Thursday, October 23, 2025
spot_imgspot_img
Thursday, October 23, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

NOT GUILTY: Jury Exonerates Wisconsin Agent Mark Wagner

spot_img

A Dane County jury speedily acquitted a Wisconsin special agent, Mark Wagner, who was charged in a sham prosecution.

The fact that a jury in liberal Dane County didn’t even buy the anti-cop prosecution’s woke crusade speaks to the inherent weakness of the case. And it didn’t even take them two hours!

We previously outlined 9 reasons that Wagner deserved to be acquitted for shooting at a violent felon drug dealer whom he reasonably, but mistakenly, believed had shot at him. You can read that article here.Ā 

Simply put: This was a prosecution that should never have been brought. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne owes Wisconsin law enforcement an apology.

In a statement, the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police wrote: ā€œWe have always known that he was innocent, and we are glad that the truth has finally come out. The truth is that Special Agent Wagner is a dedicated husband, father, and law enforcement officer who was simply doing his job when he was forced to take action to defend himself and others.ā€

FOP wrote that Ozanne’s decision to charge Special Agent Wagner ā€œmarks a troubling watershed moment for law enforcement and first responders in our state and nation. It is clear that DA Ozanne prioritizes violent felons who distribute deadly drugs in our communities over the safety of the public and the public servants who risk their lives every day they go to work.ā€

The prosecution ignored Wisconsin law, which the jury clearly understood, finding Wagner not guilty at warp speed. Law enforcement officers have a legal right to use lethal force if it is reasonable. They are allowed to make reasonable mistakes without being carted off to prison. That’s a recognition that they operate in often chaotic, fast-paced situations in which they have a split second to decide whether they want to go home at night.

“There is no dispute that Quadren Wilson has 26 prior convictions,” said prosecutor Matthew Moeser, during the trial. “There’s no dispute that he had a prior conviction for shooting someone. There’s no dispute that he was involved in drug dealing. But what did you also learn about Mr. Wilson — he didn’t have a gun on February 3.”

But, see, that is not the legal test. The test isn’t whether Wilson had a gun (he didn’t). It’s whether Wagner reasonably believed that he did, and that his life or that of another was in danger.

In this case, Wagner was accused of shooting at (but not hitting) the violent felon, Quadren Wilson. This occurred in an exceptionally dangerous situation in which multiple law enforcement officers had Wilson, an accused fentanyl dealer tied to an overdose death, boxed in with their vehicles. Wilson is accused of making furtive movements and refusing to comply with officers’ commands. (He’s currently incarcerated on serious felony charges, by the way, after being granted early release for previous offenses from Tony Evers’ prison system).

WILSON’S BEHAVIOR started the chain of events that led to Wagner discharging his firearm. Wagner reasonably believed that Wilson had shot at him.

Why was this reasonable? Because another officer had just broken Wilson’s car window with a crowbar-like tool. A projectile then struck and damaged Wagner’s shield, sending him flying backwards. He reasonably believed Wilson had shot him. He hadn’t. But a host of other civilians and agents thought Wilson had shot Wagner too.

It was the fog of war. It was a mess of a scene, but the only criminal in the mix was Quadren Wilson, not the brave agents who were trying to protect the community by getting him off the streets. Another agent opened fire after seeing Wagner flying backwards and hearing the same sound, also believing Wagner had been shot. This, too, is justifiable force. That agent was correctly never charged.

Wagner should not have been charged either.

Thank goodness the Dane County jury saw the light. Special Agent Wagner is a veteran law enforcement officer who used to be a Milwaukee police officer. He is a valiant public servant, and we believe he should remain a special agent if he wants to do so.

eric toney

Why AG Josh Kaul Should Be Running Scared of Eric Toney 2.0

Eric Toney 2.0 should keep Josh Kaul up at night. Toney, the Fond du Lac County DA, narrowly lost to Kaul last time around by...
eric toney

DA Eric Toney Announces Run for AG, Stresses Crime Lab, Border Enforcement & Bipartisanship

"As Attorney General, I will serve all of you. I will defend the law equally, no matter who holds power, and it's time to...
josh kaul

Josh Kaul’s Record as Attorney General: Crime Lab Mess, Botched Victims’ Audit & Angry Mom

Democrat Josh Kaul announced on October 7 that he is running for state Attorney General again, and Republican DA Eric Toney announced on October...
eric toney

Eric Toney Will Have Broad Statewide Support for WI Attorney General. Look for a Tuesday Announcement

Eric Toney, district attorney of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, will once again be running for Attorney General of Wisconsin. Our sources say that on...
barbara dittrich

Hate Has No Home HERE? No Kings Protester’s ‘Is He Dead Yet?’ Shirt Is Sign of Perilous Times

"I was aghast when a constituent texted me the photo of a woman at the October 18th, 'No Kings' protest in my city smiling...

Person Cited for Allegedly Spitting on Table of Turning Point Students at UW-Milwaukee, Campus Says

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has cited a person for disorderly conduct who is accused of spitting on the table of Turning Point Action students...
Wisconsin Flat Tax Wisconsin's Social Security wisconsin charter schools

Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Legalizing Mobile Sports Wagering

(The Center Square) – A group of Wisconsin lawmakers are proposing a law that would allow mobile sports wagering across the state through the state’s current tribal operators.

The law would allow for a similar sports wagering model as Florida where the state’s sportsbook operators have servers on federally recognized tribal lands while users can be in the state of Wisconsin.

The proposal cites the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision not to hear a challenge to the sports wagering pact between Florida and the Seminole tribe of the hub-and-spoke sports wagering model.

Legal sports wagering is currently only allowed on tribal lands in Wisconsin while prediction markets such as Kalshi are now legal across the U.S.

The Ho-Chunk Nation currently has a lawsuit filed against Kalshi for operating in the state.

The bill is being proposed by Reps. Tyler August, R-Walworth, and Kalan Haywood, D-Milwaukee, along with Sens. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Kristin Dassler-Alfheim, D-Appleton.

ā€œThis legislation is an important step to bring Wisconsin in alignment with the majority of the country in regards to sports wagering," Haywood said in a statement. "For too long, illegal, offshore entities have profited from consumers through unregulated sports wagering, without generating revenue for local economies.

"By regulating this multi-billion-dollar industry, we can provide a safer mobile wagering experience for Wisconsin consumers, and generate much needed revenue to invest into our communities.ā€

Wisconsin receives payments that are a portion of the net win from tribal casinos but does not separately reports sports wagering payments.

In 2024, the state received more than $66 million in shared revenue payments with nearly $66 million in 2023 and nearly $57 million in 2022.

Sports wagering is legal in 39 states with 31 allowing mobile sports wagering.

Sponsors sent out the proposed legislation to fellow lawmakers this week asking for co-sponsors before Oct. 22.

ā€œThis bill does not authorize gambling on its own; it only is one part in a multi-step process to create the legal framework necessary for Wisconsin to participate in mobile sports wagering under tribal compacts,ā€ the proposal said. ā€œGaming compacts between states and tribes need to be federally approved by the U.S. Department of Interior before going into effect.ā€

Making a sports bet in the state is currently a misdemeanor offense and the bill would exclude from the legal term ā€œbetā€ any mobile sports wager with an approved sportsbook with servers located on tribal lands.

The bill estimates it will bring hundreds of millions of illegal bets into legal sportsbooks in the state, stating the change ā€œgenerates new revenue through tribal gaming compacts and reduces consumer risk from offshore operators.ā€

Jill Underly

Thursday Hearing Set on Sexual Misconduct, Grooming in Wisconsin Schools

(The Center Square) – A hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday to address concerns about sexual misconduct and grooming in schools.

Committee on Government Operations, Accountability and Operations Chair Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, scheduled the hearing and invited State School Superintendent Jill Underly, along with law enforcement.

Nedweski announced Thursday night she would be introducing three bills related to the case including a grooming law, standards for communication between students and faculty and to end a "loophole" where educators can surrender their teaching license rather than facing further investigation.

She had previously been working on the grooming law and bill on communications standards after the case of Kenosha teacher Christian Enwright, who pleaded guilty to 12 misdemeanors for his conduct sending hundreds of Snapchat messages to a student that resulted in a sentence of 450 days in jail and three years of probation.

ā€œSince the Kenosha County Eye exposed Christian Enwright’s predatory behavior toward a student, I have been working on anti-grooming legislation that will establish harsh penalties for any adult convicted of grooming a minor for sexual activity,ā€ Nedweski said in a statement. ā€œThis proposal will be modeled after comprehensive laws passed in other states and will give our law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to keep children safe.ā€

Senate Committee on Education Chair John Jagler and Vice Chair Romaine Quinn asked a series of 12 questions of Underly and demanded to get a response within 24 hours of the Thursday afternoon letter on if she will be willing to testify before the committee.

The Senate committee leaders had not heard back from Underly or her office as of 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

The Capital Times report showed that 200 investigations into teachers for sexual misconduct and grooming were shielded from the public by DPI and that accused teachers were able to forfeit their teaching license to avoid further investigation into alleged grooming.

The Center Square was unable to get comment from Underly or Gov. Tony Evers before publication.

School Choice in Wisconsin regulations for school vouchers School Choice Poll

Wisconsin School Choice Enrollment Hit New High, Worries Persist

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s latest enrollment numbers show some good news for choice schools in the state, but there’s also a warning sign.

School Choice Wisconsin said choice enrollment hit a new record high of 60,972 students.

ā€œParents are speaking loudly and clearly about what they want for their children: more educational options different than those offered by public schools,ā€ School Choice Wisconsin Vice President Carol Shires said.

The nearly 61,000 choice students this year is up from less than 34,000 in the 2016-2017 school year.

And, Shires said, the new record-high comes just as Wisconsin’s choice school enrollment cap expires.

ā€œLawmakers in Madison should continue to prioritize protecting these private-school options for all students,ā€ she said.

But there are also warnings about the limits of choice school enrollment growth.

Quinton Klabon with the Institute for Reforming Government said choice schools will soon face the same demographic challenges that traditional public schools are facing.

He said the ā€œbaby bustā€ from the 2008 recession has arrived, and all schools will see enrollments fall because there are simply fewer school-aged children.

ā€œSchool choice supporters and opponents alike have projected rapid, continued growth, but new data suggest the programs are affected by declining birth rates, school participation, or parent choices,ā€ IRG noted.

ā€œSchool choice supporters cannot be complacent,ā€ Klabon said. ā€œInforming parents, expanding high-quality schools, and protecting schools from hostile red tape are high priorities. Otherwise, the baby bust will close choice schools.ā€

The new enrollment numbers show Milwaukee’s choice program added 235 students this year.

Racine’s school choice program lost 14 students, and the state’s special needs choice program gained 419. But it was the statewide school choice program that saw the largest enrollment increases. The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program added 1,814 students this fall.

Voters Oppose Transgender Surgeries

Sharp Decline in Trans-identifying Youth Between 2023 and 2025, Report Says

A sharp decline in Gen Z Americans identifying as transgender and queer has occurred, from 6.8% identifying as a gender other than male or female in 2023 compared to 3.6% stating so in 2025, according to a report.

The report’s author, professor of Politics Eric Kaufmann, told The Center Square he thinks this drop in transgender young people ā€œsignals one of the first shifts away from progressive non-conformity of lifestyle and self-expression in 60 years.ā€

Kaufmann told The Center Square: ā€œI believe we could be at the start of a gradual change toward a more post-progressive society, somewhat more socially conservative – or at least not as socially radical.ā€

Kaufmann also said to The Center Square that ā€œthere are manyā€ implications to his report.

ā€œFirst, that social influences are an important factor in the rise and decline of trans, queer and bisexual identity among young people since the 2010s,ā€ Kaufmann said.

ā€œSecond, that gender and sexual identity seems to operate relatively independently of politics and culture war attitudes among young people,ā€ Kaufmann said.

For instance, in an X post on the subject, Kaufmann wrote that the shift in queer and trans identification is not actually due to the youth becoming ā€œless woke, more religious or more conservative,ā€ because ā€œthose beliefs remained stable throughout the 2020s.ā€

Kaufmann told The Center Square that his third and final listed point on the implications of his report was ā€œthat improving mental health is connected to this trend [of declining Gen Z transgenderism], though only partially.ā€

Better mental health certainly appears to play a part in the decline in trans and queer identifying young Americans, as ā€œless anxious and, especially, depressed, students [are] linked with a smaller share identifying as trans, queer or bisexual,ā€ Kaufmann wrote on X.

Kaufmann additionally noted to The Center Square that ā€œit does not appear that these shifts are related to social media consumption patterns.ā€

Interestingly, as Kaufmann wrote on X, ā€œfreshmen in 2024-25 were less trans and queer than seniors whereas it was the reverse when BTQ+ identity was surging in 2022-23,ā€ suggesting that ā€œgender/sexual non-conformity will continue to fall.ā€

Policy director at family advocacy group American Principles Project Paul Dupont told The Center Square that the findings of Kaufmann’s report ā€œshould be seen as good news.ā€

ā€œAdopting an identity at odds with one's biology is not healthy, so any report showing more people embracing their bodies rather than rejecting them is a positive development,ā€ Dupont said.

ā€œWhile it's too early to say with certainty, one hopes that this decline will make it easier to root out gender ideology from its remaining strongholds,ā€ Dupont said.

ā€œMany blue states and cities still allow men to access women's private spaces and sports,ā€ Dupont said. ā€œMany hospitals and clinics still perform gender transition procedures on minors. Many school districts still keep parents in the dark if their child is struggling with gender dysphoria.ā€

ā€œAll of these policies must be repealed wherever they are still in force, and having more members of Gen Z acknowledge biological reality will only help hasten that process,ā€ Dupont said.

Dupont advised that ā€œadvocates for sanity should be cautious not to declare victory yet.ā€

ā€œAlthough we are making progress, gender ideology remains entrenched in many powerful American institutions, and Democrats have refused to moderate one inch in response to their election loss last year,ā€ Dupont said. ā€œThere is still a difficult road ahead.ā€

Much of the information going into Kaufmann’s report came from raw data found in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) annual survey of college students – the College Free Speech Rankings Survey – with more than 60,000 polled in 2025.

As stated by Kaufmann in an article on his report, ā€œjust 3.6% of respondents [to FIRE’s survey] identified as a gender other than male or female,ā€ in 2025.

ā€œBy comparison, the figure was 5.2% in 2024 and 6.8% in both 2022 and 2023,ā€ Kaufmann wrote. ā€œIn other words, the share of trans-identified students has effectively halved in just two years.ā€

FIRE told The Center Square that its survey ā€œlooks at student attitudes for free expression and is conducted for that purpose.ā€

FIRE explained that ā€œas a side effect of asking demographic questions of so many respondents (68,000 this year), one can glean trends in demographics as Prof Kauffman has done here.ā€

ā€œWe make our data available to the public for free on this page to encourage academics or members of the public to dive in and see what findings they're able to uncover beyond the analyses that we ourselves are able to run,ā€ FIRE told The Center Square.

anthony rauch

Deputy Anthony Rauch Honored as First Responder of the Year by Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk

State Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk presented Deputy Anthony Rauch of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department with the 2025 First Responder of the Year Award for...
chuck beistle

West Bend Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Beistle Honored by Rep. Gundrum with First Responder of the Year Award

Wisconsin state Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger) honored West Bend Assistant Fire Chief, Chuck Beistle, with the First Responder of the Year Award. "Every session, all...
blaine evans

Rep. O’Connor Honors FDL Sheriff’s Deputy Blaine Evans and K9 Iro as First Responders of the Year

ā€œYou Saved Dad, and Now We Have to Save Youā€ Two years to the day after the harrowing incident, Wisconsin state Rep. Jerry O’Connor honors...
jeff dabruzzi

Hudson Asst. Fire Chief Jeff Dabruzzi Honored as the First Responder of the Year by Rep. Zimmerman, Sen. Stafsholt

River Falls, WI — Representative Shannon Zimmerman (R–River Falls) and Senator Rob Stafsholt (R–New Richmond) recognized Hudson Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Dabruzzi as the...
lcca

Turning Point Leader Brett Galaszewski to Oconomowoc’s LCCA: ‘My Ask Is Charlie’s Ask’

Brett Galaszewski, the leader for Turning Point in Wisconsin, told board members at Lake Country Classical Academy in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Wednesday night that Charlie...
margaret hagedorn, catie smiley

Margaret Hagedorn Wants ‘Civics Club’ at LCCA, Not Turning Point. Upset Mom Says Students Were Cut Out

Lake Country Classical Academy Principal Margaret Hagedorn announced for the second time on Tuesday that students will not be allowed to create a Turning...
mpd video

MPD Releases Dashcam Video Showing Officer Defending Himself From Violent Attack, Shooting

The Milwaukee Police Department released a dashcam video that shows an off-duty firearms training instructor for MPD defending himself from a violent attack. Social media...
BRIAN HAGEDORN

LCCA Board Will Consider Policy Change to Allow Student Turning Point Club; Scott Walker, Brian Hagedorn Diverge

The board of Lake Country Classical Academy in Oconomowoc, WI, will vote Wednesday on whether to announce a policy review that would likely overturn...
trevor tomesh

WI Prof. Trevor Tomesh: Working ‘Tirelessly’ So That Conservative Thought Can Be Heard on Campus

Trevor Tomesh is an assistant professor in Computer, Information, and Data ScienceĀ  at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. A post he wrote on the...
wingman delafield

Wingman Gifts & Supply in Delafield Is a Traditional Men’s Store Like You’ve Never Seen Before

When you stroll into Wingman Gifts & Supply in downtown Delafield, Wisconsin, for the first time, you will feel like you've tumbled down a...