Here's an update on an item we posted on Friday regarding six properties at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison that the White House had listed as "excess property" that is to be sold to save taxpayers money. We reported how a spokeswoman from the facility was not aware the institution had made the list. Now we've learned, it's been a case of misinformation between the laboratory and the White House. Last year, the laboratory had technically listed those properties as "excess," so they could be demolished. They were outdated and weren't needed with the institution's new Centennial Research Facility. They were demolished, so they can't be sold now. Further, FPL leadership says it has "no intention of selling the property where the buildings once stood or any other existing FPL properties."

The goal had been to save taxpayers $15 billion over three years by selling this "excess property." That total will now be a little less.

To see the list of properties the White House has targeted to be sold, including at least 40 buildings in Wisconsin, click on this map

The increased political profile Wisconsin has enjoyed nationwide expects to continue during the next presidential election. Rick Wiley, the former head of the state Republican Party and current political director for the Republican National Committee, tells the Green Bay Press-Gazette that the GOP hopes to turn the state the shade of Bucky Badger in 2012. Wiley described the "grass-roots army" of Republican outreach workers that have been cultivated over the few election cycles to the point where they led to the party picking up a U.S. Senate seat, a U.S. House seat, the Governor's Mansion and both chambers of the state legislature. A spokesman for the Wisconsin Democratic Party told the paper it was the overreach of Republicans like Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin) that lead them to be confident President Obama will win the state as he did in 2008.

Two Milwaukee college students are on a bus starting today traveling through the deep South. UW-Milwaukee sophomore Alicia Skeeter and Marquette junior Maricela Aguilar. They're part of a re-creation of the 1961 Freedom Rides that were formed to challenge segregation in the south. The students will travel with 38 others from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans from May 6-16. The event is being filmed by PBS's "American Experience" which will run a documentary on May 16 on the original Freedom Riders. Skeeter is majoring in educational policy and community studies and tells the UW-M public relations team she's always been interested in civil rights. "The trip just sounded incredible. It appealed to everything I'm interested in," she said. "I value history and this is a way to really be engaged with it. It's an opportunity to become even more committed and learn more about the history of our country and the Civil Rights Movement." Most of the students will be sharing their experiences on social media. If you want to see their stories and their pictures from the trip, click here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/2011/about/.

Finally, you may have seen a story this week about the White House looking to sell federal government property that they said was unneeded any more. The federal government owns more property in this country than any other landowner. The President wanted to create a Civilian Property Realignment Board to help get rid of this "excess property," with the goal of saving $15 billion in its first three years of operation. The White House targeted around 14,000 buildings and structures, 46 of them can be found in Wisconsin on this map: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fiscal/excess-property-map. Most are in the northern part of the state and including buildings in national parks, but here in Madison, six buildings from the Forest Products Laboratory made the list. The Department of Agriculture runs the facility and a spokeswoman here in Wisconsin said they weren't aware of making the list and neither, frankly, were her superiors in Washington. The scientists at the facility are the pre-eminent experts on wood in the country and serve as the research laboratory for the U.S. Forest Service.

Tonight on "Here & Now," Adam Schrager reports from La Crosse on the senate recall race between republican Senator Dan Kapanke and democratic Representative Jennifer Shilling. We hear from the Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools whose budget would cut nearly 1,000 full time employees from the district. Also, an expert on gas prices and consumer behavior tells us what the breaking point is when it comes to pain at the pump...and a national expert on the middle east tells us what's next after the death of Osama bin Laden.

This week on "Here & Now," Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan talks with Adam Schrager following one of the Congressman's town hall meetings in Wisconsin on his budget plan. We also bring you some of that public meeting out of Greenfield. Then democratic U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, responds to the GOP budget. And, wait for it – we ask Senator Kohl if he plans to run for re-election. For next week I'm working on a story about the number of public employee retirements since the start of the year. We'll also be covering continuing budget action at the Capitol, as the legislature's budget-writing committee continues work on Tuesday.

With Frederica Freyberg and Andy Moore enjoying spring break with their families, I'll be filling in with In Wisconsin producer Joel Waldinger sitting in the producer's chair for tomorrow's "Here and Now." We'll be covering the state budget with the co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, Rep. Robin Vos, R-Burlington and with Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-LaCrosse. We'll look at the impact of proposed spending cuts on the arts in Wisconsin with the head of Arts Wisconsin, Anne Katz.

Further, with recall efforts now apparently moving forward on at least eight state senators and an announced recount of the votes in this month's state Supreme Court race, who's paying the bill for these unbudgeted costs? We'll speak with the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Counties Association, Mark O'Connell, about the impact to Wisconsin taxpayers.

My head is swimming already. Should be a good program. Here and Now airs Friday night, 4/22, at 7:30 p.m.

Tonight on Here & Now, the Washington budget battle begins. The dueling 2012 budget proposals pit republican and democratic plans against each other toward an eventual compromise over how to trim Medicare and Medicaid spending and how to tax individuals and corporations. We hear from Republican U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin. Next week an interview with House Budget Committee Chair, Paul Ryan.

This Friday, March 25 tune in to WPT at 7 p.m. for a statewide candidate debate between Justice David Prosser and JoAnne Kloppenburg, who are running against each other for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The debate will feature a live audience and include audience questions for the candidates. Eric Franke of WISC TV and I will be moderating the forum. The election is April 5.

This week on "Here & Now," we have reaction to a Dane County judge's temporary restraining order blocking the publication of the budget repair law. We also look at two items in Governor Scott Walker's two year budget proposal effecting the Department of Veterans Affairs and the recycling law. In addition, two lawmakers square off on whether to lift Wisconsin's moratorium on new nuclear power plants.

This week Governor Scott Walker unveiled his two year state budget. It makes deep cuts to schools and cuts state aid to local governments, as well as making cuts to healthcare programs for low income people. It also calls for spinning UW Madison off from the rest of the UW System. This week on "Here & Now," we'll delve into these issues and keep abreast of breaking news on the return of democratic State Senators or any compromise toward that. Then there's always the unexpected turn of events. Over the past three weeks we've learned to expect the unexpected, in the 'just when you thought it couldn't get any wilder,' file.