Midwest

Wisconsin governor's push to erase gendered language from state law ignites debate

Published

12 months ago

March 5, 2025

Wisconsin governor's push to erase gendered language from state law ignites debate

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal to apparently remove gendered language from state law is sparking debate about the impact it could have on the family and society at large.

Evers has come under fire after introducing a budget recommendation that would change the word “mother” to “inseminated person” in the context of IVF and “paternity” to “parentage” in some parts of state law.

The Evers administration’s budget recommendation for the 2025-2027 fiscal period also advises several other gendered terms be changed. References to “wife” or “husband” are changed to “spouse” in the proposal. In other places, the word “father” is changed to “parent,” and “mother” is swapped out for the phrase “parent who gave birth to the child.”

Now, critics are analyzing the impact these changes could have on culture as a whole.

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Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers speaks to supporters during an election night event at The Orpheum Theater on November 8, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

Jay Richards, the director of the DeVos Center for Life, Religion and Family, argued that the proposal is an “ideological campaign” and explained that understanding reality is partly shaped by the language the culture uses. If people cannot distinguish between the sexes in language, it will be more difficult for young people to understand the reality of sex and marriage, he argued.

“If somebody says these kind of word changes are not a big deal, I always say, ‘OK, then why are you trying to do it?’ ….Clearly, somebody thinks it’s a big deal, or they would not have bothered to actually do it,” he told Fox News Digital.

Richards said that gender ideologues are trying to “erase language that would refer to the reality of sex” and proposals like Evers’ could cause confusion among young people about marriage. The most “perverse” consequence of gender ideology, he argued, is that many children growing up in 2025 entertain the “thought that they might be born in the wrong body.”

“In other words, that their self and their body are these two fundamentally different things, and so if they feel discomfort with their body, rather than learning to become satisfied and content with their body, they imagine that through drugs and surgery, they can transform their body to conform to some kind of internal idea,” he said. “That, to me, is the most toxic aspect of gender ideology because it essentially alienates children from the bodies that God has given them.”

Laura Dunn, a civil and victims’ rights attorney and Bailey Duquette partner, had a different perspective, explaining she is “happy” and “hopeful” to see Evers’ proposed changes because they take into consideration “generations that are feeling more free to express gender identity” while under “heavy attack.”

Dunn argued that those hoping to stick to the “gender binary” don’t often consider the “real-life consequences from individuals who are being discriminated, targeted, harassed and even abused as a result of breaking those forced norms and deciding to identify how they want.”

“Our Constitution doesn’t just guarantee liberty, it actually guarantees the pursuit of happiness, which is self-expression, which is allowing people to identify how they feel,” she said. “It is inherently part of the freedom of our country to have more openness and inclusiveness, and it’s very alarming in this political era, to see a backlash against that.”

Evers defended the changes by arguing they’re designed to provide legal clarity in state law for families and those who use IVF.

“What we want is legal certainty that moms are able to get the care they need,” Evers told reporters in Wausau on Monday. “That’s it. End of story.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Evers, and his office did not respond to requests for comment. However, he has argued the proposals are designed to provide legal clarity in state law for families and those who use IVF.

“What we want is legal certainty that moms are able to get the care they need,” Evers told reporters last month. “That’s it. End of story.”

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

Published

2 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
Atchison 74, Wamego 43
Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hays 80, Topeka West 18
Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

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Michigan

“Trustworthy” AI consortium focused on ethics, security launches in West Michigan

Published

32 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

“Trustworthy” AI consortium focused on ethics, security launches in West Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping everything from classroom conversations to social media, and leaders at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) say West Michigan is positioning itself to help determine how the technology is used, responsibly.

The university’s College of Computing is launching the West Michigan Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) Consortium, aimed at helping businesses, researchers and the community better understand how to use artificial intelligence.

Right in the heart of Grand Rapids, along the Medical Mile, the consortium will meet at the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) every week, with quarterly meetings open to the general public.

The effort is aimed at helping West Michigan industries adopt AI that fits their specific needs, while problem-solving for security, bias, privacy, and ethical concerns.

Right in the heart of Grand Rapids, along Medical Mile, the consortium will meet at the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) every week, with quarterly meetings open to the general public. (Abigail Taylor/WWMT)

Marouane Kessentini, Ph.D, Dean of the GVSU College of Computing told News Channel 3 that a wide range of companies in the region are bringing forward questions of where, and how, to ethically integrate artificial intelligence into their practices.

“Here in West Michigan, we have a high concentration of many industries, health, manufacturing, and of course high-tech companies,” said Kessentini. “The first questions are about security, privacy, ethics and bias. It’s not just about deploying tools. It’s about deploying them responsibly.”

Kessentini said the consortium will focus on training, research and community education, with a heavy emphasis on data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation.

“There are many examples where AI systems were trained on data that wasn’t diverse,” he said. “That can lead to inaccurate results. That’s why testing and training are critical.”

The consortium will bring together faculty researchers, students, and industry leaders, with weekly meetings planned to develop guidance for using AI at scale.

The goal is to help companies validate AI outputs, clean and manage data, and identify bias before systems are put into real-world use, especially in high-risk industries like healthcare and manufacturing.

Some projects will involve software design, others will focus on creating public data sets that are reliably sourced, but anonymized for safe use, and many more are yet to be ideated.

Some projects will involve software design, others will focus on creating public data sets that are reliably sourced, but anonymized for safe use, and many more are yet to be ideated. (Abigail Taylor/WWMT)

The initiative is backed by $1,031,000 in federal support, through the Community Project Funding (CPF) process, resources that U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) said she advocated for among members of congress in Washington.

“West Michigan should be leading the way in how artificial intelligence is developed and used, and that starts with investing in people and institutions we trust,” said Rep. Scholten. “This funding will help GVSU bring together educators, industry, and public partners to build AI systems that are ethical, secure, and transparent while preparing students for good-paying jobs and strengthening our region’s economy. I’m proud to support this work and to continue delivering federal investments that ensure West Michigan remains at the forefront of responsible innovation.”

It’s important that AI is useful, but also safe…

GVSU also launched an online certificate portal that is open for community members interested in learning about ethical AI use, for free.

Kessentini said the training is for the general public to learn how to navigate the technology, including the risks and limitations.

“It’s important that AI is useful, but also safe,” said Edgar Cruz, master’s student with a badge in cybersecurity.

Cruz is currently researching how AI systems can be attacked or manipulated with poisoned data, specifically as it relates to vehicle-to-vehicle communication, where AI helps self-driving cars exchange information like speed and position.

“We want to ensure that the system is robust and safe,” he said. “Because obviously people are involved.”

Kessentini said the consortium is designed to be a public resource, not just an academic project.

Quarterly community meetings will be open to the public, and training materials are available online through the College of Computing website.

“This is innovation with purpose,” he said. “We want to start here in Grand Rapids, but we want to make a global impact.”

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Minnesota

Minnesota’s oldest operating theater is in danger of closing it’s doors

Published

44 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota’s oldest operating theater is in danger of closing it’s doors

One of the oldest operating theaters in the Midwest is in danger of closing its doors for good.

If you’re heading south on Highway 15, Fairmont, Minnesota, is your last gasp before you hit Iowa. It officially became a city in the late 1800s — and not long after, the Opera House was born.

“We are the oldest, operating, continuously operating theater in the state of Minnesota,” said Jane Reiman, a lifelong resident of Fairmont.

When the doors opened in 1901, operas, musicals, plays, and concerts—drew people from across southern Minnesota, and even from Iowa and South Dakota.

“We have done a lot of entertainment over the years.”

The rock band America once performed at the opera house, as did folk legend Arlo Guthrie. In the 1990’s, the opera house even got a visit from Paul McCartney. His family bought seats.

“They came here and sat in the chairs, and now we have plaques on the chairs to memorialize them.”

In 3rd grade Blake Potthoff went to his first performance at the theater, and later, he acted on stage.

“You’ve grown up with this opera house?” asked WCCO’s John Lauritsen.

“Yeah. Absolutely, it’s a part of me even before I became executive director,” said Potthoff.

But like everything else, the theater has aged over time, to the point that it’s going to cost more than $4 million just to keep it running. If they can’t raise the money, the Opera House may have already seen its final curtain call.

“The building is on life support, and we are doing everything we can to make sure we get back to surviving and thriving,” said Potthoff.

Scaffolding is there, just to reinforce the roof; that’s the biggest expense. But the Fairmont community is starting to respond. Grants and donations have raised $1.5 million so far—still short, but a start.

When renovations are complete, they’d also like to maintain the old character of this theater. That includes this hand-cast plaster, which is also 125-years-old.

The chandeliers were installed a decade before the Titanic sank, and they’re hoping to keep those too. For Blake and others, the show has to go on. For the people in the seats, the actors on stage, and for the livelihood of a small town.

“There’s reason to save this building. That $4 million isn’t impossible. Only improbable. And I truly believe it too. I have a history of performing here. And I have two young kids. I want them to perform on stage like I had the opportunity,” said Potthoff.

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