Wisconsin
UW experts weigh in on which issues could win Wisconsin in November
MADISON, Wis. — From political ads to national convention speeches, voters will hear a lot of messages between now and November. The question is: Will those voices impact voters?
If there is just a single issue that matters to most voters, it’s the economy. However, experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at Tuesday’s WisPolitics event said don’t count out what each party is pushing either.
UW-Madison Prof. Barry Burden discusses the demographic of independent voters. (Spectrum News 1/Mandy Hague)
By now, it comes as no surprise that Democrats are focused on abortion rights. At the same time, Republicans have narrowed in on immigration and the border, and voters don’t need to look for examples further than how the two presumptive presidential nominees have already evolved their positions on those issues.
“Trump [is] saying on abortion, ‘it’s up to the states,’ so it’s really kind of softening up that position from where he’s been in the past,” Susan Webb Yackee, who serves as director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, explained. “Whereas, on immigration, I mean just last week President Biden issued this major executive order.”
However, with so many voters having made up their minds, a change in policy position is probably most influential among independent voters.
“They skew especially young, so it’s young people who are least likely to have attachments to either of the parties, who are not fond of either of the candidates and who have not bought into the traditional ways of doing politics and that I think is a worrisome sign for Biden,” UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said.
While young people have been especially vocal about President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, experts said another less-talked about issue could have more of an impact come November.
Director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs Susan Webb Yackee explains why housing could be a significant voter issue in November. (Spectrum News 1/Mandy Hague)
“To me, it ties all back to the sleeper issue of housing,” Webb Yackee added. “Young folks not feeling like they can afford to buy a house. ‘I can’t afford the American Dream,’ and you’re trying to sell that to young folks in America, and sell your vision of tomorrow, and you can’t afford the American Dream.”
Though that issue, which stems from the economy, may be frustrating, for many people, so are the names on the ballot.
“Biden is doing better in polls that are of the most likely voters, but if you expand the universe a little bit to include people who are sometimes voters or are just registered voters but maybe haven’t voted in a while, Trump begins to do better,” Burden said. “So, keeping the electorate a little smaller, in terms of who participates, might help the Democrats.”
Burden added that it is probably best to pay attention to polls after Labor Day when Election Day is within 90 days.
About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
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.
-
Wisconsin11 minutes agoUS animal rights activists clash with police over Wisconsin dog breeder
-
West Virginia17 minutes agoThe 2026 WVU Tommy Nickolich Award Goes to a Parkersburg Native
-
Wyoming23 minutes agoWyoming Gov. Mark Gordon won’t seek a third term. He won’t rule out running for other offices, either
-
Crypto29 minutes ago1 Cryptocurrency to Buy While It’s Under $80,000
-
Finance35 minutes agoBudget crisis is top concern for MPS leader Cassellius | Opinion
-
Fitness41 minutes agoI’m a running coach — I’ve just tested shoes actually designed for women’s feet, and they’re a total game changer
-
Movie Reviews53 minutes ago‘Hen’ movie review: György Pálfi pecks at Europe’s migrant crisis through the eyes of a chicken
-
Business1 hour agoVideo: Why Your Paycheck Feels Smaller