7/29/2026

WISCONSIN - All five Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor participated in their first and only debate last night hosted by WISN 12 News in Milwaukee. The hour-long forum covered school funding, data centers, tax cuts and other issues ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.  All five candidates said they would not sign a state budget that defunded police and said they would sign legislation requiring all police and sheriff departments in Wisconsin to have body cameras.  All candidates agreed there should be more guardrails in place for data centers coming to Wisconsin.  State Rep. Francesca Hong was the only candidate in the race to have called for a moratorium on AI data centers.  State Sen. Kelda Roys called for the use of executive power against existing data center projects.  Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany released a statement in response to the debate calling Hong the likely Democratic nominee. As of yesterday, nearly 108,000 ballots had already been returned by mail ahead of the Aug. 11 election.

7/29/2026

MICHIGAN - Michigan voters may decide this fall whether to ban political spending by regulated utilities and large government contractors in state elections. The bipartisan Board of State Canvassers certified petition signatures from Michiganders for Money Out of Politics. The Legislature has 40 days to approve the measure or let it go to the November ballot.   Supporters say it could reduce corporate influence and encourage legislators to oppose electricity rate hikes. Critics argue it would silence free speech. An opposition group may take legal action in an effort to block the proposal.

7/29/2026

N. SHORE, MN - Aspirus Health held a public hearing to explain its decision to close its Lake View Silver Bay clinic along the North Shore of Minnesota and consolidate services to its Lake View Two Harbors location, leaving rural Lake County residents to travel longer distances for medical care.  Aspirus health officials say the closure was due to insufficient staffing and unsustainable patient numbers.  Aspirus says the final day to receive care at the Silver Bay location will be Dec. 31.