WSUM Daily Newscast

INTRO GOOD (DAY) EVENING MADISON! YOU’RE LISTENING TO THE 5/6 O’CLOCK NEWS UPDATE ON WSUM 91.7 FM MADISON STUDENT RADIO. I’M NATHAN JAHN.

IN THE NEWS TODAY,

IN STATE NEWS,
Meta announces plans to build a one billion dollar data center in Beaver Dam. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced the new 700,000 square foot facility will create 1,000 construction jobs and 100 full time jobs at completion. The facility will be a collaborative project between Alliant Energy, Meta and WEDC. Meta will invest nearly 200 million in energy infrastructure improvements, especially network upgrades. Meta described Beaver Dam as the perfect home for the new center because of the infrastructure, electrical grid, and talent. Meta announced they are donating 15 million dollars to Alliant Energy’s Hometown Care Energy Fund. This is aimed to assist families who aren’t able to pay for their energy over the last 10 years. Other data centers have been targeting towns like Vienna and DeForest among strong pushback from citizens. The Beaver Dam data center is expected to be complete by 2027.

ALSO IN STATE NEWS,
Democratic state legislators introduced a bill Tuesday that would cap the cost of utilities for Wisconsin families. The legislation would create a permanent change that would cap costs at 2% of a person's income. The lawmakers who introduced the bill said it's necessary, citing anecdotes of some people spending up to 20% of their income on utility bills right now. So far, no Republicans have come out in support of the bill. No Utility companies have addressed this possible legislation either. Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, called the legislation common sense.
"This bill is going to lower energy payments for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites and ensure that no one ever has their power or heat shut off simply because they cannot afford it," Hong said.

IN NATIONAL NEWS,
Judge orders release of hundreds arrested in Illinois due to the immigration crackdown. A federal judge called for the 600 people arrested as part of the Trump administration’s movements to be released. This was claimed by a CNN affiliate WLS, which would impact the federal efforts to detain and deport as many undocumented people as possible. Plaintiffs alleged more than 3,000 people were arrested between June and October in “Operation Midway Blitz”. Now, 615 of those arrests must be granted bond by noon on November 21st. Mark Fleming, an attorney with the National Immigrant Justice Center, questioned how this process will occur, as those set to be released are located all over the country and must be found. Fleming led the lawsuit which alleged federal agents violated a 2022 settlement agreement over warrantless arrests in the Chicago area. The organization believes around 1,100 to 3,000 of those arrested have voluntarily left the country. It is currently unclear if the Department of Homeland Security plans to file an appeal in the case, while government attorneys have requested a stay until next Friday. Gregory Bovino, the senior Border Patrol official, pushed President Donald Trump’s agenda and efforts to surge law enforcement into Democratic-led states and cities. These actions are taken regardless of local officials preferences. This decision is crucial due to the surge of racial profiling and arguments over constitutional rights, as these targeting crackdowns have affected both undocumented and documented individuals of all ages.
For WSUM News, I am Talula Hayes.

IN ECONOMIC NEWS,
The last penny was minted today in Philadelphia. This afternoon, the last penny was minted at the US Mint overseen by US Treasurer Brandon Beach. In February, President Donald Trump announced via social media that the US Mint must stop making the once-popular coin due to the cost of production. The penny costs nearly four cents to mint, which is more than the coin’s worth. The penny was once valuable enough to buy gumballs or feed parking meters and toll booths, but today it’s of little use. Beach said the final coins pressed will be auctioned off, with the last actual pennies put into circulation from the US Mint that were struck in June. The penny lasted 168 years longer than the half-penny, but is outlived by all other coins. This is creating issues for several businesses, with merchants planning to round prices to the nearest nickel; however, in some states, merchants could face legal trouble for rounding up or down. Conversely, Kwik Trip, a family owned convenience store chain that operates in the midwest, decided to round down cash purchases in stores without pennies available. The group still rooting for the penny is funded primarily by Artazn, the company which provides the blanks used to make pennies.
For WSUM News, I am Talula Hayes.

TURNING OVER TO SPORTS, HERE’S WITH AN UPDATE
Badgers basketball beats Ball State to move to 3 and 0 on the year. The Badgers were led by a double double from Nolan Winter, with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Nick Boyd and Braeden Carrington also contributed 12 points for the Badgers. John Blackwell led the team in assists with 4. Ball State was led by James Elmore with 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting. The Badgers won the game 86 to 55. The Badgers were up 39 to 26 at half, and never looked back. The Badgers beat Campbell and Northern Illinois to open the season 2 and 0. They next play Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. The Badgers are ranked number 24 in the country. The loss dropped Ball State to 2 and 1 on the year.

OUTRO: THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN! FROM THE WSUM NEWS BOOTH, I’M NATHAN JAHN. HAVE A GREAT EVENING MADISON!