The all-electric BMW iM3 will rock four electric motors and a dramatic design.
It looks as though BMW will preview the new model at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The electric model will co-exist alongside the current ICE M3 and the next-gen G84.
It’s only been a little more than a couple of months since the all-electric BMW i3 was unveiled, and already, the German brand is edging closer to lifting the veil on the all-electric M-branded version. The long-awaited model may debut at this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans or be previewed by a motorsport-inspired concept.
Photos snapped in the Le Mans paddock this week show BMW has set up a dedicated fanzone at the event, and within it is a large box with glass doors. An image circulating online provides a preview of the car hidden behind the glass, and it looks to be the electric M3, potentially known as the iM3.
A couple of months ago, a handful of images reportedly showing this car leaked online, and the car shown at Le Mans looks very similar. Like the standard i3, it features BMW’s Neue Klasse-era front fascia but it is noticeably wider, with two square LED daytime running lights on either side.
The wing mirrors are particularly interesting, as shown in these photos from the German Car Forums. They don’t look like those on any current BMW M production car; instead, they look more like the mirrors we’d expect to see on a race car. This has prompted some to suggest the vehicle previewed won’t be the production-spec iM3, but rather a concept that previews its design.
The vehicle’s presence at Le Mans will come just a few days after BMW released the latest episode in its multi-part documentary detailing the development of the electric M3 sedan. This episode focuses on the car’s brutal testing regime at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where it’s covered more than 4,970 miles (8,000 km).
While many details about the car remain under wraps, we know it will have a quad-motor setup with an electric motor at each wheel and individual gearboxes. This will enable BMW to precisely control torque distribution. In this clip, BMW says, “this new technology allows us to push the boundaries of vehicle dynamics even further.”
“This allows us to send more power to the wheels that can use it most effectively,” BMW adds. “You can get back on the throttle much earlier, exactly to the slippage area of a wheel, so you can step on the throttle very, very early. The car doesn’t push outwards but is pulled and pushed through the corner, without any understeer or oversteer.”
So, while moving to electric power will no doubt upset some purists, it’s clear BMW is committed to making the iM3 as intoxicating to drive as possible.
Peugeot has released the first pictures of the production e‑208 GTi.
It closely echoes last year’s concept and features numerous red accents.
Details will be announced next week, but it could have 276 hp.
Nearly one year ago, Peugeot introduced the e‑208 GTi concept on the eve of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The automaker is now returning with the production model, which will be fully detailed on June 12.
While the automaker is keeping information under wraps, they released a handful of pictures and noted the model “remains incredibly close to the original 2025 concept.” They added the car has a “sporty yet elegant design” as well as “performance figures intended to WOW.”
The hot hatch certainly looks the part as it has a lightly revised Lion logo with a red surround. The sporty hue can also be found on the outside edges of the grille as well as incorporated into the lighting units. They’re joined by a revamped front splitter, which is painted to match the body color.
Further back, we can see gloss black mirrors and dark window trim. Other highlights include black fender flares with red accents as well as “208 GTi” badging on the rear pillar. The car also appears to ride on a set of aerodynamically optimized seven-spoke wheels, which are backed up by a braking system with red calipers.
The rear end largely carries over, but the car adopts a new spoiler with a contrasting red accent on the underside. It’s accompanied by a far more aggressive diffuser and a motorsport-inspired central brake light.
Interior changes are more modest, but we can see a lightly revised flat-bottom steering wheel with “208 GTi” branding. Elsewhere, there are sporty front seats with red center stripes. Other highlights include red contrast stitching, red illumination, and special graphics for the displays.
We’ll learn full details next week, but the concept had a 54 kWh CATL battery that powered an electric motor developing 276 hp (206 kW / 280 PS) and 254 lb-ft (345 Nm) of torque. This enabled the car to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.7 seconds, before topping out at 112 mph (180 km/h).
Other highlights included a limited-slip differential and a 100 kW DC fast charging capability that enabled the model to go from 20% to 80% in less than 30 minutes. While Peugeot originally hinted at a range of 217 miles (350 km), the instrument cluster implies the production model can travel 233 miles (375 km) between stops.
Lamborghini says it doesn’t need an EV until at least 2030.
Ferrari’s controversial Luce debut appears to be influencing rivals.
Lamborghini will keep combustion engines alive with hybrids for now.
Ferrari’s controversial Luce debut got plenty of attention, though perhaps not the kind Maranello was hoping for. Rather than have cross-town rival Lamborghini feeling like it’s behind the times, it appears as though the brand’s CEO is even more content now that the Lanzador didn’t remain on schedule for an earlier debut. He’s openly doubling down on the idea that Lamborghini was right to delay the brand’s first EV.
In a round table with journalists, asked about the reaction to the Luce, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said his company made the “right decision” in postponing its first fully electric car, arguing that customer demand for electric supercars simply hasn’t materialized the way much of the industry assumed it would.
According to Handelsblatt, Winkelmann said Lamborghini has spent years monitoring demand in the luxury segment. To no one’s surprise who’s been paying attention, the company found that acceptance of electric vehicles hasn’t climbed at anything close to the pace many had forecast.
The automaker had planned to launch the all-electric Lanzador before the end of the decade. Initially, production was simply delayed. Now, it won’t happen until at least 2030, if not later, because acceptance for EVs within the brand’s target demographic was “close to zero.” For now, Lamborghini has scrapped it and is looking at a new hybrid model to join the lineup in the near future.
Importantly, European regulations currently call for a ban on the sale of new combustion-powered vehicles beginning in 2035, although exemptions for e-fuels and certain low-volume manufacturers remain under discussion. While many exotic-car makers spent the last several years announcing ambitious EV programs, Lamborghini now appears content to let others test the waters first.
That’s probably a wise move considering its positioning. While nowhere near as successful as Ferrari, Lamborghini has its position underneath Volkswagen Group going for it. It’s currently one of the most profitable divisions. In 2025, it generated €3.2 billion ($3.7 billion) in revenue. Even though operating profit slipped from €835 million ($970 million) to €768 million ($892 million), the company still posted a remarkable 24 percent operating margin.
A former Volvo designer revived the brand’s lost wagon as a concept.
The V77 and XC77 wear a three-door aerodynamic shooting brake body.
Bauhaus thinking and Dieter Rams shape the studies’ clean surfacing.
Volvo’s current lineup leans hard on SUVs, but the brand built its reputation on wagons, and there’s reason to believe it hasn’t given up on them. Neither has at least one of the people who used to design its cars. A former Volvo designer set out to bring the old formula back with a pair of digital concepts, the V77 and XC77, each built around a mix of minimalism and sustainability.
The man behind them is Julien Fesquet, a Los Angeles-based professional designer currently working for Slate Auto. His resume reads like a grand tour of the industry, with stops at Volvo, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, and Ferrari.
The V77 and XC77 are a personal project, drawing on Bauhaus principles and the work of Dieter Rams, the industrial designer whose thinking eventually shaped the look of Apple products. Both wear a three-door shooting brake body with a low nose and an aerodynamic roofline. Staying true to Volvo’s playbook, the V77 is built for the road while the XC77 adds crossover cues and a lifted stance.
Illustrations: Julien Fesquet
Beyond the compact footprint and genuinely handsome proportions, the concepts trade in clean surfacing and restraint. The low-mounted headlights fade into a covered grille via a digital gradient, and the Volvo emblem has been pared down to a single horizontal line.
The profile is distinguished by large alloy wheels, supercar-style creases on the front fenders, a flat beltline, and a bi-tone livery with a darker finish for the lower bodywork. The rear section is even more striking, with a glass tailgate surrounded by ultra-slim LEDs. The designer also placed emphasis on the Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF) strategy, proposing the use of recycled materials and an unpainted body for the V77.
Inside, we find two rows of seats and a rather large boot. The V77 adopts a Cream Yellow interior theme inspired by the Volvo 850 T-5R, while the XC77 gets an Orange interior that complements its earthy brown exterior panels.
Illustrations: Julien Fesquet
Fesquet didn’t list any specs, but the absence of cooling vents and tailpipes suggests the digital concepts were envisioned with a fully electric powertrain.
Fesquet told CarScoops: “Volvo is a brand with iconic station wagon, very minimal functional boxy designs in the past. It still has beautiful cars, but it tends to be oriented to more traditional automotive design. I thought it would be interesting to break the modern Volvo codes and imagine what it could look like if it was still a more minimal, functional, and industrial design. Something modern, sophisticated yet boxy, but without forgetting the need of aerodynamic performance. This led to this shooting brake silhouette with a low nose, sleek roof and low ground clearance.”
What About Real Volvo Wagons?
Volvo has recently wound down production of the aging V60 and V90, along with the adventurous XC60 and XC90. Even so, wagon fans aren’t completely out of luck.
Chief technology officer Anders Bell has said the new SPA3 architecture, which debuted underneath the EX60 SUV, can support a range of bodystyles, low-slung models included. Volvo hasn’t confirmed any wagon yet, so the question comes down to whether demand will be there to justify the spend. For now, we wait.
Lexus plans EVs and hybrids from one common vehicle architecture.
Flexible platforms help preserve profits if consumer tastes change.
Experts say Lexus benefits from Toyota technology and buying power.
For years, automakers, including Lexus that once pledged to go EV-only by 2035, told us the future would be electric. Now that EV growth has cooled in several key markets, many of those same companies are quietly changing course, often at a huge cost. Lexus, however, thinks it has found a smarter, less financially painful way forward.
Instead of betting everything on dedicated EV platforms, or U-turning in favor of old-fashioned gas cars, Toyota’s luxury division is developing vehicles that can be built as either hybrids or fully electric models using much of the same underlying architecture. It’s a strategy designed to give Lexus maximum flexibility while competitors wrestle with expensive shifts in demand.
Future products will be designed so the two brands can install either a battery pack or a hybrid powertrain within essentially the same vehicle structure, according to Lexus and Toyota executives who presented the plan to Handelsblatt and other media at the Shimoyama development center in Japan. That means Lexus can react faster if customer demand swings toward EVs, hybrids, or somewhere in between. Or if the next US president reinstates tax credits for cleaner vehicles.
Toyota CTO Hiroki Nakajima told reporters that Lexus’s upcoming TZ electric SUV is expected to be profitable from launch in North America. That’s a claim many automakers would love to make right now, because some, like Honda/Acura and Porsche, are hurting badly from having written off billions of dollars in EV development, and US EV sales are dire.
Christopher Richter, an automotive analyst at CLSA in Tokyo, traces that edge to Lexus’s lower cost base. Toyota doesn’t break out Lexus financials, but Richter told the German outlet he figures the brand’s margins sit well into the double digits. By comparison, Mercedes posted a return on sales of 5% last year and BMW managed 5.3%. The trick, Richter says, is that Lexus can charge BMW money while leaning on the purchasing volume and development resources of the world’s largest carmaker.
The TZ isn’t the first Lexus or only Lexus to benefit from common-platform thinking. The new ES sedan is already available as a hybrid or EV, both versions built from the same basic architecture. It’s not a strategy peculiar to Lexus. BMW and Mercedes also build some EVs and hybrid cars on shared platforms, including the X1 and iX1, 5-series and i5, and CLA.
But the two German brands also have EV-specific platforms. BMW’s new ICE 3-series sedan, for instance, will look almost identical to the i3 electric 3-series, yet they’ll ride on totally different architectures.
Profit Over Volume
BMW and Mercedes both sell more than twice as many cars as Lexus, which moved 882,291 vehicles worldwide in 2025, nearly half of them in North America. In particular, Mercedes shifted around 1.8 million that year and BMW close to 2.2 million under its core brand. But in the luxury game it’s profit, not registrations, that counts, and Toyota’s upscale division seems convinced it holds the better hand.
The state has been moving at a snail’s pace to establish new charging sites.
Two vendors have been selected to construct charging locations in the state.
Several other US states have received funds but haven’t built new charging stations.
Nearly four years ago, Massachusetts landed $64 million from the Biden administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, the massive $5 billion national push to seed thousands of new charging stations across the country. It is now mid-2026, and the state has yet to turn any of that money into a single working charger.
Two years ago, the state selected three vendors to identify possible locations for the new charging stations. Only two of them, Applegreen and Global Partners, have signed contracts, and both companies, along with the state Department of Transportation, have stayed conspicuously tight-lipped about what’s actually happened since.
The Commonwealth Beacon reports that Applegreen and Global Partners have spent roughly $4 million between them on engineering, permitting, and procurement. There are finally signs of progress, but MassDOT isn’t saying why things have crawled along this slowly.
According to MassDOT spokesperson Marshall Hook, Applegreen recently placed an order for EV charging equipment for sites in Greenfield and Newburyport, with construction expected to begin in July. Global Partners, meanwhile, has ordered the equipment needed to set up stations in Lancaster, Raynham, and Wrentham.
Too Slow For The EV Transition
“The slowness of adoption here is mystifying,” former state transportation secretary Jim Aloisi said. “If your approach to transportation sector decarbonization is largely about the transition to EVs, then you should be spending a fair amount of effort accelerating the process of getting people to adopt EVs, and one way to do that is obviously to roll out the NEVI initiative. That’s the disconnect.”
Massachusetts is hardly the only state dragging its feet on getting these federally funded chargers running. A website tracking the NEVI program shows that plenty of states have received tens of millions of dollars without building a single station, including Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oregon, Alabama, Arizona, and, surprisingly, even California.
On the flip side, some states have put the money to work. Texas, for one, already has several NEVI-funded charging stations in operation, with many more at various stages of construction.
A matte black Cybertruck recently joined Kazakhstan state security.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations has acquired one as well already.
Its arrival follows the start of Cybertruck sales in the Middle East.
Tesla’s trouble moving the Cybertruck in any meaningful quantity on US soil is by now thoroughly documented. Before the electric pickup ever reached a showroom, Elon Musk boasted that Tesla could move as many as 500,000 a year. The reality has been less kind. In 2025, American buyers took home just over 20,000 of them.
While it seems the Cybertruck has lost a lot of its initial luster in the US, it is slowly being introduced in other markets. One of them is Kazakhstan, where a handful are being used by government departments, proving that the car’s controversial design does have its perks.
In mid-May, a matte black Cybertruck served the State Security Service during the Summit of the Organization for Turkic States, held in Kazakhstan’s Turkistan region. Fitted with flashing blue and red lights, the Tesla was reportedly donated to the authorities by a local entrepreneur.
It started out as a mobile command center, and from here it will take on a central role at major security events across the country, handling field coordination between units and providing communications support.
A Second Cybertruck
This isn’t the only Cybertruck roaming the roads of Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has folded one into its fleet too, this one wrapped in matte white with orange and blue graphics. According to vice minister Yerbolat Sadyrbayev, the truck has proven itself capable of tackling the treacherous terrain of the country’s mountainous Almaty Region.
— Consulat général du Kazakhstan à Strasbourg (@KazStrasbourg) May 14, 2026
“Our ministry deals with situations where assistance must be provided as quickly as possible and every minute counts,” Sadyrbayev told Kazinform. “The Cybertruck has proven to be highly effective in responding to various emergency situations. We are talking about saving people’s lives.” The minister added that the government plans to add more Cybertrucks to its fleet, although he didn’t specify how many.
At this stage, it seems Tesla will take any Cybertruck order it can get. With US sales sliding from 39,965 in 2024 to just 20,237 in 2025, the company has been eager to sell the truck wherever there’s an appetite for one, even if it’s just for show. Earlier this year, it even started selling the electric pickup in the Middle East.
Waymo deleted interior footage of the suspect before police contacted them.
Police haven’t been able to identify the suspect using their rider account.
Six months after the theft, SF authorities continue searching for the suspect.
A Waymo robotaxi can be fooled into rolling straight into a flooded street, but it turns out the same self-driving cars have no trouble pulling getaway duty for a crime. They are, it seems, alarmingly good at helping criminals disappear.
Earlier this year, an unidentified suspect walked into a Hot 8 Yoga studio in San Francisco and left in a hurry with an armful of pricey activewear. He had arrived by Waymo and used the same car to escape, dumping the loot into the trunk of the autonomous I-Pace before riding off.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, local authorities took their time looking into the theft. A search warrant landed on Waymo in April, ordering the company to hand over everything it knew about the account behind the ride, along with video from inside and outside the car to help identify the thief.
However, by the time the search warrant was filed in April, Waymo had already wiped the cabin footage. The company doesn’t publicly say how long it keeps video, and on top of that, its exterior cameras always blur faces for privacy reasons. So despite each robotaxi packing a small arsenal of high-definition cameras, none of them helped track down the thief.
That’s a tough pill to swallow when you consider the hardware involved. According to Waymo’s website, its latest Jaguars feature 29 cameras that provide a full 360-degree view of their surroundings. The user’s account information didn’t lead police to a suspect either, perhaps because whoever booked the ride used stolen credentials or a burner phone.
All For Some Men’s Shorts
The studio manager of Hot 8 Yoga says footage from outside the location shows the Waymo dropping off the individual and waiting for him to return with the stolen loot. Although he only made off with a bunch of men’s shorts, it’s certainly possible this case might encourage other criminals to escape in robotaxis.
Los Angeles saw a version of this last year, when someone bolted from a grocery store theft in a Waymo. That one ended differently. Police caught up with the robotaxi, forced it to the side of the road, and arrested the suspect.
Owners of the new BMW iX3 could get an electric shock while charging their EV.
The iX3 is also being recalled for possible issues with the side airbags.
One of the recalls impacts 4,843 iX3s globally, including 1,071 in Germany.
The second-generation BMW iX3 has been well received by most, marking a serious step up from its predecessor and delivering the kind of driving range usually reserved for Chinese EVs. But the launch hasn’t gone off without a hitch. Two recalls have already been issued for the electric SUV in Germany, and one of them sounds genuinely unpleasant.
The first recall landed at the end of May and covers 145 vehicles built between November 25, 2025, and February 20, 2026. According to BMW, these iX3 models carry an onboard charger, the component that converts AC power to DC, that may be faulty. The defect could leave the SUV’s body panels buzzing with electricity while the car is plugged in.
BMW says it isn’t aware of any injuries so far, but it admits owners could get a nasty shock if they touch the car at the wrong moment. The fix is straightforward enough, as the onboard chargers on affected models will be swapped out, whether or not they actually turn out to be defective. With high-voltage EVs, better safe than sorry. All told, the recall covers 145 cars worldwide, 28 of which are in Germany.
Dangerous Airbags
Then a few days later, on June 1, a second recall followed. This time, BMW says the side airbags may not have been bolted in to spec. The concern is twofold: the airbag might not deploy properly in a crash, and the gas generator could shift out of position and strike occupants.
The affected iX3s were built between December 18, 2025, and May 8, 2026. It’s the bigger of the two campaigns, covering 4,843 vehicles worldwide, including 1,071 in Germany. As with the charger issue, there are no known accidents or injuries tied to the airbag fault.
In this case, BMW says it will inspect the screws that hold the side airbags in place and, if necessary, resolve any issues.
Rivian refuses to bring back the physical buttons rivals are restoring.
Its software chief believes voice should be the primary car interface.
The new R2 ditches HVAC buttons for scroll wheels on the steering wheel.
Some automakers have caved to buyer demand and started bringing physical buttons back, including VW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai. Rivian, on the other hand, has no interest in joining them, insisting its advanced AI-driven voice assistant is simply a better way to control a vehicle’s functions.
While recently speaking with Rivian’s chief software officer, and co-CEO of the Rivian and VW joint venture, Wassym Bensaid, The Verge dug into the new Rivian Assistant, which rolled out to existing R1 models in mid-May. It’s built on a shared, multimodal AI foundation and can handle core vehicle functions, HVAC included.
Existing Rivian R1 models, along with the new R2, are largely free of physical buttons, and given the brand’s commitment to its new assistant, that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
“I deeply believe that voice has the chance to be the primary interface in the car,” Bensaid told The Verge. “I also think that buttons can exist, but they shouldn’t be the primary way with which you interact with the car. I think there’s more that is possible with voice since you can do more than one single function. You don’t have to fiddle with so many functions.”
Are Scroll Wheels The Solution?
“You don’t have to go deep into the touchscreen to look into specific features. A great voice experience can elevate all of that, allow users to talk to the car as a human would, and really take the overall experience to the next level,” he added.
Bensaid went on to note that in the R2, there are no traditional HVAC buttons; instead, the large scroll wheels on the steering wheel can be used to adjust settings like fan speed on the fly. While not quite a button, they do seem like a better solution than tapping on a small icon on the touchscreen to tweak the fan speed.
According to Rivian, “the only reason that drivers and consumers do not interact with the car through voice is that, to put it really bluntly, the technology has been broken,” up until this point. A key difference between Rivian’s Assistant and those of competitors is that it uses its own Android-based infotainment system, which doesn’t offer support for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, so the AI-assistant works seamlessly regardless of what screen is displayed.
Rivian also points out that the system takes a more conversational approach than traditional voice assistants. Instead of barking “Open the frunk,” for instance, you can simply say “I have a bag in the front of the car,” and the assistant will pop the frunk for you. It all sounds rather slick, though we’d still take a few physical buttons. What about you?
The state’s most devoted Democrats are scheduled to gather in Madison this weekend for the party’s annual convention where the seven-way race for the Democratic nomination for governor is likely to take center stage.
Democratic caucus and county party leaders told Wisconsin Watch they are hopeful the convention could be a clarifying moment in the primary campaign on who has enough support to make it to the August primary. None of the main contenders dropped out ahead of last week’s filing deadline, so seven names will appear on the Aug. 11 Democratic primary ballot.
When Democrats convene at the Monona Terrace Convention Center on Saturday, there will be less than 45 days until early voting starts in late July.
“If their message does not ring true to the delegates at the convention, they better listen to the applause because people will be honest with them,” said Susan Chandler, the 1st Congressional District chair and vice chair of the Walworth County Democrats. “Everybody who goes to the convention is a highly engaged Democrat, and for every one of those highly engaged, we all know 10 people who are not. We’re bringing a lot of background to that convention and critically listening to these candidates.”
After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided not to run for a third term, seven Democratic candidates submitted the signatures to make the ballot. They include former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Secretary Missy Hughes, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Madison Sen. Kelda Roys.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republicans have coalesced around U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who received the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s endorsement at their annual convention in May and was endorsed by President Donald Trump in January. Tiffany has just one primary opponent, Andy Manske, a 27-year-old medical service technician.
“We want to know who is best situated to make bold sweeping change here in Wisconsin to provide a better life for Wisconsinites, and who is best situated to beat Tom Tiffany in a head-to-head,” said Brett Timmerman, the chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party. “I think that people are going to the convention looking for somebody to stand out in a meaningful way to deliver that message of why they think they are the best person to carry the torch forward.”
The closest comparison to this year’s field is the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary when 10 candidates ran for the opportunity to unseat then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Two dropped out in June before the primary that year.
Evers, who had statewide election experience as the superintendent of public instruction, won the Democratic primary that year with 42% of the vote and later defeated Walker in the general election. Evers didn’t win a majority of primary voters, but his closest opponent only mustered 16.4% of the vote.
A large primary, like the one in 2018, forces candidates to explain why voters should support their campaign, said Martha Laning, who served as the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin during the 2018 election cycle.
At the 2018 state Democratic convention, the candidates all had the opportunity to make a three-minute pitch to party die-hards on what they would do for Wisconsin, Laning said. A spokesperson for the state party said all seven of the Democrats who made the ballot will also have a chance to speak this weekend.
“I think it’s great to put all of the candidates up there and to just let people know what their options are,” Laning said. “Again, any of them will be better than Tom Tiffany, so the more people talking about how they would do things and how they would improve people’s lives in Wisconsin is a good thing for us.”
Negativity and consolidation
It’s been a quiet primary among the slew of Democratic candidates over the last six months, with few events that set the campaigns apart. Hong led the field with 14% in the most recent Marquette University Law School Poll in March. The poll also found that 65% of voters were undecided on who to vote for in the primary.
It’s worth watching if the convention is a place where candidates take negative swipes at each other with the August primary on the horizon, said Anthony Chergosky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
“This has been a remarkably chill campaign, and I’m wondering if we’re going to see things heat up a little bit,” Chergosky said.
Hints of discord are emerging in the primary. Hughes last month was the only candidate to publicly support the failed $1.8 billion bipartisan surplus deal negotiated between Evers and Republican legislative leaders. After the deal failed in the Senate, Hughes posted unnamed criticism of “certain self-serving Democratic candidates for governor who would rather boost their own personal political ambitions than serve our kids and taxpayers.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week reported that Hong was sued in May by Capital One for nearly $30,000 in credit card debt, which her campaign said had already been paid. Hong in a video posted on social media said the story showed her “opponents are scrambling.”
“They are scared of what we’ve built, our platform that’s resonating with working class people all across the state who feel left behind, our organizing infrastructure that’s being built stronger every day,” Hong said. “They want to pull me off track and how dare they.”
The convention could also serve as a milestone for consolidation in the race in the coming weeks, Chergosky said. A fractured field means one of the candidates could win with just 30% of the vote, but the math changes if someone drops out, he noted.
For Gloria Hochstein, the chair of the party’s Rural Caucus, the circumstances of a large field of candidates make her wish ranked-choice voting was an option for this primary.
“The problem is that there are some really good people running, and the thoughtful voter is really going to have to decide where his or her vote should be,” Hochstein said.
But the convention could “turn the tide” for some candidates who might drop out if they see they don’t have the statewide reach among the party’s most faithful, she said.
“I think that’s the realization, some of the candidates, I hope they come to sooner rather than later,” Hochstein said.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
Two of the most recognized and respected names in student transportation safety will be at STN EXPO West to share their expertise with conference attendees.
Industry veterans Richard “Dick” Fischer and Pete Baxter will present a half-day seminar “The Best of the Dick and Pete Show” on Wednesday, July 15. This in-depth session will give attendees invaluable education from two National Association of Pupil Transportation Hall of Fame inductees on safety leadership, organizational learning and risk governance in student transportation.
In this seminar, STN EXPO West attendees will receive a comprehensive student transportation safety training that will dive into real-life school bus safety cases, including Danger Zone safety incidents and the “Titanic tragedy,” a 2016 incident in England, where a school bus carrying 26 children got stuck in deep floodwaters, and reveal the lessons learned. Fischer and Baxter will highlight the dangerous pitfalls of overconfidence, ignoring warning signs or a lack of preparedness or emergency training.
The message of the training will contain an overall theme of continuous improvement through the fostering of a strong safety culture. Attendees will be given safety training modules designed to give student transportation leaders what they need to know to implement safe practices, communication, accountability all to protect every child and school bus driver on every bus ride.
Fischer has spent over six decades championing school bus safety as a school district transportation director, school-bus safety trainer and consultant. He successfully petitioned President Richard Nixon in 1969 to proclaim the first School Bus Safety Week. Even following his official retirement announcement in 2013, he has continued to present training, advocate for the industry, and become involved in national safety discussions.
Baxter is a former state director of student transportation at the Indiana Department of Education and past-president of both the National Association for Pupil Transportation and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, one of only two industry professionals to hold both offices.
Both Fischer and Baxter have served as expert witnesses in court for legal cases involving school bus collisions and have extensive experience and knowledge to equip student transporters to further safety at their operations.
STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference will feature hands-on training classes, educational sessions, a dynamic keynote presentation, and networking opportunities. Register now at stnexpo.com/west.
A projected decline in Wisconsin’s working-age population means the state needs to build fewer housing units than previously expected, according to a new report.
For families, Medo said, the larger hope is that adults with intellectual disabilities are able to make more of their own choices — where they live, who they live near, how they spend their time and how they participate in the community around them.
Vicki Fingalson and fellow cast member Linda Kelsey, well-known for her multiple-Emmy-nominated role of newspaper reporter Billie Newman in the TV series “Lou Grant,” spoke with WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” in between rehearsals for their June 12 and 14 performances of Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music."
Beginning in November, SNAP retailers across the U.S. will be required to stock more healthy foods. But experts say the change will ultimately leave federal food aid users with fewer options — especially in rural areas.
Wisconsin pediatricians are celebrating two decades of a cancer-preventing vaccine. But state data shows nearly half of the state's teenagers aren't getting the shots.
The Milwaukee Reading Coalition claims the DPI indicated there was a pathway to obtain funding for training educators, but abruptly changed course. DPI says it is following the law.
In a new report, cost and availability were cited as the biggest barriers for families trying to send their kids to camp or other summer learning programs.
Login
