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WSUM News Team compiles recent news in under 5 minutes every Monday through Thursday. Originally aired on the 91.7 FM stream, each newscast is re-posted in audio form.
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 TALULA HAYES.
IN THE NEWS TODAY,
IN LOCAL NEWS,
Referendum fails in Monroe, district announces more than 20 layoffs. The Monroe School District announced that they would be cutting 22.5 positions after they could not secure funding. This move comes after they already cut over 25 positions over the last five years. Staffing has fallen over 14% while enrollment is only down 9% over the same time period. The district will eliminate 10 full time core teachers, five arts and career teachers and three intervention specialists along with two and a half custodial positions and the audio visual director. The referendum that would have prevented this, asked for 11 million dollars in funding over four years to maintain their staff. Voters narrowly rejected the measure, with 2,957 voting negative and 2,803 voting positive. Monroe superintendent Joe Monroe said, Quote “There is broad concern with Wisconsin’s overreliance on local property taxes to fund even the basic needs of our students and schools. Our students should not have to rely on repeated local referendums to access a quality education” End-Quote.
For WSUM News, I’m Nathan Jahn
IN STATE NEWS,
Republican Senator Jesse James announced he is retiring from the Wisconsin Legislature. James is dropping his campaign against Democratic Senator Jeff Smith, making James the fifth Republican to retire from the senate and the third from a battleground district. James said serving as senator for Western Wisconsin was “the opportunity of a lifetime” but that the role was cutting into family time and is leaving because of that and other personal reasons. The 31st district where James held his seat is one of the four swing seats in this year's election cycle. Now without the advantage of incumbency, Democrats may have a better chance at winning the seat. They are motivated to flip the chamber that is currently a Republican majority of 18-15.
For WSUM News I’m Berit Campbell
IN NATIONAL NEWS,
A long-term study shows fluoride in drinking water has no effect on brain function or intelligence changes. This research was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It is the first-of-its-kind study measuring exposure to water with fluoride and its connection to cognition. The study examines participants from childhood to 80-years-old. These results are contradictory to claims made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He said that fluoride is “industrial waste” and leads to a lower IQ. This statement sparked fear within many communities, leading to public concern and statewide bans. Utah and Florida have banned fluoride from their drinking water. Legislation is pending in states like Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma. Other studies in China or various countries have found water fluoridation is linked to a child’s IQ. However, these countries have much higher concentrations of fluoride in their water, which is far over the U.S.’ allowed concentration of 4 milligrams per liter. To prevent cavities, the best level of fluoride is 0.7 milligrams per liter, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, they found there is no link between community water fluoridation from early life to later age brain function.
IN ECONOMIC NEWS,
Wholesale inflation rises to 4%, the highest annual rate in the last three years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released inflation data Tuesday, signalling the high rising oil prices are having an effect on businesses. The Producer Price Index, which measures the average change in prices received by producers of goods and services, rose 0.5% from February. The latest Consumer Price Index report, which captures prices throughout the month and not for any specific data, showed prices rose 0.9% on a monthly basis and 3.3% annually. Still, despite wholesale inflation hitting a three-year high, the March PPI report fared better than economists had expected. They estimated that the war-driven energy shock would cause prices to jump 1.1% from February, driving the annual rate to 4.6%, according to FactSet consensus estimates. Instead, Tuesday’s report showed that falling food prices and flat services prices helped to blunt some of the blow from the rapidly rising oil prices.
For WSUM News, I’m Nathan Jahn
OUTRO: THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN! FROM THE WSUM NEWS BOOTH, I’M TALULA HAYES. HAVE A GREAT EVENING MADISON!