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In Wisconsin, Young People Are Thinking Beyond the Ballot Box | Election Letters

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In Wisconsin, Young People Are Thinking Beyond the Ballot Box | Election Letters


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In Wisconsin, more than 12 elections in the last 24 years have been won by less than 30,000 votes—a statistic that has become a talking point among politicians. In 2020, President Joe Biden won the state by a little over 20,500 votes.

That election after election here is determined by such razor-thin margins underscores the potential influence of young voters. The University of Wisconsin campus at Madison alone has nearly 50,000 students. In the 2022 midterm elections, nearly half of Wisconsinites under age 25 cast a ballot. Months later, in spring 2023, young voters turned out again to elect liberal-favored Judge Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

The youth vote is often a driving factor in election results, but young people across the state, feeling their concerns about Palestine and other pressing issues are being sidelined, are flexing their political power in other ways. Some may still go to the polls, but they’re taking action beyond the ballot box, too, pressuring local and national politicians and institutions to enact change, and showing up or their community when the government fails to do so.

The trend has been obvious since Biden stepped away from the presidential race and Kamala Harris stepped in, bolstering her outreach to Gen Z with plans to reach swing states through targeted digital ads, campus visits, and Gen Z-focused social media content.

But such efforts miss the mark when they ignore Gaza. Some might argue that young voters “risk” the future, jeopardizing chances to ensure better policies for climate, health, or housing here in the U.S when they focus on foreign policy in the Middle East, eschewing voting for Harris-Walz to write in an “uninstructed” vote (as it is called it in Wisconsin) when no candidate aligns with their position on Israel’s military violence in Palestine.

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But young progressives in Wisconsin—and across the country—aren’t burying their heads in the sand, or deprioritizing homegrown issues. Rather, they see U.S. support for Israel as inextricably tied to these issues at home, and fighting for justice in Palestine as a means of fighting for justice here. There’s a reason why young people championed demands such as “Money for Jobs, School, Healthcare, Housing, and Environment, Not for War!” at the March on the DNC, a march organized by the Coalition to March on the DNC, a collection of grassroots organizations fighting for the same demands.

Activists, including Greta Thunberg, argue that climate justice depends on a free Palestine. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to climate justice everywhere,” said Wisconsin climate organizer Max Prestigiacomo, who is a recent UW-Madison graduate and former alderman. “In a fight to prevent the climate crisis which first and foremost recognizes that the impacts of said crisis—death—will fall on marginalized people worldwide, ignoring the active oppression and genocide in Palestine is complacency.”          

Reproductive justice, too—another issue bringing many young voters out to the polls. “Roe v. Wade got overturned here, we obviously have to fight for a women’s right to choose in the U.S.,” said 25-year-old Danaka Katovich, national co-director of CODEPINK, a feminist grassroots organization, during a protest at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. But “in Gaza, women are having c-sections with no anesthesia. Their children are being crushed under rubble and bombs that say ‘made in the USA.’ We’re here to link those two issues.”

Young people are ready to be heard. In Wisconsin, in the U.S., and around the world, those in power must listen and react to what we’re saying—not only on November 5th, but every day.

CODEPINK also protested at the DNC in Chicago—just like thousands of young people, including from Wisconsin, who protested both conventions, linking justice in Palestine to climate and reproductive justice but also to immigrant, worker, LGBTQIA+, and women’s rights, and to ending police violence. “What made me come to the march was the genocide in Palestine,” commented Wisconsin student Cesar Moreno at the March on the RNC.

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Youth politics beyond the ballot box in Wisconsin traces its history back to UW-Madison, a campus with a rich history of protest, just blocks away from the state’s capitol. It’s not uncommon to see students marching down the street in protest or tabling for causes—regardless of the weather forecast.

“Students have been protesting since the beginning of UW,” Kacie Lucchini Butcher, director of the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History, told campus radio station WUWM in a recent interview, calling UW-Madison students “civically engaged.” The Black Student Strike in 1969 mobilized thousands and eventually led to the development of a Black Studies Department; protests against South African apartheid began in the late 1960s and extended through the 1980s.

A crystallizing moment came in 1968, when hundreds of students protested the presence on campus of recruiters from Dow Chemical, the makers of napalm. Protesters encountered brutal police violence that, the Wisconsin Historical Society records, “politiciz[ed] thousands of previously apathetic students” and transformed the campus into “one of the nation’s leading anti-war communities.”

Community members today draw comparisons between the Dow Chemical protests and 2024’s pro-Palestine protests. Student groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine at UW-Madison have pushed for cutting U.S. military spending for Israel, interrupting a Harris rally in September and threatening to withhold their votes until she met their demands for an arms embargo. In May, students launched a pro-Palestine encampment to demand the university divest from Israel, which was met with police violence and arrests.      

Beyond political protests, students and community members show up for each other when government and local institutions fall short. Whether students are using social media to raise funds for peers in need, starting community campaigns to provide legal support to those arrested at pro-Palestine demonstrations or various grassroots organizations working to support their community, young people are dedicated to dreaming up and building a better world.

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Social movements have long leaned on mutual aid—“the radical act of caring for each other while working to change the world,” as lawyer, activist, and author Dean Spade puts it—to address community needs. Now, young people are rallying around one another. They feel their elected officials are failing them.

“I think this moment represents a turning point,” said Wisconsin youth organizer Aliya Glasper. “We are depending on our community, our collective power, strength, resolve to resist the current system that exists to work toward a fully liberated world that benefits everyone. A world where the ‘lesser of two evils’ doesn’t exist.”

Young people are ready to be heard. In Wisconsin, in the U.S., and around the world, those in power must listen and react to what we’re saying—not only on November 5th, but every day. And understand that young people are more than their vote.





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Wisconsin announces UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees

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Wisconsin announces UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees


This past Thursday, Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh announced the UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The list of inductees included notable athletes, staff, and even broadcasters.

These names include Mohammed Ahmed (Track & Field and Cross Country, 2009-14), Dorcas Akinniyi Jansen (Track & Field, 2008-13), Molly Engstrom (Women’s Hockey, 2001-05), Travis Frederick (Football, 2009-12), Frank Kaminsky (Men’s Basketball, 2012-15), Mary Massei Landini (Softball, 2010-14), Joe Pavelski (Men’s Hockey, 2004-06), Cara Walls (Women’s Soccer, 2011-14), James White (Football, 2010-13), Tom Shipley (Baseball, 1970-74), Martin Smith and Matt Lepay (Broadcasting).

The biggest names on the list include former National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky, multiple-time Super Bowl winner James White, and Matt Lepay, who has served as the play-by-play announcer for Wisconsin Badgers basketball since 1988 and Wisconsin football since 1994.

The class of 2025 will be officially inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame during Hall of Fame weekend on September 5th and 6th. The inductees will also be honored inside Camp Randall Stadium during Wisconsin football’s Week 2 game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.

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Wisconsin judge who shielded illegal migrant from ICE shares latest defense: ‘I am absolutely immune’

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Wisconsin judge who shielded illegal migrant from ICE shares latest defense: ‘I am absolutely immune’


A Wisconsin judge indicted for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade ICE is now claiming ‘absolute judicial immunity’ in a broader legal effort to dismiss all charges.

Hannah Dugan, 66, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, was arrested by FBI agents on April 25 for allegedly preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from detaining a man in her courtroom. 

The man, 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was reportedly subject to a federal detainer at the time.

Federal prosecutors allege Dugan directed ICE officers to the chief judge’s office while allowing Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to exit through a door typically used by jurors. 

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The long-time judge was later indicted on May 13 on charges of obstructing a federal agency and aiding Flores-Ruiz’s escape. 

However, in a 37-page memorandum filed May 14, her attorneys argued the indictment is an ‘ugly innovation’ that threatens long-standing legal precedent.

They claim Dugan is protected by ‘absolute judicial immunity’ for actions taken as part of her official duties, even if those actions are later contested. 

‘Judges can be and are charged for actions wholly unrelated to their role, like taking bribes or kidnapping,’ the memo notes, adding that Dugan’s conduct occurred squarely within her judicial capacity.

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Hannah Dugan (pictured), 66, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, was arrested by FBI agents on April 25 for allegedly preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from detaining a man in her courtroom

The long-time judge was indicted on May 13 on charges of obstructing a federal agency and aiding 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz's escape. Pictured: Surveillance footage shows Hannah Dugan outside her courtroom on April 18, confronting federal agents who were there to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz

The long-time judge was indicted on May 13 on charges of obstructing a federal agency and aiding 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz’s escape. Pictured: Surveillance footage shows Hannah Dugan outside her courtroom on April 18, confronting federal agents who were there to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz

Her high-powered legal team, including attorney Dean Strang, warned the case could set a ‘dangerous precedent,’ undermining judicial independence. 

‘This is an extraordinary prosecution that poses a threat to federalism and judicial independence,’ the filing states. 

‘Dismissal here flows from a straightforward application of long-settled law. The indictment itself is an ugly innovation. Its dismissal will not be.’

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The filing continues: ‘Nothing in the Constitution allows the federal government to superintend the administration and case-by-case, daily functioning of state courts as this indictment proposes.’

This latest motion expands on an earlier filing with more detailed arguments about federal overreach and the constitutional role of judges. Dugan’s attorneys maintain she acted within her jurisdiction and broke no laws in declining to facilitate the detention.

The US Department of Justice, however, characterizes the incident as obstruction of federal law, triggering a contentious legal and political debate.

An amicus brief filed on Friday by 138 former state and federal judges supports Dugan, arguing she is entitled to ‘absolute immunity for her official acts.’ 

The brief compares this protection to that granted to members of the legislative and executive branches. 

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Dugan's high-powered legal team claims Dugan is protected by 'absolute judicial immunity' for actions taken as part of her official duties, even if those actions are later contested. Pictured: Dugan leaves after appearing in court in Milwaukee on May 15

Dugan’s high-powered legal team claims Dugan is protected by ‘absolute judicial immunity’ for actions taken as part of her official duties, even if those actions are later contested. Pictured: Dugan leaves after appearing in court in Milwaukee on May 15

Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, appeared in Dugan's court on April 18 for a status conference in a misdemeanor battery case. He is accused of repeatedly hitting and briefly strangling his roommate, and also striking two women who tried to intervene

Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, appeared in Dugan’s court on April 18 for a status conference in a misdemeanor battery case. He is accused of repeatedly hitting and briefly strangling his roommate, and also striking two women who tried to intervene

It calls the prosecution an ‘egregious overreach by the executive branch’ that ‘threatens public trust in the judicial system and the ability of the public to avail themselves of courthouses without fear of reprisal.’ 

But, the Justice Department maintains that no one – including judges – is above the law when it comes to obstructing federal immigration operations.

‘Since President Trump was inaugurated, activist judges have tried to obstruct President Trump and the American people’s mandate to make America safe and secure our homeland – but this judge’s actions to shield an accused violent criminal illegal alien from justice is shocking and shameful,’ Assistant Secretary Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

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Dugan, who was released after her arrest, pleaded not guilty earlier this month. Her trial is set to begin the week of July 21.

If found guilty of both charges, she could face up to six years in prison and $350,000 in fines. 

She has served as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge since 2016, winning election with about 65 percent of the vote and running unopposed for reelection in 2022, according to CBS News.

As for Flores-Ruiz, he had appeared in Dugan’s court on April 18 for a status conference in a misdemeanor battery case, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

He is accused of repeatedly hitting and briefly strangling his roommate, and also striking two women who tried to intervene.

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Flores-Ruiz has pleaded not guilty to three battery charges and to a separate federal charge of illegally re-entering the US after being deported to Mexico 12 years ago. 

Six federal agents were present at the courthouse on April 18 to arrest him. He was ultimately taken into custody after a short chase outside the courthouse.



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WATCH: Wisconsin Badgers RB discusses ‘pretty surreal moment’ of being Hall of Fame inductee

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WATCH: Wisconsin Badgers RB discusses ‘pretty surreal moment’ of being Hall of Fame inductee


MADISON, Wis. – What seemed like an ordinary chat with Chris McIntosh eventually took James White by surprise.

McIntosh, the University of Wisconsin athletic director, announced White among 11 other inductees for the UW Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2026 on Thursday. White played for the Badgers from 2010-13 and currently ranks sixth all-time in program history in career yards rushing (4,015), third in yards per carry (6.24, with a minimum of 300 attempts) and tied for fourth in career rushing touchdowns (45).

Up until Braelon Allen’s 96-yard touchdown run against Illinois State in 2022, White also held the school record for longest run – a 93-yard burst against Indiana in 2013.

“It’s a pretty surreal moment for me,” White said. “I still remember getting the phone call from Chris McIntosh, initially having a normal conversation with him, not expecting him to tell me that I’m gonna be inducted into the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame.

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“This place means a ton to me. It’s being far away from home, from South Florida, coming all the way out to Wisconsin. The best decision I ever made in my life, as far as not only football, but growing as a man, making friends for a lifetime, learning academics and everything that comes along with being a college student. It’s truly an honor.”

Watch and listen to White talk more with reporters Thursday about being inducted, if it’s weird being back in Madison now that he’s assistant running backs coach for Bret Bielema at Illinois, and if he talked to Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell.



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