WUWM

The leader of the state's largest business group is giving thumbs down to parts of Gov. Tony Evers's latest proposal for legislative action to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.

During the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” sought to ease the pain of many Americans and put them back to work. His Works Progress Administration (WPA) employed millions of Americans to rebuild essential infrastructure like parks, roads, and housing.

But the vast majority of these jobs went to unskilled men and most opportunities for women required an education. A program here in Milwaukee worked to change that. The Milwaukee Handicrafts Project hired unskilled women to mend text books, build furniture and sew dolls, among other things.

Election Day was more than two weeks ago, the vote tally took longer than a normal year because a record number of people voted by mail. Yet once the votes were in, former Vice President Joe Biden was projected the winner, but President Donald Trump has not conceded.

The election results will be made official after two final steps in the election process. Each state needs to certify their results and the popular vote gets turned into the electoral vote. Once that’s complete, Wisconsin’s ten electoral votes can be cast.

Updated Thursday at 7:17 a.m. CST 

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday that he will extend an order requiring masks to be worn inside public places amid a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases that is putting increasing pressure on the state's hospitals.

Evers said he will extend his statewide mask mandate and reissue an order extending the state’s public health emergency before the end of this week. Both orders would remain in effect into January.

History can sometimes feel like a dry topic. A world made up of men in white wigs and pressed coats making important and dispassionate decisions.

In reality, there have always been scandals that have shaped our collective history – including here in Wisconsin. Author Anna Lardinois writes about many of these defining moments in her new book, “Storied & Scandalous Wisconsin: A History of Mischief and Menace, Hero and Heartbreak”.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) says financial woes related to lost business because of the COVID-19 pandemic are deepening for some business sectors. The organization says tens of thousands of firms are seeking assistance.

WEDC secretary and CEO Missy Hughes told the agency’s board Tuesday that after a bad economic hit during the spring, restaurants saw some improvements during the summer.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced Tuesday that police officers will now accompany city health inspectors as they conduct inspections at local bars and other dining establishments.

Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Tuesday laid out the procedure for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, once it becomes available. Both Pfizer and Moderna say the vaccines they’re developing are at least 90% effective in preliminary trials.

Updated Thursday at 8:29 a.m. CST

President Donald Trump filed Wednesday for a recount of Wisconsin's two most Democratic counties, paying the required $3 million cost and alleging that they were the sites of the “worst irregularities” although no evidence of illegal activity has been presented.

Updated 2:31 p.m. CST

As Wisconsin enters the holiday season grappling with its most severe coronavirus spread yet, schools continue to make varied decisions about whether to teach in-person or virtually.

The statewide teachers’ union wants that to change. The Wisconsin Education Association Council is asking the state for uniform rules about when schools should close.

Updated Wednesday at 9:20 a.m. CST

In normal times, Lake Effect features a variety of in-studio performances from local musicians and artists. But of course, these are not normal times. Most live events have been cancelled and recording music in isolation presents a lot of challenges — which is why we’ve been featuring these artists in a series we call Pandemic Performers.

One of the defining issues in the latter days of President Trump’s presidential campaign was low-income housing. The president claimed that President-elect Joe Biden would force suburban communities to build low-income housing, which Trump claimed would bring crime and lower home values.

Half of Wisconsin is covered in forests, so managing all that land is no easy task. It’s up to the Wisconsin Division of Forestry, which falls under the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to keep the land healthy.

The forestry division works with federal, county, tribal and private landowners. It’s a team of about 420 people scattered across the state. And, the person leading this division is Heather Berklund.  

A number of Wisconsin religious leaders urged the public Monday to adhere to COVID-19 precautions as cases continue to surge in the state.

They reiterated messaging like wear a mask, practice physical distancing, wash your hands, and only leave your home for essential trips.

The faith leaders are also urging congregates to observe upcoming holidays by worshiping from home.

Some Milwaukee-area hospitals say they're making changes to reduce the risk of the local health care system being overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. But there's concern about health care workers being able to stay at their jobs.

The state of Wisconsin reported 4,389 more confirmed COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the number of active cases in the state to 70,205.

A new report on lung cancer says some gains are being made against the disease, but that not all races and ethnic groups are making the same amount of progress.

Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cause of cancer deaths, and the American Lung Association estimates that about 4,300 Wisconsin residents are being diagnosed with the disease this year.

The pandemic has taken a toll on every aspect of our lives. We’re all experiencing a level of uncertainty that impacts our mental health, our relationships, and our work.

Cases of COVID-19 are at a record high in Wisconsin. Over the past month, the state has become one of the nation’s leading hotspots for new infections, and the surge isn’t showing any signs of slowing.

As more and more people are being sickened, our hospitals are becoming overburdened with patients. And if infections don’t start to level off, hospitals could run out of resources — threatening the health and safety of Wisconsinites statewide.

WUWM has been partnering with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee PBS and the Milwaukee Public Library on an initiative called Listen MKE. 

The latest event focused on the need for mentorship for young Black and brown people in Milwaukee. The conversation was hosted by James Causey from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and took place last Thursday on Facebook live. 

Watch the full Listen MKE below:

Updated 3:01 p.m. CST

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case that could affect Gov. Tony Evers’ emergency powers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says he’ll introduce a coronavirus relief package for Wisconsin this week, amid soaring numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.  He announced his intention after he delivered a statewide address, urging Wisconsinites to voluntarily shelter-in-place but stopped short of issuing another emergency stay-at-home order. 

COVID-19 has cut back or eliminated attendance at many arts and cultural venues. This includes properties designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright that are usually open to the public. But people who run those homes, museums and other sites say they're ready for reinvention, as Wright often reinvented himself.

Update 11/19 1:35 p.m.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is asking the state supreme court to block the city of Racine's order closing schools. The conservative law firm is representing School Choice Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools, and a handful of Racine private schools that are beholden to the order, include Racine Christian School and Racine Lutheran High School.