Wisconsin
Wisconsin will join lawsuit against USDA to force release of FoodShare funds, Evers says
Wisconsin Gov. Evers speaks on the impact of the government shutdown
“I don’t care what all the excuses are in Washington D.C. They can fix this now, simple as that,” Gov. Tony Evers says of the government shutdown.
Wisconsin will join a multi-state lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture to force the release of contingency funding for FoodShare before benefits run dry for thousands of Wisconsin residents on Nov. 1.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers made the announcement Oct. 27 at a roundtable event at the Milwaukee Public Library’s Martin Luther King Branch, where community advocates warned looming cuts to government programs would impact their businesses.
“The good news is, the federal government can (release the FoodShare money),” Evers told reporters. “They can do it; there’s nothing stopping them from doing it. In fact, we’re going to be suing them for not using the funds that they have.”
The forthcoming lawsuit will argue that both USDA and the Office of Management and Budget have previously and recently said that SNAP benefits are an obligation of the United States.
Before Friday, the USDA advised $3 billion worth of contingency funding could be used for administrative costs and benefit payments in the event of a shutdown. But on Oct. 24, the agency issued a new memo saying funding cannot legally be used for such purposes.
The lawsuit is scheduled to be filed just a few days before federal funding for the FoodShare program will evaporate because of the federal government shutdown.
At that point, FoodShare enrollees may use leftover benefits during the month of November but will not receive any new benefits until the government reopens.
Wisconsin and the other states suing the federal government together provide more than 21 million individuals with food assistance, according to Evers’ office.
State lawmakers could create a new state-funded appropriation to keep the program alive as the shutdown continues, but Senate President Mary Felzkowski said this week the Legislature is unlikely to do that, calling the matter a federal issue.
Evers cannot act alone by issuing an executive order to continue the program, his office said, because the state Legislature has the power to appropriate money.
In September, about $116 million in benefits were issued to FoodShare recipients, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
-
Dallas, TX5 minutes agoPetar Musa’s Brace Not Enough as FC Dallas Draws LA Galaxy 2-2
-
Miami, FL11 minutes agoMLS: Messi double helps Inter Miami slay Rapids in front of huge crowd
-
Boston, MA17 minutes agoFrom across Boston they flock to play for Latin Academy boys’ tennis, a co-op of 29 schools – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO23 minutes agoDale Kistler Obituary | The Denver Post
-
Seattle, WA29 minutes agoWEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Warm day, but far below record
-
San Diego, CA35 minutes agoSolans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com
-
Milwaukee, WI41 minutes agoMilwaukee boy critically missing, last seen near Teutonia and Kiley
-
Atlanta, GA47 minutes agoNew York hosts Atlanta with 1-0 series lead