A.J. Bayatpour
@AJBayatpour
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Cutter of Italian meats & reporter for @CBS58 Milwaukee. Direct storytelling? Yes. Dutiful stenography? Nah. Chicago-raised, #MizzouMade, but Wisconsin is home.
Milwaukee, WI
Joined November 2008
Bart Starr Jr. lives in Alabama and identifies as a Republican, but he's campaigning in Wisconsin for Kamala Harris. He voted for write-ins in '16 and '20 but is backing Harris in '24. "We have an obligation as Republicans to embrace any economic plan that does the most good"
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BREAKING: In a 4-3 ruling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority has reinstated the use of drop boxes for absentee ballots:.
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All 5 of Wisconsin's GOP congressmen voted no last night on a $28 million baby formula bill, including Rep. Tiffany.
Americans cannot find baby formula. Americans cannot afford gas. Americans cannot safely walk on the streets in major cities. Welcome to another day in Joe Biden’s America!.
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Folks, we found her. Gigi grew up in Oshkosh and is now studying journalism at Arizona State. She doesn't regret shoving a pair of Bears who tried to Lambeau Leap into her Sunday. "One of them jumped straight into my mom, so I was like, 'That's my protective mode.'"
Packers fans: Do you know who this lady is? We really want to hear her version of this exchange. Send any and all leads to ajbayatpour@cbs58.com
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So, uh, we were live on the air at Jack's when the Jets won, and everyone realized they weren't drinking for free after all
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Inbox: Kevin Garnett to host a 3-on-3 basketball tournament tomorrow in Mequon, which will include a voter registration drive and rides to the polls. Similar events happening in Detroit and Philadelphia as part of a partnership with the Harris campaign
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An emotional @RealCarlosGomez @Four3rTeen wanted to share how much Bob Uecker meant to him. Gomez says Uecker's encouragement helped him get through early struggles in Milwaukee. "At least I had the opportunity to share with him how important he was for me in my career."
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.@MayorMKE reacts to former President Trump describing Milwaukee as "horrible":. "Donald Trump wants to talk about things that he thinks are horrible; all of us lived through his presidency, so right back at you, buddy. it's kind of unhinged in a way."
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In Wisconsin, this is a serious question. So I asked it.
Reporter: Why would people in Wisconsin want to have a beer with you?. Vance: Ha ha ha ha. Ahh. Well. I guess, I guess, they’d like, they’d want to have a beer with me because I do like to drink beer
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NEW: Wisconsin ends the 2024 fiscal year with a $4.6 billion surplus, according to a release from the governor’s office and Department of Administration. Beyond that, the state has a record-high $1.9 billion in its rainy day fund.
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BREAKING: The city of Milwaukee is going to recount about 30,000 absentee ballots that had already been counted. There was an issue with one tabulator not being sealed. Out of precaution, the city will recount each ballot. A long night just got longer.
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Milwaukee's absentee ballots (aka 'Data Dump') could have come in much earlier than 3:42am had Wisconsin clerks been allowed to open absentee envelopes before Election Day. Clerks here asked for permission to do so. The GOP-controlled state legislature did not act.
Look at this in Wisconsin! A day AFTER the election, Biden receives a dump of 143,379 votes at 3:42AM, when they learned he was losing badly. This is unbelievable!
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Democratic yard signs already being modified on Milwaukee's east side
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Covering this story is when I learned to look beyond the language of armed/unarmed. The police account -- which the Kenosha Co DA ultimately agreed with -- was that Aaron Siler was armed. He had an empty bucket.
In 2015, Kenosha cop Pablo Torres shot and killed a man armed with a bucket. It was his first day back after another shooting 10 days earlier. He had a 200-page disciplinary file, with 9 excessive force complaints. The Kenosha police union paid tribute to him with this billboard.
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BREAKING: The AP is calling the race for both constitutional referendums. No wins. The governor will retain control of how Wisconsin spends federal aid.
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Hello again from Jack's American Pub on Milwaukee's east side. Aaron Rodgers is back, and so is this bar's offer: If the Jets lose, everyone drinks for free tonight
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NEW: The Milwaukee Bar Association has released its poll of members ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election:. Qualified:.Kelly 23.2%.Protasiewicz 81.1%. Not Qualified:.Kelly 65.2%.Protasiewicz 12.7%. No opinion:.Kelly 11.6%.Protasiewicz 6.2%.
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A statement from the RNC blasts "slow ballot counting" in Milwaukee on top of the problem with seals being broken on tabulators, leading to the recount happening now. WI Senate Republicans are the only reason Milwaukee didn't start processing its absentee ballots yesterday.
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News: An org called “Haley Voters for Harris” is bringing in GOP strategist Craig Peterson to drive their efforts to sway the 77,000 Wisconsin voters who voted for Nikki Haley in the primary to back Kamala Harris in November. Peterson says he’ll focus on the WOW counties
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NEWS: I asked Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu if the Senate will consider impeaching Janet Protasiewicz. "No," he said.
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There are lots of obvious Wisconsin connections at the DNC this week, but how about this deep cut:. Aaron Rouse played safety for the Packers in 2007 and 2008. He's now a Virginia state senator. He has the longest INT return in Lambeau Field history, which was off Peyton Manning
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With 80% of Wisconsin's vote in, Trump leads Harris by about 105,000 votes. Even in an absolute best-case scenario with Milwaukee's absentee ballots, that alone wouldn't close the gap for Harris. Trump is so far outperforming his '20 numbers in several key counties.
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Like any good journalist, I went back to Jack’s tonight to follow up:. -About 350 people opened tabs.-Biggest bill was $160, all on beer.-Manager Olivia Fallon tells me the owners are actually on a retreat in the Dominican, and they haven’t yet decided if the promo will continue
So, uh, we were live on the air at Jack's when the Jets won, and everyone realized they weren't drinking for free after all
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Before boarding a plane to DC, Rep. Glenn Grothman told @KathrynMerckTV, "It is gonna be more difficult to beat somebody who is not Joe Biden.". On VP Harris:. "Apparently, they feel, or a lot of Democrats feel, they have to stick with her because of her ethnic background."
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Hello from Jack's American Pub on Milwaukee's East Side, which is offering free drinks this season when the Jets and Aaron Rodgers lose. The rules:.-tabs open 15 min before kick.-no pitchers, top shelf liquor, or food.-Rodgers must start. The staff even has a playbook for this
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Newly released audio from @lawindsor picked up Michael Gableman suggesting 'revolution' is the 'only way to keep an honest government.'. He made the remarks at a dinner he headlined with @michelsforgov, who says he's not responsible for Gableman's words.
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The sun did come up this morning in Milwaukee, where flowers (and a Miller Lite) now adorn Bob Uecker’s Wall of Fame plaque
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NOW: Wisconsin Democrats announce they're filing a complaint accusing Tim Michels of not having enough legitimate signatures to get on the August primary ballot.
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Turnout was so high on Wisconsin’s first day of early in-person voting, it backed up the online system used by some of the state’s clerks.
Due to higher than expected turnout for the first day of in-person absentee voting today, the WisVote system that some clerks use experienced a period of slowness that has now been resolved. Read more at
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Awaiting a press conference Sens. Ron Johnson and Rick Scott are hosting at Trump Tower. It appears inflation will be the main subject. It also appears margarine is misspelled on the board
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So far, Dems have the margins they'd want in Dane and Milwaukee counties. With 35% of Dane reporting, Evers is at 77%, Barnes at 75%. In Milwaukee, with 44% reporting, Barnes is at 69%, Evers at 69% too, but expecting a boost when the Milwaukee city absentee ballots come in.
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Kenosha Police release says the man they shot tonight was flown to Froedtert in serious condition. State DOJ is taking over the investigation. A video going viral shows an officer holding the man's shirt then shooting several times him as he tries to get in a car.
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The people hear roared when Rodgers got sacked…and cheered again when they realized he was hurt. The free booze condition is Rodgers must start the game. Doesn’t say anything about him needing to finish it
Hello from Jack's American Pub on Milwaukee's East Side, which is offering free drinks this season when the Jets and Aaron Rodgers lose. The rules:.-tabs open 15 min before kick.-no pitchers, top shelf liquor, or food.-Rodgers must start. The staff even has a playbook for this
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Bucks President @pfeigin spoke at an ironworkers meeting tonight. Afterward, he said there may soon be an announcement regarding “player personnel.”. When pressed, he called Jrue and Lauren Holiday “two of the greatest humans I’ve ever encountered.”
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Just in: A Trump campaign official confirms Donald Trump will hold a rally next Friday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. It’ll be Trump’s return to the venue that hosted the RNC.
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BREAKING: Dane County issues an indoor mask order, effective Thursday.
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While Wisconsin has an 1849 law on the books banning abortion, AG @JoshKaulWI says this today:. "The resources for the Wisconsin Department of Justice will not be used to investigate or to prosecute people for alleged violations of that abortion ban.".
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NEW: Documents released this week show Sen. Ron Johnson and his office were told documents sent to his office on January 6 were about the state's presidential electors.
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New RNC signage is turning "Herb Kohl Way" into "Donald J. Trump Way.". Kohl was a longtime Democratic senator who famously kept the Bucks in Milwaukee as a condition of his sale of the team. He died in December
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There’s a very long line outside Resch Center ahead of tonight’s Donald Trump rally in Green Bay
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Update from Milwaukee: The calvary has been called in. @BillatCBS58 reports from Baird Center 30-40 city firefighters, health department and IT workers have been sent to help process absentee ballots.
BREAKING: The city of Milwaukee is going to recount about 30,000 absentee ballots that had already been counted. There was an issue with one tabulator not being sealed. Out of precaution, the city will recount each ballot. A long night just got longer.
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In non-political news, the Henry Vilas Zoo has a new red panda. Say hello to two-year-old Bandit.
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Just in: Kamala Harris to hold a rally Friday night in Milwaukee. Venue is TBD as Donald Trump will have an event that same day at Fiserv Forum. Harris rally to feature a range of musicians, from GloRilla to The Isley Brothers.
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I absolutely love that Major Goolsby's is specifically designated on a Secret Service security map
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"Why would Republicans pick the one person Joe Biden can beat? That is stupid.". Here's the full @SpeakerVos answer to a question about Donald Trump possibly being nominated again as the GOP presidential candidate next summer in Milwaukee.
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NEW: Former President Barack Obama will headline a rally for the Harris campaign Sunday in Milwaukee. It'll coincide with the final day for in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin. Details we've gathered here:.
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To further underscore just how much Tim Michels underperformed, he got nearly 30,000 fewer votes than GOP candidate for attorney general Eric Toney.
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In Beaver Dam, where @GovEvers is visiting the middle school today. Some of the questions from 8th graders:. Q: Are you going to run for governor again? (Evers won a second term in November).A: "We'll see". Q: Are you going to live in a retirement home?.A: "Not yet"
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The Wisconsin press corps is built different. Despite the motorcade getting in a crash, I can announce @hopekarnopp and @Emilee_Fannon are here. Battered, bruised, but finishing their shift
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Between 2011 and 2015, the trust fund set up by Sen. Ron Johnson paid at least $400,000 annually in Wisconsin taxes. Since 2016, however, the fund hasn't paid any state taxes.
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For the first time in state history, it's the Progress #Pride flag flying atop the Wisconsin Capitol
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A group of Assembly Republicans not wearing masks on the floor. This was during a moment of silence to remember the 4,884 Wisconsinites who have died because of COVID-19.
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The Wisconsin DOT has released its 2050 rail plan. It includes visions for a route that connects Milwaukee, Waukesha Co., Watertown and Madison. It also outlines an extension of the Hiawatha to Green Bay and the Fox Cities.
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Daniel Kelly in his concession speech:. "I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede.".
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George Mustas and Bob Uecker used to play ball as teens at Siefert School on Milwaukee’s north side. He met us where home plate used to be and just shared some outstanding stories. When he first showed up, the boys asked if he was good. “He said, ‘you’ll see.’ And he was.”
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This afternoon, a driver killed a 4-year-old girl and seriously injured her mom before fleeing the scene at Teutonia/Vera. @MayorMKE called a press conference, saying, "that is straight bullshit, that is straight garbage. It pisses me off."
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Fun update: The inventor of the Lambeau Leap, @leap36, tells us he's going to send Gigi and her mom an autographed jersey.
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Hovde says in this video, "At 1 am. based on the models, it appeared I would win the Senate race". That's demonstrably false. Here are two .Wisconsin conservatives posting that night the central count cities' results would likely tip the race for Baldwin:
Many people have reached out to me with concerns about the voting inconsistencies we experienced on Election Day. Here are my thoughts:
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Uh I asked a question specifically about rising gas prices. There were also questions about inflation and immigration in the context of wages and jobs.
Sen. Ron Johnson tells reporters the debate “was more of an ambush. Pretty much eight against one. We didn’t have a question about inflation, gas prices, a good question on our open borders. It was all the questions coming from the left…” Debate video:
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.@GovEvers announces he's vetoed 4 bills:. -expand start/end times minors under 16 can work.-loosen licensing requirements for mental health workers.-ban lessons that make students feel responsible for their ancestors' actions.-stricter penalties for possessing marijuana resin.
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NEW: Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger says stadium funding plan does not include any conversion of parking lot space into new real estate developments. Says the team is protective of its tailgating culture.
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The very first cover of Sports Illustrated: Eddie Mathews at Milwaukee County Stadium
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Packers fans: Do you know who this lady is? We really want to hear her version of this exchange. Send any and all leads to ajbayatpour@cbs58.com
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NEWS: This week will be my last as the producer and host of Capital City Sunday. Conducting interviews with the state's top elected officials has been an absolute honor. I'm not going too far, though. We're going back to Milwaukee, as I've accepted a reporting job at @CBS58
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I asked @GovEvers if he'd want to submit a new version of legislative maps should the state supreme court, with its new liberal majority, toss the current ones. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely, or if there's another process that will work better than we did last time, that's fine."
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With Milwaukee Public Schools closed due to heat, I'll note MPS is getting more than $800 million in federal pandemic aid. We requested on May 31 an updated accounting of how that money's been spent/reserved, including for capital improvements. We're still waiting for that info.
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NEW: Jan. 6 committee docs trove includes transcript of its interview with former WI GOP Chair Andrew Hitt. Hitt told the committee @SenRonJohnson told him, "we need to have our legislature choose the electors" before the fake GOP electors meeting in Dec. 2020.
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The @Bucks statement specifically calls for action from the state legislature, which has not passed a bill in more than 130 days.
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Highlights of @GovEvers' 51 partial budget vetoes:. -$325 per pupil increase for schools every year through 2425.-eliminates tax cut on top 2 brackets (cut remains on income for everyone up to $25,520).-$15 million for child care center grants.-188 UW DEI positions restored.
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On the eve of Election Day, GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde says, "I plan to accept the results of what happens tomorrow.". I then tried to ask if he has a plan to divest his holdings from Sunwest Bank. Hovde laughed and said, "Oh, that's a good one" as he walked away
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JUST IN: The conservative Thomas More Society, which now employs Michael Gableman, is suing @WI_Elections and asking a Waukesha Co. court to "sequester all military absentee or mail-in ballots prior to the election.".
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Michels acknowledges pandemic UI benefits have been cut off, but says they're still why people are still being lazy. Michels doesn't explain how he'd get these people to work, even when there's no benefit to cut. Wisconsin currently has a 3.1% unemployment rate.
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The first week with a new liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has been a doozy. It ended today with that majority creating a new "administrative committee" and giving it powers that had belonged to the chief justice, who's a conservative.
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Good morning from downtown Milwaukee. After holding dueling rallies about six miles apart, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris spent the night three blocks from each other
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More details on VP Harris’ event in Milwaukee Tuesday:. She and Gov. Walz will speak at Fiserv Forum, then they’ll stay in the arena and watch the DNC with attendees. Headline speakers Tuesday night in Chicago are former Pres. Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
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So far, Reps. Fitzgerald and Grothman say Donald Trump’s “horrible city” remark was in reference to elections. Rep. Van Orden says it was about crime. Rep. Steil says Trump never said it. And an RNC spokeswoman says it was about the ongoing protest zone dispute.
An aide to Rep. Scott Fitzgerald backs Grothman’s claim and tells me Fitzgerald said Trump’s comments “were about election integrity.”.
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One more sign the Bucks have captured the city's imagination: regular season games are getting full audio at the corner bar like it's a Packer game.
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NOW: Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad files a lawsuit on Dane County court against WEC and the Republican Party seeking to remove Donald Trump from Wisconsin's 2024 primary ballot
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Flynn confirms the officer who shot Sylville Smith is African-American himself and MPD fears for his safety. #Milwaukee.
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Spotted on the way back from the RNC last night: Signage on the Germania Building features messages about Project 2025 and the climate. Inside one of the windows is a staging of mannequins with their heads in a pile of sand
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Milwaukee Public Schools has an enrollment of about 67,500 kids. This is the public turnout for a school board meeting
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Former officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges, who responded to the January 6 Capitol insurrection, are speaking at a Biden campaign event outside Milwaukee City Hall. Dunn: “It will be worse (than January 6) if Trump regains power.”
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Rally to end gerrymandering about to kick off at the Capitol. It's ahead of the introduction of a bill that would create an independent redistricting committee in Wisconsin, similar to what Iowa has long used.
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BREAKING: City of Milwaukee absentee ballots have swung the referendum vote to YES on the MPS referendum. With 81,000 votes now in:. Yes - 51.06%.No - 48.94%. Margin is at 1,728 votes with 99.4% in.
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Dropping the "legalize marijuana" proposal at this moment sets up an interesting juxtaposition:. How many will argue it's not government's place to tell people to wear masks while at the same time saying it's definitely the role of government to keep people from smoking weed?.
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NEW: @GovEvers approval rating up to 57% (+18) in this new @MULawPoll . Evers was at 46% (-1) last fall. Much of the movement comes from Evers gaining ground with Republican and Independent respondents.
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When legislative leaders said they were drafting legislation in their April 21 lawsuit to strike down "safer at home," there had been 242 COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin. Today, seven months and 2,499 deaths later, those same leaders say they have nothing drafted.
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Seeing more messages in our inbox lately saying we need to "tell the whole story" w/ context that 99.98% of Wisconsinites haven't died of COVID-19. To those folks: you also cool with us framing crime stories around the 99.98% of Milwaukee residents who didn't get murdered?.
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In remarks he'll deliver at his inauguration today, @GovEvers says his victory was a rejection of efforts to overhaul elections. He also lays out a progressive agenda, noting public school funding, climate change, abortion rights, and targeted tax cuts.
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NEW: Democratic lawmakers are circulating a series of election-related proposals:. -Require elected state officials to serve as election workers every 3 years .-Allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they’ll be 18 by the general election.-Let 16 and 17 yos preregister to vote.
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Are you saying you still believe the 2020 election was stolen, congressman? How does that line up with your claims to be the “most centrist” member of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation?.
It is official. The “Party of Democracy” is now 2-0 for Presidential coups.
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Confirmed by a source close to the Harris campaign: VP Kamala Harris will hold a rally Tuesday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The visit was first reported by the New York Times. CBS News reports former President Barack Obama will be the headline DNC speaker that night in Chicago.
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NEW: The White House announces the purpose of President Biden's trip to Milwaukee tomorrow is to announce $3.3 billion in infrastructure projects meant to "reconnect and rebuild communities.". That includes $36 million to rebuild 6th Street in Milwaukee between North and National
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One day after the 2022 midterms, Ron Johnson’s campaign called on Mandela Barnes to concede as he trailed by 27,000 votes. Barnes would concede later that day. One week after the 2024 election, Eric Hovde has yet to concede as he trails by 29,000 votes.
.@TheOtherMandela Question of the Day: . In 2020, Joe Biden claimed victory in Wisconsin with a 20,000 vote margin. Will you accept defeat trailing by 27,000 votes?.
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NEW: Open records we obtained show Mike Gableman and his staff submitted a salary invoice for work during the month of January. It adds up to more than $60,000 for Gableman and 7 staffers. It's not clear if/when the state sent out the checks. His contract expired December 31.
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