☀️ Good morning!

It’s Sunday, February 8, 2026

Allow me to pull back the political curtain for a moment and tell you about a trick that President Donald Trump and other politicians have turned into an art form: Tell people you’re planning to do something wildly extreme. Then do something that normally would also be considered extreme, but not quite as extreme as what you talked about in the beginning. Somehow, you get credit for being “moderate.” 

This week’s case in point: President Trump muses out loud that Republicans should “nationalize” elections. (Weren’t these the guys against a federal government getting too powerful?) Trump’s whisperer-in-chief Steve Bannon takes the ball and runs with it.

“We’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November,” he said on his podcast. He later called for Trump to deploy the US Army’s 82nd and 101st Airborne infantry divisions to check every voter’s ID.

It’s an idea as illegal as it is ridiculous, but that’s the point. If the White House gets people chattering about something this outrageous, they will appear less extreme if there are ICE agents intimidating voters in only a handful of locations.

Make no mistake: Any deployment of law enforcement (much less the military) at a polling place has no basis in evidence. It is purely the kind of tactic used by dictators and those who wish they were. Urge your representatives to make it clear that something “a little less extreme” isn’t the standard on which we base public service in a democracy.

💪🏼 Stay strong. Have a great week — and remember to stay up to date with our social media posts. 

🔌 PS – Be sure to scroll down for our Question of the Week about our stagnant minimum wage and see your answers to last week’s question about adding nuclear power in Wisconsin.

A former US Attorney in Wisconsin is sounding the alarm about President Trump’s call to “nationalize” elections — and is working with a nonpartisan group dedicated to defending democracy by informing the general public about the safety and accuracy of US elections.

John Vaudreuil served in the Obama administration. Now he works with Keep Our Republic to let voters know we already have secure and accurate elections in Wisconsin — and Trump’s desire for some kind of unspecified greater control is blatantly out of line with what’s said in the US Constitution.

“Right at the start, in Article I, the Founders said the elections’ time, place and manner, basically everything, will be set by the state’s basic law,” Vaudreuil said.

With Trump still lying about alleged irregularities in the 2020 election, Vaudreuil said, “Disinformation is an attempt to play you, so you’re frightened and you think the election is fixed.”

We’ve interviewed the three Democratic candidates seeking to flip the 7th Congressional District: Chris Armstrong, Fred Clark, and Ginger Murray.

Incumbent Republican US Rep. Tom Tiffany is leaving the seat to run for governor. Democrats see President Trump’s plummeting popularity as an opportunity to gain back the seat held by Dave Obey for 40 years.

Click the image above to see a video summary of our interviews.

Click HERE to read the story on our website.

Some of the seven Democrats running for Wisconsin governor are releasing plans about what they would do if elected in November. Here are three examples.

1️⃣ Joel Brennan said he would form an accountability commission to document anything illegal done by ICE and other federal agents as part of President Trump’s race-based, quota-driven roundup of people for potential deportation. 

Brennan also said he would call out the National Guard if needed to protect polling places from Trump’s threat to dispatch troops.

2️⃣ Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez has released a healthcare plan that would include a public option for participation in a state-based plan that she said would bring real competition to for-profit and other private sector insurance companies. The state would be able to use its leverage to negotiate for lower prices, she said.

Rodriguez also included a health care “bill of rights” that would ensure coverage for preexisting conditions. She said she would also push to codify abortion rights into state law and expand Medicaid coverage for new moms.

3️⃣ Missy Hughes, former head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, has released an economic development plan she says would create 50,000 new businesses, provide better job training options for up to 100,000 people, and build 200,000 new homes.

Hughes wants more of the state’s budget surplus used for Main Street business grants, low-cost job education in high-demand fields, more apprenticeship opportunities, and other initiatives to boost the economy statewide.

⏮️ Last Week: New nuclear power plant

☢️ EnergySolutions is seeking permission to build a new nuclear power plant at its Kewaunee location. What are your thoughts on a new nuclear generator in eastern Wisconsin?

🄰  27% of respondents say they are in favor of new nuclear generation in our state. 

🄱  Another 19% said they weren’t opposed, but would prefer going another route for power.

🄲  More than 50% said they are opposed.

Your Comments

“Nuclear power has become safer since the late 70’s. It is preffered over carbon based power by a long shot. Electricity is the key to slowing global warming!”

MIlton: “Solar, wind and hydro are dispersed and clean. They are much more secure from hostile attacks.”

“Dangerous energy technology for dangerous data centers? Hmm!”

From Scott in Prairie du Chien: “It’s just too expensive, when you consider the entire life cycle costs. We still haven’t disposed of the waste from the last plant we shut down!”

 ⏭️ This Week: Minimum wage 

Wisconsin’s minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009. Have prices stayed static since 2009? Of course not, some argue, but they say the point is that $7.25 is some kind of “starter wage” for high school kids assembling cheeseburgers. That’s nowhere near reality in today’s job market.

At least 25% of workers earning minimum wage are parents with dependent children. The average age of a minimum wage worker is 35, with 88% of minimum wage workers over the age of 20. 

These are not all “starter jobs.” Minimum wage is simply a polite term for “the lowest some employers can pay their workers, and they’d gladly pay less if they could get away with it.”

Or maybe you disagree? Here’s our question:

Should Wisconsin move beyond the 21 states with a minimum wage stuck at $7.25 per hour?

Click the blue box (below) containing this week’s response options and you’ll be taken to a page on our website where you can press the specific option for your answer.

I’d like to introduce you to Abby, a member of the UpNorthNews team who is collecting the growing number of items we’re adding to our “Do Something!” calendar. We only have space to list a couple of examples and encourage you to see the full list on our website.

Send events, suggestions, or questions to info@upnorthnewswi.com.

Tuesday [Feb 10]

350 Wisconsin – PSC Virtual Public Hearings on Data Centers

(1:00 & 6:00 pm, virtual)

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission is deciding how much data centers in We Energies and WPS territory will pay for electricity and infrastructure. Click on the website link to learn more about the issue, including the links for virtual public hearings on February 10 — or how to submit written comments by February 17.

Wednesday [Feb 11]

Wisconsin Public Education Network – Referenda Basics: Building a Winning Team to Support Local Schools

(6:30-8:00pm, virtual)

How to build a referenda team and the basics of building a winning campaign.

Winnebago County Democrats – Spaghetti Dinner with Kelda Roys and David Crowley 

(5:00-6:30pm, Oshkosh)

Join gubernatorial candidates David Crowley and Kelda Roys. Suggested donations are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 10 and older.

📱 Remember, you can stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great week!