WED AM News: President Biden in Milwaukee announces $43 million for drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacements in Wisconsin

October 8, 2024

— President Joe Biden in Milwaukee announced an additional $43 million for drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacements in Wisconsin while knocking Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson for opposing his infrastructure initiatives.

The money is part of $2.6 billion in national funding as part of Biden’s “Investing in America agenda,” which includes the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He knocked Johnson, R-Oshkosh, for voting against the law and calling it a “radical agenda.”

“I don’t think there’s a damn thing radical about protecting kids from lead poisoning, protecting women from low birth rates, protecting them from brain damage and so much more,” Biden said, joining Gov. Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson at the Milwaukee Department of Public Works yesterday.

He said former president Donald Trump’s administration rolled back clean water protections, slashed the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget and eliminated important programs that guaranteed clean water.

“You may also remember that the last guy who was president promised ‘Infrastructure Week’ every week for four years,” Biden said. “He didn’t build a damn thing.”

Johnson did not immediately respond for comment.

Ahead of Biden’s visit, Team Trump Wisconsin Communications Director Jacob Fischer in a statement said Wisconsin families “suffocate under the weight of Kamala and Joe’s dangerously liberal agenda.”

“Wisconsinites continue to sour on Democrats, and Joe’s visit is another sickening reminder that a Kamala presidency would be another four years of historic inflation and high prices,” Fischer said.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin was not present for Biden’s stop because she was accepting a Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau in Fall Creek. The Madison Dem has skipped most of Biden’s stops in Wisconsin in recent months.

Of the new funding announced yesterday, 49% must be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. Biden said these communities have “borne the brunt of lead poisoning for damn too long.”

“Studies show communities of color have been the hardest hit,” Biden said. “One study showed Black children are at least two times more likely to have elevated levels of lead in their blood than children of other racial groups. We have an obligation to make things right.”

He added: “Like all major investments we’re making in the environment, it’s also about creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs for laborers, plumbers and pipefitters.”

Biden also announced the EPA has finalized federal regulations requiring drinking water systems in the U.S. to replace lead service lines within 10 years.

Senior Administration White House officials at a press call said they are sure 99% of the cities will make the 10-year deadline, and the EPA will aggressively pursue a timeline that stays in line with the president’s vision for the 1% that don’t.

Watch the video.

— Metro Milwaukee’s economy “held ground” in August compared to the month before, according to a new report.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce found seven of the 23 indicators it tracks monthly improved from a year ago.

The metro area saw a 20.7% drop in the number of people unemployed as the seasonally adjusted rate decreased 0.8% to 3.1% compared to August 2023. That’s below the national rate of 4.4% and ranks second lowest among 21 benchmark metros.

Still, new unemployment claims rose 14% in August compared to one year earlier.

Average hourly earnings for manufacturing workers fell for the 12th consecutive month when compared to the year before, dipping 4% to $28.03.

Also, new car registrations fell 32.2% compared to the year before, while air passengers at Mitchell International Airport rose 5.8%.

And existing home sales in August fell 2.8% compared to the year before.

— Dem AG Josh Kaul and 21 other attorneys general want a Tennessee court to enforce an order requiring TikTok to provide documents and make available witnesses for deposition as part of a probe into whether the company is violating consumer protection laws.

The brief, filed yesterday, argues the company’s conduct has impeded a multistate investigation into whether its practices have fueled a mental health crisis among teens and young people. It states TikTok has refused to comply with “reasonable” requests from the state of Tennessee for the information being sought.

“With the impact of social media on youth mental health becoming clearer, there’s no question that we must act,” Kaul said. “Among other things, we must ensure that there’s accountability for violations of consumer protection laws that led to harms to youth mental health.”

Separately, 14 attorneys general filed lawsuits in state courts yesterday accusing TikTok of harming the mental health of young people by getting them “addicted” to the platform. Kaul is not one of the AGs who took that action.

— The American Red Cross is urging people to donate blood due to ongoing disruptions in the blood supply amid damage from Hurricane Helene.

Since the storm made landfall, more than 100 blood drives have been canceled, according to the release.

“For so many people living with urgent medical care needs, blood transfusions are essential, and donations in the Southeast are key to keeping our nationwide network stocked,” the release states. “The Red Cross operates through a national inventory with the ability to move blood wherever and whenever it is needed most.”

The Red Cross is offering $10 Amazon gift cards for those who give blood, platelets or plasma through Oct. 31. Donors will also be automatically entered to win one of three $5,000 gift cards.

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TOPICS

AGRIBUSINESS

– Wisconsin family farms increasingly relying on off-farm employment to supplement income

EDUCATION

– New Wisconsin standards label nearly half of students at grade level in math and reading

ENVIRONMENT

– Wisconsin’s air quality continues to improve, UW-Madison professor says

LABOR

– Unionized Komatsu workers participating in solidarity walks during negotiations

MANAGEMENT