Author: Syndicated

Republicans decided on January 7 to place only President Donald Trump’s name on Wisconsin’s primary ballot this spring, making it a challenge for any long-shot GOP candidates to run against him in the state. A committee made up of Republicans and Democrats met with state election officials in the state Capitol to decide which candidates will be listed on the April 7 primary ballot. The Republican committee members submitted only Trump’s name, and he was approved on a unanimous voice vote. The Democratic committee members submitted 14 candidates, including Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth...

On 27 December 2017, Republicans in Congress passed a sweeping tax cut. It was supposed to be a gift-wrapped present to taxpayers and the economy. But with two years of hindsight, it looks more like a costly lump of coal. Passed on a party-line vote, the tax cut is the signature legislative accomplishment of President Trump’s first term. He had campaigned hard for the measure, promising it would boost paychecks for working people. “Our focus is on helping the folks who work in the mailrooms and the machine shops of America,” he told supporters in the fall of 2017....

One of President Donald Trump’s top reelection advisers told influential Republicans in swing state Wisconsin that the party has “traditionally” relied on voter suppression to compete in battleground states, according to an audio recording of a private event. The adviser said later that his remarks referred to frequent and false accusations that Republicans employ such tactics. Justin Clark, a senior political adviser and senior counsel to Trump’s reelection campaign, made the remarks on Nov. 21 as part of a wide-ranging discussion about strategies in the 2020 campaign, including more aggressive use of Election Day monitoring of polling places. “Traditionally...

The world’s first Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) for commercial use was officially launched in Yibin, Sichuan Province on December 5, marking the introduction of a new urban rail transit system pioneered by China. Dubbed the “Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit,” the ART is essentially a driverless tram. Developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute of China, the system runs on “virtual rails” mapped out by cameras and censors, so it can determine the dimensions of roads and plan its own route. The Yibin ART T1 line extends for 17.7 kilometers. It is expected to serve more than 10,000...

Governor Tony Evers said on December 18 that Wisconsin will continue welcoming refugees to the state, joining several other governors to make such an announcement since President Donald Trump gave states and counties the power to reject refugees. In a letter to the Department of State, Evers said Wisconsin has “a rich history of opening its doors” to people of all backgrounds and has done so for more than 16,000 refugees in the past two decades. Evers, a Democrat who defeated Republican Scott Walker last year, also criticized the Trump administration for creating “an overly cumbersome and inappropriate process”...

In letters released on December 13, a top aide for Governor Tony Evers warned Foxconn Technology Group last month that a scaled-down factory in Wisconsin would not qualify for tax credits unless the Taiwanese electronics giant renegotiates with the state. The letters underscore a deepening schism between Evers and the world’s largest electronics provider. Foxconn counts Apple, Google and Amazon among its customers. Foxconn originally proposed building a massive flat-screen plant in Mount Pleasant that would eventually employ 13,000 people. Enamored with the thought of a monumental economic boost going into the 2018 elections, then-Governor Scott Walker and Republican...