AGP Executive Report

Behavioral Health Workforce: Emplify Health by Gundersen in La Crosse won accreditation to launch a psychiatry residency, training three residents per year over four years with rotations across rural Gundersen sites—aimed at shrinking regional wait times for mental health care. Privacy vs. Surveillance Tech: Menasha voted 7-1 to end funding for Flock automated license plate readers, citing trust issues and alleged data-sharing concerns; similar suspensions and “pause” moves are spreading across Southeast Wisconsin, including Stevens Point covering cameras with plastic bags. Public Safety Tech Policy: Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul urged state lawmakers to set guardrails for Flock-style traffic camera use, warning against a surveillance-state approach. AI Child Porn Ruling: A federal appeals court upheld dismissal of AI-generated child pornography charges for a Wisconsin man, while acknowledging laws are struggling to keep up with generative AI. Health Access Awareness: A new American Heart Association consumer study found 62% of people diagnosed with AFib didn’t know they had the condition beforehand, underscoring the need for earlier detection. Local Infrastructure: Aspirus announced a Sept. 17 grand opening for its new Chippewa Falls Hospital and Clinic, adding emergency, inpatient, primary care, imaging, labs, and pharmacy services.

Mail Voting Fight: Wisconsin Elections Commission says nearly 50,000 absentee ballots are already headed to voters as President Trump asks the U.S. Supreme Court to tighten mail voting rules using USPS master lists and barcodes. Trade & Agriculture: Canada’s retaliatory tariffs are now hitting U.S. exports, with Wisconsin dairy singled out as the trade war escalates. Forest Science Shakeup: The U.S. Forest Service plans to close 23 research and development facilities nationwide, including sites in Wisconsin, while saying ongoing science continues elsewhere. Privacy Tech in Courts: A Wisconsin-focused review of single-member LLC law highlights where “charging order” protections may fail—an issue for anyone using LLCs to shield assets. Quantum Manufacturing: SkyWater Technology and Qolab announce a Midwest commercial foundry partnership to scale superconducting quantum device wafer production. Education Outcomes: New federal data show Wisconsin’s six-year bachelor’s completion rates vary sharply by race and county, including a high Dane County rate for Hispanic/Latino students and lower rates in Milwaukee-area institutions. Dark Matter Hint: A new underground physics result in South Dakota is being framed as a possible first hint of dark matter, though researchers stress it’s not a confirmed detection.

Healthcare & Patient Experience: Wisconsin tops a new state-by-state hospital patient experience ranking, averaging 4.06/5 from CMS HCAHPS reviews (with smaller communities scoring especially high). Public Safety Tech & Privacy: A Milwaukee County supervisor is urging Sheriff Denita Ball to stop using Flock license-plate readers and end the contract, pointing to privacy and transparency gaps; the push follows other southeastern Wisconsin agencies pulling back. AI in Policing: Even after Milwaukee Police paused facial recognition, the tech still shows up in some Milwaukee County prosecutions, keeping concerns about accuracy and disclosure in the spotlight. Education Outcomes: UW-Stevens Point’s two-or-more-races bachelor’s completion rate (2018 cohort) reached 45.7% by 2024, while other Wisconsin counties show wide gaps by race. Energy Infrastructure: Landowners and groups are challenging the proposed BECI 765-kilovolt transmission line through the Driftless region, with questions about farmland impacts and whether it mainly serves data centers. Space Weather: NOAA says northern lights could appear across parts of 11 states before dawn Tuesday as minor G1 storm conditions are possible. Science & Community: UW-Milwaukee highlights parent strategies to boost kids’ math interest through its Math Happiness Project.

Health Care & Patient Experience: A new study using CMS HCAHPS ratings finds Wisconsin hospitals lead the nation for patient experience, averaging 4.06/5 (with smaller communities scoring especially high). Higher Education Outcomes: UW-Eau Claire reports a 52.8% six-year bachelor’s completion rate for Hispanic/Latino students (2018 cohort), while UW-Oshkosh shows 48.9% for the same group; UW-Milwaukee posts 52.9% for Asian students. Tech, Privacy & Public Safety: A national spotlight on data-center growth and local secrecy ties into Wisconsin’s ongoing Flock camera controversy, including reports of lobbying tied to license-plate reader grants and multiple Wisconsin agencies moving to end or pause Flock use over data concerns. Energy & Research: Realta Fusion and MGE begin exploring a 200-MW electric fusion plant in Madison, with major support for siting, permitting, and engineering. Environment & Food Systems: Wisconsin apple growers brace for reduced yields after late frosts, drought, and hail damage. Local Science & Community: UW-Madison held spring 2026 commencements, with Ogle County graduates among the thousands receiving degrees.

Fusion Energy Watch: Tennessee issued the nation’s first license for a fusion power plant to Type One Energy, aiming for a prototype near Knoxville by 2034—another sign fusion is moving from lab talk to regulated projects. Milwaukee Public Safety Tech: The city’s violence prevention office is using a new “cluster” approach, with 90% of reported shootings in 26 designated zones as it targets resources more precisely. Wildlife Research in Wisconsin: Tiny trackers are helping researchers follow monarch migration from southern Wisconsin toward Mexico, with a smartphone app letting the public help spot tagged butterflies. Education Outcomes (UW System): New county-by-county six-year bachelor’s completion figures show strong results in places like UW–La Crosse for Hispanic/Latino students (63.2%) and UW–Madison for Black students (86.4%), alongside lower rates in some other counties. Local Crime Investigation: Whitewater police say a major internet crimes against children unit has identified at least 4,000 victims worldwide. Animal Testing Activism: After Ridglan Farms closed and beagles were released, activists in Madison say their next target is Marshall Bioresources.

AI & Courts: A federal appeals court upheld dismissal of a Wisconsin man’s charge for privately possessing AI-generated child sexual abuse images, saying private possession can’t be prosecuted when no real children are depicted. Privacy & Policing Tech: Wisconsin law enforcement continues to suspend or cancel Flock Safety license-plate camera use after data-sharing and ownership concerns, including moves by Fond du Lac and other agencies. Defense Innovation: UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Security Research Center is seeking a “Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub” status to connect Wisconsin’s defense industry and research with a statewide “front door.” Agriculture Science: UW–Madison researchers mapped genetic regions tied to aerial root traits in Sierra Mixe maize that may boost nitrogen fixation—an important step toward more efficient crops. Local Water & Nitrates: Chippewa Falls spends about $200,000 a year to keep nitrate levels out of city drinking water, highlighting the gap between treated public supply and riskier private wells. Education Tech Policy: New rules banning or limiting student AI use are spreading unevenly across the U.S., leaving districts to improvise on what’s allowed and what’s not. Wildlife Monitoring: Wisconsin’s gray wolf monitoring report points to stability, while broader wildlife trends show how restoration and protection changed species over decades.

Election Integrity Pressure: Trump’s push to “surge” voter-fraud investigations in swing states including Wisconsin, plus renewed efforts to restrict mail voting and target noncitizen voting, is framed by experts as a strategy to keep election legitimacy in doubt. Spatial Intelligence in Wisconsin: A local research thread on “spatial intelligence” highlights how computers can reconstruct the physical world from everyday photos—turning buildings into living digital environments. Flock Cameras Backlash: Wisconsin agencies are suspending or ending Flock Safety automated license plate reader use over data-handling and disclosure concerns, including worries that search logs can be shared nationwide and repackaged for sale. Marine Tech for Coral Recovery: Scientists report Red Sea coral revived under heat stress using probiotic and post-biotic treatments applied in open seas. STEM & Health Research: UW-Madison-linked work continues to draw attention for new approaches to treating rare brain cancer, while broader studies track rising autism diagnoses among girls and women. Education Outcomes Watch: New county-by-county six-year bachelor’s completion figures spotlight gaps by race and ethnicity across Wisconsin public universities.

Surveillance Backlash in Wisconsin: DeFlock reports 153 U.S. communities have rejected or shut down automated license plate reader systems, up from 95 in July, as Wisconsin agencies suspend Flock use after claims the vendor repackaged traffic data into a product. Local Governance & Privacy: Wisconsin law enforcement and municipalities are also tightening access and launching public transparency portals, while officials cite trust and data-sharing concerns. AI Data Centers vs. Voters: Bloomberg reports Trump’s pro–AI data center push is colliding with polling showing most Americans oppose nearby builds, raising GOP midterm risk. Health Equity in Milwaukee: Milwaukee plans to borrow elements of Baltimore’s B’more for Healthy Babies program to cut infant deaths and narrow the Black-white gap. Workforce & Research: A Hobart graduate leaves $4.5M+ to expand summer science research at Hobart and William Smith. Education Outcomes: New UW-Milwaukee completion data shows 36.9% of Black students in the 2018 cohort earned bachelor’s degrees within six years, versus 44.3% statewide.

Solar Breakthrough: UW-Madison researchers report a lead-free tin perovskite solar-cell material with a “raincoat” style coating that resists air and moisture, keeping performance strong for months. Medical Research: A UW-Madison scientist is pursuing treatments for DIPG, the rare, deadly brain cancer that killed an Oak Park boy—personal ties are driving the work. Public Safety Tech Backlash: More Wisconsin agencies are pausing or ending Flock automated license plate reader use over data access and trust issues; Milwaukee is also rolling out a Flock transparency portal, while Fond du Lac and others suspend operations. Election Tech & Policy: Midterm mail ballots begin amid legal fights over Trump’s order and USPS rules, with Wisconsin watching uncertainty closely. Education & Funding: Swallow School District voters face a Nov. 3 operational referendum seeking $500K per year for five years. Campus Innovation: UW-Stevens Point’s GIS-based “Stevens Point Through the Years” project earns a Wisconsin Historical Society Governor’s Award for Archival Innovation.

Higher-Ed Equity Watch: UW-Milwaukee reports a 56.4% six-year bachelor’s completion rate for White students in the 2018 cohort (through 2024), below the statewide pooled rate of 67.9%, while Dane County’s UW-Madison shows an 85% completion rate for two or more races students. Mail Voting Legal Fight: The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a block on new Postal Service limits for mail ballots as early voting begins, setting up another high-stakes showdown just as ballots start going out. Rare Disease Breakthrough: Ionis’ “breakthrough” Alexander disease drug got commercial go-ahead in the U.S., building momentum for rare-disease pipelines. Milwaukee Sustainability: UW-Milwaukee launched a program to capture hard-to-recycle plastic film (bags and mailers), aiming to keep 10,000+ pounds out of landfills each year. Local Governance & Budgets: A Wisconsin municipal spending update finds city and village operating spending rose 4.4% per capita in 2024, outpacing inflation, with shared revenue cited as a driver. Public Safety Tech Debate: Milwaukee’s police Flock license-plate camera rules remain a flashpoint as privacy and misuse concerns keep pushing policy changes.

Surveillance & Elections: Flock license-plate cameras are heating up Wisconsin politics, with candidates and voters pushing for limits or safeguards as privacy and “mass surveillance” concerns spread. Public Health & Research: UW–Madison researchers report a lead-free “raincoat” coating that boosts tin perovskite solar durability, while a JAMA Network Open study finds postpartum health coaching plus home blood-pressure checks improves follow-up and control. Wildlife & Environment: Experts warn wildfire smoke can harm animals’ lungs, hearts, and even brains; meanwhile, southeastern Wisconsin is seeing a surge in dead deer tied to EHD disease spread. Agriculture & Economy: Farmland values in Wisconsin and the region were flat year-over-year, with data centers and solar/wind investment cited as stabilizers. Education & Workforce: CVTC and UW–Eau Claire launch a streamlined teacher transfer path to ease the teacher shortage. Energy & Industry: Realta Fusion and Madison Gas & Electric continue advancing plans for a Wisconsin fusion plant, as data-center spending and policy fights intensify.

Data Centers & Politics: New research says midterm TV ads tied to data centers hit 15,000 airings and $7.6M, with Democrats driving most of the spend and messaging often linking projects to energy and environmental concerns. Surveillance Tech in Wisconsin: Milwaukee’s Flock license-plate camera debate keeps heating up as the city tightens rules and council members argue the changes don’t fully settle privacy and policy questions; OpenSecrets also reports Flock spent over $2M on lobbying since 2025. Public Health & Water: Wisconsin AG Jeff Jackson is urging the EPA to require microplastics monitoring in drinking water by adding them to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. Regional Data Access: Northeast Wisconsin Data Exchange (NEWDEX) expanded from 3 to 11 counties, offering a free platform with 130+ local indicators for planning and policy. Manufacturing & Jobs: Northern Tool is reshoring and refocusing on quality; Barron Industries earned an SBA Great Lakes Region manufacturing award. AI in Medicine: A UW-Madison-linked researcher discusses how AI could reshape clinical training and care, while emphasizing humans staying in charge.

Higher Ed Funding: UW System’s Board of Regents approved a 2027-2033 plan and 2027-2029 budget request that includes a new UW-Madison residence hall (about 2,000 beds) plus $417M for Mosse Humanities building demolition, alongside a two-year in-state tuition freeze. School Tech Policy: Verona Area School District is rolling out a “purpose-driven” approach to classroom tech as students return, while Wisconsin Rep. David Steffen proposes screen-free classrooms for pre-K through second grade. Biomed Research: UW–Madison and Morgridge Institute researchers report new optical imaging that can reveal the metabolic activity of individual immune cells from standard blood samples. Public Safety Surveillance: Milwaukee is tightening Flock camera access and use rules, and Kenosha is ending its Flock contract early in favor of Axon amid data-sharing and security concerns. AI & Courts: A federal appeals ruling says AI-generated child sexual abuse material can be protected under the First Amendment in certain private-possession cases, raising new legal questions in Wisconsin. Energy & Industry: Veolia is asking MMSD to independently review wastewater contract bids after an ad hoc committee recommended Jacobs.

Milwaukee Surveillance: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson ordered tighter rules on police use of Flock Safety cameras, limiting access to supervisors and narrowing when data can be used—while questions remain about how the policy applies across the city’s other license plate reader systems. Election Tech & Courts: A federal appeals court ruling says the First Amendment protects private possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse images, raising new legal questions for Wisconsin’s AI-related child porn law. Public Health: COVID-19 cases are rising again in a late-summer pattern, but deaths and hospitalizations remain far lower than earlier waves. Energy & Research: Madison’s Realta Fusion and MGE announced plans to explore a 200-megawatt fusion power plant in the 2030s, building on Realta’s UW-linked fusion work. AI, Finance & Regulation: The CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee held its inaugural meeting, discussing crypto, AI, and prediction markets as regulators map next steps. Wildlife & Environment: Wisconsin DNR named Northwoods artist Ritch Miller as the waterfowl stamp winner, with stamp sales supporting habitat restoration and research. Local Safety: Fond du Lac County man Benjamin Larson was charged after investigators found human remains and alleged serial-killer memorabilia during a stalking-related search.

AI & Elections: A Wisconsin lawmaker’s campaign is drawing backlash over AI deepfakes used to attack an opponent, with critics saying disclosure rules don’t keep up with how fast synthetic media spreads. Surveillance Cameras: Milwaukee leaders and police are tightening rules for Flock license-plate reader use after misuse cases, limiting access to supervisors and narrowing when cameras can be queried; nearby communities are also suspending or reviewing Flock. Healthcare AI: UW researchers are building an AI “digital mentor” to help train doctors on high-risk newborn airway intubation in the NICU. Tribal Land Law: UW Law’s Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center won a $116k grant to create Wisconsin-specific guidance for tribal land acquisitions and donations. Voting by Mail: New filings cite a USPS whistleblower report in lawsuits challenging Trump-era mail voting restrictions, arguing rushed systems could reject ballots. Public Health: Wisconsin is monitoring a measles uptick as cases rise elsewhere, urging vaccination catch-up as school resumes. PFAS Cleanup: Wisconsin released $10M from the PFAS Trust Fund to support drinking-water help for Marinette-area contamination. Local Data for Change: Milwaukee’s Data Day spotlights using reliable local data to drive community decisions. Tech Economy: Wisconsin Counties Association warns municipalities against picking winners and losers as data centers expand. Innovation Pipeline: Wisconsin Technology Council invites founders to Launch Wisconsin Oct. 6 for investor one-on-ones.

AI Power & Data Centers: A new argument for the U.S. data-center boom reframes facilities as power infrastructure, not just “load,” as grid strain and long interconnection queues push operators to rethink generation, storage, and flexibility. Surveillance & Privacy: Wisconsin leaders keep tightening rules around Flock license-plate cameras—Gov. Evers says the state is looking at a ban, while Milwaukee Mayor Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive Crowley roll out limits on access, retention, and sharing. Mental Health & Campus Life: Two Bridge’s Future Friends Campus Series brings Mt. Joy, Dasha, Chelsea Cutler, Matt Quinn, and Corey Harper to Wisconsin and other universities as schools tackle loneliness and youth mental wellness. Health Research: Marquette biomedical engineering professor Said Audi wins an NIH grant to study acute respiratory distress syndrome, aiming to identify why some patients are more susceptible. Energy Costs: A Wisconsin poll finds voters want affordable, reliable power and a middle path between renewables and natural gas. Local Tech in Education: UW–Stout engineering students partner with Sierra Space to validate systems for surviving lunar conditions. Legal Tech: A federal appeals court ruling says the First Amendment protects possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse images, raising stakes for Wisconsin prosecutions. Elections Admin: Wisconsin Elections Commission ends its probe into Green Bay’s accidental duplicate absentee ballot mailings.