Progress Pride Flag flies over State Capitol (MADISON)
The Progress Pride Flag flies over the State Capitol. For an eighth straight year, Democratic Governor Tony Evers joined legislators, advocates and members of the LGBTQ community Monday to open Pride Month by raising the flag over the East Wing of the Capitol in Madison. The Progress Pride Flag includes stripes forming a chevron pattern to represent LGBTQ individuals of color and the transgender community, as well as those living with and who have been lost to HIV/AIDS. Last Legislative session, Republican lawmakers introduced a bill that would’ve banned most flags from flying over state buildings, except the U.S. state flags and tribal flags and the POW/MIA flag. In a statement, the campaign of Republican candidate Tom Tiffany said: “In addition to the POW-MIA flag, Tom Tiffany will fly two flags over the State Capitol: the Wisconsin state flag and the American flag. State Government should focus on representing the people of Wisconsin as a whole and remain a place of unity rather than division.”
DNR’s Free Fun Weekend coming up (UNDATED)
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Free Fun Weekend is coming up. This weekend, state park admission fees, fishing licenses and trail passes are waived for all visitors. With 50 state parks, 15 state forests, 44 trails, and thousands of miles of waterways and inland lakes, the DNR says there’s something for everyone to explore. The weekend also gives residents a chance to try fishing without a license, making it perfect for beginners. Free fishing clinics will be held at parks and local sites across the state, with details available through the DNR events calendar and Wisconsin State Parks website.
Man arrested for allegedly trying to burn Pride flag (APPLETON)
An Appleton man is under arrest for allegedly trying to set fire to a Pride flag. The incident began shortly after Monday morning’s Pride flag raising at the Outagamie County courthouse. The Sheriff’s office says the 49-year-old man was spotted lowering the flag and dousing it with gasoline. Before the man could start a fire, he was subdued by deputies and arrested. He’s currently in custody awaiting formal charges. A press release from the county states the Pride flag has already been replaced, and that the county will not be intimidated from showing its support for all residents.
UW Regents to consider tuition rate increase next week (MILWAUKEE)
The UW Board of Regents will consider a tuition rate increase. The Regents announced Monday that the vote will take place next week. Regents will consider an overall 2 percent increase in undergraduate tuition across all UW campuses for the 2026-27 school year. According to a statement, that is still below the rate of inflation and the Universities of Wisconsin remain the most affordable colleges in the Midwest. Regents would also be raising general fees for most campuses by 3 point 5 precent.
Man dies in jail custody in St Croix County (HUDSON)
A man dies while in custody in western Wisconsin. The 22-year-old man was found unresponsive just before 6:30 on Saturday morning at St. Croix County Jail’s work-release dorms. Aid was rendered but he was pronounced deceased at the jail. The inmate was identified as Ethan P. Tjader, of River Falls. He was serving nearly 10 months of conditional jail time after failing treatment court. His felony conviction was from April 2025, for being a party to and repeatedly maintaining a drug trafficking place. A cause of death was not specified at this time. The neighboring Dunn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, which is standard policy.
RFK Jr. says depriving school kids of whole milk “almost a form of child abuse” (ELK MOUND)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. praised the benefits of whole milk and President Donald Trump during a Monday stop at a Wisconsin dairy farm. Kennedy said federal school lunch policy ” deprived two generations of children of whole milk” which provides “micronutrients” for brain growth, physical development and bone development, adding “it really was almost a form of child abuse to do that.”
Kennedy praised President Trump’s leadership for bringing whole milk back to American schools, along with “good food and real that comes from farms, not from chemical plants.” Kennedy was joined by Congressman Derrick Van Orden. President Trump will be in Chippewa Falls on Friday for an agriculture round table.
Driver pleads not guilty in double fatality OWI crash (WAUSAU)
A man charged in a double fatality OWI crash near Wausau last September pleads not guilty. Adam Borchert is accused of going the wrong way on Highway 52 when he crashed into an oncoming vehicle, killing Shirley and Arlen Erickson and injuring two others, one of whom had to be hospitalized. Investigators took months to re-construct the scene before arresting the 37-year-old this spring, he now faces two counts for vehicular homicide while intoxicated and other counts for causing injury and operating with a revoked license. He faces up to 50 years in prison on the two most serious charges and more than 75 years on all the counts. He returns to court on June 10th, trial dates have not been set.