1. No food assistance benefits will be paid out until the government shutdown ends. President Trump just posted that on social media today. The president's message comes one day after the Trump administration said it would at least provide partial aid. Now the push for the benefits is headed back before a federal judge. 700-thousand people here in Wisconsin rely on those benefits, known as FoodShare in our state. 2. A warning that mankind is on an accelerating course to climate catastrophe. Current emissions trajectories look set to warm the world by as much as 2.8°C (5.04°F) above preindustrial levels by 2100. This follows the 2015 Paris Agreement that established a long-term temperature goal among 195 parties to keep the rise in global surface temperature to well below 2 °C (3.6 °F) above pre-industrial levels. The U.S. has had a checkered past with the agreement, withdrawing at the start of the first Trump administration, rejoining at the start of the Biden administration, then withdrawing again at the start of the second Trump administration. 3. There's a high fire danger in parts of Wisconsin today. That includes all southeastern Wisconsin from Ozaukee County down to the state border. The problem is two-fold: Gusty winds and dry vegetation. The Milwaukee Fire Department is very concerned about the high fire danger and the possibility of wildfires. Uncontrolled fires during these conditions can burn for a long time, smolder underground for days, and be challenging to put out. The Milwaukee Fire Department says to avoid outdoor burning until conditions improve. And smokers, get rid of your cigarette butts appropriately. Cigarette butts tossed out a car window or tossed onto a sidewalk are one of the most common causes of grass fires, especially those starting near major roads. We've seen the damage wildfires have done across the country so let's make sure that doesn't happen here in Wisconsin.