Stay safe during bitter cold snap (UNDATED)
Wisconsin is experiencing the most bitterly cold temperatures of the season. Dr. Sheryl Bedno with the state Department of Health Services Dr. Sheryl Bedno says you’ll need to watch out for frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite is for the freezing of the skin and deeper tissue. Hypothermia is where our bodies aren’t able to keep as warm as we can in the colder temperatures. Bedno says people need to layer up, limit their time outdoors, and make sure they’re staying hydrated. Following bitter cold and dangerous windchills today and Tuesday, temperatures are expected to moderate starting on Wednesday.
MLK Day at the Capitol (MADISON)
Wisconsin’s official Martin Luther King commemoration takes place at noon today at the Capitol in Madison. The Annual Tribute and Ceremony is the oldest official MLK state celebration in the U.S. The theme of this year’s Tribute is “Justice Lives Here.” Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Chair Marcelia Nicholson will give the keynote address. Music and dance will come from the Gospel Music According to Chicago Mass Choir, violinist Dr. Brianna Ware-Boggs, and the MLK Multi-Cultural Dance Collective. The event will also include presentations of MLK Heritage Awards.
Police say TikTok ban motivated fire at Grothman’s office (Fond du Lac)
The TikTok ban apparently motivated a Fox Valley arson fire over the weekend. The fire caused minor damage to a Fond du Lac strip mall which houses Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman’s district office. Fond du Lac Police and Fire-Rescue crews were dispatched to the scene shortly after 1:00 Sunday morning. Police located a 19-year-old Menasha man near that strip mall who allegedly admitted to setting the fire because of the TikTok ban. He was arrested on a charge of arson and jailed. TikTok was back online Sunday after president-elect Trump issued a statement promising to pause the law and said he would extend a liability shield to tech companies that support the app.
Johnson platforms LA fires criticism during Noem hearing (WASHINGTON DC)
The Las Angeles wildfires continue to burn, and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson continues to reprimand Democratic politicians in California for their handling of the crisis. The Wisconsin Republican managed to work his criticisms into last week’s confirmation hearing for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to lead Homeland Security in the Trump administration. Johnson said the fires were predictable and preventable. He called the response to the LA fires “grotesque mismanagement,” and also criticized federal disaster response, which he characterized as “no questions asked . . . tell us how big a check you want.”
DHS launches digital menthol campaign (UNDATED)
The Department of Health Services is launching a new digital campaign to highlight the risks of menthol tobacco products. DHS says menthol remains widely in use, with sales increasing over the last decade. The agency says menthol advertisements have been disproportionately promoted to African American and other communities of color, leading to nine in ten Black Wisconsinites using menthol products. Similar targeted advertising is now targeting populations like youth, young adults, and the LGBTQ+ community. In Wisconsin, 9,300 young people under age 18 will try cigarettes for the first time every year, and half start with menthol.
Time to check for unwanted subscriptions, says DATCP (UNDATED)
A new year means new budgets, and it’s also a time to see what subscriptions you’re being charged for. Wisconsin Consumer Protection administrator Michelle Reinen says a look through your credit card and checking records might turn up some surprises. That could range from online video services to magazines to cable contract or subscription boxes. Companies have to provide a way to cancel services, but some may make it difficult to do. If you run into trouble, contact Consumer Protection at 800-422-7128.