Milwaukee, WI

American kids are being poisoned by lead. Trump is letting it happen.

Published

10 months ago

May 19, 2025

American kids are being poisoned by lead. Trump is letting it happen.

For many months now, the city of Milwaukee has been grappling with a lead poisoning crisis that has forced at least four schools to temporarily close and dozens more to undergo rigorous inspections.

It began on January 13, when Milwaukee first notified parents at one grade three to five school that a child had tested positive for high levels of lead in their blood. Local health officials determined the lead exposure did not occur at the child’s home, which left their school as the obvious culprit.

City investigators found chipped lead paint and lead-laden dust throughout the school building; press and government reports indicate that the school district has struggled to keep up with paint maintenance requests, due to a lack of funding and manpower. Local officials soon realized they had a big problem on their hands, as the vast majority of the city’s school buildings (roughly 125 out of 150) were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned.

Lead, a dangerous neurotoxin that can lead to development problems in children after prolonged exposure, has now been detected in at least nine public schools, and at least four students have tested positive for high lead levels in their blood. So far, no children have been hospitalized for acute lead poisoning, which can be life-threatening, but the affected kids continue to be monitored. Several buildings have been temporarily closed so workers can do a deep clean. Milwaukee has been inspecting all of its public schools for lead, with the goal of completing the review by September.

Normally, cities navigating such a crisis could depend on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for federal support. When the lead poisoning was first detected in January, at the tail end of the Biden administration, city health officials were immediately in contact with the CDC environmental health team, which included several of the country’s top lead poisoning experts, Milwaukee health commissioner Mike Totoraitis told me. A group of federal experts were planning a trip to the city at the end of April.

But not anymore. In early April, the Trump administration denied Milwaukee’s request for support because there was no longer anybody on the government’s payroll who could provide the lead poisoning expertise the city needs.

On April 1, the lead exposure team within the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health was laid off as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s massive restructuring of the federal health department. The planned trip was canceled, and no federal officials have stepped foot in Milwaukee since to aid in the response.

“We were talking to [the federal experts] multiple times each week,” Totoraitis said, “before they were let go.”

Milwaukee has pushed ahead with its own inspection and free blood testing clinics. The city reported on May 13 that it had replaced 10,000 lead water service lines, in an attempt to remove another possible source of exposure for local children. But they still have 55,000 more left to go, and local officials have said they would need state or federal funding to finish the job. (It is estimated to cost the city about $630 million.)

Ordinarily, Totoraitis said, the CDC experts would serve as the city’s subject matter experts, guiding them through their epidemiological investigations. Federal officials are especially adept at the detective work that can determine whether a child was exposed at home or at the school. Milwaukee officials had recent experience with lead exposures in homes but not in schools; they were relying on federal expertise to interpret lead dust levels that were found during the school inspections. Without them, they’ve been left to navigate a novel and dangerous health threat on their own.

“They were there for that sole purpose of having some of the best subject matter expertise on lead poisoning, and it’s gone now,” Totoraitis said. “Now we don’t have any experts at the CDC to reach out to.”

In this uncertain new era for public health, Milwaukee’s experience may become all too common: a city left to fend for itself amid an emergency. What in the past might have been a national scandal could become all too routine.

This is what happens when the federal government won’t respond to a health crisis

When I spoke with Totoraitis, he was already contemplating the next public health problem he would have to deal with. “If we have a new emerging health issue, that I don’t have internal expertise on and neither does the state, we don’t have anyone to call now,” Totoraitis said. “That’s a scary endeavor.”

He can’t be sure what kind of help he will be able to get from the federal government as the restructuring at the US Department of Health and Human Services continues. The department just rehired hundreds of health workers focused on workplace safety, but other teams, including the lead team, have not been brought back.

The turmoil makes it harder for local officials to keep track of which federal experts are still on staff, where they are located, and who has actually been let go. But the message is clear: President Donald Trump and his senior deputies want state and local governments to take on more of these responsibilities — without a helping hand from the feds.

The US public health system has been set up so that the state and local health departments are the front line, monitoring emerging problems and providing personnel in a crisis. The federal government supplies insights that state and local officials probably don’t have on their own. That is what Totoraitis was depending on; Milwaukee was inexperienced with lead exposures in large public buildings before this year’s emergency. (One of the laid-off CDC scientists has since sought to volunteer to help Milwaukee, as Stat recently reported; the person told me they were hoping to help with community engagement, which federal officials would usually assist with.)

Health crises happen all the time. Right now, there is a small tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas; a Florida town experienced the unexpected spread of hepatitis last December. A dozen people have been hospitalized in a listeria outbreak. And the US is currently facing its largest outbreak of measles in decades, with more than 1,000 people sickened. At one point, local officials said that the federal government had cut off funding for the outbreak response as part of a massive clawback of federal funds at the end of March, although the CDC has since sent additional workers to West Texas where the outbreak originated.

There used to be little doubt the federal government would step up in these scenarios. But Totoraitis warns that Milwaukee’s experience of the past few months, left to fend for itself in an emergency, could soon be repeated elsewhere.

“Let’s say next year this time, St. Louis is in a similar situation — they could call us, but we don’t have the bandwidth to consistently support them,” Totoraitis said. “This unfortunately is a great example of how quickly changes in the federal government can affect local government.”

Kids are being poisoned by lead. Trump is letting it happen.

Kennedy, Trump, and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency gleefully cut 10,000 jobs from US health agencies this spring. The cost of those losses will be felt every time a city is confronted with an unexpected health threat. Today, in Milwaukee, families are facing the fear and uncertainty of lead exposure — and they know federal help isn’t coming. As one Milwaukee mom told ABC News recently: “It really sends the message of, ‘You don’t matter.’”

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Milwaukee, WI

Black joins Giannis, KPJ as out, How To Watch Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Lineups, Injuries, Betting Lines & More

Published

6 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Black joins Giannis, KPJ as out, How To Watch Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Lineups, Injuries, Betting Lines & More

The Orlando Magic put together one of its strongest efforts of the season in Minnesota on Saturday, squashing one of the West’s best 119-92. They’ll look to continue a road win streak that began in L.A. with wins over the Clippers and Lakers.

Milwaukee also won on Saturday, pulling away from the Utah Jazz 113-99 to snap a two-game skid that coincided with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from a 14-game absence due to a calf injury.

Antetokounmpo’s presence was necessary deep into the fourth quarter due to the game being tight, so that prevents him from participating in this one. Kevin Porter Jr. is also out.

The Magic are even with the Miami Heat atop the Southeast Division, although they hold a tie-braker since they have defeated Miami all four times they’ve played. The Magic’s upset of Minnesota has pushed them up to sixth place in the East.

Orlando is 14-15 on the road 20-19 against Eastern Conference foes. Milwaukee is 15-16 at home and 19-23 against Eastern Conference competition.

Vitals – How to Watch Magic at Bucks

Game date, time and location: Sunday, March 8, 8:10 p.m. EST, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Magic), FanDuel Sports Wisconsin (Bucks)

Radio: FM 96.9 The Game/AM 740 WYGM (Magic), WTMJ (Bucks)

Magic look to extend road win streak to four by ending Bucks’ run

The Orlando Magic (34-28) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (27-35) in the third and final matchup between these teams this season.

The Magic last won a season series from Milwaukee in 2011-12, but have gone 14-35 since, which includes an upset loss (116-108) in the final game prior to the break. Cam Thomas, having just been signed after getting his release from the Brooklyn Nets, scored 34 points to complement a Kevin Porter Jr. triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists), so the Bucks are still in position to win this year’s series 2-1 if it can pull an upset on Sunday night.

The Bucks have opened up a 77-57 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1989-90. Milwaukee won the first nine matchups.

Betting Lines (via DraftKings)

Spread: Magic -6.5 (-112), Bucks +6.5 (-115)

Moneyline: Magic -218, Bucks +180

Total: 216.5 (Over -112, Under -108)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

PROJECTED STARTERS

MAGIC

F Tristan da Silva

F Paolo Banchero

C Wendell Carter Jr.

G Jalen Suggs

G Desmond Bane

BUCKS

F Ousmane Dieng

F Pete Nance

C Myles Turner

G Ryan Rollins

G AJ Green

INJURY REPORT

MAGIC

Anthony Black: Out – Low Back Strain

Jonathan Isaac: Out – Left Knee Soreness

Franz Wagner: Out – Left High Ankle Sprain Injury Management

Jase Richardson: Out – Lower Back Spasms

Alex Morales: Out – G League (Two-way)

Colin Castleton: Out – G League (Two-way)

BUCKS

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Out – Right Calf Injury Management

Kevin Porter Jr.: Out – Right Knee Swelling

Kyle Kuzma: Out – Thoracic Spine Contusion

Taurean Prince: Out – Neck Surgery Recovery

Cormac Ryan: Out – G League (Two-way)

Alex Antetokounmpo: Out – G League (Two-way)

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee living has become unaffordable for too many people | Opinion

Published

18 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee living has become unaffordable for too many people | Opinion

In the first half of 20th Century, Socialists helped make Milwaukess an affordable, comfortable, well-governed place. Now, there’s been a fundamental change to the character of this city.

Ryan Clancy
| Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee is facing a housing affordability crisis, with some estimates suggesting a household needs $134,000 to live comfortably.
Median rent in the city has increased by 28% between 2020 and 2024, significantly impacting renters.
The author advocates for expanding the “Right to Counsel” program, which provides attorneys for people facing eviction.
Proposed solutions include banning discrimination against Section 8 voucher recipients and establishing stronger tenant protections.

Life in Milwaukee is unaffordable for too many people, and it’s getting worse. We’re a city that used to be an affordable, comfortable, well-governed place to live. Socialists helped make it that way in the first half of the 20th century through deep, sustainable investments in public infrastructure and public programs. Neoliberalism, though, has undone much of the strength of our world class city.

Now, after multiple recessions, decades of defunding infrastructure and services at the state, county and city levels, and now with an economy thrown into chaos by President Trump, Milwaukee has become one of the twenty most expensive cities in the country. By some estimates, a household now needs at least $134,000 in income to live comfortably here.

That’s a fundamental change to the character of this city, one that deeply worries me — as both a Milwaukeean and a legislator representing much of our city.

Change in city’s character hitting renters hard

This is hitting renters hard: between the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2024, Milwaukee’s median rent went up a staggering 28%. And this didn’t happen accidentally. We have a system that’s been made to work very well for landlords and real estate interests, who’ve made rent control and habitability inspections effectively impossible here. Unsurprisingly, that means rents are going up while housing quality goes down. It’s difficult to be a tenant in Wisconsin.

Housing isn’t like most other things we buy and budget for. People invest emotionally in the places they live and the people they live alongside. Homeowners build equity too while getting predictable housing costs, at least under most mortgages. But an East Side apartment that used to cost $1200/mo is not replaceable by a house in Oconomowoc that costs the same – very different people prefer one to the other, and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

We must keep this top of mind while making housing policy. Most people don’t want to leave their neighborhoods, especially the close-knit ones in our district. They want to stay where they’ve already put down roots, whether as a homeowner or a renter. When a family leaves, it’s too often because they can no longer afford to live here. That’s a problem that can’t be solved by zoning changes alone – it’s not a bad thing if some communities want to allow more back cottages and even duplexes and triplexes, but that simply isn’t enough, and isn’t a viable solution for many neighborhoods.

We can do much more to keep Milwaukeeans in their homes.

A Right to Counsel — providing attorneys for people facing eviction – is a proven way to do that: I led the successful effort to make it law in Milwaukee County back in 2021, and it’s since kept thousands of people in their homes, given them extra time to seek rent assistance, and sealed misleading eviction records to help renters keep renting. Expanding Right to Counsel statewide is a core part of our tenant protection package, but securing permanent funding for the existing program here in Milwaukee is critical.

Since its creation, Milwaukee’s executive leadership has attempted to defund the program – which has thankfully been saved by votes by the Common Council and Milwaukee County Board. This is despite the clearly positive results for tenants and landlords alike, and despite every dollar spent on the program saving us $4.66 in other costs. A statewide, well-funded program can build on and sustain that legacy, ensuring that Milwaukee residents — and folks across the state — will benefit from the stability that Right to Counsel creates.

Ban discrimination against Section 8 voucher recipients

We’re also proposing to ban discrimination against Section 8 voucher recipients, to establish stronger protections for tenants organizing for better living conditions, to lift arbitrary restrictions on inspections for lead and for other profound habitability issues, and to enact other key protections that blunt the worst practices of small and big landlords alike.

These protections are urgent and necessary because real estate interests and landlords are aggressively fighting to make things harder for tenants. Just before the end of the session, they pushed AB 202, a bill that would undermine some of the very few protections for tenants in Wisconsin law. Very few of my colleagues who are landlords recused themselves – that’s an obvious conflict of interest, but it’s the norm in a legislature where tenants’ needs come last.

The underlying problem in our housing system is a deep dependence on capital, not democracy, to choose where and when we build new housing. When the federal government raises interest rates, it makes both private and public housing funding more expensive, so developers build less. When rent forecasts go down, developers build less — putting the lie to the notion that private housing builders and landlords are somehow at odds.

Our long term goal must be housing as a human right. That means social housing or public housing for people who want them, but also transparency and accountability for private landlords, an end to exploitative, uncapped rent extraction, and an effective ban on low quality housing. In the meantime, better protecting tenants will help all of us.

Rep. Ryan Clancy represents the 19th District in the Wisconsin Assembly. He is also a former Milwaukee County Supervisor.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing tonight vs. the Jazz?

Published

1 day ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing tonight vs. the Jazz?

The Milwaukee Bucks host the tanking Utah Jazz tonight, March 7, at Fiserv Forum in a must-win game that also sees the Bucks on a four-game losing streak. They have also lost five of their last seven games to fall further out of the postseason picture in the Eastern Conference.

“‘Cause this league, anything can happen,” Bucks guard AJ Green said after the team shot around Saturday morning. “We’ve lost four in a row. Somebody else can lose four in a row, we win four in a row and we’re right back there. So just control the controllables, focus on us.”

The Bucks are 26-35 overall and even with Giannis Antetokounmpo returning to action this week, the offense has continued to struggle. The team has scored fewer than 100 points in four of those five losses. Milwaukee’s defense, one of the poorest in the league all season, has remained sievelike as well, allowing 120.1 points per game in over the last seven.

Utah would appear to be a good team to break a losing streak against, as the Jazz are efforting to finish with one of the league’s worst records. At 19-44, they have the fifth-worst mark in the league. If their pick falls out of the top eight in May’s NBA draft lottery, it will go to Oklahoma City as part of a 2021 trade.

That said, the Jazz have the seventh-best scoring offense in the league and young guards in Keyonte George (24 points per game) and Ace Bailey (12.4) that could give the Bucks trouble. Utah does own the league’s worst scoring defense, however.

Is Giannis playing?

Yes.

The Bucks superstar is no longer on the injury report after returning from a nearly six-week absence due to a right calf strain. Antetokounmpo is playing under a minutes restriction, however, and logged just under 26 minutes in his first two games on March 2 and March 4.

Is Doc Rivers retiring?

On March 5, Rivers’ former ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith said on a SiriusXM radio that the Bucks’ head coach was going to hang it up after the season.

Following his team’s practice on March 6, Rivers issued somewhat of a denial.

“No, I’m not getting into that,” Rivers said. “That’s something that’s; I think he feels that way, but not from me.”

Smith offered his take on Rivers’ future when he was asked if Ja Morant would be helped by being coached by the Hall of Fame finalist if he were to be acquired by the Bucks in the offseason.

“It’s not gonna be Doc Rivers because Doc Rivers is gonna retire at the end of this season,” Smith said. “Doc Rivers has been coaching for close to 25 years, this is it for him. He’s gonna step away.”

NBA playoff standings

The Bucks are out of the postseason picture entirely. Here are the play-in standings in the Eastern Conference heading into game play on March 7:

No. 7: Miami (35-29): The Bucks and Magic have split the season series 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Miami on March 12.

No. 8: Orlando (33-28): The Bucks and Magic have split the season series 1-1. The Bucks host the Magic on March 8.

No. 9: Atlanta (32-31): The Bucks and Hawks have split the season series 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Atlanta on March 14.

No. 10: Charlotte (32-32): The Bucks own the tiebreaker over the Hornets having won the season series 3-1.

No. 11: Milwaukee (26-35): The Bucks have had better luck against the play-in teams to date, as they are just 5-14 against the top six seeds in the conference.

“I think you can look at (the standings) and just see what it is but you gotta then come back to the now,” Green said. “We have a game today. How can we get better today? What do we need to work on. We gotta win today. Just keep controlling what we can and worry about ourselves.”

Taurean Prince, out (neck surgery)
Kevin Porter Jr., out (right knee swelling)

Bucks probable starting lineup

Guards: AJ Green, Ryan Rollins
Forwards: Ousmane Dieng, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Center: Myles Turner

What time is the Bucks game?

The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m. CT.

What channel is the Bucks game on?

The game will be simulcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and WMLW The M with Lisa Byington, Wesley Matthews and Melanie Ricks on the call.