Joe Biden in a statement on […]
Federal grant aims to help the Oneida Nation move further toward renewable, resilient energy
The Oneida Nation has been awarded a federal grant to help the tribe take another step toward renewable energy. The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded the funding through a program within the American Rescue Plan. This $100 million Indigenous Communities program was intended to help tribal governments and indigenous communities carry out projects “they […]
Strong economy, declining gas prices have escaped notice, White House says
After making a fight against inflation its “top priority,” the Biden administration says aspects of the economy are robust, even if headlines haven’t reflected that. Senior administration officials promoted Biden’s economic record on a call with local reporters Wednesday on positive economic indicators — mainly low unemployment and falling gas prices — ahead of a […]
Jobs, unemployment hold steady in June, but growth is behind for the season
Wisconsin’s jobs picture largely held steady in June, with the number of jobs up by about 1.5% from a year ago, but with slower job growth between May and June than is typical for this time of year, the state labor department reported Thursday. “Jobs were up, but not as much as we normally would […]
As aging farmers retire, lawmakers explore how to boost beginning producers
WASHINGTON — More than half of American farmers will reach retirement age in the next 10 years, but the steep price of entry to start a farm, along with rising input costs and volatile markets, make it tough for young and beginning farmers to take their places. “Farming is inherently a risky business, but […]
Broadband task force 2022 report says progress has been made but Wisconsin still under connected
The Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access released its 2022 report on Tuesday, showing that the millions of dollars in state and federal money spent on broadband expansion in recent years has increased access but there are still hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites without adequate internet service. The report shows that there are persistent […]
U.S. inflation hits a 40-year high in June, but Biden points to decreasing gas prices
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation reached a 40-year high for June as prices for gas, food and rent increased, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday. Consumer prices for all items increased 9.1% for the 12 months ending in June compared to last year, the biggest year-to-year increase […]