UP: Wisconsin Covenant. Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to guarantee financial aid for the state's college-bound high school students gets a boost with the creation of a $40 million endowment. Doyle launches the Wisconsin Covenant Foundation, a private nonprofit group, to raise and distribute funds for the program. Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp. has given the first donation.
DOWN: Cheesehead health. A national ranking of overall health drops Wisconsin from 10th to 12th best, citing obesity, violent crime, high rates of binge drinking and smoking, and the percentage of children living in poverty. The study found that the percentage of poor children rose from 13.6% to 15.5% in the past year, while the state's obesity rate is up 135% since 1990.
