Good morning.
Friday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 35. Sunrise is 7:22 and sunset is 4:47 for 9 hours 25 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 5.1 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1945, with the Third Reich retreating on all fronts, Hitler moves into his underground bunker, the so-called Führerbunker.
Wisconsin’s projected state budget surplus looks to be much bigger than previously forecast:
Wisconsin state government may have a lot more money than previously expected after new revenue projections show the state’s budget picture improving by $1.5 billion.
The estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau would leave the state with a $2.5 billion balance at the end of the two-year budget on June 30, 2027. The state was previously expecting a balance of closer to a $1 billion.
While the numbers are still just projections, they’re based in part on trends in actual tax collection and represent a significant uptick in revenue, particularly from the corporate and income taxes.
See Wisconsin’s projected budget surplus jumps to $2.5B, Wisconsin Public Radio, January 15, 2026.
Whether to hold or spend the surplus is sure to be a campaign issue this year, in an environment dominated by discussions of federal budget policy. The bigger the estimated surplus, the more likely the discussion becomes. Campaigns will have a chance to argue for disposition of these billions (save, fund programs, cut taxes, etc.) as either a supplement or an antidote to federal budgetary policy.
Buddhist monks and their dog captivate Americans while on a peace walk: