💸 Billionaires bankroll College Republicans

💍 Goodman’s Jewelers Bails Out After Flooding

• Employees at Goodman’s Jewelers are trying to salvage historical artifacts from the store’s longtime location on State Street after a pipe burst Tuesday morning.
• Water from a pipe in the apartment above the store flooded the showroom and basement of the store, which has operated at that location since 1933. During the cleanup process, employees have found artifacts from the store’s history in the basement, such as original owner Irwin Goodman’s footlocker from his time in the U.S. military.
• The shop is temporarily closed while repairs are underway, according to the store’s website. [WMTV, Goodman’s Jewelers]

💸 Uline Owners Funnel $1M to College Republicans

• College Republicans of Wisconsin had just $3,100 in the bank when conservative megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein each contributed $500,000 to the organization last year.
• Upon receiving the funds, the group contributed $86,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany. Young Democrats of Wisconsin, which has $2,517 in the bank, immediately began fundraising off the billionaires’ contributions. [Isthmus]

💧 Lawmakers Near Deal On PFAS Cleanup Funding

• Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders are nearing an agreement on how to spend $125 million in funds set aside two years ago to enforce cleanup of the cancer-causing chemicals known as PFAS.
• The chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals,” are found in waterways throughout Wisconsin, including in Madison. Legislative leaders have clashed over how to spend the money, but Evers said that “after months of successful and productive negotiations,” the two sides seem close to a deal. The agreement still has to pass both chambers of the Legislature and be signed by Evers before the current session ends in March.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: The City Cast Madison team talks about the surprising amount of optimism surrounding the deal on the Friday news roundup. We also talk about how Wisconsin is preparing in case ICE raids cross into the state, the skyrocketing costs of heating, and some positive restaurant news. [ 🔒WSJ, 🎧City Cast Madison]

Meet Homer! He’s a fun-loving guy with lots of chutzpah. If he’s not playing with his bros at doggie day care, he’s likely to be found running around at the dog park. After all that exertion, stopping on the way home for a pup cup isn’t a bad way to relax.