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Wisconsin couple sues Optum Rx and Walgreens for son’s asthma death

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Wisconsin couple sues Optum Rx and Walgreens for son’s asthma death


A Wisconsin couple has filed a lawsuit against Minnesota-based Optum Rx and Walgreens for their son’s asthma-related death one year ago.

Lawsuit filed in asthma death

The backstory:

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Shanon and William Schmidtknecht of Poynett, Wis. lost their 22-year-old son Cole in January 2024. He stopped at a Walgreens in Appleton and was told that the price of his inhaler had jumped from $66 to $539 out of pocket. He left the pharmacy without the medication and tried to manage his condition with a rescue inhaler.

He suffered a fatal asthma attack days later. Cole had suffered from asthma his entire life and managed it with daily inhaler doses of the medication Advair Diskus and generic equivalents.

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The lawsuit:

Optum Rx is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager that manages the prescription drug plan for Cole’s insurance plan through his employer.

The family alleges that Optum Rx violated Wisconsin law by raising the cost of the medication without a valid medical reason and failed to notify Cole so that he could talk to his doctor about alternatives.

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The lawsuit also alleges that Walgreens failed to offer Cole a workaround, a generic or an emergency supply so that he could reach out to his doctor and insurance company.

Optum Rx is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager that negotiates drug prices for insurance plans. The industry has been under scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission because just three companies control pricing for 80 percent of prescription drug pricing in the United States.

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Those three companies are also in ownership chains with insurance companies and pharmacies, like mail order.   The FTC has recently stated that it found PBMs to be artificially inflating generic drug prices for their own profits.

Response to the lawsuit

What they’re saying:

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Optum Rx provided this statement to Fox 47 in Madison when the station covered Cole’s death in April of 2024:

“Optum Rx also has available clinically appropriate options and formulary information when a medication is not covered on formulary, including Advair Diskus formulary alternatives with member copays as low as $5.

“Our goal is to ensure medicines, including those used to treat asthma and other critical conditions, are accessible and affordable for Americans. After rigorous review of this case, we determined that formulary management and communications efforts that impacted this patient’s access to key asthma medication options were handled consistent with industry practice and the patient’s insurance plan design. Any members with questions about their coverage can call the number on their prescription card.”

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Pharmacy Benefit Managers reporting

Dig deeper:

You can see more of Fox 9’s investigations into drug pricing by clicking below.

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The backstory:

You can read the entire FTC staff report here.

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Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for May 10, 2026

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Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for May 10, 2026


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The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

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Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 10 drawing

Midday: 4-5-6

Evening: 6-9-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing

Midday: 3-8-0-8

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Evening: 5-0-5-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from May 10 drawing

Midday: 07-08-09-11-12-15-16-17-20-21-22

Evening: 02-05-06-07-11-13-17-18-19-20-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Badger 5 numbers from May 10 drawing

17-19-23-28-29

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from May 10 drawing

05-09-10-14-33-39, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

  • Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
  • Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
  • Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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How many homes could be built in Northeast Wisconsin in 2026?

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How many homes could be built in Northeast Wisconsin in 2026?


(Stacker) – Homebuilding plays a critical role in maintaining a steady housing supply and keeping prices at sustainable levels. As the U.S. population grows, more housing is needed to meet demand. Since the Great Recession, construction has lagged well behind what is needed, which is one of the main reasons home prices are so high today.

Supply has slowly increased over the past few years but is still below what is needed for the market to balance out. Until that gap closes, prices are likely to remain elevated, and many buyers will likely struggle to afford a home.

So, how many homes are getting built in Northeast Wisconsin in 2026? Is construction increasing or decreasing?

Redfin Real Estate analyzed the rate of housing permits issued in the cities of Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Sheboygan over the past 13 months to find out.

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Appleton

Appleton housing permits January 2025-January 2026(WBAY)

2026

  • January – Building permits: 29 (1.2 per 10,000 population)

2025

  • January – Building permits: 57 (2.3 per 10,000 population)
  • February – Building permits: 52 (2.1 per 10k)
  • March – Building permits: 46 (1.9 per 10k)
  • April – Building permits: 74 (3.0 per 10k)
  • May – Building permits: 74 (3.0 per 10k)
  • June – Building permits: 60 (2.5 per 10k)
  • July – Building permits: 183 (7.5 per 10k)
  • August – Building permits: 53 (2.2 per 10k)
  • September – Building permits: 128 (5.3 per 10k)
  • October – Building permits: 139 (5.7 per 10k)
  • November – Building permits: 86 (3.5 per 10k)
  • December – Building permits: 246 (10.1 per 10k)

Fond du Lac

Fond du Lac housing permits January 2025-January 2026
Fond du Lac housing permits January 2025-January 2026(WBAY)

2026

  • January – Building permits: 10 (1.0 per 10,000 population)

2025

  • January – Building permits: 12 (1.2 per 10,000 population)
  • February – Building permits: 12 (1.2 per 10k)
  • March – Building permits: 11 (1.1 per 10k)
  • April – Building permits: 20 (1.9 per 10k)
  • May – Building permits: 21 (2.0 per 10k)
  • June – Building permits: 15 (1.4 per 10k)
  • July – Building permits: 17 (1.6 per 10k)
  • August – Building permits: 16 (1.5 per 10k)
  • September – Building permits: 21 (2.0 per 10k)
  • October – Building permits: 19 (1.8 per 10k)
  • November – Building permits: 11 (1.1 per 10k)
  • December – Building permits: 20 (1.9 per 10k)

Green Bay

Green Bay housing permits January 2025-January 2026
Green Bay housing permits January 2025-January 2026(WBAY)

2026

  • January – Building permits: 304 (9.3 per 10,000 population)

2025

  • January – Building permits: 84 (2.6 per 10,000 population)
  • February – Building permits: 67 (2.0 per 10k)
  • March – Building permits: 97 (3.0 per 10k)
  • April – Building permits: 166 (5.1 per 10k)
  • May – Building permits: 141 (4.3 per 10k)
  • June – Building permits: 93 (2.8 per 10k)
  • July – Building permits: 185 (5.6 per 10k)
  • August – Building permits: 120 (3.7 per 10k)
  • September – Building permits: 88 (2.7 per 10k)
  • October – Building permits: 155 (4.7 per 10k)
  • November – Building permits: 156 (4.8 per 10k)
  • December – Building permits: 62 (1.9 per 10k)

Oshkosh

Oshkosh housing permits January 2025-January 2026
Oshkosh housing permits January 2025-January 2026(WBAY)

2026

  • January – Building permits: 16 (0.9 per 10,000 population)

2025

  • January – Building permits: 15 (0.9 per 10,000 population)
  • February – Building permits: 23 (1.3 per 10k)
  • March – Building permits: 22 (1.3 per 10k)
  • April – Building permits: 46 (2.7 per 10k)
  • May – Building permits: 61 (3.6 per 10k)
  • June – Building permits: 54 (3.1 per 10k)
  • July – Building permits: 77 (4.5 per 10k)
  • August – Building permits: 26 (1.5 per 10k)
  • September – Building permits: 87 (5.1 per 10k)
  • October – Building permits: 125 (7.3 per 10k)
  • November – Building permits: 16 (0.9 per 10k)
  • December – Building permits: 79 (4.6 per 10k)

Sheboygan

Sheboygan housing permits January 2025-January 2026
Sheboygan housing permits January 2025-January 2026(WBAY)

2026

  • January – Building permits: 3 (0.3 per 10,000 population)

2025

  • January – Building permits: 13 (1.1 per 10,000 population)
  • February – Building permits: 31 (2.6 per 10k)
  • March – Building permits: 27 (2.3 per 10k)
  • April – Building permits: 9 (0.8 per 10k)
  • May – Building permits: 19 (1.6 per 10k)
  • June – Building permits: 22 (1.9 per 10k)
  • July – Building permits: 11 (0.9 per 10k)
  • August – Building permits: 11 (0.9 per 10k)
  • September – Building permits: 15 (1.3 per 10k)
  • October – Building permits: 174 (14.7 per 10k)
  • November – Building permits: 13 (1.1 per 10k)
  • December – Building permits: 38 (3.2 per 10k)

Nationally

National housing permits January 2025-January 2026
National housing permits January 2025-January 2026(WBAY)

2026

  • January – Building permits: 1,386,000 (44.2 per 10,000 population)

2025

  • January – Building permits: 1,460,000 (46.6 per 10,000 population)
  • February – Building permits: 1,454,000 (44.2 per 10k)
  • March – Building permits: 1,481,000 (47.2 per 10k)
  • April – Building permits: 1,422,000 (45.4 per 10k)
  • May – Building permits: 1,394,000 (44.5 per 10k)
  • June – Building permits: 1,393,000 (44.4 per 10k)
  • July – Building permits: 1,362,000 (43.5 per 10k)
  • August – Building permits: 1,330,000 (42.4 per 10k)
  • September – Building permits: 1,425,000 (45.1 per 10k)
  • October – Building permits: 1,411,000 (45.0 per 10k)
  • November – Building permits: 1,388,000 (44.3 per 10k)
  • December – Building permits: 1,455,000 (46.4 per 10k)

National permit data is a seasonally adjusted annual rate; metro-level permit data is the non-seasonally adjusted total number of permits issued per month.

Copyright 2026 Stacker via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.



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Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for May 9, 2026

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Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for May 10, 2026


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The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

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Here’s a look at May 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 9 drawing

15-41-46-47-56, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 9 drawing

Midday: 2-4-4

Evening: 8-4-5

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Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 9 drawing

Midday: 7-3-4-7

Evening: 3-3-5-1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from May 9 drawing

Midday: 03-04-05-06-07-09-12-13-14-16-19

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Evening: 03-08-09-12-13-14-15-17-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from May 9 drawing

05-14-18-25-27

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from May 9 drawing

02-09-16-28-32-35, Doubler: Y

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Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks numbers from May 9 drawing

02-20-36-39-40-41

Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

  • Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
  • Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
  • Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

Advertisement

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.



Source link

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