Monthly Archives: October, 2023

A large group of pro-Palestinian protesters entered a government building on Capitol Hill Wednesday demanding a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Video from inside the Cannon Office Building in Washington D.C. showed potentially hundreds of protesters chanting and holding signs that read "ceasefire."

A much larger group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the congressional building.

At least three protesters were arrested inside the Cannon Office Building on charges of assaulting police officers, Capitol Police said. Capitol Police were also in the process of closing roads in the area.

Fox News reported that Capitol Police said such protests are not allowed in Capitol office buildings and officers are working to remove the protesters.

The Cannon Building is the oldest congressional office building in D.C., according to a federal government website. It was completed in 1908. It is used to host Congressional hearings.

The protests follow an Oct. 7 sneak attack on Israel more than a week ago carried out by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and Israel's retaliatory response. Similar protests have been held throughout the country in the past week.

More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in the terrorist attack; and at least 31 U.S. citizens in Israel also were killed. Americans also are believed to be part of a group of more than 100 who were kidnapped by Hamas and taken into Gaza, which borders Israel.

As a record number of known, suspected terrorists have been apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. and a record number of antisemitic incidents have occurred in the U.S., the president and the director of the FBI have admitted it’s more likely than ever that a terrorist act could be committed on U.S. soil.

In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday night, when asked if the threat of terrorism in the United States has increased because of conflict in the Middle East, President Joe Biden replied, “yes.”

Biden also said he met with Department of Homeland Security and FBI officials "for the better part of an hour to discuss how we make sure that we prevent a lone wolf and/or any coordinated effort to try to do what was done in synagogues before, do what was done to Jews in the street. We're making a major effort to make sure that doesn't happen.”

Speaking to police chiefs at the International Police Chiefs Association in San Diego on Saturday, FBI Director Christopher Wray echoed similar sentiments. He said after the attack on Israel by the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, “In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we’ve got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray says a terrorist threat is more likely to occur on US soil. This is after a record number of known, suspected terrorists have been apprehended at US borders, with the majority at the northern border https://t.co/gKpAhAzYzTand as a record number… pic.twitter.com/UKpoWjLToj— Bethany Blankley (@BethanyBlankley) October 16, 2023

Wray also expressed support for Israel, saying, "History has been witness to anti-Semitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long. Whether that be from foreign terrorist organizations, or those inspired by them, or domestic violent extremists motivated by their own racial animus, the targeting of a community because of their faith is completely unacceptable. We remain committed to continue confronting those threats – both here in the United States and overseas."

Wray made similar remarks while on a call with reporters on Sunday. However, he was more specific, saying there’s a possibility that members of Hamas or other terrorist groups could commit a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

"The threat is very much ongoing and in fact, the threat picture continues to evolve," Wray said, according to CBS News. "Here in the U.S., we cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our own soil."

He’s also maintained that the FBI was "moving quickly to mitigate" potential terrorist threats.

Their acknowledgements came after the greatest number of known and suspected terrorists were apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. in fiscal 2023. The majority were apprehended at the northern border, 432, compared to 227 at the southwest border. Combined, 659 apprehended represents the greatest number in recorded history.

However, law enforcement officials have explained to The Center Square that the 659 apprehended simply means more are coming through. It’s the ones who aren’t caught who are coming from countries that sponsor terrorism that worry them.

The KST data doesn't include gotaways, which are believed to also include KSTs. “Gotaways” is the official U.S. Customs and Border Patrol term that refers to those who illegally enter the U.S. between ports of entry, don’t return to Mexico or Canada, and are not apprehended. They total at least nearly 1.7 million since January 2021.

With people illegally entering the U.S. from over 170 countries, former ICE Chief Tom Homan told The Center Square some of these countries they are coming from are sponsors of terrorism.

“If you don’t think a single one of the 1.7 million [gotaways] is coming from a country that sponsors terrorism, then you’re ignoring the data,” he said. “That’s what makes this a huge national security issue.”

Biden’s and Wray’s remarks also came after a record number of antisemitic incidents were reported last year against Jewish Americans, Jewish institutions, houses of worship, and Jewish students attending U.S. colleges and K-12 schools nationwide.

The southwest region saw an 87% increase in antisemitic incidents last year, with more than half of them being reported in the Houston, Texas, area.

(The Center Square) – Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol say the plan to spend over $500 million in public money on the Brewers ballpark is a good deal for taxpayers.

The State Assembly was expected to vote on the plan late Tuesday. Republicans hold a 64-35 majority in the Assembly.

Ahead of the vote, State Rep Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, said he is proud of the proposal.

“We have reached an agreement here in the assembly on the Brewers package,” Brooks told reporters. “We've also reached that agreement with the governor, the [Milwaukee] county exec and [Milwaukee’s] mayor. So, we are in a really good position to move the process along and send it to the Senate after today.”

The latest version would use a little more than $400 million in state money, another $135 million from Milwaukee and Milwaukee County and $100 million from the Brewers to pay for ongoing work and renovations at American Family Field.

Brooks said there will be some changes next week when the plan reaches the Wisconsin Senate, most notably a tax on non-brewer events.

Brooks, however, said lawmakers rejected the idea of a Brewer ticket tax to help pay for the stadium.

“We have discussed every possible option. We have not been able to get to a ticket tax because it's not in the best interest of the fans or the people of the state of Wisconsin. We want to keep the Brewers affordable. The Brewers organization understands they want to keep it affordable. And that's why they stepped up in the manner they did because they are opposed to a ticket tax that would drive up the cost of the fans,” Brooks added.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos also defended the taxpayer support for the Brewers ballpark.

“I know there are some critics who are out there saying that we should let the Brewers leave and it's not worth it for our economy, they're just flat out wrong. The Brewers are great for Wisconsin. This is a good deal for the taxpayers,” Vos said.

Vos again said losing professional baseball in Wisconsin would be a net negative.

“Ultimately, once people understand everything is part of the package I think the polling shows there's overwhelming support,” Vos explained. “It's only if you choose to cherry pick the results and talk about certain things that sometimes people are more skeptical.”

A new Public Policy Polling poll says 55% of Wisconsin taxpayers would rather see the Brewers’ owner pay for work at the ballpark on his own.

American Family Field, however, is owned by the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, which is a government entity, and Brooks and Vos have said in the past that taxpayers would be on the hook for the stadium with or without the Brewers.

In return for the public money, the Brewers are agreeing to stay in Milwaukee until 2050.

The Wisconsin Senate is expected to take up the measure next week, though there are some Republicans in the Senate who are expected to vote no.

U.S. House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, failed to get the needed support to become speaker of the House in the first vote Tuesday afternoon. The next vote is now scheduled for Wednesday.

On Tuesday, 20 Republicans did not vote with Jordan, spreading their votes across several candidates. Democrats remained in lockstep behind Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffires, D-N.Y.

Jordan has the backing of the majority of Republicans but fell short of the needed 217 votes. This was not a major surprise, and there could be several more votes. Whether Republicans defect to or away from Jordan will be key as he tries to rally more to his cause. A few defections away from Jordan could kill his momentum.

“We know that Jim Jordan is a winner on behalf of the American people,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said during her speech to nominate Jordan for the role. “Let's elect Jim Jordan … for such a time as this,” she added, making reference to the Biblical story of Esther.

Stefanik also made reference to Moses, whose marble image is over the gallery doors in the House chamber, as part of reemphasizing support for Israel in its war with the terrorist group, Hamas.

U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., spoke on the House floor before the vote against Jordan, accusing him of partisanship and calling him a “legislative terrorist.” Democrats nominated their minority leader, Jeffries, who recently replaced the Democrats’ former leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

The House has gone without a speaker for two weeks as looming domestic and international issues continue to grow.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., filed a motion to vacate the speakership earlier this month. Now, both have publicly backed Jordan. McCarthy predicted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday that Jordan would win the speakership.

"Republicans must unite and elect [Jordan] as Speaker of the House!" Gaetz wrote on X. "We can have better days going forward because he has the credibility, honesty, and determination to get the job done."

Jordan, who has spoken repeatedly about the need to unite the party, talked to reporters late Monday ahead of the vote.

"We need to get a Speaker tomorrow," Jordan told reporters late Monday after meeting with his fellow Republicans. "The American people deserve to have their Congress, their House of Representatives, working, and you can’t have that happen until you get a speaker, so we need to do that. Plus we need to help our dearest friend … and closest ally, Israel.

"I felt good walking into the conference," he added. "I feel even better now."

While Jordan does not yet have enough votes to win the position, he has picked up significant momentum in recent days. The public floor votes will also pressure holdout Republicans, and Jordan will try to whittle away at them as the votes go on.

While there is no main challenger to Jordan, multiple Republicans are expected to be voted for as potential speakers, if only so they can be votes against Jordan. If Jordan withdraws, Republicans will be back to the drawing board in finding a new nominee.

Lawmakers face another partial government shutdown deadline in mid-November as well as ongoing calls for funding Ukraine and Israel in their respective wars.

Last week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., failed to secure the needed support and dropped out. Next in line was Jordan, but he was far from the support he needed, and many Republicans were outspoken in their hesitation or opposition.

Jordan has a reputation as a hardline conservative who has aggressively gone after Democratic administrations and questioned the 2020 presidential election results, concerning some moderate Republicans.

But Jordan worked hard through the weekend, calling and meeting with members and securing key endorsements of skeptics and Scalise allies. U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., was a top Scalise ally who just last week told reporters that she would "absolutely not" vote for Jordan as Speaker.

But on Monday morning, she released a public endorsement.

"Jim Jordan and I spoke at length again this morning, and he has allayed my concerns about keeping the government open with conservative funding, the need for strong border security, our need for consistent international support in times of war and unrest, as well as the need for stronger protections against the scourge of human trafficking and child exploitation," Wagner said in a statement.

As The Center Square previously reported, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., was reportedly considering working with Democrats to elect a Democratic speaker who would work with moderate Republicans. That news sparked backlash.

By Monday morning, Rogers publicly endorsed Jordan.

"[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days," Rogers wrote on X. "We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government's vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill."

Some Democrats have begun openly campaigning against Jordan.

"If you don’t want Jim Jordan to be Speaker, make sure you contact your rep TODAY about it…" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Tuesday morning.

(The Center Square) – Several groups promised to fight a new lawsuit that challenges school choice in Wisconsin.

Kirk Bangstad, the owner of the Minocqua Brewing, last week filed a lawsuit that accuses Wisconsin's voucher programs of harming public schools in the state.

“At the core of the issue lies the voucher school financing system, which appears to be designed more to harm school districts than to support voucher programs. The impact of this financing scheme has been devastating to Wisconsin’s school districts,” Brian Potts, an attorney on the case, said in a statement.

Bangstad is challenging school choice based on Wisconsin's Constitution

“The revenue limit and funding schemes for voucher school programs and independent charter schools violate the Wisconsin Constitution’s Public-Purpose Requirement and the Uniform Taxation Clause,” Potts said. “This parasitic funding system is pushing public school districts into an ever-worsening financial crisis, which is leading to what can only be described as a funding death spiral for public education.”

He has support for his suit. Wisconsin State Superintendent of Schools Jill Underly said she agreed with Bangstad that school choice in Wisconsin hurts public schools.

“Public education is a constitutional right. It says it right there in Article X, Section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution. And as a right guaranteed to our children, and as an opportunity for our state to put our money where our priorities should be, Wisconsin needs to fulfill its responsibility to effectively, equitably and robustly fund our public education system,” Underly said.

A chorus of school choice advocates, free market reformers and others then immediately promised to fight the lawsuit.

“If successful, [these] efforts would destroy a popular program that serves thousands of Wisconsin families, dismantling Wisconsin’s education system, all to serve a purely political purpose,” Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty President and General Counsel Rick Esenberg said. “Their so-called ‘facts’ are misleading, misinformed and it has caused their legal argument to fall far short. WILL stands ready to oppose their efforts and mount a staunch defense of the program in the court of law.”

While the lawsuit claims school choice hurts Wisconsin's traditional public schools, School Choice Wisconsin President Nicholas Kelly says ending the voucher programs would hurt low-income students.

“Efforts to kill school choice will hurt thousands of low-income families throughout the state. In Milwaukee and Racine, where four out of five choice students are Black and Hispanic, this would fall most heavily on families desperate for educational options,” Kelly said.

This is not Bangstad's first lawsuit dealing with schools in Wisconsin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was looking for plaintiffs to sue to enforce mask mandates and keep schools in the state closed.

House Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio has picked up several key endorsements heading into a scheduled Tuesday vote for the next speaker of the House.

Mike Rogers, R-Ala., became the center of controversy over the weekend after news broke that he was reportedly considering working with Democrats to elect Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries given the Republican party's inability to pick a speaker so far.

By Monday morning, Rogers publicly endorsed Jordan.

“[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,” Rogers wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government's vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill.

“Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to,” he added.

Jordan, who sent out a letter to fellow Republicans Monday calling to bring the party together, responded on X, thanking Rogers for the endorsement.

“Thank you, Chairman Rogers,” Jordan wrote. “Your leadership is just what our Conference needs right now. We must all keep coming together and get back to work.”

That move significantly dampens what some Democrats had hoped for, namely the chance to lead the House even without a majority of members. They have blasted Jordan in particular for his questioning of the 2020 election results in the immediate aftermath of that election leading into the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol.

“Jim Jordan's lack of legislative history and predisposition to burn everything down (i.e. 2013 shutdown, 2018-19 government shutdown, Boehner speakership) makes for a dangerous leader,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, wrote on X. “The only path forward is a bipartisan governing coalition.”

Another lawmaker, Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., just last week told reporters that she would “absolutely not” vote for Jordan as Speaker. Wagner at the time backed Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who later withdrew after failing to win enough support.

On Monday, though, she also released a public endorsement backing Jordan.

"Let me be clear, I am not, and will not, work with Democrats as our Republican Conference comes together to elect a conservative Speaker of the House,” Wagner said in a statement Monday, also saying that “we must elect a conservative as the next Speaker” before going on to give Jordan a full endorsement.

"Jim Jordan and I spoke at length again this morning, and he has allayed my concerns about keeping the government open with conservative funding, the need for strong border security, our need for consistent international support in times of war and unrest, as well as the need for stronger protections against the scourge of human trafficking and child exploitation,” Wagner said.

The closer Jordan gets to the needed 217 votes to become speaker, the harder it will be for holdout Republicans to justify why they are not electing a speaker, especially with another government shutdown coming in mid-November as well as calls for funding for the Ukraine and Israel conflicts.

Jordan is reportedly having ongoing meetings with lawmakers who are locking up key endorsements, bringing him closer to the speakership.

“Keeping America safe is my top priority in Congress,” Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote on X Monday. “After having a conversation with Jim Jordan about how we must get the House back on a path to achieve our national security and appropriations goals, I will be supporting him for Speaker on the floor. Let’s get to work.”

(The Center Square) – One of Wisconsin's congressmen says he wants to get ahead of any policy that may invite Palestinian refugees into the U.S.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisconsin, introduced a piece of legislation that would not allow people fleeing the Gaza Strip to be brought to America.

“It prevents people that have a Palestinian Authority visa from being able to come into the United States,” Tiffany told Jay Weber on News Talk 1130-WISN.

Tiffany says the legislation is necessary after how the Biden Administration handled the evacuation of U.S. troops and allies out of Afghanistan.

“We saw what happened in Afghanistan a little over two years ago when you had about 100,000 people that came-in unvetted. This would be the same thing,” Tiffany said.

Tiffany, who has long been a critic of President Biden and his immigration policies, said the United States must do a much better job of vetting the people who come into this country.

“When you have children that are given maps without Israel on it. When they are taught ‘death to the Jews.’ I mean that type of stuff, is that who you want to bring into our country?” Tiffany asked. “We've always been a great melting pot here in America, but it requires you to accept American values.”

Tiffany said he would rather see the United States work with other Middle Eastern countries like Egypt or Jordan to take in Palestinian refugees as opposed to giving them carte blanche to come to the United States.

“I would say as soon as Iran and Egypt and some of those other countries say ‘Hey, we're going to do our part,’ then America should consider doing its part,” Tiffany explained. “But until they do something – and they have sealed their borders to the Palestinians – let's have them do their job first before you come and say let's fly them across the ocean to America.”

Tiffany says he doesn't know if the Biden Administration is working on a policy to accept Palestinian refugees but wants to make sure that Republicans are ready with a response if the president does.

In an interview Sunday, President Joe Biden told Israeli forces not to occupy Gaza.

The comments come as the U.S. sent two aircraft carriers into the region, and Israeli forces prepare for a ground invasion of northern Gaza, which has been bombarded in recent days since the terrorist group, Hamas, killed more than 1,400 Israelis.

"I think it'd be a big mistake," Biden said in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" when asked about an Israeli occupation of Gaza. "Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don't represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that...It would be a mistake to...for Israel to occupy...Gaza again.

"But going in but taking out the extremists the Hezbollah is up north but Hamas down south…is a necessary requirement," he added.

Gaza residents have been evacuating south after Israel gave advance notice that the northern half of Gaza would not be safe for civilians. While Israel has steadily taken out Hamas targets with aerial attacks, it has not yet begun the larger invasion many expected.

Biden's comments, and the U.S. position generally, have a major impact on Israel's decisions, since nearby Arab nations could become involved at any time. Iran, which is a major financial backer of Hamas, could also be involved. The U.S. stance could encourage or deter those nations.

Biden has taken fire from Republicans since the conflict broke out, especially for taxpayer funding sent to Iran in recent years as well as the $6 billion the Biden administration released to Iran just weeks before the Hamas attack.

"Hamas's terror attack on Israel was paid for by Joe Biden," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "In the last two and a half years, the Biden admin has allowed $50 billion to flow to Iran and hundreds of millions to Gaza. That money went to fund Hamas's genocidal terrorism against Israel and terrorist groups globally."

The Biden administration has said that the recently released $6 billion has not been spent yet. After ongoing criticism and calls from lawmakers, the U.S. and Qatar agreed to block the U.S. from accessing that money, which had been previously frozen by U.S. sanctions.

In the CBS interview, Biden went on to say he wants to eventually find a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, though he admitted Israel would "not now" be interested in that since Israel's efforts to work with and make concessions to Gaza have been met with ongoing violence.

The Biden administration cut a $7 billion check on Friday to launch its vision for a hydrogen-fueled future.

The money augments $40 billion in private investment to build seven hydrogen hubs across the nation that will decarbonize transportation and industrial manufacturing, slashing 25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The amount “roughly” equates to removing 5.5 million gasoline-powered vehicles from the road, or just under 2% of the estimated 286 million operational cars in the United States.

After calling climate change “the only existential threat to humanity” during a news conference in Philadelphia, President Joe Biden touted federal infrastructure spending as the key to reigning in greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning away from fossil fuel reliance.

“Today’s announcement is all part of a bigger vision to do just that,” he said.

The hubs expand across seven regions and 16 states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, California, Texas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, and Montana.

Together, the network of pipelines, storage facilities and refueling stations will use natural gas to produce energy and capture the resulting carbon emissions underground, creating 3 million metric tons of hydrogen annually – or about 30% of the federal government’s “clean hydrogen” goal for 2030.

“I found that when the government invests in the needs of the American people, guess what? The private sector jumps on real quick,” Biden said.

Hydrogen can be produced in three ways – referred to as gray, blue or green. Gray hydrogen is produced with natural gas and steam; blue is produced the same way, but its carbon gets captured and stored underground; and green is produced with renewable energy, such as wind or nuclear.

Critics say the greenhouse gas footprint of blue hydrogen outweighs any benefit over burning natural gas, while green – although promising – is too expensive and technical to produce at scale.

Others warn that relying on federal subsidies may waste taxpayer money, especially since the promised benefits of carbon capture, in particular, haven’t panned out.

Despite this, the administration said two-thirds of the projects will work with green hydrogen, in some capacity, and has publicized a four-year timeline to complete construction on the hubs.

House Republicans have nominated Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to be speaker of the House, but it remains unclear if Jordan can get the needed 217 votes from his own fractured party.

Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., a lesser known member, threw his name in the hat for the position as well and got significant support in the nomination vote, though possibly only as a vote against Jordan instead of a true vote for Scott.

Later, though, Scott threw his support behind Jordan.

"I highly respect Jim Jordan. He is an asset to the Republican Party and our nominee for Speaker," Scott wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our conference has spoken, and now we must unite behind Jordan so we can get Congress back to work."

Jordan has conservative chops and support from the party base, but many moderates may not be willing to go his way.

"For years, I've stayed out of House leadership elections, but this time I endorsed [Jordan]," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on X. "Jim is a good friend and a strong conservative. My philosophy on political endorsements is to support the strongest conservative who can win. That is Jim Jordan."

U.S. House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., was the leading contender to be the speaker of the House Thursday morning, but he later withdrew his bid before taking it to a public vote after he failed to get enough support.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the House face a partial government shutdown in mid-November along with growing pressure to supply funds, ammunition, and weapons to both Ukraine and Israel, which has declared war on the terrorist group Hamas.

Until lawmakers land on a speaker, legislation cannot move forward.

As The Center Square previously reported, another key issue for lawmakers to handle is whether one lawmaker will still be able to file a motion to vacate the speaker, an unusual allowance given by McCarthy to secure the needed votes after the series of speakership votes earlier this year. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., used that very allowance to file the motion that led to the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

The current Speaker Pro Tempore is Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who will determine the times of any speaker votes until a lawmaker wins the speakership.

"The DC Uniparty does not want a Speaker who would threaten their status quo," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote on X. "We need a strong conservative for Speaker of the House!"

(The Center Square) – The plan to spend more than $500 million in taxpayer money on the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium is headed for a vote next week, even though there continues to be opposition at the Wisconsin Capitol.

An assembly panel approved the framework for the public funding of American Family Field. The latest plan has a lower price tag. Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will now have to pay $67 million over the next 27 years, as opposed to the $200 million that was originally proposed.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said that's a price tag he can afford.

“The Milwaukee Brewers are an important asset for our community. That’s why I’m pleased to see the progress that has been reached thus far to keep the organization in Wisconsin,” Crowley said in a statement. “While we’ve secured a positive agreement in the Wisconsin State Assembly, I now look ahead to engaging with members of the state senate on a path forward. My main priority has not changed: to deliver a bipartisan solution that allows Milwaukee and the state to retain the Brewers, while providing Milwaukee County with additional resources to support our residents and communities in the years ahead.”

But not everyone is happy with the ballpark funding plan.

State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, questioned what taxpayers outside of the Milwaukee-area get as part of the deal.

“Taxpayers from all over Wisconsin will be forced to funnel $411 million towards a stadium maintenance deal that provides little in return to the hardworking taxpayers of Wisconsin,” Nass said. “The big winners currently in this rushed deal: the Brewers, the city and county of Milwaukee, Gov. [Tony] Evers, Wisconsin Democrats and powerful special interests. The big losers are the taxpayers and Wisconsin Republicans.”

The agreement calls for the Brewers to spend $100 million of their own money on the ballpark as well. In exchange for the public money, the Brewers are agreeing to stay in Milwaukee until 2050.

Nass said he fears the team will come back to the state and ask for a new stadium.

Nass said he intends to try and get something better when the ballpark funding deal shifts to the senate.

“If Republican leaders believe that the Brewers’ Stadium Bills must pass then at least amend the bill to include something for state taxpayers. I am prepared to offer an amendment that would insert the $2.9 billion middle class and retiree tax cut that has been blocked by Evers. A plan that would provide the average taxpayer a $772 income tax cut,” Nass added.

The Assembly is expected to approve the ballpark package next week. No one is saying when it could see a vote in the State Senate.

A former IRS contractor accused of leaking former President Donald Trump's tax returns and disclosing tax return information for some of the nation's wealthiest people pleaded guilty Thursday.

Charles Littlejohn, 38, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty Thursday to disclosing tax return information without authorization. He faces up to five years in prison at a sentencing hearing set for Jan. 29, 2024

Littlejohn, while working at the IRS as a contractor, stole tax return information associated with Trump and others. Littlejohn accessed tax returns associated with Trump on an IRS database "after using broad search parameters designed to conceal the true purpose of his queries," according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He then evaded IRS protocols to detect and prevent large downloads or uploads from its systems.

Prosecutors said Littlejohn then saved the tax returns to multiple personal storage devices, including an iPod, before contacting a news outlet. Between around August 2019 and October 2019, Littlejohn provided the news outlet with the tax return information associated with Trump. Littlejohn then stole additional tax return information related to Trump and provided it to the same news organization, which is not named in the indictment.

In September 2020, The New York Times published a series of articles about Trump's returns.

In July and August 2020, prosecutors said Littlejohn separately stole tax return information for thousands of the nation's wealthiest people, again evading IRS detection. In November 2020, Littlejohn disclosed this tax return information to another unnamed news organization, which published more than 50 articles using the stolen data. Littlejohn then obstructed the forthcoming investigation into his conduct by deleting and destroying evidence of his disclosures, according to prosecutors.

ProPublica published a series of articles on wealthy taxpayers during the same time frame.

"By using his role as a government contractor to gain access to private tax information, steal that information, and disclose it publicly, Charles Littlejohn broke federal law and betrayed the public's trust," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

(The Center Square) – Most of Thursday’s debate in the Wisconsin Assembly focused on science and feelings.

Republicans in the State Assembly approved two bills that declare girls sports in the state for biological girls only and a third bill that would ban gender affirming care for children.

Gov. Tony Evers has promised to veto all three, but Assembly Speaker Robin Vos defended the ideas as what is right for Wisconsin and Wisconsin families.

Vos also said claims the “science is settled” about transgendered youth are off base.

“I think we are now seeing around the world that other countries have begun to look and say what science said should be done to minors clearly is wrong and other countries are beginning to transition to a way that is a much more affirmative care model that is not focused on trying to do things that are potentially harmful in the long run,” Vos said. “Hopefully Gov. Evers has a change of heart ,and we have the ability to send these bills to be at the forefront of the effort that's happening around our country.”

The trans-athlete legislation has passed the Assembly before and would ban biological males from competing against girls both at the high school level and in the University of Wisconsin System.

The gender affirming care ban for children would do just that, ban sex change surgeries and/or hormone therapy on anyone under 18.

Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, calls the legislation The Help Not Harm Act.

“What this bill does is it grants minors the time for their minds to develop in order to make the right choice for them at the appropriate developmental age,” Allen said. “I want to make clear that this bill does not prohibit social transitioning and it does not affect adults. It allows minors the chance to hit the pause button before making a significant choice.”

Democrats called all three bills anti-trans.

“I am distraught that members of this body have decided that the best use of our time is to use the full weight of the government to bully, yes bully, the transgender community in this state,” Alex Joers, D-Middleton, said. “There is absolutely no evidence that this bill is even remotely relevant or necessary. But you know what we do have the evidence for the impact of these bills having a huge mental health impact on our LGBTQ+ young people.”

Rep. Barb Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, said her bills to declare girls sports for biological girls only are pro-women.

Evers took to social media to promise to scuttle them.

“I will keep working every day to build a Wisconsin that is more welcoming, more inclusive, and more just for everyone, and that includes vetoing every single one of these bills,” Evers wrote.

Newly released federal inflation data shows consumer prices rose significantly in September, further undoing a trend of slowing inflation that had begun earlier this year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday released its Consumer Price Index, a key marker of inflation that tracks the cost of a range of consumer goods and services. That index rose 0.4% in September alone, a notable increase that is higher than months earlier this year.

"The index for shelter was the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase, accounting for over half of the increase," BLS said. "An increase in the gasoline index was also a major contributor to the all items monthly rise. While the major energy component indexes were mixed in September, the energy index rose 1.5 percent over the month."

Food prices rose as well.

"The food index increased 0.2 percent in September, as it did in the previous two months," BLS said. "The index for food at home increased 0.1 percent over the month while the index for food away from home rose 0.4 percent."

The rate of CPI had begun to slow until August, when it rose 0.6% in August, more than expected and the highest increase so far in 2023. Those figures flew in the face of hopes that inflation was on a steady trajectory to continue slowing, thus ending the recent years of high inflationary increase.

This increase comes after a series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, which have put interest rates on mortgages well over 7%. Those hikes, which have been paused at least for now, are meant to rein in inflation.

The price increases varied across different goods and services.

"The medical care index rose 0.2 percent in September, as it did in August," BLS said. "The index for hospital services increased 1.5 percent over the month, and the index for physicians' services was unchanged. The prescription drugs index fell 0.7 percent in September. The index for used cars and trucks fell 2.5 percent in September, after decreasing 1.2 percent in August. The apparel index declined 0.8 percent over the month, and the communication index was unchanged."

The federal pricing data comes one day after the BLS released its Producer Price Index, another inflation marker that rose 0.5% last month. That increase was driven in large part because of gas prices, according to BLS.

Leaders in Washington, D.C. have taken fire for the increased inflation since federal debt spending, which has soared in recent years, is offset in part by printing money.

Experts now say that gas prices could rise because of the conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, especially if other world powers get involved in the fight.

"Historically, any tensions in the Middle East cause market volatility, and I don't see this being any different especially if Israel takes direct action against Iran," Daniel Turner, executive director of the energy workers advocacy group, Power the Future, told The Center Square.

(The Center Square) – There is another request to join the pending lawsuit about Wisconsin's electoral maps.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on Wednesday filed a motion to intervene in the case.

WILL president and general counsel Rick Esenberg said overturning the current maps would deny voters rightful representation.

“Make no mistake, this is a political assault on democracy. The petitioners want the Court to ‘discover’ that our Constitution suddenly prohibits longstanding practices and seeks maps they believe will favor their preferred candidates. Courts should not insert themselves into partisan controversies,” Esenberg said.

WILL's request to join the case comes after Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday filed his own motion to intervene.

“Wisconsinites deserve fair maps – not the gerrymandered maps we have now that I already vetoed two years ago – and I will not stop fighting until we have a fair, independent, and nonpartisan redistricting process that ensures the people get to choose their elected officials in this state,” the governor said in a statement.

A number of progressive groups have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to redraw the state’s current electoral maps. Legal filings in that case are due next week, and the high court has scheduled oral arguments for next month.

Evers says the current maps have elected officials picking voters, as opposed to voters picking elected officials.

WILL's Luke Berg says the request to draw new maps is simply an attempt to get around the Republican-controlled legislature.

“This lawsuit is a transparent attempt to use the new Wisconsin Supreme Court majority to reshape Wisconsin’s political landscape. The claims raised in the lawsuit are meritless. WILL stands ready to defend Wisconsin’s voters from this attack.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court last week said it would take up the redistricting case to answer questions about whether Wisconsin's legislative districts are contiguous and whether there is a separation of power concern with the maps.

In addition to drawing new maps, the case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court could mean a new election for more than a dozen state senators who were elected two years ago. WILL said that part of the case would unconstitutionally disenfranchise voters across the state.

Members of the American Sheriff Alliance are calling for immediate action due to heightened terrorist threats they fear exist because of U.S. border policies.

Their call comes as a record number of known, suspected terrorist (KSTs) were apprehended by federal Customs and Border Patrol agents in fiscal 2023, the largest number in recorded history.

Alliance members recently met to discuss “the continued pressure and strain on resources due to the lack of border enforcement throughout the United States, including the alarming statistics of encounters with individuals found to be on the Terrorist Watch List, also known as the Terrorist Screening Dataset,” as well as the influence of the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The alliance cites apprehensions of KSTs between ports of entry along the southwest border as cause for concern, stating in the last two years there’s been a 906% increase in encounters. However, a significantly larger number is coming through the northern border. This fiscal year, 432 KSTs were apprehended at the northern border compared to 227 at the southwest border.

They also cite the arrests of individuals with criminal convictions or those wanted by law enforcement, which increased from 6,562 encounters in 2021 to 16,992 in 2022, to 18,586 in 2023, indicating a 183% increase in two years, as previously reported on by The Center Square. The crime data is actually higher when including ICE Enforcement Removal Officer actions.

In fiscal 2022, ICE ERO agents arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories, including 198,498 associated charges and convictions for 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

The alliance also points to an unknown number of gotaways, arguing CBP estimates 600,000 this year “but there is no way of knowing the exact numbers. These alarming statistics are extremely concerning to the Alliance, and there are major homeland security concerns with these individuals especially, with the lack of information and vetting as to their intentions, criminal histories, or connections to our adversaries worldwide.”

The gotaway estimate is closer to 1.6 million since January 2021, according to data obtained by The Center Square.

With an influx of people and crime, the alliance says, “the strain on local resources both for border sheriffs and law enforcement across the country who do not have the adequate staffing or funding to respond to this influx of migrants is troubling. The continued effect on communities across the country who are left to deal with violent criminals, illicit narcotics and the increase in overall criminal activity is straining public safety resources, … including housing, medical services, and the judicial system.”

The head of the National Sheriffs’ Association compared the number of fentanyl deaths to a large plane crashing daily.

“When the number of people dying from drug poisonings is equivalent to a 737-airplane crashing each day, and the number of migrants that we are aware of coming across the border could fill the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans weekly, we have to sound the alarm,” Sheriff Greg Champagne of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, president of the association, said. “If a plane crashed daily, there would be immediate action taken, and yet instead of seeing numbers decrease, we continue to set records for those who are dying from illicit narcotics mostly originating from the drug cartels in Mexico.”

Sheriff Leon Wilmot of Yuma County, Arizona, said the Mexican drug cartels are taking advantage of the border situation.

“The pressure on law enforcement at the local level is unsustainable with the continued daily increases at the southern ports of entry,” Wilmot, also a member of the Western States Sheriffs’ Association, said. “With the sustained unrelenting flow of migrants coming from all over the world and the limited background checks and vetting process, it is concerning who is being released into the interior. The cartels are actively promoting the weak border policies through social media networks, and it is clear they have been, sadly, very successful in their mission.”

Sheriff Tom Schmerber of Maverick County, Texas, and president of the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition, noted, “While federal, state, and local law enforcement are doing everything they can to keep their local communities secure and ensure humane conditions for migrants who are truly seeking asylum, there is no doubt that the asylum system is being abused and the traditional avenues are overwhelmed to keep up requests forcing the release of these individuals without any accountability. El Mencho, El Mayo, and other troubling cartel criminals will continue to exploit these easy loopholes without action from our elected officials.”

The alliance is calling on elected officials “at every level of government to speak out and draw attention to the need of making proper reforms to these extreme challenges.

“With hundreds of violent criminals entering communities every day around the country as well as the flow of illicit narcotics poisoning our citizens, the Alliance is demanding the rule of law in this country be followed and that all available sanctions and statutes be used to help alleviate the pressure the men and women of law enforcement are facing during this unprecedented period in our nation’s history.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin's assembly speaker is talking about taking Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz at her word, while looking at a limited review of the state’s redistricting process.

Speaker Robin Vos issued a statement after Protasiewicz announced she would not recuse herself from two redistricting cases.

“Justice Protasiewicz should have recused herself,” Vos said.

Republicans have been calling for Protasiewicz to recuse herself after she said during last spring's campaign for the high court that Wisconsin's political maps are “unfair” and “rigged.”

Protasiewicz didn't address those concerns but rather dismissed concerns from Republicans who worried about her campaign donations from the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

Vos said Wisconsin lawmakers likely won't make the final decision on Protasiewicz’s decision not to recuse herself.

“We think the United States Supreme Court precedent compels her recusal, and the United States Supreme Court will have the last word here,” Vos said.

Vos also said Protasiewicz’s decision not to recuse herself could have a limited impact on the redistricting cases, because the specific challenges are limited themselves.

“Justice Protasiewicz is asking to be taken at her word that she will apply the law. Given the Wisconsin Supreme Court is limiting its review of the redistricting case to two questions, legal contiguity and separation of powers, applying the law should be straightforward,” Vos explained. “The Wisconsin Supreme Court addressed these very questions less than two years ago, and the law remains the same.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court voted 4-3 on Friday to fast track the challenge to Wisconsin's electoral maps.

The group Law Forward, which is suing to challenge the maps, said the decision to review the maps is a win for everyone in Wisconsin.

“For democracy to work for us all it must include us all, and we are very proud to be a part of this important effort to ensure our elected representatives represent us instead of trying to rule over us,” Dan Lenz, staff counsel at Law Forward said in a statement, “We look forward to presenting our incredibly strong case in court.”

Vos and other Republicans say Wisconsin's electoral maps have been reviewed by both the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the federal court and have been upheld. The only map that was rejected because of gerrymandering was Gov. Tony Evers’ map that was rejected by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2021 for racial gerrymandering and violating the Voting Rights Act.

Briefs in Law Forward’s maps challenge are due to the state supreme court next week. Oral arguments are set for next month.

Law Forward is asking the new liberal-majority Wisconsin Supreme Court to redraw the state's political maps ahead of next November's elections.

(The Center Square) – Nearly 60% of students in Wisconsin's Public Schools continue to be unable to read, write or do math at grade level.

The State's Department of Public Instruction released the latest standardized test scores Tuesday, and they show 39.2% of public school students are proficient or better in reading, while 41.1% are proficient or better in math.

But those are the statewide averages.

Individual schools saw differing results, and the numbers show low-income students did worse across the board.

DPI's numbers show 22.6% of low-income students are proficient in reading, and 23.1% are proficient in math. The numbers also show 42.2% of low-income students are rated minimal in reading, while 45.9% of low-income students are rated as minimal in math.

Wisconsin’s worst in the nation racial learning gap also remains unclosed.

DPI communications director Abigail Swetz said learning gap is just “one window” into student performance.

“I'm sure you read it or heard in our State of Education address we are talking again and always about making sure that our students are feeling affirmed and welcomed in our schools. That includes our black indigenous and students of color, that includes our LGBTQ+ students, and it really goes to what we believe so strongly about the whole student making sure that they are very safe and supported in our schools,” Swetz said, “That is not the only thing that is going to change the disparities we're seeing, but it is a thing that we think can go a long way towards really pushing that needle.”

The new scores, from last spring, are better than the test scores from the year before, but Wisconsin public school students are not back to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quinton Klabon with the Institute For Reforming Government said the poor test scores come after a billion dollars in federal coronavirus aid, and hundreds of millions of dollars more from Wisconsin taxpayers.

“Wisconsin is quickly becoming a state where disadvantaged students do not succeed. Cities like Green Bay and Janesville are failing to recover from the pandemic and the number of Black students below grade level would overflow Fiserv Forum. When we look at how federal COVID relief was allocated, our state’s struggles are no surprise,” Klabon said.

Will Flanders with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty said the poor test scores are even more striking when you look at the success that students in choice schools in Wisconsin are having.

“Private Choice in Milwaukee continues to enjoy a significant proficiency advantage in reading. Private Choice in Racine enjoys a significant proficiency advantage in reading,” Flanders told the Center Square. “Private Choice statewide enjoys a slight proficiency advantage when compared to low-income students, which is the most fair comparison due to the low-income limits on statewide choice.“