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Morning Update: Friday, Feb. 25

Morning Update: Friday, Feb. 25

Good morning, Madison!

Beware of the not-so-frozen lakes. Yes, I know we mentioned this yesterday. We’re not trying to nag, but the city just released details of another recent water rescue.

Early Wednesday morning, crews rescued someone who had broken through the ice on Lake Monona, near the John Nolen Drive and Broom Street intersection. Luckily, the person was uninjured and able to return home.

Time for some news!

— Sam

💵 Biiiiiig money for some local projects.

  • The City of Madison will get $6 million and Dane County will receive nearly $15 million from the state for “community development projects.”
  • “I often like to talk about connecting the dots and that’s exactly what these projects are all about. From housing to business development to workforce training, all of these issues are connected,” Governor Tony Evers said in an announcement.
  • Some projects that are receiving funding:
  • The Bayview Foundation’s housing and community center at the Triangle
  • The Madison Public Market
  • The Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub
  • Centro Hispano’s community center
  • The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

🎓 The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations will be UW’s spring commencement speaker.

  • Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a career diplomat who earned a master’s degree from UW in 1975. The university also awarded her an honorary doctorate of law in 2018.
  • She credits the university with sparking her interest in sub-Saharan Africa, which has been a focus of her diplomatic career.

🍲 Opening soon: Jacknife on East Wash.

  • The “dumplings, rolls and bowls” restaurant is expected to open by mid-March.
  • Jacknife is another project from Jack Yip and Tanya Zhykharevich. The two also own RED Madison, a sushi-focused restaurant located just a few blocks away from the Capitol.

🌿 Our neighbors are cashing in on weed.

  • Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Governor Tony Evers both support legalizing medical marijuana, but opposition from other Republican legislators means any legalization efforts here in Wisconsin are an uphill battle.
  • Meanwhile, the states that surround us are bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. According to The Badger Project, Illinois made more than $400 million in marijuana taxes in 2021. Michigan collected more than $250 million.

via The Badger Project

🖊️ Politicians from Wisconsin are condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

  • Condemnations have come from elected officials in both major political parties, including Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican Sen Ron Johnson.

📚 Lunchtime read: What the expanded Child Tax Credit meant for one Madison family

  • From PBS Wisconsin: "The aid provided through the American Rescue Plan Act was intended to be temporary, but Congress has been debating whether to extend enhancements to child tax credits."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.3%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.1%

Resources

📅 The weekend

Friday, Feb. 25

Saturday, Feb. 26

Sunday, Feb. 27

Wondering what that 🟠 means?

That symbol next to an event listing means that Tone Madison’s team of writers and editors recommends checking it out. Tone knows Madison’s arts and music landscape better than anybody else.

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