S*#t You Need To Know: Impactful News For Wisconsin

It's a wake-up call in more ways than one.

Time for some sh** you need to know.

Well, we talked about this a little, uh, partial kind of because we talked about the potential ceasefire, but or the potential deal with Iran.

But now it is reported that U.S.

and Israeli jets struck Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and other targets.

Hours after the president has suggested that negotiations with Tehran over an interim deal were progressing.

I guess not fast enough for them.

The attack took place south of Larock Island in the Strait of Hormuz with several Iranian personnel killed that according to Iran's state-run News Bureau.

Trump earlier said negotiations between the U.S.

and Iran over an agreement to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait were, quote, proceeding nicely.

American forces hit missile launch sites in Iran and boats trying to place mines according to U.S.

Central Command.

The strikes were defensive and intended, quote, to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a trip to India that talks with Iran could take several days, adding that Trump would either agree to a good deal or make no deal at all.

Well, that's kind of what's been what's been happening since the beginning so that would check that would be right on par from sure from the beginning of this of this war It other stuff you need to know bringing it back to Wisconsin UW Madison is anticipating a smaller cohort of international graduate students on campus next fall That's according to the university's director of the graduate school the dean of the graduate school William Karpus said at a campus meeting last week that fewer international students

have applied to graduate programs, and the university has also admitted a smaller number than in previous years for next fall.

The drop in international student applications at UW-Madison during this admission cycle is an issue that every large university institution is confronting, according to Carpus.

The decrease in applications comes as the Trump administration has instituted a series of policies and actions targeting international students, such as new visa restrictions, travel bans, and also a crackdown on countries like China, which bring in large numbers of foreign students to schools like UW-Madison.

Now, experts say that those efforts, along with a looming rule change that limits the time international students can study in the US, are stirring fear and hesitation to apply to American universities.

Foreign student enrollment this spring at universities in the United States dropped by 20% from last year.

That's according to a recent report from the NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, which is a nonprofit that promotes international education.

Well, I mean, this makes perfect sense with the policies that we've seen.

I mean, it's hard to say, oh, let me go to this country, let me study, let me take my talents there when you're literally not welcome.

Yeah, and there's a good chance that on your way to or from campus you could be detained and you know, you're even they even with a student visa that would not be enough for some people it's and it's a shame because The income brought in from international students to these institutions

is

a nice big chunk of their budget every year and it also It also increases a university's status and just

the overall environment of a university when you have people from different nations, different cultures, all studying and, you know, you're getting, you're getting the smartest people if they're coming in for grad schools.

So

these

are, these are people that you would like to educate here.

And yes, maybe some of them will move back to, to their homes.

Maybe some of them will stay here and, but either way.

Everything's going to be

fine.

Well, and you also look at the fact that these are these are talents that you can't just duplicate always in the United States, right?

No.

These are these are skill sets.

Sometimes they are people who who do things much differently or have learned a different way to do things than we're doing them in the United States, which then also which is a broader discussion, but it leads you back to the where is all that information then going?

It's not coming to the United States.

It's being shared in other countries, which is unfortunate.

Well, let's keep it in Wisconsin for some more stuff you need to know.

Governor Evers is asking President Trump for federal disaster declaration following severe storms and flooding across Wisconsin in April.

State officials estimate the storm caused more than $27 million in damage to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure across 19 counties and the United Nation.

Flooding and severe weather included tornadoes, hail, straight-line winds, and major rainfall events.

Janesville alone estimates roughly $10 million in infrastructure damage from what officials described as a 500-year flood event

Flooding also prompted evacuations in communities along the Chaktan, including Chaktan in New London.

Local officials said federal disaster aid is critical because many communities cannot absorb the repair costs on their own.

Out of Gamy County, leaders said both Tony Weed and Tammy Baldwin have expressed support for securing federal recovery assistance.

The request now goes to the White House, which will decide whether to approve federal recovery aid.

And we've seen this before.

If if only we had a Republican governor who bought into all the conspiracies in the election fraud, then we'd probably get that money right away.

We probably wouldn't have had to ask for it.

But now with Tony Evers in the governor's seat, we'll see if the president actually grants this money for American citizens, both Republican and Democrat or

tries to play games with it.

And I think Mark Wayne, I don't, I never want to give the administration too much credit.

Mark Wayne Mullen has been better as head of DHS in making sure that all states are getting the aid that they need.

Whether that will... Well,

he got out of the way as

opposed to

Christie Noem

who

made, who had to sign everything that was over

a hundred

thousand dollars.

Mullen seems at least smart enough to get out of his own way.

I mean, if you're the president, and if you're this administration sitting here just a few months before a midterm when, as we talked earlier this hour, your approval ratings are at 34%, I don't know if you just let a certain subsect of voters just wallow and have to come up with this money themselves to get these things fixed.

Nothing ever surprises me.

He doesn't think of anybody else.

He told us he doesn't think of Americans financial situations and affordability is made up.

So nothing surprises me at this point.

I'm just saying a logical human being would probably just sign it.

No questions asked so that people can get what they need.

But of course we've also seen this administration hold funds from very Republican leaning states.

So

maybe his buddy Tom Tiffany can put a word in.

You know, if that's what Tom Tiffany can.

for the state of Wisconsin, then kudos to him as well.

Because this is money that's needed, right?

Honestly, at this point, who cares how it gets here?

Just sign it so people get some relief and small businesses can rebuild.

The big story, though, this morning, this is one that actually went a little under the radar last week.

The Environmental Protection Agency, speaking of this administration, announced nearly $2.9 billion nationwide to help states replace lead water pipes,

including $94.3 million for the state of Wisconsin.

This funding comes through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund supported by the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021.

About $46 million of Wisconsin's funding will support disadvantaged communities through grants or forgivable loans.

EPA officials said the funding will help communities identify lead service lines and replace aging pipes from curb to tap.

show Wisconsin still has more than this number is astounding to me.

The 343,000 lead service lines statewide and nearly 12 billion dollars in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

The state has faced lead pipe challenges for decades.

Some municipalities continuing to install lead service lines even into the 1970s long after other states stopped using them all together.

Lead exposure of course remains

a major public health issue.

We've heard these stories time and again, especially coming out of Milwaukee.

Children especially affected because it can cause long-term developmental and learning problems.

State data shows that nearly 5% of Wisconsin children under the age of six tested in 2024.

So not that long ago had lead poisoning with rates reaching around 20% in some Milwaukee neighborhoods.

EPA officials said the agency remains committed to federal

to a federal requirement calling for most lead pipes to be removed by 2037.

The funding announcement comes as the president has proposed major cuts to the EPA, revolving loan funds in the agency's 2027 budget proposal.

Wisconsin may also qualify for an additional $852,000 in redistributed federal lead replacement funding if the state applies by September.

You gotta imagine

that that paperwork is probably already being worked

on.

You say, I hope so.

It's not gonna be like those ballots that were delivered

late.

No,

no.

Who was supposed to fill out the papers?

I mean, the fact that we still have at least 92 communities in this state who are connected to lead pipes, though, is absolutely crazy to me, especially in 2026.

And when you go back to that number, you mentioned the date in the 70s.

They

were still

here in Wisconsin, still putting in lead pipes in some communities.

And I would love, I'd love to hear the justification other than cost.

Because if it was just cost, that's still not a good enough reason when, as you mentioned, all these other states had already, we knew, we knew lead pipe was not

good.

I do find it interesting, though, that at the same time that's been happening in Milwaukee, and Milwaukee has had so many issues, Madison actually became a national example of what success in basically remedying lead pipes can look like.

In 2001, Madison made a very controversial decision at the time to replace both public and private lead lines entirely, and they became the first US city to eliminate all lead service lines from the water.

system.

Obviously, the decision is now viewed as a model for communities nationwide.

At the time, though, with the cost and the infrastructure changes, you can imagine that people were like, what are you doing?

But I mean,

little lead's not going to

hurt.

I can't imagine, though, yet, though, at this day and age that we're still talking about lead in our schools and in our pipes and in our water.

And it's it's kind of it's actually kind of crazy.

We finally got rid of it with paint.

You don't hear too many

lead

paint stories anymore.

Right.

Thank goodness.

Right.

But

I mean, this is a pretty critical phase though.

Don't you think?

Yeah.

I know it started all over.

There's communities doing it all over the

country.

And it is a huge job to go from curb to the tap.

The mains have to change.

Everything's got to change.

It takes a long time.

It's a lot of work.

It's very expensive.

but it's something that has

to

be done, especially if you're living in one of these communities, if you're one of these 343,000 lead service lines, serviced people, you need clean water.

And again, to come back to the fact that we're still arguing over clean water is amazing to me.

Well, we got to get rid of the lead pipes, but we still got this PFAS.

We don't need to regulate those as much because, which is worth, lead or forever chemicals.

Neither one.

How about we just try to get the water clean?

I mean,

well, they have bottled water, don't they?

No, stop.

Green Bay and Stoughton also, by the way, have been really good at removing one.

Ah, very

good.

Yeah, Milwaukee though, still racing to get that money.