97.5 W-F-H-R and 105.5 W-I-R-I. Your Wisconsin Rapids Home or locally grown radio. Here's
your Daily News Roundup.
For civic media news, I'm Savannah Tome Olsen. When you do your taxes this year, you no longer
have a free federal option from the government. The Trump administration has acts direct
file the free way to file your federal taxes. The program was created under the Inflation
Reduction Act. The idea was to file directly with the IRS so you can skip tax services,
and you get exactly the refunding credits the government says you're owed. It only launched
in Wisconsin for the first time last year, but it was estimated to have saved Wisconsinites
nearly $142 million in filing fees. Adam Rubin from the Economic Security Project says the
program had the potential to put billions back into family's pockets. It could save existing
tax filers, $8 billion in filing fees, an additional $3 billion in time saved, and it could
help people who are missing out on tax credits claim an additional $12 billion more. Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent says the current administration ended the program because it was expensive,
and they felt private companies could do the job better. Rubin notes private companies
often promote free filing, but federal investigations show fewer than 3% of eligible tax payers
actually complete their returns without being upsold and having to pay. And many families
are already stretched in these days. He says losing direct file leaves low income filers
with limited options. Supporters say canceling direct file also means higher costs for the
federal government, which had been saving millions by shifting tax payers from paper returns
to electronic filing, lowering audit rates, and shrinking the number of calls coming into
the IRS. Direct file was projected to achieve savings of $300 million across the IRS.
When tax season begins, experts say start working on them early because last year's
federal budget bill can significantly impact your taxes in 2026. The start of 2026 means
some Wisconsinites are now wondering whether they can afford their health care. Congress
failed to extend enhanced affordable care act tax credits, which help people who buy
their plans on the marketplace. More than 300,000 Wisconsinites get their coverage through
healthcare.gov, and more than 90% of them qualified for these discounts. Often these are people
who don't have a traditional employer who can offer a plan, like farmers, small business
owners, and people who work for themselves. On average, people saved $600 a month through
these tax credits, but now some premiums are doubling or even tripling. I should Jawa
Har with Health Policy Group protect our care. Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck,
and just one illness or hospital visit could bankrupt them under these GOP plans.
With these tax credits in effect, only 8% of Americans are uninsured. Jawa Har says under
the Republican-led health plan signed last month, unaffordable health insurance will
force many to forego coverage altogether.
That Schumacher, a pharmacist from Fitchburg, says his pharmacy serves a lot of families
affected by high-health care costs, and now nearly 110,000 people could be at risk of losing
their coverage. For a 45-year-old in Wisconsin making $62,000 a year, their premium could reach
up to $2,800 a month.
For many of our patients, that's the kind of increase that means they're going to skip
appointments, start rationing medication, and make choices that ultimately lead to worse
outcomes in poor health. And not to mention, when we do get around to taking care of those
folks, it's more expensive for everyone.
Supporters of the Lower Healthcare Premiums for All Americans Act, led by House Republicans,
say it'll cut costs, protect small businesses from overreach, and make healthcare more affordable
by tackling middlemen. They content democratic efforts would have increased spending.
While Wisconsin Business is reimagining what vending machines can offer, instead of snacks
and drinks, it has locally-made art and handcrafted goods. Madison-based Joy Vending Co. sells
things like watercolor paintings of local landmarks, clay-earing shaped like cheeses, and
kids' craft kits. All of it comes from local artists and makers.
Co-owner Sarah Van Dyke says their mission is to bring joy into the everyday.
I think life can tend to be a bit of a vlog sometimes, so I just love the idea of something
that kind of jolt through out of that routine. It kind of just ignites your curiosity or
your sense of playfulness. It gives you something that you want to kind of nudge the person
next to you and be like, wait a minute, look at that.
They're also reviving old-school temporary tattoo dispensers that so many kids who grew
up in the 80s and 90s were used to. These small machines rotate through local breweries,
boutiques, and events with themed art tailored to each location. The vending machines just
finished up residency at Lucille in downtown Madison and Poppy in Middleton. Van Dyke says
highlighting Madison's vibrant creative community is one of the best parts of the job.
And there are similar machines south of the border of us too. Steph Krim owns good things
vending in Chicago. Her vending machines are each hand painted by local muralists and then
stocked with nostalgic pieces created by artists. Everything is 20 bucks or less.
Art is fundamental to being a person. Art spaces that are accessible is something that we
always need more of. People can do this thing that is so natural and be together in it and
creative and explorative. That's my favorite part of being a person.
She wants to see more people buy these small vending machines and do something similar in
their area, adding that they promote local artists and promote small businesses and make
people feel a little more connected to the community around them. I'm Savannah Tomey Wilson
Happy New Year from Civic Media News.
The box moves at the buzzer. Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports NBA. It was the box in the
wizards battling in the final minute. Then with just one second left, Washington, CJ McCollum
with a jump shot for the win. The box losing at home 114 to 113 to the wizards on New
Year's Eve, Doc Rivers, not happy. We deserved the lose game. We didn't play hard enough.
We didn't play well enough together. We had a lead. We had every shot we wanted at the
end of the game. Our execution was flawless even at last play. But the basketball got
sometimes don't allow you to win. You don't play right. And so when you play like that,
you lose the game. NFL, another bold move by the Packers. They have signed defensive
back Travon Diggs after he was released by the Dallas Cowboys for poor conduct. Diggs
receiving praise from his former teammate, Micah Parsons, recovering from ACL surgery in
LA Monday, Nate Hobbs and Safety Zane Anderson now on season ending IR with sports on Mike
Clemens.
It is going to be mostly cloudy with a little light snow today. Fortunately, it won't be
that windy or high right around nine above this afternoon. Tonight, mostly cloudy. We're
going to drop to a round or a little either side is zero tomorrow, mostly sunny with a high
round 15. I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.