Wisconsin Today: Morning News

Tens of thousands of Wisconsinites are without power this morning, after several severe storms ripped across the state overnight. Wisconsin is updating its vaccine rules for children ahead of the next school year. And, the Milwaukee Bucks’ minor league team may look to leave Oshkosh after next season. Joe Schulz will have more.

A voting rights group in Milwaukee is continuing their calls for a GOP official to resign. Hope Kirwan will have more on the increased number of whooping cough cases in Brown County. And, Wisconsin is one of more than 30 states where undocumented immigrants can't get driver's licenses, but some are pushing for that to change.

Healthcare providers in Eau Claire are seeing a spike in volume following the closure of two major hospitals in the region. Madison officials are pushing to levy its own local sales tax. Sarah Lehr will have more. And, Danielle Kaeding has the details about an expedition to find wreckage of the fighter plane flown by Wisconsin ace pilot Richard Bong in World War II.

Wisconsin's state pension fund purchased more than three million shares in two new Bitcoin exchange-traded funds to their portfolio. State lawmakers heard testimony about the systems in place to stop non-citizens from voting in Wisconsin. Anya van Wagtendonk will have the latest on this. And, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board is reconsidering a recent decision to ban a high school track star from competing.

Dueling conservative groups are using radio ads to push for and against the removal of Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The future of two historic Milwaukee museums is up in the air as the county is facing a projected budget deficit. And, as the 45th Wisconsin State Polka Festival approaches, polka fans are wondering what the future of the genre will look like. Margaret Faust spoke with some dancers.

Gov. Tony Evers has called special elections for a vacant state senate seat and congressional seat. Construction of a controversial transmission line that will run through a national wildlife refuge is underway. Danielle Kaeding will have the latest. And, a ceremonial football is traveled across the state as part of a kick-off event for the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.

Liberal justices on the Wisconsin's Supreme Court voiced skepticism about a ruling that banned most absentee ballot drop boxes. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher has a new job in venture capital. Joe Schulz will have more on Gallagher's career change. And, after more than three decades, Madison police have identified the skeletal remains of a man who had come to be known as "Chimney Doe."

The majority of Wisconsinites have a negative view of the economy. That's according to a poll released six months before the presidential election. It's likely to be a major issue in the race. Campus leaders in Madison reached an agreement late Friday to remove the encampment of a group of pro-Palestinian protesters. And: Have you been bitten by a tick? Scientists in central Wisconsin are asking you to send it to them in the mail.

Multiple polls in Wisconsin's U.S. Senate Race show Democrat Tammy Baldwin leading Republican Challenger Eric Hovde. A health system with numerous hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin is investigating a cyber attack that interrupted access to some technology systems. And, state forest health experts say it’s likely an invasive tree-killing beetle has spread to every county in Wisconsin.

Negotiations between UW-Madison leaders and students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations stalled. A progressive law firm is urging the U.S Attorney's Office to investigate two Republican campaign operatives for potential civil rights violations. And, a GOP-sponsored refugee resettlement bill sparked controversy in the Eau Claire area. Rich Kremer will have the latest on how local community leaders are reacting.