Good Morning.

Welcome to the Lucky No. 13 edition of our new Sunday morning newsletter focused on Wisconsin politics. We’re very thankful you’re here with us today. 

Today’s issue is a little lengthy, but we have some big stories to update you on, including the arrest of a Milwaukee judge by Trump’s FBI and looking ahead to the president’s 100th day in office this week.

And our Question of the Week is still here—we just slid it way down this week because it ties in with our final story. 

💯 Tuesday marks 100 days in office for President Donald Trump—dark days of all pain and no gain. Let’s talk about what this period has meant in Wisconsin as well as the rest of the country. 

To be sure, this whole “DOGE” thing started with what many voters thought were good intentions. “I will create a Government Efficiency Commission tasked with conducting a complete financial performance and audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for reforms,” he told the New York Economic Club last September. 

Sounds harmless, right? Everyone can probably identify something they would consider wasteful spending.

⁉️ But veterans’ health care? Healthy food for low-income families? Public health in our state? A UW-Madison study to figure out how the COVID-19 virus replicates in order to improve future vaccines? Putting local farm food in local school lunches? Farmland conservation? Wisconsin libraries and museums? Lowering utility bills and reducing pollution? Jobs at the National Weather Service and the Environmental Protection Agency? Cancer research? Humanitarian aid?

🐄 Suspending FDA testing on milk?? Does he have any idea what that means to America’s Dairyland?

We could go on, of course. But here’s the point: There is no point. There is no plan.

The administration hasn’t yet shown how all of this chaos is supposed to make things better for the economy and our lives anytime soon. And it’s not as if all of this “savings” will be put into our pockets. It’s all meant to offset massive tax cuts weighted toward the massively wealthy. 

If this has become obvious in the first 100 days, one can only imagine what things might be like by Day 200 – unless this president sees a perpetual public pushback against things voters surely did not vote for.

(Federal courthouse in Milwaukee – AP Photo/Devi Shastri)

President Donald Trump’s FBI arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on Friday morning on felony charges, claiming she “intentionally misdirected” federal agents away from an undocumented immigrant they were trying to arrest at her courthouse on April 18.

It’s the latest in a two-part power play by Trump against the judicial system. He is seeking to not be accountable to judges who rule against some of his actions, defying even the US Supreme Court at times. At the same time, he is seeking to intimidate judges and others in the legal system who try to maintain an independent and co-equal branch of government.

Federal officers have repeatedly come to local courthouses to take alleged undocumented immigrants into custody, a practice criticized by judges and others who note the danger to public safety if people won’t show up for their court appearances for fear of being arrested or if the arrest were to cause a public disturbance. 

Dugan was reportedly angered that federal agents were again using a county courthouse hallway and causing disruptions in the more than two dozen cases she was hearing that day—including one for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant charged as part of a fight with his roommate over music volume. 

Flores-Ruiz was instructed by Dugan to use a different door which still exited into a public hallway. For whatever reason, the agents did not make an arrest but watched as Flores-Ruiz walked to an elevator and out of the building. Once agents approached him outside the courthouse, he tried to run away and was taken into custody.

Reaction was swift from critics like US Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) who said arresting a judge has “all the hallmarks of overreach,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), who called it “a gravely serious and drastic move,” and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who said, “Trump’s FBI is more concerned about weaponizing federal law enforcement, punishing people without due process, and intimidating anyone who opposes those policies, than they are with seeking justice.”

Republican legislators, meanwhile, say they may attempt to remove Judge Dugan from office, assisting Trump with his intimidation campaign against judges.

🔔 Remember 🔔

📻 Our radio show has grown — from two hours a day to three and heard on more stations across the Civic Media radio network. New name, too! “Mornings with Pat Kreitlow” can be heard from 6-9am and seen on our Facebook and YouTube pages. 

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

1️⃣ – Good news for transparency on school voucher costs. The Green Bay City Council has voted to alter property tax bills so that they more accurately reflect the amount of school aid that’s skimmed off the top and given to private schools through the state’s voucher program before public schools get a dime. If public school districts want to make up what the state has taken away for vouchers, they have to seek an increase in local property taxes. Watch and listen as Denise Gaumer Hutchinson of the Wisconsin Public Education Network and state Rep. Amaad Rivera-Wagner tell us about the importance of keeping the voucher program honest. 

2️⃣ – Extra Medicaid postpartum coverage. It’s still far from a done deal, but a big bipartisan step was taken this past week by supporters of extending Medicaid coverage for new moms to 12 months, rather than the current 60 days. Wisconsin and Arkansas are the only two states not to take advantage of increased federal funding to provide stable, affordable health insurance to moms during their most vulnerable health period. The measure passed the state Senate 32-1. It passed overwhelmingly last year, too. But even though a bipartisan majority of state Assembly representatives support the bill, Speaker Robin Vos refuses to allow it to come up for a vote—deriding it and all Medicaid as “welfare.”

3️⃣ – Three candidates for WI Dems chair. All three of the current candidates to be the next chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin appeared on our radio show this week. We spoke to William Garcia on Wednesday, Joe Zepecki on Thursday, and Devin Remiker on Friday. 

👨🏽‍🍼 Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an obstetrician-gynecologist, joined our show on Friday to talk about reports that the Trump administration wants to give women bonuses for having more babies. It’s an interesting  position  given their opposition to things like paid family leave, affordable childcare, and guaranteed health insurance coverage – you know, things that would actually make having more kids easier for parents.

👶🏼 Take a couple of minutes to watch and listen to Dr. Lyerly’s prescription for a truly family-friendly platform.

Which leads us to the…

⏮️ Last week: What kind of veto power should Wisconsin governors have?

 25% – Unlimited veto power 

 65% – Leave the partial veto as-is

 10% – No more partial vetoes

From Randal: (B) Smart governors can keep the process going while eliminating stupid stuff.

⏭️ This Week: 

😘 Like Ron Burgundy in “Anchorman,” Donald Trump wants you to feel… fertile? There’s seriously no way to write this that doesn’t make his intentions sound creepy. But let’s try to turn this into a real question:

What’s the best way the President of the United States can get Americans to grow their families? 

A)  Just say the word, Mr. President. Your appeal to our patriotic sense of duty is all the encouragement we need to make more babies.

B)  Straight cash: The $5,000 bonus he’s reportedly considering.

C)  Family friendly policies. Healthcare, childcare, safe quality schools, affordable tuition.

D)  Leave us alone, you sick puppy. It’s a private decision and nothing the government can do should make anyone feel compelled to procreate.

To answer this week’s question or to suggest a different answer, hit reply or email me directly at pat@couriernewsroom.com, and we may share it in a future newsletter or on UpNorthNews Radio.

🏁 Thanks for reading today’s update.

Have a great week.