PBS Wisconsin Original production.
>> I believe that we need to be clear eyed about why
the price of gas is going up.
>> Global economic impacts and the price of oil add to
the fallout of a war with Iran.
And Iranians voiced the personal toll of the
ongoing conflict. [MUSIC]
Tonight on "Here& Now" we hear from Iranians in
Wisconsin watching the war unfold in their homeland,
an important bridge connecting Superior and
Duluth awaits federal funding. We hear from
candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court and governor,
and an Oneida program maintains traditional
tribal foods. It's "Here& Now" for March 13th.
[MUSIC] >> Funding for here and Now
is provided by the Focus Fund for Journalism and
Friends of PBS Wisconsin. >> Watching and living the
war from afar. That's what Iranians in Wisconsin face
as they worry and wonder about family and friends.
They're cut off from communication "Here& Now".
Reporter Steven Potter spoke with two Iranian
people in Milwaukee about being so disconnected from
loved ones during these times, and the hopes they
have for their homeland after the war.
>> Watching the war in Iran unfold from thousands of
miles away is causing a lot of worry for Wisconsin
residents like Zahra Fakhri and Ali Soltani.
Communication with loved ones still in Iran is
infrequent at best. >> It's because of the
blackout. There's no way to call them. So they're
calling us directly by the phone lines. And the
quality of the call is terrible. What they say is
always that we're we are okay. Everything is fine.
>> Have you been in contact with friends and family
that you have in Iran? >> Yes. Internet is cut off,
right? So my sister just yesterday through landline
had called me. They all have moved to smaller
cities, so they're not in Tehran anymore, even in the
small cities, a couple places where these are the
garrisons and security forces, places that have
been hit. She knew about those. But Tehran is really
a lot of people here, a lot of loud noises, the bombing
and scare some people. Of course.
>> Fakhri and Soltani have different feelings about
the United States and Israel beginning the war in
Iran and removing the country's supreme leader
from power. >> It was the last option
for us. At first, we were so happy because of the
intervention that we were waiting for. After that, we
got really happy and thrilled because of the
death of the Khomeini. But we all knew that it's not
just one person, it's a systematic. We cannot say
that and topple that government down just by
killing one person. >> We have always opposed
foreign war. It's a very brutal regime. So some
people, because they were fed up, they they said, oh,
United States come and attack that kind of
mentality. But foreign interference will never end
up well in the long run. >> But Fakhri and Soltani
do agree that it should be the Iranian people who
decide who leads their homeland, and it should not
be the leaders of other countries who choose Iran's
next government, who should lead Iran.
>> Whoever. Iranian people inside Iran and Iranian
people outside of Iran agreeing with.
>> We want the US, the international community to
let the Iranians. After 120 years of fighting for
freedom, we don't want to go back to another
dictatorship. It doesn't matter how you sugarcoat it.
It's a dictatorship. We don't want to go to one man
rule. We don't want no clergy. We don't want no
Shah. We want a non-nuclear, secular, democratic
republic based on rule of law, that if you don't like
somebody, you can vote them out, right? Just like us,
just like France, just like many democratic countries.
>> What resolution are you hoping for in the end?
>> Getting rid of Islamic regime, Iranian people
doing their job to make the country free and having a
secular government and better place and showing
the world what is real Iran and what is real Iranian
people, and how it could be a better world with
peaceful country in the Middle East. That's what we
are looking for. >> We want the US and every
other country to recognize our right to choose our own
form of government. That is what's dear to us. And
that's what actually, in the long run, is for the
benefit of Iran and the international community.
>> Reporting from Milwaukee. I'm Steven Potter for "Here&
Now". >> An iconic connector
between superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota is
set to close early next year. The Blatnik Bridge
opened in 1961, and now more than 65 years later,
is scheduled for reconstruction. According
to the governor's office, more than 33,000 vehicles
cross every day and more than 265,000 transport
trucks traverse the bridge each year. In 2024, former
President Joe Biden visited superior to draw attention
to funding just over $1 billion for the project. As
part of the bipartisan infrastructure law. But now,
U.S. senators in two states and Wisconsin Governor Tony
Evers, have written letters to the U.S. Department of
Transportation to release that funding so the project
can proceed. Superior Merrick Jim Paine is part
of the chorus calling for the grant money to be
released, and is heading to Washington to personally
appeal to D.O.T. and Secretary Sean Duffy. So
the project can get going. He joins us from Superior
and Mayor. Thanks for being here.
>> Yeah. Of course. Thanks for having me.
>> So how critical is it to get this funding released
sooner rather than later? >> Well, at first will be
okay because the there are some delays built into the
project. The problem is this the later we start,
the later we finish and the. The effect of the closure
of the bridge is significant. And that's
what we're preparing for. And any extension of that
closure is problematic for the economy and quality of
life of both superior and neighboring Duluth. So the
later it starts, the later it finishes.
>> What has the U.S. Dot told you about when that
might happen? >> Nothing. And until now,
we had reasonable assurances that this was
going to happen. There was a lot of uncertainty at the
start of this presidential administration, but that
was supposed to have been resolved that that this
project was going forward. So this is a very
frustrating delay. >> And Transportation
Secretary Sean Duffy, of course, knows the region,
having represented it and and knows the importance of
this bridge. >> I would hope so. I would
think so. This is a vital connector, not just for the
cities of Superior and Duluth or the states of
Wisconsin and Minnesota. This is an international
connector. The age of the bridge already limits the
freight loads. There's almost no freight that
moves over it, but it's going to be a vital
connector for international shipping between Michigan,
Canada, northern Minnesota, really the entire continent.
It's a very vital connection. The Secretary
of Transportation should understand that and
recognize this. Look, one of the most important
things to note here, there is no question about the
fact that this bridge is closing. It is at the end
of its life. It is going to close. The only question in
front of us is whether it's going to reopen with a new
bridge and when. >> So when the bridge
closes, how will people get across?
>> There's another bridge. The Bong Bridge is another
major connector which can handle the load, but it's
going to create significant bottlenecks. If you look at
even a map of Wisconsin, you can see superior is
sitting as a nice little hat there at the very
northwest corner, and it already creates some
backlogs. When enough freight is moving through
the city, that will become demonstrably worse during
bridge closure. So the longer that lasts, the the
greater the impacts on quality of life and
commerce. >> Meanwhile, your city has
already expended money toward the eventual
replacement of the bridge. What is the preparation and
that expenditure? >> There's been millions
and millions of dollars in prep. A lot of it has been
relocation of whole businesses, some of them as
much as 100 years old that were operating at the foot
of that bridge. We cleared it all out and look, we did
our part. We spent a significant amount of
public, local money, city of superior money to help
relocate businesses, to improve transportation
networks, to actually rebuild streets, improve
them, to mitigate traffic, to to prepare for faster
and more efficient emergency response during
bridge closure. We have done our part. The state of
Wisconsin, the state of Minnesota have done their
part. Everything is ready. We're waiting for the
federal government to to live up to its end of the
deal. >> And so the new bridge is
supposed to be up and operating by, what, 2031?
>> Hope so this is a transportation project, and
any transportation project involves delays. So an
unforeseen delay like this, a what seems to be a
political delay only adds to the uncertainty and
complexity of an already uncertain and complex
project. >> So Republican lawmakers
say the funding will be released and it's not in
jeopardy. You just used the word political. What do you
what do you think the holdup is?
>> I honestly don't know. I've worked with many
different state and federal administrations at this
administration. And while there have been there's
been plenty of disagreement on priorities. I've never
dealt with this level of chaos. I don't know what
the holdup is. I appreciate that lawmakers are saying
that it will be released. Well, then release it, sign
the document, show us that we have the money so
planning and preparation can resume. I don't know if
if it's so guaranteed. Let's hear that from the
Secretary of Administration. Words do not build bridges.
Actions do. >> Mayor Jim Paine, thanks
very much. >> Thank you.
>> In the last few weeks, President Donald Trump has
continued to dredge up conspiracy theories about
his election loss to Joe Biden in 2020. Election
controversies are often settled in court. The
Wisconsin Supreme Court election is less than a
month away, pitting conservative candidate
Judge Maria Lazar against Liberal candidate Judge
Chris Taylor. Here and now. Senior political reporter
Zach Schultz interviewed the candidates about an
important Supreme Court decision from the 2020
election to ask them how they would have ruled.
>> We won. Let's go. >> In the days after Joe
Biden won Wisconsin and the race for president in 2020,
Donald Trump and his supporters immediately
began spreading election conspiracies among his
efforts to overturn the election, Trump's campaign
sued in Wisconsin, attempting to throw out
220,000 ballots in Dane and Milwaukee counties, the two
largest Democratic areas of the state. The case reached
the Wisconsin Supreme Court as Trump v Biden and with
conservatives in control of the court, it was Justice
Bryan Hagedorn who sided with the three liberal
justices to deny Trump's request and refuse to take
the case, saying the campaign did not have
standing to sue. The three other conservatives did not
say whether they would have sided with Trump and thrown
out the ballots, but they would have taken the case.
We asked the candidates in this election how they
would have ruled if they'd been on the court.
>> I would have rejected that effort. Again, that
stands in contrast with my opponent. My opponent has
been supported in the past in her Court of Appeals
race by the same individuals that led the
charge in trying to overturn our 2020 election.
I think that was the right decision. That was, again,
a one only a one vote decision, which is alarming
because if that case had been successful, hundreds
of thousands of votes in the state of Wisconsin
would have been thrown out. And that's alarming to me.
>> Judge Lazar, like the conservatives who dissented
in that case, focused on whether Trump had standing
to file suit. >> This is sort of an area
that's really deeply in flux with our state Supreme
Court. They have issued several opinions that have
gone around the edges of it, and so I'm not going to
comment any further on where they would go,
because I honestly believe that standing is going to
come back up in our next term. So when I'm on this
court, I don't want to have someone say, you said in an
interview, so now you can't rule in this case.
>> As far as whether someone's going to say,
well, you didn't answer the question. Trump v Biden,
would you have overturned all those votes? Can you
give me a reaction to that? >> I have answered the
question, but with respect to overturning votes, I
strongly believe that every vote should be counted. So
every legal valid vote should be counted. So I
wouldn't comment, and I don't actually know the
parameters of how they were going to try to
disenfranchize or not disenfranchize voters. So I
really don't have any further thing that I can
say about that case. >> Reporting from Madison.
I'm Zach Schulze for "Here& Now".
>> On the current Supreme Court. Former Chief Justice
Annette Ziegler announced this week she will not seek
reelection, opening another seat on the High Court for
the spring election of 2027. Last week, we reported on
exploratory mining happening again in northern
Wisconsin. The company, Greenlight Metals is
looking for gold and copper and other minerals in
Taylor County. After the repeal in 2017 of
Wisconsin's old mining law, Wisconsin's prove it. First
law, otherwise known as the mining moratorium, was
passed in 1997 and required mining companies to
demonstrate where anyone had safely operated a
metallic sulfide mine for at least ten years, and
also where a mine had been safely closed for ten years.
The mining company and environmental groups
disagree on whether that standard could be proven if
it was still in place today. In 2017, Republicans in the
legislature, led by then state Senator Tom Tiffany,
eliminated those provisions as part of our continuing
series examining the biggest issues in the race
for governor "Here& Now". Senior political reporter
Zac Schultz asked the candidates about mining.
>> Roughly Greenlight Metals the Wisconsin
chapter of the Sierra Club. And the friends of the
yellow River are well aware. Control of the legislature
and governor's office could flip this fall, meaning the
regulations governing mining in Wisconsin could
be up for debate. We asked the leading candidates for
governor what they thought about mining in Wisconsin,
and if they would seek to change the current
regulations. >> You know, I think that
we've seen decades of us ignoring people's rights
when it comes to some of that land, whether it's our
tribal nations in the state and also ignoring the
economic, I'm sorry, the environmental impact on
some of our areas. Natural resources in Wisconsin are
the basis of our economy. We have to protect them,
while at the same time we have to use them
responsibly. We have to make sure that our mining
laws are in tune with current mindset around how
we protect people's rights in in the land and
protecting the environment with making sure that we
keep using the resources in a responsible way.
>> There has to be community buy in and
community input for people who have made their homes
in a, in an area, you know, 20, 30 years passed down
generation to generation. I think that folks should
have some input on what happens in their backyard.
And all I'm saying is have the conversation. That's
the important part. When we have those those times
where we're mining may come up and in a part of the
state. Yeah, well, talk to the community. Like let's
talk it out because the only thing that happens is
more resentment. If that conversation doesn't happen.
>> I am staunchly opposed to the type of mining as
well as drilling. When it comes to line five. I have
been vocal about my opposition there. I think
the dangers that this is presenting to communities
who have already seen services be cut, their
schools, you know, closing. I think that having this
type of, you know, this type of harmful. These
types of harmful groups coming in to impact local
environments and the quality of life. It's, it's
really unfortunate. And I think it's very important
that we look at how to hold these corporations
accountable. >> What I think we need to
do is to make sure we have a really good environmental
assessment for permitting for those mines, and to
make sure that we are talking with the local
communities. If tribal nations are involved, we
are having those open conversations with them and
making sure that we're not having the environmental
impact that would be negative for Wisconsin.
>> I think one of the most important things that we
have in Wisconsin, a differentiator that we have
in Wisconsin versus other places around the country,
is the natural beauty, the ability that we have to go
out and enjoy Wisconsin. And that's not a partizan
issue. That's not an ideological issue. That's a
a vision that we share for the state. And so as we
think about anything that would do any potential harm
to the state of Wisconsin, I think we need to be very
cautious about that. I think there are issues
around economic development that I think we need to try
to find that right balance. And if it's time to revisit
that issue or it's time to have that conversation, I'd
be all for it. >> I thought we did a good
job of writing the last mining bill for two reasons.
One is we made sure that we had the toughest mining law
in the United States so that we are going to
protect the environment. We also provided for local
control. I think it's really important for locals
to be able to have input in regards to these projects.
But this is something I mean, we've got a long,
great history. I mean, we have a miner on our flag,
right? And we have a long, proud history of mining
here in in Wisconsin. >> Well, it's about working
with the local municipalities, working
stakeholders that are on the ground and making sure
that the work group that we can put together are giving
us the best information possible to make the best
decisions. That's going to have a huge impact that can
have a huge impact on the environment, as well as a
new industry here in the state of Wisconsin. And so
you have to take that on a case by case basis and
really working with all the stakeholders to make sure
that we're making the best decision possible.
>> I think the current law has worked well for us. I
want to see mining companies prove first
before they open up a hillside and pollute our
water, that they're going to be able to extract
things in a safe way that is consistent with our
natural resources management and our
environmental goals. >> Reporting from Madison.
I'm Zach Schultz for "Here& Now".
>> To combat health disparities on the Oneida
reservation. Ukwakhwa or our foods is using a
$250,000 grant to provide culinary knowledge and
ancestral education to the Oneida tribal community
"Here& Now". Reporter Erica Ayisi traveled to De Pere
to learn more about the. From Seed to Table program.
This report is in partnership with Icty,
formerly Indian Country Today.
>> Eldon Powless is an Oneida chef. He's making
lunch at Ukwakhwa or our Foods kitchen on the Oneida
Reservation near green Bay. >> Here I get to just do
what I want. They're just like, as long as it's. As
long as it tastes as good and it's nutritious. Go
ahead. Comfort Bowl is an
indigenous take on southern comfort food.
>> I wanted to do like a little twist on that and
use wild rice and use the beans that we have and
whatever we have available. >> Local Ukwakhwa is in a
restaurant, but Powless is their guest chef for this
week's meal. He says he uses some heirloom
indigenous foods that are harvested on their farm.
The Oneida way. >> I try to like,
incorporate whatever we can get locally.
>> His recipe of diced celery, onions, carrots and
locally sourced wild rice are added to a butter cream
sauce with roasted corn. Black beans. Simmer in
braised smoked ham hocks on the side.
>> Larsson. Stieg. Yeah. >> Stephen Webster is
director of farm and culinary operations at
Ukwakhwa. He says they're from sea to table grants
with the Wisconsin Partnership Program
subsidizes sales of hot lunches made by indigenous
chefs to restore wellness to their diets.
>> They get a stipend. They cook about 80 to 100 meals
for the community. The community then puts in
orders how many we want, and then we pretty much
disburse those meals throughout the community.
>> Webster says their grant program offers community
members meals rooted in ancestral knowledge for
modern living, integrating traditional ingredients
like corn and beans with contemporary cuisine.
>> The goal of this was to try to expand people's
palates. >> The grant also
subsidizes hands on meal preparation workshops using
products harvested on the reservation.
>> We've had people make maple seed cookies, which
blows my mind sometimes where I was like, it was,
there was no gluten in it. >> Webster says. In this
first year, the program is meeting its goals.
>> Like we did 1393 meals just through the Hot Meal
Noon program. And then we did another 80 some meals
through the the meal prep class I talked about.
>> Webster says meals like the Northern Comfort Bowl
would cost about $30 each in local restaurants, but
Ukwakhwa is able to offer it here for $13 to the
Oneida community due to the reduced pricing by the
grant. Webster says he hopes to continue the same
pricing when funding ends. >> But now I feel like
we're much stronger from a logistics standpoint to
take on this stuff in the future.
programs help the Oneida community reconnect to
their indigenous foodways from a time when their
ancestors were relocated from New York to Wisconsin
in the early 1800s. >> When they came here
again, it was they were following Christian
missionaries, but they were still people who practice
our our traditions, our language and all that other
stuff. And a lot of those seeds came with them as
well. about indigenous
cultivation? most people are aware of is
companion planting. The three Sisters style of
planting. >> He says. Maintaining
oneida's agricultural methods of planting
varieties of corn, beans and seeds next to each
other is a balancing act of traditional and modern
farming. >> For 2 or 3 people like
me and my wife to do it, we have to use the tractor, we
have to do stuff, but we still make it a point to
hand plant and hand Weid and so forth to keep those
traditions alive. >> Twice a month, the
Ukwakhwa team delivers their culturally relevant
meals to seven different drop off sites along the
Oneida Tribal Department's route. Webster Ana Ukwakhwa
staff and volunteers packed up his truck with dozens of
hot and ready, preordered meals prepared by that
week's chef. >> Hello there. You get a
bite one. All right. >> Toni House picked up her
three meals at the Ukwakhwa farm, reflecting on her
childhood memories of food insecurity from
colonization. >> I remember what it was
like to be hungry as a child, you know? And I
remember thinking, how come people didn't hand me good
foods? >> She says the program
will help younger children have an appetite and desire
for healthy indigenous meals.
>> Nutrition right here impacts three generations
automatically. Scientifically. We know
that. Now. >> Back in the Ukwakhwa
kitchen, Powless says, traditional indigenous
ingredients can be cooked with love and risk while
exploring new recipes. >> You don't have to be
super traditional and make it a certain way you can
incorporate it however you would like.
>> Webster says. From seed to table incorporates the
past. >> Make sure that we kind
of like go back as much as we can.
>> For a healthier diet in the future.
>> To what maybe our ancestors were eating to
help combat some of that and address some of that.
>> In De Pere. I'm Eric Ayisi for “Here& Now” and
ICT. >> For more on this and
other issues facing Wisconsin, visit our
website at PBS Wisconsin and then click on the news
tab. That's our program for tonight. I'm Frederica
Freyberg. Have a good weekend.
[MUSIC] >> Funding for Here and now
is provided by the fund for Journalism and Friends of
PBS Wisconsin.