Topic: Wisconsin

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Earth Day: Five ways we affect the planet

The late Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D) of Wisconsin organized the first Earth Day in 1970 after the devastating oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. The event started as an environmental teach-in, with some 20 million Americans taking part on college campuses across the United States. Today, 500 million people in 175 countries observe Earth Day on April 22 as a way to celebrate the natural world and raise awareness of the environment. How much do humans affect the earth? Click below to find out.
Marco Rubio & 9 likely Republican VP candidates

Too soon to start speculating about possible Republican vice-presidential candidates? Evidently not. Mitt Romney's rise to the level of presumptive presidential nominee seems to have given political writers and pundits the go-ahead to begin one of the favored handicapping contests in all of politics.
Vernal equinox heralds end of the winter that wasn't

This winter was the warmest on record so far in the 21st century. Here are some other remarkable facts about the winter that wasn't.
Walter Payton: 10 things I learned from his new biography

From the new biography 'Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton' by Jeff Pearlman, here are 10 memorable stories about the football star.
Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan: What would your sales tax be?

Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan would create a new 9 percent federal sales tax. Here are estimates of the cumulative state, local, and federal sales taxes that consumers in each state would have to pay under the plan.

All Content

Focus
Next week's Wisconsin recall: a test drive of themes for Election 2012

Wisconsin recall election between Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Tom Barrett (D) enters its last furious week. It is a proving ground for the themes and players of the national election in November, analysts say.
Mitt Romney running mate search enters public audition phase

As his campaign evaluates potential running mates, Republicans with a possible shot at the No. 2 spot on the presidential ticket are starting to engage in unofficial public tryouts for the traditional vice presidential role of attack dog.
The price of milk: Low for milk drinkers, but sinks family farms

With the price of milk low and feed and fuel costs spiraling, family dairy farms struggle to compete with large farms. In Vermont, the MacLaren family gives up dairy farming after three generations, joining the gradual national decline of small farms.
Doodle 4 Google: Why a pirate stormed Google's homepage today

The annual Doodle 4 Google had students finish this sentence: "If I could travel in time, I'd visit..." The winning Doodle 4 Google drawing shows "Pirate times."
Twice as many mega rainstorms in Midwest in past 50 years

Wisconsin saw the biggest rise (203 percent) in extreme rainstorms – 3 inches of rain or more in a day, new study says. Climate change is behind more Midwest flooding, say scientists.
Lady Antebellum charity concert for tornado-struck Henryville, Ind. (+video)

Lady Antebellum played at a mini-prom for Henryville, Ind. Wednesday night. Lady Antebellum helped raise $235,000 to help rebuild the town struck by a tornado.
House passes Violence Against Women Act, grudgingly

The Violence Against Women Act breezed through the Congress in previous years, but it's suddenly a heavy lift. The GOP House passed its version of the bill on a largely party-line vote, but getting to yes with the Senate will be tough.
Senate Republicans plead for a budget as frustrations boil over

Senate Republicans proposed five budgets Wednesday, but the Democratic-controlled Senate defeated them all. Republicans say Democrats are punting on tough choices, Democrats say they already have a budget.
Lady Antebellum to play at prom in Henryville, Indiana

Lady Antebellum will play at a high-school 'mini prom' for the tornado-battered town of Henryville, Ind. Lady Antebellum will also hold a benefit and online fund drive.
Girl Scouts under scrutiny from Catholic bishops

Conservative criticism of alleged Girl Scouts policy on sexuality, birth control, and abortion pulls the organization back into the culture wars with an investigation by Catholic bishops. It's not the first time the girls have been caught in political crossfire.
Appalled by sequester cuts, House begins efforts to avoid them

The House on Thursday passed a measure that would spare the Pentagon from looming cuts by making deeper cuts to social programs. But Congress isn't expected to get serious about altering the debt deal's $109 billion sequester until after the November election.
Wisconsin recall: Why Democrats think Barrett can beat Walker this time

Democrats in Wisconsin chose Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee, to challenge Gov. Scott Walker (R) in a recall election next month. It's a reprise of their 2010 contest, but now Walker has a record to defend.
Gas prices are falling: why that might not really help Obama

Gas prices have dropped steadily in recent weeks, and the issue is barely registering with voters. While that eases some pressures on Obama, it doesn't necessarily translate into more votes.
Price of debt-ceiling deal: GOP plan goes 'for the jugular,' Dems say

No one in Congress likes the 'sequester' – the more than $900 billion in automatic cuts written into last year's debt deal – but Democrats say that's better than the new GOP plan to avoid it.
Saving Money
The best and worst grocery stores: You get what you pay for

When it comes to grocery stores, customers generally must choose between great quality and low prices. But a few supermarket chains ranked high in both categories.
Wisconsin recall election: Which Democrat will face Governor Walker?

Wisconsin holds a primary Tuesday to choose Gov. Scott Walker’s opponent in the recall election. It could come down to independent voters, but how they’ll vote could be complicated.
Obama's lead over Romney shrinks in 12 swing states

A new Gallup/USA Today poll shows President Obama with 47 percent support in the 12 states and Mitt Romney with 45 percent. But Obama supporters are more enthusiastic about their candidate.
Giant sinkhole forces Florida family to evacuate home (+video)

A 100-foot diameter well-rounded sinkhole appeared outside the home of a family in Windermere, Fla., Thursday. The sinkhole may still be expanding, so the family has moved out.
Decoder Wire
Ron Paul beat Mitt Romney in 10 states! Kind of.

Ron Paul fell short in the vote count, but he has edged out Mitt Romney in campaign contributions in at least 10 states – and counting. From the start, the GOP 'money primary' has been a two-man race.
GOP-led House votes to keep rate low on student loans, as Obama balks

The White House says Obama will veto the House bill on student loans. It prefers a Senate measure that also helps debt-crushed students, but that covers the cost by closing a tax loophole benefiting the wealthy.
If both parties want low rates on student loans, why the fight?

The GOP-led House is set to vote Friday on a bill to extend the low 3.4 percent interest rate on US-subsidized student loans. Obama wants that, too. But how to pay for it is kicking up dust in Congress.
Parents use spy tech to expose abuse of special needs kids

Suspicious parents of special needs kids have recently taken advantage of advances in spy tech to plant wires on their children at school. The recordings have been used to expose abuse perpetrated by school officials; but also may raise privacy issues.
Wisconsin posts biggest US job loss, as Gov. Scott Walker fights for his job

Wisconsin lost 23,900 jobs between March 2011 and March 2012, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also lost more private-sector jobs than any other state.
Humongous exploding fireball in sky probably a meteor, say scientists (+video)

For many people in Nevada and northern California, Sunday morning was disrupted by a sonic boom and a fireball streaking across the sky.
Decoder Wire
Rob Portman for the GOP veep? Not if 2008 is any guide (+video)

Two-thirds of state Republican Party chairs and members of the Republican National Committee say Sen. Rob Portman (R) is both the best and most likely veep pick for Mitt Romney. But it's still early.