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This is your WGBW Daily News Roundup for the Talk of Green Bay, 97.9 FM and 1590 AM.
For 97.9 WGBW News, I'm Lisa Hale.
The Associated Press reported that the White House's Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday
countermanded a memo issued earlier this week that sparked controversy.
White House officials had issued a memo that said the administration would start freezing
federal funding as they review government spending and its alignment with Trump's executive orders.
They had said that the federal assistance given to individuals wouldn't be affected,
including Social Security, Medicare, Food Stamp, Student Loans, and Scholarships.
The plan raised multiple questions and caused considerable concern throughout the country,
including Wisconsin, a federal judge delayed implementation of the decision until next week,
and some organizations and states are preparing legal challenges to the administration's decision.
The memo to stop all federal funding to states may have been rescinded,
but the governors are not standing down.
Melissa K reports.
Governor Tony Evers released a statement Wednesday afternoon addressing the Trump
administration's continued efforts to withhold Wisconsin's already approved federal funds.
While the Trump administration announced they are rescinding the memo issued on Monday,
they are continuing to move forward with implementing the policy.
Governor Evers stated, quote,
If Wisconsin's federal funding continues to be threatened, delayed, and obstructed,
make no mistake, I will continue using every power available to me to fight against those
efforts to ensure Wisconsin's kids, families, law enforcement, veterans, seniors,
and so many others can continue to access the resources, services, and programs they depend on.
End quote.
The governor urges Washington to abandon this failed policy and focus on priorities that will actually
help Wisconsinites. I'm Melissa K, civic media news.
The Trump administration's pause on federal assistance Tuesday left Wisconsin officials
unable to access Medicaid. In their announcement of the policy, the Trump administration said the
freeze would not affect social security and Medicare programs, but states all across the country
lost access to their online portals for Medicaid on Tuesday. White House officials said they were
aware of the portal outage, but no payments have been affected. The Medicaid portals were back
online Wednesday. Two Northeast Wisconsin Republican state lawmakers have introduced legislation
to eliminate taxes on tips for service workers in Wisconsin. The legislation mirrors a campaign
promise from President Donald Trump to eliminate taxes on tips at a federal level.
The legislation was introduced by state representative Ron Tussler of Harrison
and state Senator Andre Jacques of Depear this week. The bill would apply to taxable years
beginning after December 31st, 2024. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also proposed a similar
measure during her presidential campaign. The attorney for 19-year-old Kaden Stackowitz is asking
that a charge of making a terrorist threat against him be dismissed, arguing that there isn't enough
evidence to support that charge. Stackowitz is accused of setting fire to U.S. Representative
Glenn Grossman's Foundal Act office January 19. In addition to the terrorist threat charge,
he faces charges of arson, attempted burglary, and criminal damage to property.
A 34-year-old Green Bay man was arrested Wednesday in connection to a stabbing that has been
investigated as a homicide. As we reported yesterday afternoon, Green Bay police say a 60-year-old
Green Bay man was killed in the 1500 block of Capitol Drive Tuesday night. Police located a person
of interest Wednesday afternoon walking around West Mason in 12th Avenue and took him into custody.
The name of the victim is being withheld for now. An early morning traffic stop in the U.P.
resulted in the arrest of a Green Bay man on multiple drug charges. Michigan state police say 56-year-old
Steve Van Lannen was pulled over in the U.P. on January 25th on multiple traffic offenses.
Van Lannen was then arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamines,
and possession of drug analogues. Van Lannen was arraigned in Escanaba, bond was set at $20,000.
21-year-old Noah Theal was sentenced to a year in jail for bestiality offenses on Wednesday.
Theal was convicted of publishing and possessing obscene material of sexual contact with an animal.
Two other counts were dismissed. The judge also sentenced him to three years' probation.
He must register as a sex offender and cannot have any contact with animals.
Theal and his partner Jason Boudre were caught in a net of child pornography investigations
into former Autogamy County Human Resources director Adam Westbrook and former Racine
Sheriff's Deputy Preston Kite. Boudre was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison for possession
of child pornography. Medical pelvic exams without consent? One Northeast Wisconsin lawmaker
wants that to change. Savannah Tomay Olsen reports,
Lawmakers want Wisconsin to be the tipping point when it comes to certain exams under anesthesia.
Right now, under Wisconsin law, medical students can do pelvic exams on patients while that patient
is unconscious solely for educational purposes. They have to be done under the supervision of a doctor,
but the patient does not need to consent beforehand. 25 states have now passed law as saying
patients must give their consent to these exams first. Republican state senator Andre Jacques
Wisconsin should be the 26th. This is the fourth session in a row. This bill has been introduced.
It's gotten bipartisan support in the past, but has never made it to the final stages.
A major January thought is happening today. Meteorologist Brittany Merlot explains
just how unusual this is. As temperatures soar to feeling like spring today,
records will be shattered statewide. Hitting highs in the 50s at the end of January is about
30 degrees above normal, so it's no surprise to hear that our Wisconsin winters have been getting
shorter and shorter. A recent study says we're losing an average of 14 days of winter conditions
each decade since 1995. This is all due to rising air temperatures and climate change.
The study published in environmental research letters also found that the Great Lakes region has
seen the steepest increase in average winter temperatures over the past 50 years.
And the Great Lakes are losing ice cover at a rate at about 5 percent every decade.
Continued changes could affect the ecosystem of the lakes.
I'm Lisa Hale, 97.9 WGBW News. For news anytime, log on to WGBW.FM.
The Badgers stunned in Maryland. Pyamite Clemens was sports.
Men's basketball, the number 17th ranked Badgers, ran into a buzz saw losing on the road.
At Maryland, 76 to 68, the Terrapins have now won six of their last seven games.
The Badgers have lost two of their last three. Great guard asked,
I should seem as teams always seem to go into a slump this time of the year.
I don't worry about other years Mike. On to the next game, we gotta get ready for Northwestern.
Make sure we keep getting better.
They played the Wildcats Saturday afternoon at one in Evanston.
The Badgers women's team, with an 82 to 75 upset win at home over Michigan,
head coach Marissa Mosley responding to allegations from former player test towers
that she was wrongfully accused of fighting during a practice left behind on a team trip
and mistreated by the coaching staff.
I have fully participated in the university's procedures in regard to this matter.
I feel like at this time, I think that's all that really needs to be said.
That's the Badger women's head coach, Marissa Mosley, with sports on my Clemens.
On your entertainment beat, I'm Peach Schwabba. There's a new name in the running to play James Bond.
Rumors have floated over the last several months that the new 007 would be No Sriratu's
Aaron Taylor Johnson, Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal, or Little Women's James Norton.
The latest name that's been added to the list is Outlander star Sam Hewitt.
The Scottish actor is a huge fan of James Bond and says it would be a thrill to play the role,
even though he probably won't be able to wear a kilt.
There's a disturbing trend in Hollywood over the last few years, and that is,
making sequels for films that came out decades ago.
With the same actors, the latest franchise to add a chapter is Rami and Michelle's high school
reunion. The original film from 1997 starred Lee Secudro and Mira Servino, both will return for
the sequel and serve as executive producers. The first film was well received with fairly good
reviews from critics and audiences. Rami and Michelle Fanatics, if there are any,
will have to wait a bit, though, as production doesn't start until June.
Most people probably remember MTV's Tom Green show in the early 2000s,
according to the New York Post, the host comedian, who also acted in the awful Fred he got
fingered, left Hollywood in 2021, and now lives on a farm in Ontario, Canada.
Green says it was the best thing he ever did because he is not a Hollywood guy.
Green has a new documentary called This Is the Tom Green Story.
You can check out on Amazon Prime.
Not sure if Timothy Chalamet is getting a taste of the proceeds from resurgent Bob Dylan's songs,
but it sounds like he should because he's the one resurging.
Chalamet plays Bob Dylan in the Oscar-nominated film A Complete Unknown and
hosted Saturday Night Live last weekend, while also appearing as the show's musical guest.
The Oscar-nominated actor played the song Tomorrow is a Long Time, one of his personal favorites.
The song did not even appear in the film, but is at number 63 on the iTunes Top 100.
The Night Agent is a show we've talked about periodically on Nightlight.
The second season just dropped on Netflix, and lots of people seem to be finding it.
The spy drama drew 14 million viewers in its first five days, and according to theRap.com,
landed in the Top 10 most viewed shows in 90 countries.
The plot finds an FBI agent sitting in a room in the basement of the White House,
monitoring a phone that supposedly never rings, until it does, and it conspires the unfolds.
Great premise, and a pretty good show.
If you like heist films, you might enjoy the film Den of Thieves 2, Pantera.
Gerard Butler is back playing Big Nick, an LA County Sheriff's detective,
in the follow-up to the first Den of Thieves from 2018.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. is also back as bad guy Donnie Wilson,
trying to evade Big Nick, who tracks him across Europe.
Jackson's character disappeared at the end of Den of Thieves 1, leaving the story ripe.
For sequel, the film could be 15 minutes shorter, but does deliver with some high-speed
thrills and gunfights through beautiful settings in Europe.
For more showbiz fond tune into Nightlight, with me,
Peachwaba, weeknights from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Civic Media, radio network.
I'm meteorologist Mace Michaels, mostly sunny and unseasonally mild today with a high in the low 50s.
Mostly clear tonight, low in the upper 20s, and more sun, but not as warm tomorrow,
high upper 30s.
Breezy and cooler Saturday with some snow showers.
Currently, it's 26.
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