Metronews

MEQUON -- Using watermelon rinds and potato peelings to power buildings may seem like a stretch, but it's happening right here in southeastern Wisconsin. Sendik's Food Market in Mequon At the Sendik's Food Market in Mequon, discarded food waste once filled about eight 30-yard dumpsters per month. Now, the store is down to just one dumpster per month, thanks to the Grind2Energy food waste recycling system. The Grind2Energy is basically an industrial-sized garbage disposal. However, instead of the food scraps going down the drain, they are ground up and sent into a large chamber. Once the chamber is full, the nutrient-rich slurry is trucked away to be converted into energy. Sendik's has been using the system for almost two years and has it in all but one of its full-line grocery stores in Milwaukee. Sendik's Food Market in Mequon Grind2Energy Sendik's Food Market in Mequon "Those watermelon rinds, those orange peels and apple trimmings and po...

MADISON -- The state Department of Transportation has scrapped new bids on the massive Zoo Interchange project as lawmakers put the long-delayed state budget on the back burner and focus on Foxconn incentives instead. Zoo Interchange A special session will start at 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 1st on a bill that would extend $3 billion in tax breaks to the Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn, which has pledged to build a multi-billion dollar plant in southeastern Wisconsin and hire thousands of workers. A public hearing could happen this week. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's budget is a month late. Without funding, the state DOT has withdrawn three proposals for Zoo Interchange work instead of putting them out to bid on August 8th. The bids are for relatively minor projects, including a drainage pond, concrete sidewalk,  noise-reducing wall and prep work. DOT administrators did not respond to a phone call and email seeking comment about what the delays would do to the project timeli...

The Republican Party "should be politically horsewhipped" if it does not push ahead with healthcare legislation, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Monday.

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — A federal judge has struck down Alabama’s one-of-a-kind law that enabled judges to put minors seeking abortions through a trial-like proceeding in which the fetus could get a lawyer and prosecutors could object to the pregnant girl’s wishes. Alabama legislators in 2014 changed the state’s process for girls who can’t or won’t get their parents’ permission for an abortion to obtain permission from a court instead. The new law empowered the judge to appoint a guardian ad litem “for the interests of the unborn child” and invited the local district attorney to call witnesses and question the girl to determine whether she’s mature enough to decide. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Russ Walker sided Friday with the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama , writing that the law unconstitutionally and impermissibly imposes “an undue burden on a minor in Alabama who seeks an abortion through a judicial bypass,” and violates the girl’s confidentiality by potentially bringing...

Watch Video WASHINGTON, D.C. — A self-described “email prankster” in the UK fooled a number of White House officials into thinking he was other officials, including an episode where he convinced the White House official tasked with cyber security that he was Jared Kushner and received that official’s private email address unsolicited. “Tom, we are arranging a bit of a soirée towards the end of August,” the fake Jared Kushner on an Outlook account wrote to the official White House email account of Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert. “It would be great if you could make it, I promise food of at least comparible (sic) quality to that which we ate in Iraq. Should be a great evening.” Bossert wrote back: “Thanks, Jared. With a promise like that, I can’t refuse. Also, if you ever need it, my personal email is” (redacted). Bossert did not respond to CNN’s request for comment; the email prankster said he was surprised Bossert responded given his expertise. The emails were shared with CN...

After a shaky several days last week, the White House appears to have "bounced off bottom" as communications director Anthony Scaramucci left his job just 11 days in, conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer said Monday.

BROOKFIELD — For Lyle Maryniak, shooting an arrow isn’t so much an action, it’s a state of mind. “ What I tell my family is, ‘I’m going down to meditate,”” said the former leadership development consultant at Northwestern Mutual. “When I’m shooting pure, everything is focused on just shooting, and I’m relaxed and I’m having fun.” The process itself is simple enough – draw, release, repeat. The hard part is the consistency. “ It’s being exactly the same every single time,” said Maryniak. It’s about being able to replicate the motion over and over, to the point that you can do it with your eyes closed. “ It shuts everything else down, and makes you focus on fundamentals,” said Maryniak. Lyle Maryniak Maryniak is a certified instructor. Last fall at the Wisconsin Highland Games, a blind friend presented him with a challenge: Could he teach a person to shoot, when they can’t actually see the target? “ That was just an ‘ah hah!’ moment. ‘Wow! This is opening up his world to somet...

Not only are Trump's numbers continuing to fall, even with his favorite pollster, but the passion and energy are clearly with his opposition.

SHOREWOOD — Vehicle thefts and break-ins over the weekend prompted Shorewood police on Monday, July 31st to remind residents to keep their valuables locked up, and keep spare keys out of vehicles. In some cases, simply locking their vehicles could’ve kept people from becoming victims. Police said this isn’t the largest rash of break-ins and thefts they’ve seen, but they’re encouraging everyone to practice common sense, and lock their doors. “About a month ago I had my car parked on the street. I unfortunately left it unlocked that night,” a Shorewood resident said. Shorewood The 27-year-old woman said she was targeted by criminals. “When I looked in the back seat, I realized all my stuff was gone,” she said. Shorewood She was in the process of moving, and had a large bag in her vehicle, filled with clothes and personal items. It was taken overnight. “When you get to your car and go to the store the next day and you see everything is torn apart and you realize somebody you d...

MILWAUKEE -- When a local jail became too crowded, the sheriff needed a solution. See how a special program is working to get offenders back on their feet, Thursday on FOX6 News at 9.  

LAUREL, Maryland — A rookie police officer in Maryland is garnering praise for an act of kindness he extended to a woman accused of shoplifting. Officer Bennet Johns, who joined the Laurel Police Department in May, was called to a local grocery store on July 22 regarding a 20-year-old woman accused of shoplifting. The woman, who reportedly bought some items but did not have $15 for two packs of diapers, was given a citation for misdemeanor shoplifting. But Johns, who was raised by a single mother, was touched by the woman’s predicament and used his own money to buy the diapers for her toddler. A photo of Johns at the cash register, taken by his training officer, began making the rounds of the internet after being posted to the police department’s Facebook page.

"The stilted nature of the text alone was sort of a tell that President Unindicted Co-conspirator was involved," Rick Wilson said before unloading on Trump.

A pro-Trump group backed by GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer was not active during the healthcare debate, BuzzFeed reported Monday.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — New Hampshire police say a man ingested heroin in a bathroom at a Dunkin’ Donuts during a visit with his 9-year-old son and had to be revived with an opioid-overdose antidote. Manchester police say the boy told an employee on Saturday that his father had been inside the bathroom for a long time. Police say the employee went into the bathroom, found the man unconscious and called 911. Police said city firefighters and ambulance personnel administered naloxone. Police identified the man as 26-year-old Christopher Morrissey, of Boston. He was taken to a hospital. Morrissey was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He’s scheduled to appear in court Sept. 6. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer. Police say the boy was placed in his grandmother’s care.

MADISON — A family is mourning the loss of their beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and wondering why the dog died after swimming in Lake Mendota. “She was the best thing in the entire world. The best friend, companion,” Lindsey Holmes told WMTV. According to WMTV, Lucy’s owner took her for a swim Sunday afternoon, July 30th near the Memorial Union Terrace. Shortly thereafter, the dog began vomiting and foaming at the mouth. “She started getting up and foaming at the mouth and her head was just tilted upwards like she was trying to get air through her… to her lungs,” Holmes said. The owner told WMTV the dog was three years old and perfectly healthy. “For this to happen, I can’t even understand it right now that she’s gone. It’s the worst thing in the world right now,” said Lindsey Holmes. Lindsey Holmes and Lucy (PHOTO: WMTV) Holmes said while she was at the vet, another dog came in with the same symptoms after swimming in the lake. Officials with Clean Lakes Allianc...

"They thought we colluded, but we couldn’t even collude with our local offices," Kushner said during a private meeting.

A pro-Trump group backed by GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer wasn't active during the healthcare debate, BuzzFeed reported Monday.The information is odd considering the political nonprofit organized by Mercer was formed after concerns that other Trump allies were not doing...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House panel examining the nation’s opioid epidemic has told President Donald Trump to declare a national public health emergency to combat the ongoing crisis. “Our citizens are dying. We must act boldly to stop it,” the commission, headed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said in an interim report Monday, July 31st. “The first and most urgent recommendation of this Commission is direct and completely within your control. Declare a national emergency.” In pushing for the emergency declaration, the commission said that President Trump is the “only person who can bring this type of intensity to the emergency and we believe you have the will to do so and to do so immediately.” It is not often that a public health emergency is declared for something other than a natural disaster. The US Department of Health and Human Services declared one in Puerto Rico last year after more than 10,000 Zika cases were reported there. Before that, the last emergency declarati...

The new development "adds to a series of actions that Trump has taken that some advisers fear could place him and some members of his inner circle in legal jeopardy."

CINCINNATI — Police say an employee was found dead in a walk-in cooler at a restaurant in a Cincinnati neighborhood. Police say they responded to Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant on Monday morning after a fellow employee found the man’s body. Authorities say the cause of death wasn’t immediately determined. Police say the man had worked at the restaurant and pub in the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood Sunday night and appeared to have been in the cooler overnight. They say the employee was in his 20s and did not appear to have been locked in the cooler. Police say their investigation is continuing.

Watch Video INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Court documents say a police officer fatally shot in Indianapolis sustained 14 gunshot wounds. WISH-TV reports the documents say Homecroft Police Maj. C.T. Bowman responded to a car crash Thursday, July 28th with the officer who was slain, Southport Police Lt. Aaron Allan. Bowman says driver Jason Brown was upside-down in the vehicle and being held in by his seat belt. He says Brown was “hysterical” and Allan told Brown to be calm. Bowman says Allan climbed into the car, then Bowman turned to speak to a female witness when shots rang out. Bowman said he heard 10 or 12 gunshots followed by a lull, then two or three additional shots. The 28-year-old Brown has been arrested on a preliminary murder charge. Police say he’s being detained at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake is raking his own party over the coals for what he charges is essentially allowing President Donald Trump to proceed unimpeded in a populist quest while conservative principles are quashed.In an excerpt from his new book, "Conscience of a...

MARION, Arkansas — Three of four women charged with manslaughter in the death of a five-year-old boy who was left in a day care van in Arkansas have pleaded not guilty. Online court records show Felicia Phillips, Wanda Taylor and Kendra Washington pleaded not guilty on Monday, July 31st in Crittenden County Circuit Court in Marion. The three are charged in the June 12th death of Christopher Gardner Jr., who authorities say was left in a day care van in West Memphis for nearly nine hours as the temperature inside the van reached 141 degrees. Investigators say the women overlooked Gardner three separate times before he died inside the van. An attorney for the child’s mother tells WMC-TV that the fourth woman’s case was delayed because her attorney has been called for jury duty.

"We created him, and now we're rationalizing him. When will it stop?" Republican Sen. Jeff Flake wrote in an op-ed published in Politico on Monday.

WASHINGTON — An Army medic who “ran into danger” to save wounded soldiers during a Vietnam War battle despite his own serious wounds on Monday became the first Medal of Honor recipient under President Donald Trump, 48 years after the selfless acts for which James McCloughan is now nationally recognized. McCloughan mouthed “thank you” as Pres. Trump placed the distinctive blue ribbon holding the medal around the neck of the former Army private first class. As the president and commander in chief shook McCloughan’s hand, Pres. Trump said “very proud of you” before he pulled the retired soldier into an embrace. WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 31: U.S. President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honor to former Army Specialist James McCloughan of South Haven, Michigan, during an East Room ceremony at the White House July 31, 2017 in Washington, DC. McCloughan is awarded with the medal for his heroic acts as a combat medic during the Vietnam War. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) “I know I sp...

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner told congressional interns that Donald Trump's campaign team was too disorganized to collude with Russia, Foreign Policy reported Monday.

MILWAUKEE — Most people turn a blind eye when they walk past vacant properties in the city, but a beautiful project is giving us a reason to take a look. An artistic beautification project is looking to bring pride back to Milwaukee neighborhoods. The group “Artists Working in Education” has teamed up with students to showcase their talent and paint new life into Milwaukee properties. The celebrated their latest project with a ribbon cutting near 39th and Vliet Monday, July 31st. “What we have to do is showcase, again, the talent we have in the city because it’s there, and not only do we have to showcase it, we have to nurture it. We have to develop it — and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. Barrett said he hopes this partnership shows the students they can make a difference. The artistic board-up project began in 2013.

MILWAUKEE — Monday, July 31st marked a memorable day in Milwaukee’s history. Fifty years ago, the city was thrown into chaos in a racial upheaval. It had never been seen here before that day. The 1967 Milwaukee riot was one of 159 riots to occur in United States cities during the summer of 1967. Racial tension, anger and fear were high. Mayor Henry Maier called for a citywide curfew, and the National Guard moved in. It was a night like no other in Milwaukee — bloody, terrifying and dangerous. “I was scared and I still remember it today. It’s frightening because I could have been shot,” Clayborn Benson said. Clayborn Benson Benson on Monday reflected on the unrest in Milwaukee 50 years ago, in 1967, when he was 16 years old. People overturned cars, knocked down power lines and set houses and cars on fire. There were even sniper shootings. “Whatever they could do to disrupt the system and the police system,” Benson said. A police radio transcript shows the escalation of that ni...

With fractious Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci gone, new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's biggest challenge is President Donald Trump himself, says the author of a new book on chief of staff position.A chief of staff must be able to tell the president...

WEST ALLIS — It’s a staple of the Wisconsin State Fair — and it’s back for another year with two new flavors! The Milwaukee Bucks Milk House presented by Prairie Farms Dairy opens for business on Thursday, August 3rd. When you walk up to the stand, you’ll be able to purchase eight-ounce cups of milk for just 50 cents. This year’s Bucks Milk House will feature five of Prairie Farms Dairy’s tasty flavors: Chocolate Strawberry Root Beer Chocolate Peanut Butter – NEW! Sea Salt Caramel – NEW! Take Our Poll The Milwaukee Bucks Milk House will be located at Main Street and South Grandstand Avenue. More than 160,000 cups of delicious Prairie Farms Dairy flavored milk are sold annually as fair goers quench their thirst with the Dairy State’s healthy and refreshing drink.

PEWAUKEE -- Inside the Education Center at Waukesha County Technical College, Monday, July 31st, Wisconsinites got an introductory lesson. You could call it "Foxconn 101." “It’s a great opportunity for people that are interested in seeing the types of products that are going to be produced here," said Mike Shiels, dean of applied technologies. Foxconn product showcase Ever since the announcement June 26th that Foxconn would invest up to $10 billion to build a plant in SE Wisconsin, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer has been a name to know. The company Monday and Tuesday, August 1st is hosting a two-day product showcase at WCTC to help students and companies understand where they might fit in the potential supply chain. Foxconn product showcase Foxconn product showcase Foxconn product showcase "I just wanted to come in and look at some of their products that they have on exhibit and see what their plastic content is so I can look at that and go,...