Wisconsin Today

A proposal aiming to help police connect people in crisis with mental health professionals was heard by state Senators. Businesses in Wisconsin could be banned from going completely cashless under a bill moving through the legislature. And, Evan Casey will have the latest on Microsoft's plans to build at least four data centers in Mount Pleasant.

The number of publicly-available electric vehicle charging stations in Wisconsin could double if a pair of bills pass the Legislature. Governor Tony Evers has been using a government email under an alias, and it's raising questions around open records practices. And, food service workers at Lambeau Field are voting whether to unionize.

Spam calls using false or misleading caller ID to scam Wisconsinites could be illegal in a bipartisan proposal in the state Legislature. A bill could create a pilot program to study the effects of psychedelic mushrooms on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. And, watch out when you're out on the road. 2023 is expected to be an average year for car deer accidents in Wisconsin, we'll have more on where in the state it routinely happens.

Public and school libraries would have to notify parents about what their kids are borrowing under a Republican bill in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Student-run high school and college news outlets could be protected from censorship by their school administrators in a bipartisan bill moving through the Legislature. And, Wisconsin Act 31 requires Native American history to be taught in all schools. A listener wondered how educators are implementing the curriculum in the classroom.

Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you're sitting on the couch watching today's Green Bay Packers game, or maybe you're running a turkey trot. But no matter what the main focus is eating. We'll have a special Wisconsin Life episode on how our taste buds remember.

Judges on the Wisconsin Supreme Court expressed mixed opinions after hearing arguments in a redistricting lawsuit. The Legislature’s GOP-controlled finance committee is withholding gaming funds from two tribes. The tribes leaders say they're being discriminated against. Danielle Kaeding will have more on the situation. And, in our state you're never too far away from hearing a tuba. In today's Wisconsin Life, a WPR listener wondered why that was.

Traveling for Thanksgiving? You might want to build in some extra time. A new traffic projection says it could be one of the busiest holidays in recent memory. Wisconsin's school libraries will see record funding in 2024. And we'll hear about a famous cookie from Madison that disappeared more than three decades ago, and one man's attempts to recreate it.

Tobacco sales to underage customers have more than doubled in four years, according to new state data. We hear from political party leaders about what they expect for next year's U.S. Senate race. And, Wisconsin Democrats unveiled climate change legislation they say will boost the green energy economy.

Milwaukee Public Schools ended a decade-long partnership that it paid over $1 million to in no-bid contracts. Fourteen and 15-year-olds may no longer need a work permit if a Republican-sponsored bill passes the state Legislature. And, Madison College is planning to open a day care center. Sarah Lehr will have more on their plans.

Inmates at the Waupun and Green Bay prisons have been on lockdown since early this year, but changes from the governor's office could be on their way. Some gig workers will be labeled as independent contractors, if a proposal gets passed. And, a major lawsuit challenging the state legislative district maps is heading to the Wisconsin Supreme Court next week. I'll be chatting with WPR's Rich Kremer on what's on the line with the case.