MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A bipartisan task force that examined a looming retirement savings crisis in Wisconsin is recommending a series of steps to improve the outlook, including the creation of first-of-its-kind savings accounts for every child in the state. The retirement task force released its recommendations Wednesday. State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski chaired the group and says bills to implement…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities, and government agencies. The foreign-made knockoffs are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health care workers at grave risk for the coronavirus. A federal official says these masks are…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new legal challenge to Gov. Tony Evers’ latest mask mandate is before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The challenge was filed less than a week after the Legislature struck down a previous order and the Democratic governor quickly issued a new one. Prominent Republican donor Jere Fabick asked the court late Tuesday to issue a temporary…
BUFFALO, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say one person is dead and four others are wounded in a shooting at a Minnesota health clinic. A 67-year-old local man said to have been angry with the care he received was arrested. The five people were taken to hospitals after Tuesday’s attack at the Allina clinic in Buffalo, a community of about 15,000…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Opening arguments are set to begin in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. An emotional first day ended Tuesday with the Senate voting to hear the case for convicting the former president of inciting the riot at the U.S. Capitol. On Wednesday, House Democrats prosecuting the case, and the former president’s attorneys will lay out their opposing arguments before…
(AP) – The U.S. has entered a tricky phase of the COVID-19 vaccination effort as providers try to ramp up the number of people getting first shots while also ensuring a growing number of others get second doses. The shift is happening just when millions more Americans are becoming eligible to receive vaccines. The need to give each person two…
BUFFALO, Minn. (AP) –Authorities say five people were shot and wounded in an attack at a Minnesota health clinic and that they arrested a 67-year-old local man. The five people were taken to hospitals after Tuesday’s attack at the Allina clinic in Buffalo, a community of about 15,000 people roughly 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Kelly Spratt, the president of…
(Ozaukee County Sheriff via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A former Wisconsin pharmacist has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he tried to spoil dozens of vials of the COVID-19 vaccine. Prosecutors in January charged 46-year-old Steven Brandenburg, of Grafton, with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products. Brandenburg pleaded guilty to both counts in a…
BUFFALO, Minn. (AP)-Authorities say someone was taken into custody following a shooting at a Minnesota clinic in which multiple people were shot, police said. Kelly Prestidge, an office manager for the Buffalo Police Department, told The Associated Press that the shooting happened Tuesday at the Allina clinic in Buffalo, a city of about 15,000 people roughly 40 miles northwest of…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has rejected another attempt by opponents to shut down construction on Enbridge Energy’s replacement for its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly says tribal and environmental groups failed to prove any permanent harm would result from allowing the work to proceed or…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The second case of a new, more contagious form of the COVID-19 virus has been detected in Wisconsin, less than a month after it was first seen. The variant was first detected on Jan. 12 and was identified again on Sunday by lab partners of the state Department of Health Services. Wisconsin chief medical officer Dr….
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A driver survived when his pickup truck plunged about 70 feet off a slippery interchange exit ramp in Wisconsin. A Wisconsin Department of Transportation camera captured the Milwaukee-area crash. The video shows the pickup hitting snow on the right shoulder before flipping over the barrier wall and plummeting to Interstate 94 below as cars pass by. When…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden will visit Wisconsin next week for his first official trip as president beyond his home state of Delaware. Biden is set to visit Milwaukee next Tuesday, according to the White House. While the Biden administration did not share further details of the trip, the president has been focused heavily on addressing the coronavirus pandemic…
(AP) – Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect a person against getting infected again with some of the new variants emerging around the world. New research also suggests that people can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time. How long immunity lasts from natural infection is…
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man who ran onto the field during the Super Bowl has been charged with trespassing. With the world watching, authorities say Yuri Andrade, 31, scampered onto the field Sunday night in the fourth quarter of the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Andrade was wearing shorts and a pink leotard or…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers’ administration is partnering with an international health care organization to set up community sites for COVID-19 vaccinations. Evers announced Monday that his administration will work with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare to establish six to 10 community vaccination sites. The first site is slated to open on Feb. 16 in Rock County and will be…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota House Republicans laid out a roadmap Monday for lifting the state’s coronavirus restrictions on businesses with a goal of letting them return to full operations by May 1. Rep. Dave Baker, of Willmar, said at a news conference that businesses such as restaurants, hotels, event centers, and gyms need to be able to make reopening plans…
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — A Paddock Lake man is facing charges after he was accused of punching a security guard who reminded him to wear a mask at a Kenosha grocery store. Police recommend the man in his 50s be charged with battery and disorderly conduct. The incident happened Saturday night at Woodman’s Food Market. “Somebody from the store approached…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial is opening this week with a sense of urgency. Democrats want to hold the former president accountable for the violent U.S. Capitol siege. And Republicans want it over as fast as possible. It’s scheduled to begin Tuesday, just over a month since the deadly Jan. 6 riot. Senate leaders are still…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed the first bill passed by the Legislature to address the coronavirus pandemic in 10 months, a Republican-backed measure that Democrats say would do nothing to combat the virus or help reopen the state. Evers vetoed the bill shortly after the Senate voted along party lines Friday sending it to him. Evers…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s food shelves saw a big jump in need in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic instability. Hunger Solutions Minnesota collects data from 350 food shelves across the state. Its annual report says they saw a record 3.8 million visits in 2020, up 7% from the year before, led by a 31% jump in…
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AP) — A teen wanted in connection with the fatal shooting at a mall in eastern Wisconsin has been arrested in Iowa. The Grand Chute Police Department announced U.S. Marshals arrested 17-year-old Dezman Ellis on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. Ellis’ arrest comes days after authorities say he fatally shot 19-year-old Jovanni Frausto, of Neenah, and wounded…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S employers added just 49,000 jobs in January, a sign that that the viral pandemic retains a tight grip on the economy nearly a year after it triggered a painful recession. The drop follows a decline of 227,000 jobs in December, the first loss since April. The unemployment rate for January fell sharply to 6.3%, the Labor…
(Senate TV via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved a measure that would let Democrats push through President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without Republican support. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote, her first. Democrats in the chamber applauded after Harris announced the 51-50 vote at around 5:30 a.m….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has issued a new statewide mask order an hour after the Republican-controlled Legislature voted to repeal his previous mandate. The Democrat Evers said in a video message Thursday that his priority is keeping people safe and that wearing a mask was the most basic way to do that. “If the Legislature keeps…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has approved a divorce settlement between the former Minneapolis police officer who placed his knee on George Floyd’s neck and his wife. The divorce of Derek Chauvin and Kellie Chauvin was finalized Tuesday and redacted documents were made public Thursday. The approval comes months after Washington County District Judge Juanita Freeman rejected a prior…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature has repealed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate. Health experts have warned against repealing the mandate, saying masks are probably the most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Assembly vote Thursday came a week after the Senate also voted to kill the resolution. Wisconsin is one of only 10…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to 779,000 last week, a historically high total that shows that a sizable number of people are still losing jobs to the viral pandemic. Last week’s total dropped from 812,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday and is the lowest in two months. Before the virus erupted…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A judge in Douglas County has ruled there’s enough evidence to support an attempted homicide charge against a 12-year-old boy accused of stabbing his younger brother. According to a criminal complaint charging the boy with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, the attack occurred on Jan. 11 at a home in the Town of Solon Springs. The complaint says…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s state-run health insurance exchange said Wednesday it will open a three-month special enrollment period to help uninsured and other Minnesotans obtain coverage. MNsure said the open enrollment will begin Feb. 16 and run through May 17. The announcement follows a nationwide special enrollment period ordered by President Joe Biden last week for states that participate in…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin prosecutors have asked a judge for a new arrest warrant for an Illinois teen charged with fatally shooting two people during an anti-police protest in Kenosha in August. Kyle Rittenhouse faces two counts of intentional homicide. He was arrested the day after the shootings but went free after he posted $2 million bail. Conservative groups…
(John Autey/Pioneer Press via AP,Pool) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Republican proposal to strip Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of the emergency powers he used to close schools as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota has passed its first test in the state Senate. Sen. Carla Nelson, of Rochester, says her bill would put the decision-making back with local school boards….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly plans to send the question of whether the state’s mask mandate should be repealed back to the state Senate, which voted last week to end the requirement. The Assembly delayed a vote last week amid concerns that repealing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ emergency order tied to the pandemic would result in Wisconsin losing…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s top infectious disease expert doesn’t want the Super Bowl to turn into a super spreader. Dr. Anthony Fauci, says when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should “just lay low and cool it.” He said during TV interviews Wednesday that now isn’t the time to invite people over for watch parties…
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon said Tuesday that Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO later this year, a role he’s had since he founded the company nearly 30 years ago. In a blog post to employees, Bezos said he planned to focus on new products and early initiatives being developed at Amazon. He said he would have more time for…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s COVID-19 vaccination rate increased relative to other states over the past week and demand continues to far exceed supply. State health officials said Tuesday that Wisconsin vaccinated more than 200,000 people last week and the state’s allotment of vaccine from the federal government is increasing by 18%. However, last week alone, nearly 300,000 doses were…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A national hunting group is suing to force an immediate start to Wisconsin’s wolf season. Kansas-based Hunter Nation Inc. filed the suit Tuesday in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Wisconsin. The group is seeking an order forcing the state Department of Natural Resources to start the season immediately. The Trump administration removed wolves from the federal…
(Scott Takushi/Pioneer Press via AP, Pool) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has raised $1.7 million for his likely 2022 reelection bid since he took office two years ago and finished 2020 with $1.3 million in the bank. While Walz has not formally announced that he’ll seek a second term, his campaign also said Tuesday that he…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin providing COVID-19 vaccines to U.S. pharmacies, part of its plan to ramp up vaccinations as new and potentially more serious virus strains are starting to appear. White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said Tuesday the government will initially ship about 1 million doses to some 6,500 pharmacies around the country, starting next…
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber is bringing the booze. The mobile ride-hailing company said Tuesday that it is acquiring the alcohol-delivery platform Drizly for $1.1 billion in stock and cash. Uber expects more than 90% of the consideration to be paid to Drizly stockholders in shares of Uber common stock and the remainder paid in cash. Boston-based Drizly formed about…
(photo: Facebook/USS Minneapolis Saint Paul Commissioning Team) DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — The U.S. Navy says the commissioning of the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul in Duluth is on hold after a design defect was discovered. The high-speed combat ship was christened at the Marinette, Wisconsin shipyard in 2019. The commissioning ceremony was expected to take place this spring before a problem with…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis mayor and police chief say officers will no longer be allowed to turn off their body cameras to talk privately when they respond to calls. The move announced Monday is one of several changes that followed the death of George Floyd and was an issue in another widely-publicized Minneapolis police killing. Floyd, who was Black…
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Two people are hospitalized after suffering injuries when a house exploded and caught fire in River Falls. Neighbors helped the victims escape the fire following the explosion Monday night, according to city officials. One of the victims was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota and the other to the hospital in River Falls….
(AP) – “Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond died Monday after a three-week fight with carcinoma. His spokesman confirmed Diamond’s death. He was 44. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit ’90s sitcom, was hospitalized last month in Florida and his team disclosed later he had cancer. “Saved by the Bell” aired from 1989 to 1993, and…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsinites will be able to sign up online to get their coronavirus vaccinations later this month. The state is working with Microsoft to set up an online signup system. Wisconsin Public Radio reports the system will launch in 10 communities on Feb. 15. The state’s plan is to use those communities as a test of the software before…
(William Glasheen/The Post-Crescent via AP) GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AP) — Police say they are looking for a teenager suspected in a shooting at a mall in northern Wisconsin that left one person dead and another wounded. Police say 17-year-old Dezman Ellis is being sought after gunfire erupted around 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Fox River Mall in Grand Chute. Police…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to meet Monday with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed $618 billion in coronavirus aid, about a third of what he’s seeking. The Republicans propose slimmer benefits, including $1,000 in direct payments to individuals earning up to $40,000 a year, or $80,000 for couples. White House press secretary Jen…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials are expected Monday to announce “significantly more” coronavirus vaccine will be allotted to people 65 and older. The state has run a two-week pilot of community vaccination clinics since the federal government lowered the recommended age for vaccinations to 65 and up. But getting appointments has been difficult since states are getting far less…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A large Minnesota school district has been forced to return to distance learning after an outbreak of COVID-19 among its transportation workers. Bloomington Public Schools brought back preschoolers through second graders on Jan. 19 and had planned to bring back third to fifth graders on Monday. But the district informed parents Thursday evening that the plan is…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has admonished rival Republicans for trying to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be akin to abolishing speed limits. Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to end Evers’ health emergency declaration, which would end the mask mandate. Assembly Republicans were poised to follow suit on Thursday but delayed a vote…
