Wisconsin

Election integrity: How Wisconsin ensures safe and secure voting

Published

3 months ago

October 14, 2024

Election integrity: How Wisconsin ensures safe and secure voting

A study by the Pew Research Center found that 36.2 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in 2024, up 4 million from the 2020 election. This makes Latino voters one of the most critical voting blocs, leading both Democrats and Republicans to ramp up their efforts to tap into such potential support. In Nevada, Latinos are projected to be crucial in both the presidential race and the contest for the state’s other Senate seat, pitting incumbent Jacky Rosen (D) and against Republican Sam Brown. Ads from both parties populate platforms like YouTube — one of the three most used apps by Hispanics — trying to win over the Latino voter bloc.

What these ads, as well as the political machine, seem to miss is that Latinos are not a monolithic group. This can lead politicians to miss out on the many different factors that shape Latino identities. Voter tendencies can vary significantly between different Latino groups — and even within Latino families.

A multigenerational perspective

Rico Cortez is a Mexican American living in northern Nevada. He was raised by a single mother, Rebecca Guerrero, and his Latino roots, along with growing up with a strong matriarch, have shaped his political views. “Women’s rights are super important to me because women raised me. Women brought me into this world,” Cortez stated.

Latinos tend to put a larger emphasis on family than that of non-Hispanics. According to the Pew Research Center,84 percent of Latinos believe that family members are more important than friends. Cortez moved back to northern Nevada five years ago to care for his aging mother because his connection to his family is so important.

Rebecca Guerrero was born in Verdi, Nev., in 1929, making her 95 years old. Despite her age, she is still civically engaged and has consistently voted throughout her lifetime. For her, it was important to pass on this civic duty to her children. Her political identity has shaped Cortez, and today, both Guerrero and Cortez represent a unique part of the Latino vote in Nevada.

As a young mother, Guerrero struggled with the cost of living in Nevada. “Well, it was no picnic. It was rough because the man that I was married to didn’t care too much. And we had to go on welfare to get my kids what they needed,” she remembers. Rising rent prices, inflation and increasing the minimum wage have become increasingly important to Guerrero and her family.

This falls in line with the priorities of other Latino in Nevada. In the state with the largest Latino middle class, the cost of living is one of the most significant issues for many Latino voters. Eighty-four percent of Latinos in Nevada agree that it is difficult for middle-class families to prosper in the United States. Republicans — like GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo — have capitalized on this by touting their ability to do things like loosen requirements for business licenses in the state and tighten immigration laws to save jobs.

Immigration is another critical issue for Latinos in Nevada, and Guerrero has her own immigration story. At 10 years old, she had to leave her dying grandfather in Durango, Mexico, to travel to live with her aunts in California. Leaving him behind was hard for her., “I had to kneel and have my grandfather do the sign of the cross and bless me. Then I crossed, he stayed on that side, and I came to this side,” she says.

While some Republicans have used immigration as a selling point to Latino voters, the Trump campaign has pushed anti-immigration rhetoric and massive amounts of disinformation, leaving some voters, like Guerrero, upset; when asked about Trump, she stated, “If you don’t have a good president, well, everything goes to pot. If we get Trump, well, Trump is an asswipe.”

According to aUnivision poll, Latino voters in Nevada favor Kamala Harris by 18 points. While both Guerrero and Cortez will be voting for Harris in November, 41 percent of Latino voters are undecided. Issues like abortion and border security are making some lean toward the former president.

Abortion is one of the most significant issues for Cortez in this election cycle. He sees reproductive rights as an essential part of supporting women, “I’ve just always been an advocate for women. I don’t want to see my little nieces having to fight for things that my mother already fought for.”

For Guerrero, abortion has been a bit of a gray area. She comes from a strong Catholic background. Catholic doctrine opposes abortion. And withCatholicism being the largestfaith amongst Latinos, it can sway values and belief systems. While Guerrero is still very religious, time and conversations with her son eventually led her to support a woman’s right to choose. Cortez and Guerrero are among the 44 percent of Nevadan Latinos who say they will vote “yes” on a ballot measure that would establish the right to abortion in the Nevadan Constitution.

The issue of abortion reflects how Latino viewpoints can differ significantly depending on factors such as age, religion and party affiliation. While the Latino vote will be crucial in Nevada and across the nation in November, it is not monolithic, and many different cultures and life experiences shape the identities and values of Latinos in the Silver State.

Regardless of the differences, Cortez is proud to be Latino and is excited to see how important the Latino vote has become in Nevada. He celebrates the sense of community he feels being Mexican American: “I love that sense of community. I think we have a strong sense of community, and we care for each other and look after each other.”

In the weeks leading to Election Day, The Fulcrum will continue to publish stories from across the country featuring the people who make up the powerful Latino electorate to better understand the hopes and concerns of an often misunderstood, diverse community.

What do you think about this article? We’d like to hear from you. Please send your questions, comments, and ideas to newsroom@fulcrum.us.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin winter weather; preparing for cold to come in

Published

25 minutes ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin winter weather; preparing for cold to come in

Preparing for more Wisconsin winter weather

Wisconsinites are soaking up what’s left of the warm weather as an arctic blast moves into the area.

MEQUON, Wis. – Wisconsinites are soaking up what’s left of the warm weather as an arctic blast moves into the area.

Local perspective:

Great minds think alike when the temperatures are above freezing in mid-January. At a Kwik Trip in Mequon, drivers waited patiently to remove salt from their cars from treated roads.

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“Get a car wash on a nice day, get the salt off the car,” Mequon resident Morgan Stone said.

The wait time for suds varied.

“Is it worth the wait? I think so,” Stone said about the long line. “I don’t want the truck to rust, got to get the salt off of it.”

The usual quick trip to Kwik Trip was a slower experience than expected for some.

What you can do:

As southeast Wisconsin expects to see temperatures as low as single digits and subzero values starting Saturday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is urging people to bundle up.

“I think preparation is the key there [is] making sure your other individuals are dressed appropriately,” Wisconsin Department of Health Services Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sheryl Bedno said. “We’ve all heard about layering probably three layers is ideal, looser clothing, protecting your extremities, hands and feet are more prone to frostbite.”

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The warning is all too familiar for those familiar with the winter weather.

“I’m a Milwaukeean, so when you say bad, what is bad to me? Because I been to -23°, to today it’s 50°, so what came to my mind is bundle up, get ready,” Milwaukee resident Carol Harmon said.

Cold weather safety

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services shared the following information on handling cold weather-related health:

Get the victim into a warm room or shelter.
If the victim has on any wet clothing, remove it.
Warm the center of the body first (chest, neck, head and groin) using an electric blanket, if available. Or use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets.
Warm beverages can help increase the body temperature, but do not give alcoholic beverages. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck.
Get medical attention as soon as possible.

The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.

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Wisconsin

State by State: A look at Wisconsin's top recruiting targets in Michigan

Published

8 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

State by State: A look at Wisconsin’s top recruiting targets in Michigan

With Wisconsin’s 2025 recruiting class now in the books, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at UW’s hot spots on the recruiting front and examines the top targets in a handful of states across the country from the 2026 class.

Today, we continue with Michigan, a state where the Badgers have an established recruiting presence.

STATE BY STATE: ILLINOIS | STATE BY STATE: OHIO |

Number of Michigan athletes on the current roster (including the 2025 high school and portal class class): 4

Number of known offers extended in Michigan in 2026 class: 10

Hotspot(s): East Kentwood, West Bloomfield, Roseville

Notable past recruits from Michigan: Allen Langford, Aubrey Pleasant, Quincy Landingham, Jacob Pedersen, Zac Matthias, David Moorman, Scott Nelson, Reggie Pearson, Michael Furtney, Jaylan Franklin, Taj Mustpaha, A.J. Abbott, Logan Brown, Jordan Turner, Tommy McIntosh, Aidan Vaughan, Amare Snowden and Cam Clark, among others.

TOP FIVE (REALISTIC) PRIORITIES IN MICHIGAN

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Wisconsin

Planning for Wisconsin's LA Swing Was No Easy Task

Published

16 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Planning for Wisconsin’s LA Swing Was No Easy Task

LOS ANGELES – The addition of four championship-level athletic programs expanded the Big Ten conference from coast to coast, adding a new dimension and competitiveness to college sports’ new super conference.

It brought more of a headache for Marc VandeWettering.

“It creates some new hurdles,” VandeWettering said. “I’ve been here a handful of years, and you get familiar with the places you go, and all them being quick in-out trips. This feels more similar to a multi-team event over the holidays or an NCAA Tournament where you have longer stays, more meals, and more people coming along. It’s different for a Big Ten regular season trip.”

The Kaukauna, Wis., native wears many hats for Wisconsin as its chief of staff of basketball operations, but nonconference scheduling is his big job during the summer, and organizing team travel is one of the top priorities during the season.

Entering his eighth year in the program, VandeWettering has most campus trips down to a science. Leave for the city the day before the game, head for home right after, and rely on the same vendors and hotels that have taken care of them in past years.

VandeWettering deals with everything from who gets on the team bus or plane to who stays at the hotel, who caters the team meals, and who gets game tickets. It’s a lot to deal with an overnight trip, let alone one that will span a week.

So, adding Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC into the fold this past summer has required more than the usual prep work for VandeWettering and his staff with No.24 Wisconsin (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) on its first West Coast swing, playing USC (11-6, 3-3) at the Galen Center tomorrow afternoon and UCLA (11-6, 2-4) at Pawley Pavilion Tuesday night.

All 18 Big Ten men’s basketball directors of operations share a spreadsheet they can access that gives details on travel, hotel, and arena accommodations in their respective city. With no guidelines on travel given by the Big Ten, how each school gets to the venues and where they stay is entirely up to the discretion of people like VandeWettering.

“With these new schools, how we’re going to travel there is a topic of conversation we lean toward when we get a chance to catch up,” VandeWettering said. “Iowa was here a few weeks ago, I talked to Kyle Denning pre-game and we talked through different things about where they were practicing, where they were staying, all those little details. With them being on the front end of us being out there, it’s nice for them to give us the lay of the land before we get there and know what we’re walking into.”

The Planning Stages

Wisconsin started planning this trip as soon as the staff got their hands on the schedule in September, only a few days before it was released to the public. Booking flights and hotels was simple enough but scheduling them for what days became the topic of conversation.

Because of the flight’s length, duration of the stay, and game times (noon Pacific Saturday and 6:30 p.m. Pacific Tuesday), flying in the day before and leaving on a red-eye after wasn’t ideal. After conversations with head coach Greg Gard and strength and conditioning Jim Snider, the Badgers decided to leave yesterday to get acclimated to the environment. With UW not scheduled to play again until a home game Sunday, the staff felt it’d be best to get a full night’s sleep Tuesday and return Wednesday early evening.

“With that game on Sunday, we felt that was best for us and the team to get us most ready for that game,” VandeWettering said.

There was also the matter of what to do with the amount of free time the players have between games and where to secure a practice facility. VandeWettering said they decided to switch hotels during the week, moving from near USC’s campus to Beverly Hills and UCLA’s campus to eliminate some traffic concerns and break up the monotony of living in the same hotel room for seven days.

Finding gym space was a bigger hassle. The Badgers had to be flexible for their Friday practice at USC’s Galen Center due to a men’s volleyball game later that night. UCLA’s Pawley Pavilion was equally limited with availability for practices and a shootaround. VandeWettering said he even reached out to the LA Clippers to see about availability of their new practice facility but that wasn’t available due to a game day.

“We had to figure out what was the next best space,” VandeWettering said. “We ended up going back to UCLA and taking its practice facility on Sunday. There is a lot of flexibility and things you have to work through with the different contacts. Getting out there that extra day early allows us to get settled and not rush from anything to get to those early practices. It allows us to get into both facilities ahead of time, which gives us a little familiarity with each arena being the first time out there.”

Lengthy stays aren’t new for Wisconsin. The Badgers have stayed on the road for multiple road games periodically over the last four seasons, including flying from Michigan to Rutgers last season. VandeWettering said the biggest takeaway from those trips was to try and limit time in the hotel room, so the Badgers are scheduled to do some community service work and possibly attend an LA Clippers game.

“You got to make sure the day is broken up as much as we can,” VandeWettering said. “It gives guys a different vibe, a different energy to get out moving a little bit. There are things we’ve learned along the way and that’s one of the big ones to keep guys fresh and engaged.”

Ready to Pivot If Needed

As if dealing with the logistics of a long regular-season trip to an unfamiliar part of the country was tough enough, the Badgers have kept watch on the devasting fires affecting the Los Angeles area. Thirty different fires have sparked since then, and while 26 have been extinguished, the Palisades Fire — the largest of three major fires ravaging Los Angeles County to the Northwest – burning across 23,713 acres and just 23 percent contained.

The Eaton Fire – the most destructive fire in Southern California history – is 55 percent contained as of Thursday. At least 25 people have died, and thousands of structures have been destroyed.

After various professional and college sporting events were postponed last weekend and an NFL playoff game was moved out of state, USC beat Iowa Tuesday night in its first home game since the fires. UCLA is scheduled to play the Hawkeyes on campus tonight, not far from where the Palisades Fire continues to rage.

“There’s a level of concern of something I’ve had to be tracking on for the last week or so,” VandeWettering said. “We need to be ready to adapt and adjust. We’ve had pretty consistent conversations with the Big Ten and people at UCLA who are on the ground giving us information. They’ve been super helpful and reassuring us that they’re good.”

After the UCLA women moved its Wednesday game to Long Beach State, VandeWettering said the Badgers are preparing for the contingency of their game being relocated.

“We’re ready to adjust,” VandeWettering said. “The safety of everyone out there continues to be top priority. Getting these games in is of the utmost importance for us, the league, and all the schools involved, but we want to make sure we do it right.”

Whenever UW is off-campus, VandeWettering must be on his toes. More than once in his tenure he’s had to deal with flight issues after games, causing delays and scrambles. It’s only when he’s on his drive back to the Kohl Center that he affords himself a moment … before thinking about the next road trip around the corner.

“When I can see that last bus is there ready to pick us up on the way to Kohl Center,” VandeWettering said, “that’s when I can exhale and say we pulled it off.”

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