Topline

President Joe Biden will unveil a new $3.3 billion investment by Microsoft to build a new artificial intelligence datacenter in Racine, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, in a bid to highlight his jobs push and economic accomplishments in the key battleground state.

Key Facts

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Key Background

The AI datacenter is being built “on the same land” where former President Donald Trump unveiled a $10 billion Foxconn factory that never came to be, the White House’s fact sheet about the project mentions several times. Trump had referred to the factory as “the eighth wonder of the world” when he announced it in 2017 and promised it would create 13,000 jobs. The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer eventually scaled back its investment to $672 million, promising to create only 1,454 new jobs. Foxconn has no involvement in the Microsoft campus.

Crucial Quote

“Six years ago, the prior administration touted a $10 billion investment by Foxconn that would purportedly create 13,000 manufacturing jobs in Racine. But after 100 homes and farms were bulldozed to make way for the manufacturing plant and over $500 million in taxpayer dollars were invested to prepare the site, no such investment materialized,” the White House said.

What To Watch For

Biden is also scheduled to attend a campaign event later on Wednesday in Racine where he will address Black voters and “discuss the stakes of this election and the important progress made under his leadership for the Black community,” according to his campaign.

Further Reading

Trump promised this Wisconsin town a manufacturing boom. It never arrived. (Washington Post)

Biden to meet with Black voters during Wednesday trip to Wisconsin (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Thousands of Alliant Energy customers and We Energies customers are without power according to the electric companies’ websites.

As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Alliant Energy reported approximately 1,810 customers affected by power outages. The following counties made up part of that total:

• Columbia – 1 customer
• Dane – 155 customers
• Dodge – 1 customer
• Grant – 1 customer
• Iowa – 16 customers
• Rock – 6 customers
• Walworth – 1,143 customers

As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, We Energies reported 4,427 customers affected by power affected by power outages. The following counties made up part of that total:

• Dodge – 373 customers
• Jefferson – 1,407 customers
• Walworth – 102 customers

We Energies’ website acknowledged that many their customers in Southeast Wisconsin were experiencing power outages and that they were working to restore power.

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WISCONSIN — Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Milwaukee on Thursday, May 16, according to the White House.

The vice president will deliver remarks as part of her Economic Opportunity Tour. 

This will be Harris’s fourth visit to the battleground state this year. Harris last visited La Crosse, Wis. in late April to highlight two new actions by the White House aimed at supporting the care economy.

The announcement comes one day before President Joe Biden is set to travel to Racine County and her visit comes two weeks after former President Donald Trump campaigned in Waukesha.

Details of where Harris will visit have not yet been released.