WisBusiness.com

Immigrant workers are overrepresented among #STEM fields and #agricultural sectors both in #Wisconsin and across other states bordering the #GreatLakes. That’s one finding from a new 📑 report, “Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region.” It was released this week by the American Immigration Council and Upwardly Global, a national organization that helps immigrants, #refugees and #asylees engage with the U.S. #economy. The report argues immigrants are “fueling #economic growth” and supporting communities across Wisconsin, #Illinois, #Indiana, #Michigan, #Ohio, #Pennsylvania, and upstate #NewYork. It includes a number of data points to illustrate the economic impact and contributions of #immigrants across this region. “Immigrants aren’t just fueling our #economy — they are 📮voters, 🏡 homeowners, and #entrepreneurs who keep our communities running … we see firsthand how their contributions go beyond the numbers; they’re stabilizing neighborhoods, opening new businesses, and shaping the political future of swing states in the Great Lakes region,” said Jina Krause-Vilmar, president and CEO of Upwardly Global. Read more and see full report at https://lnkd.in/g3CRJW-F

The latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” features Buckley Brinkman, executive director and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing and Productivity (WCMP). Brinkman talks about what kind of services WCMP offers to manufacturers and how #AI is vital to being more innovative and productive. Watch the episode: https://lnkd.in/gFezqsck #Wisconsin #manufacturing #innovation #technology #leadership

A large proposed 🔆 solar project in #Wisconsin called #VistaSands would offset more than 1.6 million metric tons of #carbondioxide #pollution in its first year of operations, equal to the emissions of more than 353,000 vehicles. That’s according to a recent report commissioned by Pennsylvania-based developer Doral Renewables LLC and submitted to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin as part of the project application. The proposed project includes 1.3 gigawatts of #solar and 300 megawatts of 🔋 #battery #energy storage in Portage County. If approved, the project would be the largest of its kind in the state, according to the report, putting out enough #cleanenergy to power about 200,000 average Wisconsin homes. Quantum Energy 🔎 Read more at https://lnkd.in/gphAxMGq

Global #livestock shipping and other international #business trends are the focus of the latest "Talking Trade" #podcast from WisBusiness.com with Robert Bishop of AgTrade USA. Bishop, the president of the Livestock Exporters Association, discusses the latest developments related to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu. “The main country we’re concerned about right now is Turkey, they’ve cut us off because of it,” Bishop said, highlighting an October visit from a Turkish delegation that’s meant to “show them that bird flu really doesn’t affect the type of cattle that we export.” The podcast puts a focus on American cattle, with Bishop noting decades of genetic manipulation have led to the “top genomic cattle in the world” that are sought after worldwide.  Check out the interview here --> https://lnkd.in/gqEbEWiS

#Wisconsin is set to receive more than $830,000 from a multi-state settlement with Marriott International, Attorney General Josh Kaul announced. The payment coming to the state is part of a 💰$52 million settlement related to a data breach of the Maryland-based company’s guest 🛎 reservation system, according to Friday’s release from the state Department of Justice. Under the settlement with 50 AGs, the company says it will improve #datasecurity 🔐 and take other actions to protect #consumers, along with the financial penalty. #Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel chain with nearly 9,000 hotels across more than 30 different brands, and about 1.5 million rooms. Marriott in 2016 acquired the hotel chain Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., taking over the Connecticut business’ computer network that same year. Read more at https://lnkd.in/g9Fb3R9Y

This week’s episode of WisBusiness.com: the 🎙Podcast is with Roland Green, CEO of Madison-based Invenra. The pharmaceutical #biotechnology company earlier this year announced the U.S. FDA has approved special designations for its rare #pediatric #cancer treatment. These designations are meant to incentivize the drug’s development due to the impact it could have on affected patients. “We focus on developing antibody therapeutic drugs for a variety of diseases,” Green said. “#Oncology, #immunology, we’re starting to move into #radiotherapy. So it’s basically using nature’s approach to fighting the bad guys.” The FDA’s Rare Pediatric Disease and Orphan Drug Designations were announced in late August for Invenra’s #INV724 antibody product, which is meant for patients with a form of cancer called #neuroblastoma. It was created through a longstanding collaboration with Dr. Paul Sondel, a pediatric oncologist and researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Listen at https://lnkd.in/gcf4gfra

The USDA is investing nearly 💰 $93 million in programs seeking to lower energy costs and create jobs in rural communities in the state, USDA Rural Development #Wisconsin State Director Julie Lassa announced. The bulk of the money, $91.5 million, is being invested through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy program, which provides low-interest loans with up to 60% loan forgiveness to fund #cleanenergy projects and energy storage. The investments include: ➡️ $75.9 million for @Stag Moose Solar LLC to finance 22 ground-mounted solar panel arrays to produce 62.75 megawatts of 🔌 energy in #Iowa, Wisconsin and #Minnesota — enough to power about 16,000 homes. ➡️ $15.6 million for Dairyland Power Cooperative in La Crosse County to finance the installation of two megawatts of ☀️ #solar #photovoltaic energy generation at two sites in western Wisconsin. The installations will generate enough electricity to power up to 1,000 🏡 homes. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gZyS9D65

President Joe Biden in #Wisconsin today will announce the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized federal regulations requiring hashtag #drinkingwater systems in the U.S. to replace lead service lines within 10 years. He will also announce the #EPA is investing $2.6 billion more into drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacements, funded by his hashtag #Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Of the new funding, 49% must be provided to disadvantaged communities as #grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. EPA is also announcing the availability of $35 million in competitive grant funding for reducing lead in 🫗 drinking water. The City of Milwaukee, where Biden will make the announcement, is already set to replace lead pipes within the 10-year timeline. So far, lead pipe replacement in the city, funded by a $30 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2024, has cut what had been a 60-year timeline. Similarly, Edgerton, southeast of Madison, has replaced 100% of its known lead pipes after receiving funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gdSsVHMA

The FDA has approved an 🎉 upgraded version of Exact Sciences’ #Cologuard® test, the Madison-based diagnostics and screening company announced. Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences, says the #CologuardPlus test “sets a new performance standard” for non-invasive #colorectalcancer screening. 🎙 “Cologuard Plus detects #cancers and #precancerous polyps with even greater sensitivity than Cologuard while reducing false positives by more than 30%,” Conroy said Friday in a statement. “This breakthrough comes at a critical time, when 60 million Americans are not up to date with screening.” The federal agency’s approval was based on results of the BLUE-C study, which had almost 19,000 average-risk participants. It found the Cologuard Plus test “significantly outperformed” an independent 💩 #fecalimmunochemical test on a number of measures, the release shows. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gZbUuhrR

This week’s episode of WisBusiness.com: the 🎙 Podcast is with John Burke, president of Trek Bicycle. He discusses his latest 📘 book, “A Bold Plan for America: 14 Nonpartisan Solutions Based on the Facts,” which covers topics ranging from the national #healthcare system to #immigration, #campaignfinance, #defensespending and more. Burke, who has led the 🚴♀️ bicycle company since 1997, has previously published books on the life of his late father and Trek Bicycle founder Richard Burke, as well as two other books focused on #American policy challenges and his vision of how to solve them. “I’m a frustrated citizen, as many of us are, and I thought I could write a book on simple solutions to help save 🇺🇸 #America,” he said. The podcast highlights some of Burke’s top takeaways for members of #Wisconsin’s business community, as well as the experiences he drew on while writing the latest book. Listen, thanks to University of Wisconsin-Madison, at https://lnkd.in/ghznZ38U