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>> The following program is
a PBS Wisconsin original

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production.
>> We want to figure out

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who won our election on
Election Day.

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>> Several new state
election laws proposed at

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the Capitol. But solutions
to problems are not

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promised.
I'm Frederica Freyberg

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tonight on "Here& Now". A
state lawmaker pushes for

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earlier counting of
absentee ballots. Plus, the

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latest candidates to enter
next year's race for

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governor. An expert on
autism explains recent

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claims about the cause of
the condition. And finally,

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we learn how federal cuts
are impacting a tribal

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radio station in Wisconsin.
It's "Here& Now" for

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September 26th.
[MUSIC]

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>> Funding for Here and Now
is provided by the Focus

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Fund for Journalism and
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

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>> First, an immigration
enforcement operation in

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Wisconsin late this week.
The joint operation,

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including the FBI in
Milwaukee and Ice agents,

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arrested 21 people in
Manitowoc County. The FBI

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says all those arrested are
in the country illegally,

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with nine of them targeted
for suspected involvement

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in the sexual assault and
human trafficking of

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children. An immigration
rights organization in

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Manitowoc said this about
Thursday's arrest, quote,

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it is both reckless and
harmful to connect all

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those detained today with
allegations of sex

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trafficking. At least one
of today's actions targeted

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a group of dairy workers
who gather every morning in

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the same place and ride
together to work. At the

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Capitol. A new slate of
legislative proposals would

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speed up the return of
election results by

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allowing the counting of
absentee ballots the Monday

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before polls open and make.
A Siegler changes,

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including security for
absentee ballot boxes. The

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Republican author of the
bills is looking to work

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across the aisle on the
measures. But even those

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Democrats agreeing to a
bipartisan process don't

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yet support the proposals.
So where do any of these

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election rules stand? We
asked the Assembly

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Assistant Majority leader
and Vice chair of the

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Assembly Committee on
Campaigns and Elections,

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Representative Scott Krug.
I spoke with him earlier.

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Representative Krug, thanks
very much for being here.

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>> It's great to be here.
allowing an early count of

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absentee ballots on the
Monday before a Tuesday

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election?
>> Yeah, we just know from

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the last few cycles that
Milwaukee has been the the

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later reporter amongst the
election results in the

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state of Wisconsin. It's
led to conspiracies that

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there is late night ballot
dumps and all kinds of

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conjecture that's built
from that and exploded over

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the years every time we
have a statewide election.

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So the answer is to do what
43 other states do, and to

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figure out a way that we
can get the ballots counted

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and people can go to bed
knowing who won the

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election on Election day.
>> What kind of support do

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you have for that?
>> You know, the state

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Assembly voice voted last
session. This session,

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we've got to figure out a
way to get it through the

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state Senate. So we've got
to do it a little bit

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differently than we did
components of the absentee

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processing on Monday are
the same as they were last

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session. But now it's
combined with a few

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different ideas. So we've
got to build some support

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in the state Senate to get
there.

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to do with new security
rules for ballot drop boxes.

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>> Yeah.
>> What do those look like?

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>> So what we did is we
worked with some groups to

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do some polling to see what
the most important issues

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in elections were. And the
two things that people

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talked about the most were
knowing who won the

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election before they go to
bed and making sure drop

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boxes are safe and secure.
So this bill combines those

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two ideas and says all the
guidance from the federal

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government on drop boxes,
all the guidance from the

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for size, standards,
locations, dates and times

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of uses. And we're going to
do what other states do and

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video record the use of
drop boxes in the state of

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Wisconsin.
>> So when President Trump

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says he wants to ban mail
in voting and go back to

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hand-counting ballots, you
said in an article I read,

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quote, we put out the fire.
He stokes it. What do you

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mean by that?
>> Yeah, there's a

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competition, right? Is
every time we get to an

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answer on what Wisconsin
election should look like,

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and under the Constitution,
we have the right as a

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state to decide what our
elections look like. So our

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bill package does talk
about a lot of the things

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that President Trump has
brought up about security,

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knowing who the person is,
who's voting, things like

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that. But we also want to
know, like I've said a few

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times, that we want to know
who won the election on

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Election day, going back to
hand counting or not using

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machines delays that into
perpetuity. So just trying

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to set aside the conjecture
that the machines are the

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problem or that we're
having late night ballot

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dumps. We can still do
absentee voting by mail in

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Wisconsin and get the job
done on Election Day.

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>> Now you're looking for
bipartisan agreement on

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these bills and held a news
conference this week with a

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Democratic lawmaker. Here's
what she had to say.

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>> I do not endorse any of
his bills and his package,

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and I don't support the
current draft of Monday

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processing or absentee
ballot guidelines. But

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setting that aside, today,
we are meeting the moment

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our country and our state
has never been more divided

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and more contentious. The
partisan divide has become

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not just contentious, but
even hostile. Rep Krug and

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I will continue to model
that civil conversations

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and debate can happen in
the same room, from the

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same podium, and with the
same goal in mind, in spite

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of diverging ideas. And as
I have told him, I look

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forward to this spirited
debate in a future

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committee hearing.
>> So this is this is super

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interesting that
Representative Snodgrass

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endorse your proposals, but
she stands beside you. What

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is this about?
>> We have struck up this

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relationship on elections
the last three years, ever

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since I took the committee
that each other at least

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know what the others are
doing, that we don't want

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to surprise each other
first and foremost. That

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second, we talk about
concepts before they come

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to committee so we can have
an idea of what we're

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trying to have an exchange
of ideas on. And third,

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that we sit in that room in
front of the public and

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hash out our differences
when it comes to what we

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think is the most important
issue in Wisconsin, it was

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just elections. We know
that the building is seen

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as you know, elections are
a proxy for almost

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everything that we do. If
we don't have safe, secure

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elections and trust in our
system, people aren't going

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to trust anything else we
do in the Capitol. So this

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relationship is built just
on the idea that we want to

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make sure we each know what
we're doing.

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Democrats, as you know, who
decry your efforts, saying

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the bills add in partizan
poison pills that come from

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the, quote, extreme flank
of the Republican caucus.

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Referencing things like
rules around election

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observers. What's your
response to that?

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as the extreme flank of my
party, I don't know how to

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tell them, you know, who
might actually be. But

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these are things that we've
talked about in committee

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the last three years,
whether it's ballot curing,

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whether it's drop boxes,
whether it's Monday

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processing. There's nothing
new in any of these in any

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of this project that we're
working on. It's just the

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way that they're combined.
I think that makes them not

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understand exactly what
we're trying to accomplish.

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>> Have you worked with
Governor Evers on any of

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this? Do you expect him to
sign this into law should

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they pass?
>> You know, and that's

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what I told the legislative
Democrats, is that, you

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know, to be bipartisan,
they don't necessarily need

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them all to agree. I need
the governor to agree.

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Right. And we're in this
place now where I think the

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governor recognizes he
wants to get some more

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things done. And like I
said, I think the most

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important area that he
could find some bipartisan

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support and build a legacy
is securing our elections

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and building trust for
everybody in the state of

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Wisconsin. So, yeah, we are,
you know, engaged in

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conversations with the
sure they understand

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exactly what we're trying
to accomplish and how, for

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these bills all working
together can expand access,

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ensure results, and make
sure we build confidence.

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>> Representative Scott
>> Absolutely. Thank you.

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>> Two more candidates have
entered the race for

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governor of Wisconsin.
First, this week, current

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U.S. Congressman Tom
Tiffany, a Republican who

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represents the Wausau and
northern Wisconsin area.

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Tiffany is closely aligned
with President Donald Trump,

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especially on immigration
policies. Tiffany joins one

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other Republican in the
race, and throwing his hat

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into the ring is former
state lawmaker Brett Halsey.

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Halsey represented Madison
in the state assembly just

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more than a decade ago. He
is the sixth Democrat to

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announce a run for governor
with 43 and counting. Data

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processing centers are
popping up all over

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Wisconsin. Like the
Microsoft Data Center in

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Mount Pleasant, where the
tech giant is developing a

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100 acre site. After buying
it from Foxconn. Data

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centers contain servers and
drives to store, process,

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and disseminate data.
Companies like Microsoft,

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Amazon, Google and Meta
operate large scale data

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centers. The Great Lakes
region is a popular site

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for them because of the
large amounts of water.

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Data centers need to cool
the equipment. But what

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about the electricity
needed to run them? What

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are the implications of
that usage? We turn to Line

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Roald, professor in the
UW-Madison Department of

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Electrical and Computer
Engineering. And thanks for

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being here.
>> Thank you for having me.

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>> So we know that
everybody talks about the

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millions of gallons of
water that are needed to to

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cool these data centers,
but how much electricity do

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they need to do all that
processing like this.

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Microsoft. 1 and Mt.
Pleasant.

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>> Yeah. So it varies quite
a bit by data center and

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the type of data center.
But the Mt. Pleasant data

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center I think, is supposed
to use about 450MW of power.

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And that is a lot. That's
about the same amount as

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all the households in
Milwaukee together.

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>> And so if you if you
talk about 43 data centers,

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obviously not all is large
as that, but across the

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state of Wisconsin, that's
sucking a lot of power.

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>> Yes it is. Yeah. And the
projection is moving

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forward with even more
particularly of these very

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large data centers coming,
is that it will consume

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really a lot of power that
is going to change, really

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the scope of use of
electricity in Wisconsin.

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>> So this growth of these
centers seems explosive,

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right. And all of a sudden,
have you been surprised by

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it?
on data centers and their

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energy use since about 2018.
And back then it was

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already clear that we are
likely going to see an

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increase in energy use from
data centers just because

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it's getting harder. It was
getting harder to keep up

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the efficiency gains that
have allowed us to do ever

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more computing with
essentially kind of the

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same amount of electricity.
So for a long time,

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electricity use was fairly
flat. But then now. So you

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were expecting that there
would be an increase. But

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of course, with AI and
these large language models

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and these very, very large
models that need really,

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really large data centers
for training and inference,

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it's really been quite
explosive, I would say. So

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it's a bit unprecedented
for the grid to see this

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amount of growth in this
short time period.

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>> In Wisconsin. Do we have
the capacity to provide the

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electricity?
are hundreds and hundreds

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of megawatt of power that
is just kind of laying

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around being, waiting,
waiting to be used. And so

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we don't necessarily have
the capacity to meet all

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00:11:44,371 --> 00:11:48,175
that demand as it is today.
And so we are going to need

236
00:11:48,242 --> 00:11:50,444
new infrastructure, new
transmission lines, new

237
00:11:50,511 --> 00:11:53,113
power plants in order to
meet that demand, because

238
00:11:53,180 --> 00:11:55,182
it's also not like the
regions around us

239
00:11:55,249 --> 00:11:58,252
necessarily have that
energy there.

240
00:11:58,318 --> 00:12:02,556
>> So what about the cost
of this energy demand? And

241
00:12:02,623 --> 00:12:05,158
then that infrastructure of
which you speak, does that

242
00:12:05,225 --> 00:12:07,060
get passed along to the
consumer? Like am I going

243
00:12:07,127 --> 00:12:09,796
to see it in my electric
bill?

244
00:12:11,398 --> 00:12:14,234
How much of it and how that
cost will be spread. So you

245
00:12:14,301 --> 00:12:17,337
can imagine that when more
people want something, the

246
00:12:17,404 --> 00:12:20,207
price sometimes tend to go
up, because there's maybe a

247
00:12:20,274 --> 00:12:24,478
limit to the supply of that
of electricity, but also

248
00:12:24,545 --> 00:12:27,648
the way utilities do things
is that they build

249
00:12:27,714 --> 00:12:31,318
infrastructure to meet the
demand of their customers,

250
00:12:31,385 --> 00:12:34,254
and they have to file what
is called a rate case with

251
00:12:34,321 --> 00:12:37,457
the Public Service
Commission in order to

252
00:12:37,524 --> 00:12:40,460
determine how that cost is
being covered. So they have

253
00:12:40,527 --> 00:12:43,363
to ask for permission to
spend that money to build

254
00:12:43,430 --> 00:12:46,066
that new infrastructure,
and they have to talk about

255
00:12:46,133 --> 00:12:48,402
how they are going to
consumers. And there's a

256
00:12:48,468 --> 00:12:51,038
lot of open questions in
exactly how that is going

257
00:12:51,104 --> 00:12:54,107
to happen. And so I think
both in Wisconsin but also

258
00:12:54,174 --> 00:12:56,376
elsewhere in the country,
there's a lot of questions

259
00:12:56,443 --> 00:13:01,215
of how this might impact
consumer bills. And frankly,

260
00:13:01,281 --> 00:13:04,084
to be to to be honest with
you, I am not entirely sure

261
00:13:04,151 --> 00:13:07,354
where where the Public
Service Commission, for

262
00:13:07,421 --> 00:13:09,289
example, will land with
that, how the utilities

263
00:13:09,356 --> 00:13:12,059
will do things, and also
what kind of contracts

264
00:13:12,125 --> 00:13:14,695
these companies are able to
get with the utilities. A

265
00:13:14,761 --> 00:13:17,197
lot of that will determine
how energy bills will or

266
00:13:17,264 --> 00:13:20,667
might change.
>> What would happen in

267
00:13:20,734 --> 00:13:23,570
peak times like summer. Can
the grid in Wisconsin

268
00:13:23,637 --> 00:13:26,173
manage that load, and are
there concerns about

269
00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,243
blackouts or that kind of
thing?

270
00:13:30,444 --> 00:13:33,447
during peak times in summer,
it can be challenging to

271
00:13:33,514 --> 00:13:37,251
meet the demand as it is
today. So we have seen in

272
00:13:37,317 --> 00:13:42,222
past years that there has
been warnings by Nordyke,

273
00:13:42,289 --> 00:13:46,360
who is the regulatory body
that has been saying that,

274
00:13:46,426 --> 00:13:50,497
okay, there could be
challenges meeting peak

275
00:13:50,564 --> 00:13:54,001
during summer peak hours.
And so what we might be

276
00:13:54,067 --> 00:13:56,470
seeing is that there is a
need for more demand

277
00:13:56,537 --> 00:13:59,139
response. I mean, you might
be familiar with, for

278
00:13:59,206 --> 00:14:01,842
example, energy rush hours
where the utility says,

279
00:14:01,909 --> 00:14:04,211
okay, I'm going to control
the thermostat in your home

280
00:14:04,278 --> 00:14:06,713
and make it a little bit
warmer during those peak

281
00:14:06,780 --> 00:14:09,316
hours to reduce the amount
of electricity that we need

282
00:14:09,383 --> 00:14:12,719
in order to cool the house.
During summer when it's

283
00:14:12,786 --> 00:14:16,290
very warm. And so of course,
this happens. If it happens,

284
00:14:16,356 --> 00:14:19,326
it happens at a household
level. There are very small

285
00:14:19,393 --> 00:14:21,461
changes in energy demand,
and the effect comes from

286
00:14:21,528 --> 00:14:24,097
many, many people adjusting
their temperatures at the

287
00:14:24,164 --> 00:14:27,467
same time. So we could see
more of that. But we could

288
00:14:27,534 --> 00:14:30,103
also see that data centers
actively participate in

289
00:14:30,170 --> 00:14:33,774
this and that they are able
to reduce their energy

290
00:14:33,841 --> 00:14:37,244
demand during those peak
to do so, we are going to

291
00:14:37,311 --> 00:14:39,246
need less infrastructure.
There would be less stress

292
00:14:39,313 --> 00:14:42,950
on the grid, and there
would be a lower chance

293
00:14:43,016 --> 00:14:47,187
that there would be large
Blackouts, typically.

294
00:14:47,254 --> 00:14:50,123
Hopefully we will not see
that because utilities are

295
00:14:50,190 --> 00:14:53,527
quite good at predicting
energy demand and

296
00:14:53,594 --> 00:14:56,296
particularly large data
possible to know a little

297
00:14:56,363 --> 00:14:59,466
bit in advance how much
they will use, so hopefully

298
00:14:59,533 --> 00:15:03,103
we would not get there. But
but there's definitely an

299
00:15:03,170 --> 00:15:04,972
increased stress on the
grid that could be

300
00:15:05,038 --> 00:15:07,341
challenging to manage.
>> All right. Well thank

301
00:15:07,407 --> 00:15:11,111
you very much, Professor
Line Roald. Thanks. Also

302
00:15:11,178 --> 00:15:14,047
this week, abortion
provider Planned Parenthood

303
00:15:14,114 --> 00:15:17,484
of Wisconsin announced that
it will temporarily stop

304
00:15:17,551 --> 00:15:20,320
scheduling abortion
appointments as of next

305
00:15:20,387 --> 00:15:24,124
week, calling it a pause.
Planned Parenthood says

306
00:15:24,191 --> 00:15:27,661
it's due to recent federal
budget changes that affect

307
00:15:27,728 --> 00:15:30,964
its ability to receive
Medicaid funding online.

308
00:15:31,031 --> 00:15:33,333
The organization said it
will, quote, provide the

309
00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,170
full spectrum of
reproductive health care,

310
00:15:36,236 --> 00:15:40,474
including abortion. As soon
as we are able to. In other

311
00:15:40,541 --> 00:15:43,177
medical news, the Waisman
center on the UW-Madison

312
00:15:43,243 --> 00:15:46,613
campus is a leader in
research and care of people

313
00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,483
with autism. So what did
professionals there think?

314
00:15:49,550 --> 00:15:52,319
When, this week, President
Donald Trump told pregnant

315
00:15:52,386 --> 00:15:56,690
women not to take Tylenol
as his administration

316
00:15:56,757 --> 00:15:59,059
warned of an association
with acetaminophen and

317
00:15:59,126 --> 00:16:03,030
autism? At the same time,
the FDA commissioner also

318
00:16:03,096 --> 00:16:07,201
announced the agency would
work to fast track a folic

319
00:16:07,267 --> 00:16:11,071
acid metabolite called
leucovorin to treat autism.

320
00:16:11,138 --> 00:16:14,508
Direct Admit. Weizmann
Centers Autism and

321
00:16:14,575 --> 00:16:16,844
Developmental Disabilities
Clinic. Lily Wagner joins

322
00:16:16,910 --> 00:16:19,012
us. And thanks very much
for being here.

323
00:16:19,079 --> 00:16:21,281
>> Yeah, thank you for
having me.

324
00:16:21,348 --> 00:16:23,450
>> So first, the
announcement that Tylenol

325
00:16:23,517 --> 00:16:28,222
associated with autism in
children. Is that true?

326
00:16:28,288 --> 00:16:32,626
>> I think the best answer
that we have, and that we

327
00:16:32,693 --> 00:16:35,829
can tell patients of ours
confidently, is that the

328
00:16:35,896 --> 00:16:40,901
really good science and
that. Tylenol causes autism.

329
00:16:43,270 --> 00:16:47,407
We do have decades of
research showing that

330
00:16:47,474 --> 00:16:51,245
things like maternal fever
and pain during pregnancy

331
00:16:51,311 --> 00:16:55,582
can have significant risks,
including including some

332
00:16:55,649 --> 00:17:00,354
developmental delays or
differences. But but no,

333
00:17:00,420 --> 00:17:02,856
there's there's no evidence
of a causal relationship at

334
00:17:02,923 --> 00:17:06,260
this time.
your clinic been getting

335
00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,363
from families about this?
>> Yeah, I think as you can

336
00:17:09,429 --> 00:17:13,333
imagine, we have a lot of
moms who are feeling a lot

337
00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:17,771
of different things right
now. Very distressed. Very.

338
00:17:17,838 --> 00:17:21,975
A lot of guilt, a lot of
worry about this. And I

339
00:17:23,777 --> 00:17:28,282
think one thing that we're
trying to tell families is

340
00:17:28,348 --> 00:17:31,418
that they don't have to
make the decision about

341
00:17:31,485 --> 00:17:34,254
whether or not to use
Tylenol by themselves. You

342
00:17:34,321 --> 00:17:37,391
know, we were trying to
really encourage them to

343
00:17:37,457 --> 00:17:40,260
reach out to their trusted
health care providers,

344
00:17:40,327 --> 00:17:43,363
their pediatrician, their
own personal doctor or ob

345
00:17:43,430 --> 00:17:47,000
gyn, and have them walk
them through the studies

346
00:17:47,067 --> 00:17:50,170
that are showing these
associations and walk them

347
00:17:50,237 --> 00:17:53,941
through the recommendations
that are put out there by

348
00:17:54,007 --> 00:17:59,680
professional organizations
because, you know, it is so

349
00:17:59,746 --> 00:18:03,283
confusing. All the mixed
they should they should be

350
00:18:03,350 --> 00:18:07,321
able to get guidance from
people they trust.

351
00:18:07,387 --> 00:18:10,257
children diagnosed with
autism has been on the rise.

352
00:18:10,324 --> 00:18:14,061
Do researchers know why?
>> Yes. So the the newest

353
00:18:14,127 --> 00:18:17,297
prevalence rates it has
been increasing for

354
00:18:17,364 --> 00:18:19,299
probably prevalence has
been increasing for the

355
00:18:19,366 --> 00:18:23,670
past 20 years. I think now
we're at one inch 31 as the

356
00:18:23,737 --> 00:18:27,374
most recent numbers. And
they're likely there are

357
00:18:27,441 --> 00:18:32,346
many different reasons for
that. There is increased

358
00:18:33,547 --> 00:18:37,117
access to services, there
are better children are

359
00:18:37,184 --> 00:18:41,121
being identified much
earlier. They're being

360
00:18:41,188 --> 00:18:44,825
identified. We have better
screening practices. The

361
00:18:44,892 --> 00:18:49,229
diagnostic criteria has
changed over time. There

362
00:18:49,296 --> 00:18:51,331
are likely also some
genetic and environmental

363
00:18:51,398 --> 00:18:54,268
factors that, you know, I
won't speak to directly

364
00:18:54,334 --> 00:18:59,072
because that's not my field.
But certainly there is not

365
00:18:59,139 --> 00:19:03,610
one cause. And I do just
want to point out that the

366
00:19:03,677 --> 00:19:06,413
use of acetaminophen
Tylenol has has plateaued

367
00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,650
or decreased over the past
20 years, so it would be

368
00:19:09,716 --> 00:19:13,053
hard to explain the
decrease in that with the

369
00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:16,123
increase in autism. If if
there was a causal

370
00:19:16,190 --> 00:19:19,660
relationship.
cure or treatment for

371
00:19:21,562 --> 00:19:25,766
autism, the drug Leucovorin.
Leucovorin Leucovorin. Is

372
00:19:25,832 --> 00:19:29,403
that promising?
>> You know, I think I

373
00:19:29,469 --> 00:19:33,340
think potentially promising
is a nice way to describe

374
00:19:33,407 --> 00:19:37,544
it. I think right now there
is not enough scientific

375
00:19:37,611 --> 00:19:42,249
evidence to support it as a
treatment for autism. Again,

376
00:19:42,316 --> 00:19:46,253
I would encourage any
interested families to talk

377
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,956
to their healthcare
providers about whether

378
00:19:49,022 --> 00:19:53,093
their specific child could
potentially benefit from

379
00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,663
Leucovorin. There is not
enough evidence to support

380
00:19:56,730 --> 00:20:00,434
it as a treatment right now,
although there are some

381
00:20:00,501 --> 00:20:03,036
larger randomized
controlled trials underway

382
00:20:03,103 --> 00:20:06,840
across the country.
>> Could it could it cause

383
00:20:06,907 --> 00:20:11,044
unrealistic hope for
>> Yeah, I think I think

384
00:20:11,111 --> 00:20:14,348
when you when you put a
promise of a treatment out

385
00:20:14,414 --> 00:20:17,184
there before there's the
science to support it, it's

386
00:20:17,251 --> 00:20:21,488
not helpful. And I think it
can just add to the

387
00:20:21,555 --> 00:20:26,093
confusion and kind of chaos
going on right now. Yes.

388
00:20:26,159 --> 00:20:29,229
>> What should people do
families do with this

389
00:20:29,296 --> 00:20:31,532
information coming from the
federal government right

390
00:20:31,598 --> 00:20:33,934
now?
>> You know, I think I

391
00:20:34,501 --> 00:20:38,172
think back to what I said,
I would really encourage

392
00:20:38,238 --> 00:20:41,909
families to reach out to
providers that they trust

393
00:20:41,975 --> 00:20:44,578
and listen to their
recommendations because

394
00:20:44,645 --> 00:20:46,246
they're basing their
recommendations on science,

395
00:20:46,313 --> 00:20:51,018
on evidence. And I and I
also want to say that it's

396
00:20:51,084 --> 00:20:55,289
very harmful to the autism
community. I think the way

397
00:20:55,355 --> 00:20:58,425
that some people are
talking about autism as a,

398
00:20:58,492 --> 00:21:02,262
you know, something that
needs to be cured or, or

399
00:21:02,329 --> 00:21:05,532
something that's harmful to
families. I think autistic

400
00:21:05,599 --> 00:21:10,170
people really add so much
to our society, and we

401
00:21:10,237 --> 00:21:13,974
should really be working to
identify ways to better

402
00:21:14,041 --> 00:21:17,077
support them. Yeah.
>> All right. Lily Wagner,

403
00:21:17,144 --> 00:21:19,012
thanks very much.
>> Thank you.

404
00:21:19,079 --> 00:21:22,416
>> In northern Wisconsin,
the only tribal radio

405
00:21:22,482 --> 00:21:25,419
station in the state won't
see federal funding from

406
00:21:25,485 --> 00:21:29,189
the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting after this

407
00:21:29,256 --> 00:21:33,493
week. Following the cuts,
88.9 FM says it will

408
00:21:36,897 --> 00:21:42,469
explore unconventional ways
air in collaboration with

409
00:21:42,536 --> 00:21:45,305
Ikt, formerly Indian
Country Today. Here and now

410
00:21:45,372 --> 00:21:48,909
reporter Erika Ayisi
visited Woodland Community

411
00:21:48,976 --> 00:21:53,347
Radio in Hayward to learn
more. We should mention

412
00:21:53,413 --> 00:21:56,483
Wisconsin Public Media also
lost CPB funding. Here's

413
00:21:56,550 --> 00:21:59,253
Erika's report.
>> And we're going to miss

414
00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:04,124
that greatly. 40% plus now
between 40 and 45% of our

415
00:22:04,191 --> 00:22:07,294
funding. That's a bunch of
money is going away.

416
00:22:07,361 --> 00:22:10,664
>> Jeffrey Jones, host of
the afternoon show, wants

417
00:22:10,731 --> 00:22:14,101
listeners to know how much
federal funding would be

418
00:22:14,168 --> 00:22:18,739
lost due to the vote to
defund the Corporation for

419
00:22:21,074 --> 00:22:23,977
>> Now, more than ever, we
need our listeners. So

420
00:22:24,044 --> 00:22:27,181
again.
drive asking listeners to

421
00:22:27,247 --> 00:22:31,518
hear his he'd for donations.
>> We have an extra week of

422
00:22:31,585 --> 00:22:34,154
of coming to you, our
listeners, to ask for your

423
00:22:34,221 --> 00:22:38,025
support to expand.
>> Kaardal Houdek, general

424
00:22:38,091 --> 00:22:41,161
manager of Woodland
Community Radio, says the

425
00:22:41,228 --> 00:22:43,397
station needs generous
support to keep Wisconsin's

426
00:22:43,463 --> 00:22:47,267
only tribal radio station
on the airwaves.

427
00:22:47,334 --> 00:22:50,103
>> For next year, we're
going to have to look for

428
00:22:50,170 --> 00:22:54,975
approximately $230,000 to
to maintain what we have

429
00:22:56,109 --> 00:22:58,679
going.
>> Received funding

430
00:23:00,747 --> 00:23:04,284
distributed by CPB. It was
defunded in July as part of

431
00:23:04,351 --> 00:23:07,988
President Donald Trump's
Rescission Act of 2025. The

432
00:23:08,055 --> 00:23:11,758
administration took back
$1.1 billion in

433
00:23:11,825 --> 00:23:15,295
Pre-allocated CPB funds,
threatening the operation

434
00:23:15,362 --> 00:23:19,233
of 57 tribal stations
across the country. Like

435
00:23:19,299 --> 00:23:23,303
88.9 FM in Hayward.
>> It kind of breaks my

436
00:23:23,370 --> 00:23:26,740
heart to see it, but that's
what's going on in this

437
00:23:26,807 --> 00:23:31,178
world today. And we're we
get the repercussions of

438
00:23:31,245 --> 00:23:34,248
that.
>> Houdek says. W.o.j. B

439
00:23:34,314 --> 00:23:37,918
self generates funds
through listener donations,

440
00:23:37,985 --> 00:23:41,255
underwriting and leasing
their radio towers.

441
00:23:41,321 --> 00:23:45,893
>> We actually made over
$250,000 last year on our

442
00:23:46,793 --> 00:23:49,062
own.
>> But Harbeck says the

443
00:23:49,129 --> 00:23:51,298
rural radio station needs
more.

444
00:23:51,365 --> 00:23:54,101
>> We're not going to be
able to make it with

445
00:23:54,168 --> 00:23:56,537
listener donors and
underwriting together.

446
00:23:56,603 --> 00:24:00,507
Still not enough.
>> JB is on the Lac Courte

447
00:24:02,009 --> 00:24:04,311
Oreilles Ojibwe Nation
Reservation. Houdek says

448
00:24:04,378 --> 00:24:08,248
they went on the air in
1982 out of activism

449
00:24:08,315 --> 00:24:10,617
amongst the Lac Courte
Oreilles Ojibwe tribal

450
00:24:10,684 --> 00:24:13,587
members.
>> The creators of the

451
00:24:14,254 --> 00:24:17,090
station were concerned
about not having a voice

452
00:24:17,157 --> 00:24:21,028
and not being heard.
>> Boat landings were

453
00:24:21,094 --> 00:24:23,397
spears or fishing are
packed with protesters,

454
00:24:23,463 --> 00:24:28,068
cops and reporters.
>> In the late 80s, Harbeck

455
00:24:28,135 --> 00:24:31,405
says Ojb educated listeners
about tribal sovereignty

456
00:24:31,471 --> 00:24:34,708
and ceded territory during
the Walleye Wars.

457
00:24:34,775 --> 00:24:37,411
Spearfishing controversy.
>> You're going to take

458
00:24:37,477 --> 00:24:38,912
everything that's allowed
to anybody else, and that's

459
00:24:38,979 --> 00:24:41,548
not right.
>> A lot of people

460
00:24:42,416 --> 00:24:46,587
misunderstood or didn't
care to understand the the

461
00:24:46,653 --> 00:24:50,090
treaty, the hunting and
fishing rights of the

462
00:24:50,157 --> 00:24:53,360
Ojibwe people in, in
northern Wisconsin.

463
00:24:53,427 --> 00:24:57,130
>> Welcome. Welcome to Ojb.
>> Thank you. And today,

464
00:24:57,197 --> 00:24:59,566
Horlbeck says listeners,
tune in from the Northwoods

465
00:24:59,633 --> 00:25:04,104
and beyond. Operating at
100,000W, reaching nearly

466
00:25:04,171 --> 00:25:06,974
100 miles in every
direction.

467
00:25:07,341 --> 00:25:10,244
>> We just barely get up to
superior. But if you get up

468
00:25:10,310 --> 00:25:13,413
on the hill in Duluth, we
reach that far. We'll reach

469
00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:17,885
down, you know, maybe as
far as Amory, as far east

470
00:25:17,951 --> 00:25:21,255
as easily Park Falls.
>> Hubbard says he's

471
00:25:21,321 --> 00:25:23,123
hopeful that his
conversations with Native

472
00:25:23,190 --> 00:25:26,426
Public Media, a Native
American based public

473
00:25:26,493 --> 00:25:30,163
broadcasting organization,
will help generate funds.

474
00:25:30,230 --> 00:25:33,534
>> I think they could come
up with something

475
00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,502
significant.
>> As he waits for South

476
00:25:35,569 --> 00:25:39,373
Dakota Senator Mike rounds
to make good on his promise

477
00:25:39,439 --> 00:25:42,676
with the Trump
administration to take $9.4

478
00:25:42,743 --> 00:25:45,979
million of unused climate
change money and reallocate

479
00:25:46,046 --> 00:25:48,949
it to certain tribal
stations.

480
00:25:49,483 --> 00:25:52,152
>> I think it included the
most needy tribes I know.

481
00:25:52,219 --> 00:25:56,290
We made the list.
>> A list hasn't been made

482
00:25:56,356 --> 00:26:00,227
public, but Harbeck says
the staff and volunteers at

483
00:26:00,294 --> 00:26:04,231
Ojb are up to the challenge.
>> I'm Jeff and it's the

484
00:26:04,298 --> 00:26:08,035
afternoon here on reserve.
>> And Opportunity.

485
00:26:08,101 --> 00:26:11,371
>> We're broadcasting from
Lac Courte Oreilles.

486
00:26:11,438 --> 00:26:15,309
>> To keep their community
programing on the airwaves.

487
00:26:15,375 --> 00:26:17,744
>> So we're going to have
to do something above and

488
00:26:17,811 --> 00:26:21,048
beyond to generate the
funds that we need that are

489
00:26:21,114 --> 00:26:23,183
unconventional to what
we're used to doing.

490
00:26:23,250 --> 00:26:27,154
>> Music from Perfume
Genius here on B, from the

491
00:26:27,221 --> 00:26:29,923
new one called.
>> Reporting from the Lac

492
00:26:29,990 --> 00:26:33,026
Courte Oreilles Reservation.
I'm Erica Ayisi for "Here&

493
00:26:33,093 --> 00:26:36,330
Now" and ICT.
>> For more on this and

494
00:26:37,130 --> 00:26:39,099
other issues facing
Wisconsin, visit our

495
00:26:39,166 --> 00:26:43,337
website at PBS Wisconsin.
Org and then click on the

496
00:26:43,403 --> 00:26:46,073
news tab. That's our
program for tonight I'm

497
00:26:46,139 --> 00:26:50,043
Frederica Freyberg. Have a
good weekend.

498
00:26:53,847 --> 00:26:57,584
>> Funding for "Here& Now"
is provided by the Focus

499
00:26:57,651 --> 00:27:02,322
Fund for Journalism and
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.