Free Republic

MADISON, Wis. - 'Fromagination' Cheese Shop has sat across the street from the Capitol for 17 years. But the owner says this year, with executive orders and federal policies, he's concerned about the future of his business and the dairy industry. “We want to showcase Wisconsin's rich treasure, and that's cheese,” owner and founder Ken Monteleone said. And for 17 years, Ken Monteleone has been the final stop in that treasure's long journey. “You know, from our dairy farmers, from our cheesemakers to the people that sell the cheese, it's a big industry that's not only important in Wisconsin, but...

Hundreds marched downtown Madison in preparation for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. The event is described as "freedoms against relentless attack on our communities." According to the People's March's website the march was in support of: Women’s Rights Workers’ Rights Abortion Rights Trans Rights Immigrant Rights Global Solidarity (Palestine, Lebanon, Congo, Sudan) Environmental Justice Housing Justice "It's all needs to be addressed," one attendee said. "It's just about all of us together," another attendee added. "We have to come together for each other." Mia Kruzer called for the event and said she wanted an opportunity to bring likeminded people...

The Middle East Children's Alliance announced Tuesday the third annual Ride for Palestine, held in Madison on July 21. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., MECA said riders will assemble at the Tenney Park Pavilion on Madison's east side. Riders will then depart on an eight-mile, casually-paced ride at 11:00 a.m., using Madison bike paths. There will be a refreshment break at Olin Park. Riders will return to Tenney at around 12:15 p.m. MECA said there will be activities for guests of all ages at Tenney Park during and after the ride, including live music, poetry, bike decorating, kite making, and temporary...

MADISON, Wis. -- President Joe Biden will make his second visit to Madison of 2024 on Friday, his campaign confirmed Tuesday. The White House is expected to formally announce the visit later Tuesday afternoon. Biden's visit comes on the heels of a debate performance that raised concerns among some voters and political analysts, and a decision by the Supreme Court that gave his opponent former President Donald Trump partial criminal immunity. The New York Times first reported Tuesday afternoon that Biden was planning to meet with Democratic governors in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Biden last visited Madison in April 2024, touting...

MOUNT HOREB, WI -- An active shooter threat led to schools in the Mount Horeb Area School District to implement a full lockdown Wednesday. According to the Mount Horeb Area School District, the threat was neutralized outside the middle school. Authorities said without giving details that the "alleged assailant" was harmed, and a witness said she had heard gunshots and saw dozens of children running. Shannon Hurd, 44, and her former husband, Nathian Hurd, 39, sat in a car waiting to be reunited with their 13-year-old son, Noah, who was still in the locked-down school. Shannon Hurd said she was...

MADISON, Wis. -- Hundreds of students took to Library Mall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Monday, in protest of the Israel-Hamas war. A group called "Students for Justice in Palestine - UW Madison" organized the event. It defined its protest against "ongoing genocide and Zionist war crimes in Gaza, and against the new wave of student repression across the country." Protesters have demanded for an end to the war, as well as for UW-Madison to divest from corporations that do business in Israel. Speaking to News 3 Now, Students for Justice in Palestine member Dahlia Saba said...

As the situation in Israel and Gaza continues to unfold, many people far from the conflict are nonetheless exposed to countless images, stories and sounds of conflict via television and radio news reports, newspaper and digital stories, and of course social media. And this is taking a toll on all of us, including our children. The American Psychological Association released a statement this week warning that consuming violent and traumatic news can in and of itself negatively affect our mental health. “Psychological science tells us that fear, anxiety and traumatic stress have long-term effects on health and well-being. These impacts...

In the city of Madison, pigs won't be flying anywhere after the Common Council amended the city ordinance to allow them to be kept as pets. The council voted 11-8 on the change late Tuesday night, allowing one pig per dwelling unit in the city, as long as it's under 24 inches tall at the shoulder, weighs 300 pounds, is up to date on shots and is microchipped. The vote came after roughly 30 minutes of discussion. The swine that started it all was Rudi. He lives along the Southwest Commuter Bike Path. "I think he belongs here," Karen Peterson...

The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh has been on a crusade to expose the youth transgender movement. His documentary What is a Woman was met with acclaim from those on the right and vitriol from those on the left. I myself was intrigued by what could cause so much angst by those on the left, so I watched the documentary and found it hilarious, terrifying, engaging, and disgusting. Mr. Walsh has decided to take his message on the road. He has been showing the film at colleges and universities with open forums for those to engage in civic debate over the...

MADISON, Wis. — It’s sadly not new for a business on Madison’s east side, but EVP Coffee’s owner calls the latest burglary a one-two punch — showing a side of her neighborhood she never expected to see. “There was glass everywhere, the cash register was thrown on the floor,” owner Tracy Danner said. Danner’s general manager encountered quite the mess Wednesday morning at EVP Coffee. “The door was open, the ATM was stolen,” Danner said. As shocking as it looks, it wasn’t the first time this has happened. It’s Danner’s second break-in at the East Washington Avenue location in 10...

MADISON, Wis. — Local health department representatives say a new Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been detected in Dane County, although officials say it is too early to say what effect the new variant may have on case numbers. Representatives from Public Health Madison & Dane County confirmed to News 3 Now that the single case of Omicron BA.2 that has been discovered in Wisconsin so far was found in Dane County. The discovery comes nearly two years to the day of Dane County having Wisconsin’s first confirmed case of the original strain of COVID-19. The new Omicron strain...

A woman was caught on video assaulting a pro-life activist, as well as spray painting one of his signs, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The assailant later admitted to police that she had premeditated the act of vandalism after becoming angry over the pro-life signage. An individual at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — later identified by police as Sasha Timofeeva — is facing two charges after shoving a pro-life activist and spray painting his sign, according to the group Created Equal, which describes itself as “a social action movement seeking to end the greatest human rights injustice of our time...

Now that the long Memorial Day holiday is over and legislators and the governor have returned from their road trips, we hope they have a better sense of the condition of highways around the state and a renewed sense of urgency on the need for upgrades and repairs. The first order of business, it would seem to us, is to come to some agreement on a state transportation budget for the next two years. Hopefully, hopefully, when that is done they will also take a longer-term view of Wisconsin’s highway construction needs and how best they should be met —...

Trigger warnings, safe spaces, and political correctness run amok are turning colleges into daycares, and Sommers and Shapiro have had enough! Tune into this explosive live event to see how students at DePaul react, and catch the fiery Q&A session following the lecture! Don’t miss this one! Ben Shapiro, an attorney and bestselling author, is the editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com and the host of "The Ben Shapiro Show." Shapiro is leading the crusade against political correctness on campuses across the country, and infuriating leftists every step of the way. Sarah Palin says that Americans should “consider Ben’s advice about how we...

Bernie Sanders was in Madison Wisconsin on Wednesday and only a few hundred people showed up to hear him speak in support of Democratic Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton. Roll back the clock to March before endorsing Hillary Clinton, Sanders attracted over 10,000 listeners in the same city. After noticing the low attendance I began to realize that there were almost no signs, stickers, hats or shirts for Hillary. In fact there was a sea of people wearing Bernie Sanders gear, making me curious on if they’re here to support Hillary or just to see Bernie. In the video below I...

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are asking people to buy sweatshirts promoting violence against police officers and classifying all white people as racists. “Racism,” claims one hoodie’s page, “is a set of systematic, institutional, cultural, and epistemological (although not limited to said forms) structures that inherently empowers white folk and in turn disempowers people of color. This power dictates who lives, have housing, access to education/healthcare etc. Racism has little to do with hatred and mostly to do with who has power.”

The Center for Cultural Enrichment (CCE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is warning students that if your Halloween costume is funny, it's more than likely that you're exploiting oppressed people. That message, along with other suggestions about avoiding "cultural appropriation," was posted on fliers around campus in the previous few days. Sheets of paper were put up in different buildings at the college titled, "Does my Halloween Costume Promote Cultural Appropriation?" It asks questions about your Halloween costume, then answers how that could be oppressing people: "Is your costume racially, ethnically, or culturally based?" the sheet asks. "If it is,...

The Madison City Council overrode Mayor Paul Soglin’s veto Tuesday evening, adding homelessness as a protected class under its Equal Opportunities Ordinance. The change adds homelessness to classifications like age, disability, arrest record, sexual orientation, political beliefs and others, providing limited protection against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. "It's very narrow, very slim part of the law," said Department of Civil Rights director Lucia Nuñez. The 17-1 vote came after hours of testimony and debate that coupled the ordinance change with the overarching concern of how to address the city’s issues with homelessness. “We have a reputation. We...

MADISON, Wis. -- A white Wisconsin police officer won't be charged for fatally shooting an unarmed 19-year-old biracial man, a prosecutor announced Tuesday, prompting peaceful demonstrations but none of the immediate violence that has hit some other U.S. cities in similar cases. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said he wouldn't file charges against Madison Officer Matt Kenny in the March 6 death of Tony Robinson, saying the officer used lawful deadly force after he was staggered by a punch to the head and feared for his life. Ozanne, mopping his brow repeatedly but speaking forcefully for some 25 minutes,...

Tony Terrell Robinson was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs on the day he died, his uncle says. "He had made a bunch of changes. It was going to be the final step that would change his life around," Turin Carter said Thursday, adding that his nephew was "very inexperienced" with the drugs, believed to have been hallucinogenic mushrooms. The experiment ended in tragedy. After a friend and others called 911, Robinson, a biracial teenager, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer responding to the calls. Police have said that Robinson assaulted the officer. Also on Thursday, family members of...