MILWAUKEE - We take a dive into the deepening crisis in the Wisconsin hospital system. Neither political party is talking about the fundamental cause, the insatiable appetite by the hospital industry for windfall profits? Will state leaders step up to the challenge? So far, the indications are not positive, as the Governor and the Legislature are in gridlock, and the Department of Health Services refuses to launch an investigation into the sudden and unplanned closure of 2 major hospitals and 90 clinics in Western Wisconsin. We make the direct connection between sky high hospital prices in Wisconsin and the deregulation of hospitals. A new Rand report makes our case, as it finds health plans pay an astounding 318% more than Medicare for the same services in Wisconsin.

We discuss the poor leadership, and the terrible example set for students by top officials in the UW system on the student Gaza War protests, and their failure to nurture free speech and deeper dialogue that challenges us to think deeper about the crisis. Instead, leaders put students safety at risk by unleashing the police on Madison encampment.

In case you forgot about Donald, this week Trump took timeout from his hush money trial to shake down oil barons for $1 billion to win his election and kill Biden’s climate breakthroughs. Will Big Oil ante up and bankroll Trump’s election and his legal defense?

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting May as Mental Health Awareness Month across the state and nation. Gov. Evers proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month, and a copy of the governor’s proclamation is available here.

MILWAUKEE - We discuss President Biden’s visit to Wisconsin for the 4th time this year on Wednesday and his highlighting the difference of his successful economic policies which passed Congress including Infrastructure, CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts. Wisconsin is clearly ground zero for the presidential election and important U.S. Senate seat held by Tammy Baldwin.

Wisconsin Democrats announced this week that they will commit $7 million to TV ads in 5 key state Senate races. We talk about why. Wisconsin still remains the only state where no criminal charges have been filed of the five states where fake electors signed papers fraudulently asserting they were the duly qualified electors. Why? We unpack the racist House Republican scheme this week to determine immigrants are not people in scam to not count them in the next census. We laud Law Forward for calling on the US Attorney to investigate GOP operatives for racist voter suppression texts to Souls to the Polls.

We continue to call for Wisconsin lawmakers to get serious about the developing healthcare system crisis, as another for-profit company announces new cancer clinics Western Wisconsin to take advantage of some of the profitable parts of the collapsed Hospital Sister Health System in the region.

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today released his weekly radio address celebrating National Teacher Appreciation Week. In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, Gov. Evers shared a video message, which is available here, and proclaimed May 6 through May 10, 2024, as Teacher Appreciation Week in the state of Wisconsin. A copy of Gov. Evers’ Teacher Appreciation Week proclamation is available here.

MILWAUKEE - In Mt. Horeb this week guns, death, and middle school kids in lockdown. We reflect.

We recap Tuesday’s 40th Anniversary event in Eau Claire. Thanks to everyone who attended one of the 5 celebrations of our proud history. As always, we are inspired by our members around Wisconsin and their commitment to building a just multiracial democracy. Please consider joining Citizen Action Today! You are needed.

We update state legislative candidate announcements and remind you to reach out to people you think should run.

We dissect the systemic implications of Marshfield Medical Center in Rice Lake, which paused its labor and delivery services this week. In other hospital monopoly news, Bellin and Gundersen Healthcare merge into the soulless profit seeking Emplify Health, further disconnecting it from its primary mission of meeting community healthcare needs.

A Dane County court overturns the PSC decision that allowed people to lease their solar energy system. Will the big fossil fuel utilities be permitted to block the renewable energy revolution?

We praise the organizing by voting rights advocates who continue their push for removing fraudulent fake elector Bob Spindell from Wisconsin’s elections commission.

We take a deeper dive into the Gaza Protests that hit the UW system and campuses across the country. What do they reveal about the power of organizing and the reality of who runs the modern UW System and other major American universities?

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MADISON, WI – After attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Centro Hispano building in South Madison, Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:

MILWAUKEE - We preview the final 40th Anniversary event next Tuesday, April 30th, 6pm, in Eau Claire. Robert reminds connects are 40th birthday to the abuses of the large hospital monopolies who recently ripped a huge hole in the health care safety net in their craven pursuit of profit. We talk about the new report showing among the fastest rising in the nation rents in Wisconsin and Milwaukee. We look at the racist plan to “wreak havoc” on voting rights group Souls to the Polls by the new executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party.

Wisconsin’s sleepy environmental regulators abandon rules on nitrates pollution and a Republican state legislator on the powerful Joint Finance Committee anonymously blocks opioid treatment money. What does this say about the anti-democracy state Legislature’s failure to lead on these and other critical issues. We continue to encourage progressive candidates to see the generational opportunity the fairer maps provide the progressive movement.

Trump is headed back to Wisconsin next week between trial dates as the Arizona AG indicts Trump’s fake electors and Trump campaign co-conspirators. That is now 4 states who have taken action, why is Wisconsin letting the election subverters get off scott free?.

Robert and Matt have a bull session on the Chicago Bears’ unveiling of a $4.2 billion public shakedown on top of White Sox demand for $2 billion. What Wisconsin can teach Illinois about subsidizing billionaires?

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address celebrating Earth Day and Earth Week and highlighting his announcement that the state has increased its Trillion Trees Pledge planting goal from planting 75 million trees by the end of 2030 to planting 100 million trees by the end of 2030.

This week, Gov. Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also released the Wisconsin Trillion Trees Pledge 2023 Annual Report, which shows Wisconsin has planted more than 32 million trees since Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #112 in 2021 committing Wisconsin to the Trillion Trees Pledge, bringing the state more than 40 percent towards its goal just three years into the pledge. More information regarding the governor’s Trillion Trees Pledge Earth Day announcement is available here.

Audio File of Radio Address.

MILWAUKEE - In a potential preview of November, MAGAite Steven Campbell refuses to step down following losing his Green Bay City Council election, even after losing the recount he paid for. Trump has been encouraging his acolytes to seek fraud claims everywhere, laying the groundwork for his future claims of a stolen election in the fall.

We talk about the decision of Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley to step down, setting up another epic Supreme Court election next April that will determine the balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the future of abortion rights and democracy in the Badger State. Also as nomination papers drop, we urge movement progressives to run in state legislative races.

Meanwhile, the bitter fruits of right-rule continued in Wisconsin. We discuss the staggering implications of a new report revealing that nearly 40% of Wisconsin teachers left the profession after 6 years, a direct result of Act 10 and the GOP assault on public education. Meanwhile on the energy front, renewable energy laggard We Energies proposes another outrageous 15% rate hike as Southeast Wisconsin residents protest the increase.

Finally a new MU Law Poll has U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin over 50% and leading Eric Hovde.

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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address highlighting the historic legislation he signed into law last month, Senate Bill 791 and Senate Bill 792, now 2023 Wisconsin Acts 121 and 122, respectively, enabling the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) to receive and administer more than $78 million in federal funds under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster the state’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. More information about the two bills the governor signed is available here.