Wisconsin Today

Programs providing housing for veterans who are homeless in Green Bay and Chippewa Falls are closing this fall because of funding shortfalls. Some Environmental Protection Agency workers in Wisconsin and Minnesota are among a group of federal employees placed on leave for signing a letter criticizing the Trump administration. And, firefly sightings are up.

The state supreme court struck down a law dating to the 1800s that banned almost all abortions in Wisconsin. That decision could open the door to other legal challenges.  The Department of Natural Resources is investigating a rare bear attack. And, Wisconsin has joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration over education funding.

President Trump has called for defunding the federal board that investigated a Wisconsin refinery explosion. Some say it would make workplaces less safe. Milwaukee mourns a police officer who was fatally shot. And, Governor Tony Evers talks about the compromises that led to the new state budget.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will shutter its division of diversity, equity and inclusion. It's moving most employees to other departments. We'll hear from our politics team on a big Supreme Court decision this week. And, the latest story in our Wisconsin Road Trip series brings us to Kenosha where a 75-year-old baton-twirler is a crowd favorite at Kenosha Kingfish games.

The state budget signed last week boosts special education funding. But some educators say it fell short by not increasing general school aid. Plus, a Republican business owner announces a run for governor. Then, a Wisconsin Elections Commission report is sharply critical of a former Madison city clerk.

A developer of data centers is planning a massive new project in Dane County. They say it will bring 1,000 construction jobs. Leaders at the Universities of Wisconsin want to raise tuition. And, seven people survive a dangerous boating mishap on the Mississippi River.

The $111-billion budget signed by Gov. Tony Evers didn't set aside money for for the state's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Family planning clinics in Wisconsin are facing funding cuts under the massive bill signed by President Donald Trump last week. And, more than half of surveyed fire chiefs in Wisconsin say they're concerned about having adequate staffing.

The state budget lawmakers passed last week came after bipartisan negotiations. Experts say Wisconsin's new voting maps were part of the reason. A man from central Wisconsin has broken a speed record for kayaking. And, Wisconsin meteorologists say federal funding cuts could make storm predictions less accurate.

In this special holiday edition, a Waupaca County mother recounts teaching her son about the pleasure of swimming in a Wisconsin lake during the summer.

Wisconsin lawmakers were in a race with Washington as they passed the state budget last night. Failing could have cost state hospitals millions. We've got details on the state Supreme Court's decision in a key abortion lawsuit. And, could more nuclear power come to Wisconsin?

The state budget contains hundreds of millions in child care spending and a $1.5 billion tax cut. Some Wisconsin Uber drivers say they're fed up with low pay. And, a new biotech center is adding hundreds of jobs in Madison.

Gov. Tony Evers says the new state budget will include one-point-four billion dollars for special education. The governor's office says he's reached a tentative bipartisan deal with Republican legislators. A majority of the Watertown School Board has resigned in the last six months. And, we hear from a Wisconsin comic book artist whose zombie book "Revival" is now a series on the Syfy channel.

Proposed cuts to Medicaid could mean more uninsured people in Wisconsin and financial pressure on rural hospitals. Some health policy organizations are speaking out. We've got the latest on the political wrangling over the state budget. And, ginseng growers in central Wisconsin have seen exports to China virtually stop this year.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is refusing to hear challenges to the state's congressional district boundaries. We Energies will keep two aging coal-fired units running at its Oak Creek Power Plant for one year longer than planned. And, teams of painters and cleaners are working to remove lead hazards at 44 schools in Milwaukee this summer.

A majority of Wisconsin voters think Governor Tony Evers shouldn't run for a third term next year. Home sales in Wisconsin were down for the third straight month in May. And, Microsoft has opened an artificial intelligence lab at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with environmental regulators in a case challenging the state's ability to require PFAS testing and cleanup. Lawmakers have approved legislation to expand the state's nuclear power industry. And, Wisconsin researchers say they are expecting fewer incoming graduate students this fall.

The leader of the state's flagship university directed all departments to cut their budgets between 5 percent and 7 percent next year. Wisconsin's federal lawmakers split along party lines in their reactions to the U.S. air strike on Iran. And, Johnsonville is being sued by a competitor over alleged effort to poach employees and share trade secrets.

A Trump administration delay in federal funding means work is stopping on a tool to detect wildfires. An Appleton hospital was found not liable in a high-profile medical malpractice trial. And, beef prices are at an all-time high -- and they're not likely to come down any time soon.

Dangerous heat will move in across Wisconsin this weekend. Lawmakers weigh new security options at the Capitol. And, our summer road trip series continues with a trip to Door County.

Republicans in the state legislature are considering an $87 million cut to the Universities of Wisconsin. Lawmakers plan to bring back a proposal that would pay for the state's school voucher program separately from how it funds the public school system. And, as county fair season kicks off in Wisconsin, participants will need to test some dairy cows for avian flu.

In a unanimous decision, The Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with the state's attorney general in a dispute over the power to settle some lawsuits. A Milwaukee teacher's aid has self-deported after losing the latest round in her bid to remain in the country And, Officials in Green Bay are warning a phishing scam is using public records to target people in the community

A Wisconsin farmer is suing the US Department of Agriculture over programs that provide incentives to women and people of color. Wisconsin's Capitol will have new security measures in place after two Minnesota lawmakers were shot in their homes. And, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin could lose half of its revenue if the budget bill passed by House Republicans gets through the Senate.

Wisconsin Democrats have elected a new chair to replace Ben Wikler, the outgoing chair who turned the party into a fundraising juggernaut. Thousands of people across the state protested the Trump administration over the weekend. And, a new audit shows Milwaukee Public Schools isn't supporting its teachers and doesn't have adequate systems in place for student learning.

Protests opposing the Trump administration will be held in more than 50 Wisconsin communities tomorrow as part of the national "No Kings" movement. Wisconsin has several public radio and television stations that could be affected by funding cuts passed by the House of Representatives yesterday. And, The Milwaukee County Zoo plans to close it's small mammals building.

A new lawsuit claims Elon Musk broke election bribery laws by paying residents millions of dollars ahead of the April election in Wisconsin. Wisconsin's budget writing committee will is turning its attention to public school funding. And, Madison officials are putting forward a new slate of zoning changes.

Wisconsin could lose 14-million-dollars in federal grants supporting dozens of jobs at the Department of Natural Resources. That's if President Trump's proposed funding cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency go through. Lawmakers want the state to help reopen a western Wisconsin in-patient treatment facility. And, the state announced record-breaking tourism numbers.

Federal prosecutors say the criminal case against a Milwaukee County judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities should proceed. The state's economic development department will have to cut programs to compensate for a drop in revenue. And, only a tiny percentage of elementary students in Milwaukee are meeting reading targets. A new coalition wants to use state money for early literacy training.

If you've noticed a lot of ticks this year, you're not alone. Early data is showing a slight increase in tick activity this season. The Legislature's budget-writing committee unanimously voted to boost borrowing for state environmental loan programs. And, Green Bay's century-old coal piles could soon be moved under the terms of a deal approved by the Brown County Board.

A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Catholic Charities can opt out of participating in a state unemployment compensation program in Wisconsin. The 2020 election was a while ago, but its still being fought over in Wisconsin. Our politics team will discuss. And, WPR reporters are taking a road trip! We'll have the first installment of our summer travel series.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is making the air in Southern Wisconsin some of the worst in the nation. Republicans in the state legislature and Governor Evers have called off negotiations on the state budget. And, for the first time ever, Milwaukee's Pride Parade will have a professional athlete as its Grand Marshal.

Milwaukee Public Schools has missed another deadline to submit financial data to the Department of Public Instruction. And now, additional state aid for this year is being withheld. Wisconsin Democrats are reintroducing gun regulations after Republicans stripped those measures from the state budget. And, an elk was illegally killed in Wisconsin in March. Now conservation groups are offering a reward for information about the person responsible.

A Wisconsin mother lost her daughter to suicide last year. Now, she's urging lawmakers to make it easier to for teens to get mental health treatment. Wisconsin lawmakers are advancing a bill that would allow court interpreters to work remotely in more circumstances. And, zoos around Wisconsin are celebrating new additions, including baby otters, camels, and Canadian lynx. We'll learn what it's like to care for these newborn animals.

Federal immigration officials say a Mexican national living in Milwaukee wrote a letter threatening to kill President Donald Trump. His attorneys say the letter is a fake. A Milwaukee teacher's aide will be forced to return to El Salvador. And, a temporary agreement has been reached between nurses and management at UnityPoint Health Meriter Hospital in Madison.

The Trump administration is investigating alleged racial and disability discrimination against a white student with dyslexia in Green Bay. A lawsuit against a small northern Wisconsin town is seeking to […]

The trial is underway for a Milwaukee man charged with murdering a woman after meeting for their first date.

Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is leading Republican opposition to President Donald Trump's massive tax and immigration bill.

Wisconsin's largest cities are getting national recognition for their parks systems.

A Wisconsin Life story for you to mark Memorial Day. WPR producer Tyler Ditter has a story about a relationship cut short by war.

Hundreds of nurses at a major Madison hospital are set to go on strike next week. The state stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal food assistance. And, manure runoff from a dairy farm in Monroe County has killed hundreds of fish.

A program in Wisconsin that trains physical education teachers to serve students with disabilities is losing its federal grant. A cyberattack on a Wisconsin-based cell phone company is affecting phone service for thousands of people. And, the percentage of students at grade level for math at a school in Grant County is double the state average. Corrinne Hess will tell us how they did it.

Wisconsin milk will be tested for the highly-contagious avian flu starting this week. Adams County is asking a court to remove an elected treasurer, and replace her with the person she defeated in the election. And, a liberal challenger has entered the race for next year's Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

The deadline for Green Bay-area officials to reach a deal to move coal piles from the downtown riverfront is quickly approaching. And a multimillion-dollar grant is on the line. A bridge crossing the Mississippi River between Wisconsin and Iowa is closed due to safety concerns. And, state lawmakers are pushing for fines and potential jail time against people who abandon boats on Wisconsin shorelines.