The Badger Politic

The race to be Milwaukee's next mayor is now down to two candidates. Cavalier Johnson and Bob Donovan will go head to head in the April 5th general election. In other election news, there's another candidate in the Republican primary for governor who has fully embraced 2020 election conspiracy theories.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has announced he will retire at the end of the current term. The move allows President Biden the opportunity to nominate a new justice to the court while the Democrats control the US Senate.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has determined that maps will be drawn that will make minimal changes to the existing gerrymandered maps. At the federal level, the US Supreme Court heard arguments on the Mississippi case that could upend abortion rights in the country. The discovery of the coronavirus omicron variant has added another layer to the ongoing pandemic.

The recent election results have provided Democrats with some warning signs leading into the midterms. It did result in the end of Infrastructure week. Aaron Rodgers got caught up in a controversy around his vaccination status, and Uncle Rick visits the show after a long hiatus to give his take.

The infrastructure deal hangs in the balance as progressive and moderate forces continue negotiations. The race for governor in Virginia has taken on added significance as the Biden administration faces ongoing challenges on a final deal.

Gov. Gavin Newsom easily battles back the recall effort in California. The infrastructure legislation is flailing in Congress, and President Biden's poll numbers have taken a hit after the Afghanistan pullout, and the continuing pandemic in the country. Redistricting is ramping up now that the census is completed.

Infrastructure passes the Senate at long last on a bipartisan vote. Rep. Ron Kind announces his retirement from the House. Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns in New York. We preview the new Marquette poll that was released today. Gov. Tony Evers vetoed several measures restricting voting in Wisconsin. Summerfest announces COVID-related requirements for attending this year's festival.

The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship this past week, and downtown and the Fiserv Forum became the center of attention. Should the Democrats consider having their next convention there to make up for 2020? The House kicks off its select committee investigating the January 6th attack on the US Capitol building.

COVID-19 variants are threatening the success of the country's reopening. Details continue to emerge around the final days of the Trump presidency, and just how fragile democracy in America is.

An agreement was struck this past week on an infrastructure bill, but it's off to a rocky start with its ties to companion legislation. The For the People Act is filibustered in the Senate. We recorded this episode after the Bucks loss in game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals (they have since taken a 2-1 lead).