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Barron County Judge rejects Tavern League challenge to Gov. Evers health order

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A Barron County judge has denied a request by the Tavern League to put a stop to Governor Tony Evers order limiting the number of people that can be inside a business or establishment. 

The League filed that lawsuit last week and got a temporary restraining order after a complaint that the order unfairly targets bars and taverns. 

However, Judge James Babler rejected both that lawsuit and the original restraining order, saying that there was no evidence of harm on the part of the Tavern League or the people who filed the lawsuit. 

Evers responded today to the news, saying “This critically important ruling will help us prevent the spread of this virus by restoring limits on public gatherings. This crisis is urgent. Wisconsinites, stay home. Limit travel and going to gatherings, and please wear a face covering whenever you have to go out.”

Consider changing up how you eat to stay healthy during the winter, says UW expert

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As we move into the colder months and the days get shorter, experts say to need to switch up what sorts of things you’re eating to stay healthy during the pandemic.

UW-Extension nutritional sciences professor Beth Olson says that with less sunlight on the way, you need to keep up your intake of Vitamin D. 

“You need to look at the labels on your Foods. It’s fortified in dairy products, grains, cereals, and take a look and make sure you’re getting enough.”

Olson says you shouldn’t be afraid of moving to canned and frozen veggies over fresh as well, since that gives you plenty of options on making meals. 

“Using Frozen and canned gives you the option of a lot of variety. Maybe you can get some fruits and vegetables that you wouldn’t be getting in the winter if you were only using fresh.”

You should consider swapping out some carbs in your diet for proteins, says Olson

“Get enough, lean protein especially depending on your preference. You might be a meat eater, you might prefer plant proteins. Recently we’ve really been promoting to people to try to eat a wide variety of plant proteins because that’s not something we’ve done in the past.”

She says that could mean tofu or soy, or nuts and legumes and even oats. 

Johnson defends Trump coronavirus response: ‘we’ve learned how to cope with this disease’

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U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says that President Donald Trump has done a good job of managing the federal government’s response to the global coronavirus pandemic.

“The main goal was to flatten the curve, so that we could delay people the people getting infected when a we had more effective therapies, which we have now,” The Wisconsin Republican said. “I mean President Trump’s living proof of that. We’ve got some pretty effective therapies. We’ve learned how to cope with this disease.”

Johnson made his comments during “Your Talk Show,” on Janesville radio station WCLO Thursday morning. Also Thursday, Wisconsin recorded new single day records of 3,747 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1,043 hospitalized patients and 17 additional deaths.

“By flattening the curve, delaying people getting infected, now that were more effective therapies, hopefully we’ll have a vaccine in the next couple of months,” Johnson said. “I give the administration a great deal of credit of squeezing every degree of inefficiency out of the vaccine development process.”

While Governor Tony Evers said that President Trump’s “inconsistency” on messaging about COVID-19 “has not helped,” to slow the spread of the virus, Johnson maintained the president has done a good job.

“The president does not get credit, because the mainstream media just wants to beat up on him. He’s been very straightforward with the American public, he’s been very transparent,” the Senator said. “I mean for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to say ‘oh he lied,’ what did he lie about. He tried to make sure that we didn’t panic.”

 

Evers’ says ‘we can prevent deaths’ as Wisconsin’s COVID-19 toll mounts

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Governor Tony Evers had a stark message for Wisconsinites who don’t believe masks and other measures will slow the spread of coronavirus, as the state set another single day record for positive cases of COVID-19.

Evers, during a media call, said he understands not everyone is on board, not even the president.

“The inconsistency from the White House, from our president, has not helped.”

Evers says some thirty percent of Wisconsin residents aren’t doing things wearing masks or social distancing. Meanwhile, cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase.

“We can prevent deaths. I don’t know how anyone in the state of Wisconsin can feel comfortable about saying ‘what the hell, I don’t care about preventing deaths.’ That is unimaginable to me.”

Evers said that, in the absence of any action by Republican legislators, he and members of his administration need to step up their messaging on masks and social distancing, to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“We will continue to be messengers. We’ll find other messengers that might be appropriate that reach out to the thirty percent of people that don’t believe in this, and we’ll continue the fight,” the governor said. “This is becoming life and death for folks in the state of Wisconsin.”

The state on Thursday recorded another new record for positive cases of 3,747, as well as 17 deaths. The total death toll for the state is now 1,533.  Hospitalizations also reached another record-high at 1,043, 136 more than a week previously. That total included 264 patients in intensive care.

A field hospital at State Fair Park in West Allis opened on Wednesday, intended to free up bed space at hospitals and treat patients who need a lower level of hospital care.

Acting Department of Health Service Secretary Andrea Palm said the facility had not yet accepted any patients as of Thursday morning, but that staff there were walking with hospitals to transfer patients there in the days ahead.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to increase in Wisconsin

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The state of Wisconsin recorded 28 more deaths related to COVID-19 over the previous 24 hours on Wednesday, and 153 more people were hospitalized, according to latest numbers from the Department of Health Services.

DHS said just over 83 percent of the state’s available hospital beds were occupied, by COVID and non-COVID patients.

A state health official warned that Wisconsin hospitals are in a “crisis.” That assessment came Wednesday afternoon, from Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk

“And so order or no order, I strongly encourage people in the state to avoid any type of mass gathering, wear your mask, stay six feet apart, and stay home if you are ill,” Willems Van Dijk said during a media conference call.

A Sawyer County judge has struck down an Evers’ administration order limiting mass gatherings. Willems Van Dijk said gathering in crowded indoor spaces “is not a helpful way” to slow the spread

“This is not just about if you need hospitalization for COVID. This is about crowding our hospitals for every other type of care that any one of us could need.” she said. “So what we need people to do in the state is take this seriously, in terms of your own personal behavior, to stop the spread of this, or the repercussions could come back to haunt you and your family.”

As of Tuesday, Wisconsin hospitals were treating more than 950 COVID-19 patients.

 

Judge halts Evers’ order on public gatherings and capacities

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A northern Wisconsin judge has temporarily blocked Governor Tony Evers’ order limiting indoor gatherings.

Evers’ order caps the number of people who can gather in bars, restaurants, and many other businesses at 25-percent of capacity. Wisconsin set another record for single-day COVID-19 cases Tuesday.

The temporary restraining order from Sawyer County Judge John Yackel halts the order, after the Tavern League of Wisconsin and a Sawyer County tavern, The Flambeau Forest Inn, sued to halt its implementation. A court date is set for Monday in Hayward.

Evers’ order went into effect last Thursday, and it is scheduled to last until November 6th.

Record breaking day for COVID-19 cases and deaths in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin’s coronavirus numbers set a pair of records on Tuesday. The 34 deaths reported in the previous 24 hours were the highest single day number of deaths ever for the state.

The total number of deaths here now stands at 1,508. The Department of Health Services reported 3,279 positive tests results, also a record.

There were 147 more COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals. Hospital space remains a critical concern, with just over 83 percent of all beds in use, by both COVID and non-COVID patients.

Wednesday marks the first day of operation, for the state’s coronavirus field hospital at State Fair Park in West Allis.

“This facility will treat COVID positive patients only. We will not transfer from other hospitals patients that are not COVID positive,” said Department of Health Services Secretary designee Andrea Palm.

Palm said the 530 bed facility will house “lower acuity” COVID patients who still require care but are closer to being released to return home. “The goal is to take pressure off local hospitals to treat the more severely ill COVID patients as well as their non-COVID patient load.”

Wisconsin’s surge in COVID cases is among the worst in the nation, and has strained the resources of hospitals in northeast and central Wisconsin. The State Fair Park hospital is ready to accept up to 50 patients on its first day, although it’s unclear how many will be transferred immediately.

WEDC denies tax credits to Foxconn for 2019

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State trade officials say Foxconn will not be getting any tax breaks, for work done in 2019. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced on Monday that Foxconn had failed to meet its contracted goals for qualifying for those state aids.

The original contract, touted by President Donald Trump and then Governor Scott Walker, would have given the Taiwanese tech firm $4 billion to build a top of the line LCD plant in southeast Wisconsin.

Since then the company has repeatedly scaled back its plans, and WEDC Secretary Melissa Hughes said the company won’t see any more funding unless they come back to renegotiate a contract with the state, the Journal Sentinel reports.

According WEDC, Foxconn has hired only 281 people eligible for tax credits and has made only $300 million in capital expenditures, not fulfilling the goals set out in the contract signed by Foxconn and the state.

The Journal Sentinel reports that in April, Foxconn stated publicly that it had hired enough workers to be eligible for tax credits.

Facebook set to ban all political advertising after election day

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Facebook is continuing to take steps to limit the sort of content it allows on its platform, and says it will stop allowing political advertising once the election season is over.

Madison College marketing professor Steve Noll says these actions might be too little too late for the company as it looks at an uncertain future after the election.

“I really hope that you know Facebook can do the right thing, that history is going to be able to look back on them 30 years from now and show that they are on the right side of history, but I don’t know. I’m really not necessarily seeing that that’s their behavior.”

Facebook has come under fire for allowing false and misleading ads on its platform, and has only recently started kicking dangerous groups like Q-Anon and Holocaust deniers.

Noll says it seems like Facebook wants the clout for banning ads, while still taking political money. 

“These political ads cost money to run and Facebook shareholders want that revenue. It’s a very complicated problem of dancing the fine line between ethics and the bottom line for shareholders.”

Noll says it’s a good first step, but that the company needs to tread carefully in the months ahead as talks start to brew over breaking up big tech firms.

Evers’ letter requests meeting with legislative leaders on coronavirus response

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Governor Tony Evers has sent a letter to Republican legislative leaders, requesting  a meeting to discuss the state’s COVID-19 response.

Evers’ letter states that he wants Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald to join him for negotiations on future plans. The Democrat Evers says he welcomes feedback from Vos and Fitzgerald.

“I welcome the opportunity to meet with both of you to discuss our state response. Given it has been 180 days since the Legislature last passed a bill and that you have repeatedly-through costly litigation and your public comments-expressed opposition to nearly every action my administration has taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I am eager to ensure our meeting is productive.”

The governor’s letter, sent Monday, said now isn’t the time to weaken Wisconsin’s response to the virus. The number of positive test results for COVID-19 in Wisconsin has more than doubled in recent weeks.

As of Tuesday morning Vos and Fitzgerald had yet to respond to the letter.