Joe Biden wasn’t in Milwaukee to receive the Democratic presidential nomination last summer, but he is headed to Brew City just a month into his presidency for a town hall event.
And the visit will mark President Biden’s first official trip!
CNN announced today that it will host the "CNN Presidential Town Hall with Joe Biden" at The Pabst Theater on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. with a socially distanced in-person audience.
The event, hosted by Anderson Cooper, will be broadcast live on CNN, and Biden will take questions from the audience, which is by invite-only.
"We are proud that our strong, long-term relationships with groups like CNN give us opportunities like this," said Gary Witt, President & CEO of the Pabst Theater Group.
"We're honored to host the President and shine a national spotlight on our city, our beautiful theater and the Marcus Corporation's gorgeous Saint Kate arts hotel."
According to CNN, Wisconsin state coronavirus health guidance will be followed.
"We're tickled pink," said Mayor Tom Barrett of the visit in a video press conference.
Due to the event, Wells Street from North Plankinton Avenue to North Water Street is scheduled to be closed to traffic from approximately midnight Friday, Feb. 12, 2021 morning to midnight Wednesday, Feb. 17. Pedestrians will still be able to access businesses on Wells Street.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
