Jim Piwowarczyk

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said Wisconsin needs a proper process to check its voter rolls for noncitizens and remove them, ensuring election integrity in the state. Currently, election commissions cannot check their rolls with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to ensure an estimated 90,000 individuals who are currently legally in the state, who can get a drivers license, do not register to vote. Toney was one of several officials statewide to take part in a Tuesday morning press conference from the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy about Wisconsin election integrity. Wisconsin election managers recently pushed for an Office of Election Transparency and Compliance, with a $2 million budget request for the office approved by the Wisconsin Election Commission. “We want to make sure that it is easy to vote but hard to cheat,” said Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany, who holds the state’s Seventh Congressional seat. Tiffany pointed to the

House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., threatened Tuesday to subpoena the head of border patrol, saying he has not received answers when asked about Vice President Kamala Harris' role as border czar. Comer sent a letter to Troy Miller, the acting commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, requesting documents and communications regarding Harris' role in working with CBP to address the border crisis. "The deadline to produce has passed, and CBP has failed to provide the Committee with any responsive documents, communications, or even a timeline for when CBP intends to comply with the request," the letter said. CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "If CBP continues to withhold documents and communications on this matter, the Committee will consider alternative measures to obtain this information, including through the compulsory process," Comer said in the letter. Harris has tried to distance her

Three samplings in battleground North Carolina have been initiated since last week’s presidential debate, and Republican former President Donald Trump has led Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in each. All, however, remain within the margin of error. And a close finish through 49 more days to Nov. 5 is anticipated by nationwide analysts watching the state. On the heels of his 1.7% lead from the Quantus Polls and News analysis released Friday, Trump over the weekend picked up a 48.9%-45.9% edge from AmericanGreatness/TIPP Insights and 48.4%-46% from The Trafalgar Group. Sponsors, respectively, were Trending Politics, American Greatness and Trafalgar Group. RealClear Polling, without the Quantus sampling , has the state remaining statistically even at Trump plus 0.4%. There is no margin of error factored in, though most polls range from nearly 3% to at or just under 4%. This means both candidates are about 3% away from saying he or she leads the state. Project 538 also co

This is an opinion column. Is anyone else sick and tired of this? I lost faith a long time ago in the CIA, then with the Hillary debacle and the phony Russian dossier I lost trust in the FBI, then over the last few years I lost faith in the Fed, and now I give up on the secret service. How many more institutions do we have to lose faith in? Please explain to me why no Secret Service agents or police vehicles were covering the perimeter of the golf course on both sides of the hedge row (along a public street)? Why? Why? Why? How dumb is the Secret Service? How stupid do you have to be after a prior assassination attempt from a distance not to cover one entire side of the golf course when a presidential candidate is going to be golfing right alongside it? Where the hell is the line of bulletproof glass panels? Why wasn’t a simple opaque fabric barrier put up on the fence to prevent the public from seeing from the public street to the golf course? It could be just like the nettin

This is an opinion column. Is anyone else sick and tired of this? I lost faith a long time ago in the CIA, then with the Hillary debacle and the phony Russian dossier I lost trust in the FBI, then over the last few years I lost faith in the Fed, and now I give up on the secret service. How many more institutions do we have to lose faith in? Please explain to me why no Secret Service agents or police vehicles were covering the perimeter of the golf course on both sides of the hedge row (along a public street)? Why? Why? Why? How dumb is the Secret Service? How stupid do you have to be after a prior assassination attempt from a distance not to cover one entire side of the golf course when a presidential candidate is going to be golfing right alongside it? Where the hell is the line of bulletproof glass panels? Why wasn’t a simple opaque fabric barrier put up on the fence to prevent the public from seeing from the public street to the golf course? It could be just like the nettin

A Dane County Circuit court ruled against former Independent party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., siding with the Wisconsin Election Commission’s decision to keep Kennedy’s name on the state’s ballot this November, despite his withdrawal from the race and request for removal. Kennedy’s lawsuit argued that, absent a compelling reason, the state’s different treatment for third party candidates violates the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment. It claimed the different deadlines for ballot withdrawal for major party candidates versus third-party candidates – Sept. 3 for the former and Aug. 6 for the latter – are unlawfully discriminatory. Judge Stephen E. Ehlke disagreed, saying Kennedy’s request was essentially that the WEC ignore Wisconsin election law, which only allows a certified candidate to exit the ballot in case of death. “Courts are required to apply the law as written, not as some party wishes it were written,” Ehlke said. “Under the statute, t

The new policy comes after last spring’s campus protests over the war in Gaza and accusations the chancellor at UW-Milwaukee sided with protesters against Jewish students. The University of Wisconsin is telling school leaders not to pick sides in political debates after adopting a new viewpoint-neutral policy at all of its campuses. “The Board acknowledges that “different ideas in the university community will often and quite naturally conflict,” and stipulates that, in instances of such conflict, “It is for the members of the university community, not for the institution itself, to make those judgments for themselves,” the policy states. “In accordance with RPD 4-21, and in order to uphold and protect academic freedom, freedom of expression, and an environment in which competing ideas can be freely discussed and debated by all members of the university community, it is necessary that all official statements issued in the name of and on behalf of the institution are limited to m

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday declared the Venezuelan gang, Tren De Aragua (TDA) as a foreign terrorist organization. Texas Department of Public Safety is aggressively targeting gang members who were released into country by Biden administration, he said. “I will not allow them to use Texas as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens,” Abbott said at a news conference in Houston. “Texas is a law and order state and I will ensure that law enforcement has every tool they need to keep our community safe.” Tren De Aragua is characterized as “MS13 on steroids,” Abbott said, referring to a violent El Salvadoran gang. It’s “the largest criminal organization in Venezuela … that has now expanded to a transnational criminal organization … dominating the international flow of migrants from South America through Mexico into the United States.” They are known for brutal violence, murder, kidnapping, extortion, bribery and human and drug trafficking, Abbott said, linked to more than

A federal criminal complaint was filed Monday charging Ryan Routh, 58, with gun crimes in connection with the assassination attempt of President Trump. Ryan Routh Criminal Complaint https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/ryan-routh-criminal-complaint/?feed_id=19807&_unique_id=66e89962f2597

A federal criminal complaint was filed Monday charging Ryan Routh, 58, with gun crimes in connection with the assassination attempt of President Trump. Ryan Routh Criminal Complaint https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/ryan-routh-criminal-complaint/?feed_id=19782&_unique_id=66e898fea6fe6

The perimeter around the Florida golf course where a gunman with an AK-47 style rifle was perched while former President Donald Trump played nearby was not secure because Trump isn't the sitting president, authorities said. The FBI is investigating the incident as the second assassination attempt on Trump's life since July. The suspect is in custody. During a news conference after the gunman was spotted pointing the nuzzle of the rifle through a chain-link fence toward the course, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the suspect was able to get within 300 to 500 yards of Trump because the former president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee doesn't get the same level of security as a sitting president. "Well, you got to understand, the golf course is surrounded by shrubbery, so when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they're pretty much out of sight, all right," Bradshaw said after a question about how the gunman could get so close. "A

There is more criticism from the Wisconsin capitol after Milwaukee Public Schools missed another deadline on another state-required report. Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said MPS missed last month’s deadline to turn its District Aid Certification into the state’s Department of Public Instruction. “This was the very first step under the agreed-to Corrective Action Plan and they missed it,” Wanggaard said in a statement. “MPS and State Superintendent Jill Underly agreed that submitting this report on time and accurate was ‘high-priority and high-urgency.’” MPS agreed to that Corrective Action Plan after the city’s schools failed to turn in two other required financial reports last year. So far, the failure to file those reports, as well as other reporting failures with MPS’ federal Head Start program, have cost Milwaukee Schools $17 million. MPS has said it could lose as much as $50 million because of its financial reporting problems and their fallout. Wanggaard said this is

Ryan Wesley Routh is the suspect in the second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, according to The New York Post. There was a second attempt to murder President Donald Trump by an assassin wearing a Go Pro and toting an AK-47-style rifle today at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Trump is safe and unharmed, a Secret Service official said in a news conference Sunday evening. However, serious questions remain after the second assassination attempt: How did the suspect make it on the golf course while Trump was playing? How did the gunman get so close to Trump? How did the gunman get off the golf course without being initially apprehended by law enforcement? Trump was "playing golf at the time, moving between holes five and six," CNN reported. The gunman "was 300 to 500 yards away from Trump," according to CNN. Ryan Wesley Routh: What Is Known About the Assassination Attempt Authorities said a Secret Service agent wh

Reps. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) sent a letter to Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett demanding answers to questions about Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, a Venezuelan migrant who is not a U.S. Citizen, according to the Prairie du Chien Police Department. "Mr. Coronel Zarate was recently charged and arrested with domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and strangulation by the Prairie du Chien Police Department. However, he reportedly already had active warrants in Dane County for similar offenses, including false imprisonment and battery," Derrick Van Orden and Tom Tiffany wrote. Read more about the accusations against Zarate here. "Given that Dane County was classified as 'non-cooperative' with federal immigration authorities as recently as June of this year by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Reps. Tiffany and Van Orden wrote to ask for additional information regarding Dane County law enforcement’s interacti

Democratic candidates and campaign ads often cite “Project 2025” as the outline for a future Trump presidency. Project 2025 was developed by a conservative think tank organization, the Heritage Foundation, to outline a set of policy proposals for any future Republican administration or president. The Heritage Foundation develops and publishes such policy suggestions every four years. The left seems intent on using Project 2025 to instill fear into voters, saying that this IS President Trump’s guideline if elected in November.  Just like Russia collusion, Hunter’s laptop, and Biden’s dementia, the left is lying about such. The Heritage Foundation, Politifact and even CNN websites provide just a few examples of lies that have been debunked. In the debate, Trump said he had not even read Project 2025 and had nothing to do with it. The facts are as follows: Project 2025 does not propose any cuts to Social Security or changes to the retirement age. Project 2025 does not call to end

Flunking Yet Another Leadership Test This is an opinion piece by Shale Horowitz Another semester, another leadership failure. UWM Chancellor Mark Mone continues to speak with a forked tongue, carefully parsing statements to please all sides, while in practice aiding and abetting anti-Israel activists in breaking university rules. On September 5, UWM lifted the temporary suspension of anti-Israel student groups just in time for the start of the new semester. The groups’ July 19 Instagram post, which led to the suspension, stated that, “ANY organization or entity that supports Israel is not welcome at UWM.... Any organization that has not separated themselves from Israel will be treated accordingly as extremist criminals.” UWM justified the decision by stating that the post’s “intimidating language” falls within free speech protections. UWM claimed to “strongly denounce” the post, while promising to “ensure that individuals and organizations comply with the law and our conduc

A state lawmaker wants a full accounting of how the University of Wisconsin System has thousands of more administrators now than it did 30 years ago, despite having fewer teachers. State Rep. David Steffen told The Center Square on Wednesday the UW system has hired 6,000 administrators over the past 30 years. “What are the students and the taxpayers getting as a result of that investment?” Steffen asked. “That becomes very difficult, especially when you dig deeper to realize that it really isn't an increase in the faculty, the in-classroom personnel. These are all ancillary, secondary, non-essential type of additions to the head count.” Steffen pointed to a memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that showed in the 1992-93 school year, the UW had 26,360 full time employees. In the 2022-23 school year, the UW’s headcount grew to 33,538. The additions are all out of the classroom. The LFB’s memo shows the faculty headcount in 1992-93 was 7,181. That number fell to 5,729 in

Following nearly a year of investigations into political donation platform ActBlue, Republican Rep. Bryan Steil has introduced legislation he says will increase transparency and prevent illegal straw donations in online political donations. The Secure Handling of Internet Electronic Donations Act, or SHIELD Act , would prohibit political campaigns from accepting contributions from gift cards or other prepaid credit cards, and require them to obtain and verify the CVV of all online credit and debit donations. It would also require political campaigns to get the affirmative consent of donors before they make a recurring contribution. “American elections should always be free from foreign interference,” Steil said Monday. “The SHIELD Act will take a crucial next step in blocking foreign funding in our elections and certifying that every political contribution received is actually coming from the individual whose name is on the contribution. By passing the SHIELD Act, we will increa

During the presidential debate on Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris deflected when answering questions on the ongoing border crisis. When asked “why did the administration wait until six months before the election to act” on the border crisis, and if she would have done anything differently from President Joe Biden, Harris didn’t answer the question. She deflected by repeating the claim she’s previously made that she prosecuted transnational criminal organizations when she was the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017. “I'm the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns drugs and human beings,” she said. She also repeated a claim that she would sign a U.S. Senate border bill that went nowhere in the Democratic controlled Senate. “Some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate came up with the border security bill which I supported,” she said. “That bill would have pu

This is an analysis piece. Arguably, Vice President Kamala Harris won the debate on expectations and performance. But former President Donald Trump won the debate on policy , and that's what really matters. Harris got generally high marks on performance because she wasn't a babbling fool, and Biden lowered the debate bar so low. She didn't get tangled in word salads or stare vacantly into the distance or wander around like a lost dementia patient on stage, so she exceeded expectations. Because she didn't collapse spectacularly, in a way she won, even though her inappropriate smiles and smirks were extremely annoying. She talked so fast = about absolutely nothing that one's mind wandered midway through each Harris soliloquy.  It was like she was on a Halloween candy sugar buzz. Harris didn't move the needle on policy at all, and that's where the rubber meets the road. https://twitter.com/RobertCahaly/status/1833734394101604631 The debate isn'

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are squaring off in their first, and perhaps only, debate. The stakes are high for Harris as Trump has been surging in recent polls. The 90-minute debate will be held at 8 p.m. central time on Sept. 10 on ABC, FOX, C-Span, and other networks. Here, for your viewing pleasure, we present... DEBATE BINGO! https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/trump-vs-harris-play-debate-bingo/?feed_id=19507&_unique_id=66e0340522bb3

By Madeline Mazur, Hartford Union High School student On Sunday, Sept. 8, high schoolers at Hartford Union High School spent several hours planting 2,977 flags on the lawn in front of their high school, an event organized by Young America’s Foundation. It was a tedious task that blistered their hands and may have seemed overwhelming and unimportant to bystanders. Yet, this event connected students with history in a way no history class can. Each flag was planted to honor a life lost on 9/11 and is a part of the 9/11 Never Forget Project, the largest campus activism project of its kind which Young America’s Foundation has organized for the past 21 years. [caption id="attachment_211112" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Hartford Union High School students.[/caption] The youngest people who were alive on September 11, 2001, are now 23 years old, which means no current high school student lived through perhaps the most significant moment in recen

"Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" This is an opinion piece by Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany. As Kamala Harris steps onto the debate stage for the first time to face Donald Trump, we should ask ourselves: Are you better off now than you were four years ago? As Wisconsinites grapple with rising prices, inflation has become the number one issue for voters across our state. The Biden-Harris administration's economic policies have led to historic inflation, making it nearly impossible for many American families to make ends meet. We feel the reality of these failed policies every day as we go to the grocery store and pay for gas and electric bills. Skyrocketing prices affect everything, ranging from everyone's favorite appetizer, cheese curds, to an ice-cold beer at Lambeau Field. Consider this: in 2020, a pound of cheese curds cost $4.99. Today? You'll pay an increase of nearly 50%. The price of a beer at a Packer game has jumped b

Was Reagan perfect? No. But he was the perfect man for the time. Was the Reagan movie perfect? No. But it's the perfect movie for this time. What's happened to film criticism in this country? Movie critics have turned into elite snobs who seem increasingly incapable of separating their liberal politics from analysis. Unfortunately for them, half of the country doesn't agree with their personal politics. It makes reading movie reviews these days predictable and, frankly, an obnoxious bore. I don't remember Roger Ebert clouding his movie reviews with ideological snobbery. We ran into the same thing when we reviewed Matt Walsh's documentary "What Is a Woman?" Largely ignored by critics but loved by massive audiences, we won a Milwaukee Press Club award for that review. Yes, Reagan is a political movie. However, when the values that deeply move so many audience members are the very things that almost every published critic mocks, Houston, you've g