Latest news with #MarquetteUniversity
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Emplify Health by Bellin & Marquette partner for pilot program to support & hire mental health counselors
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A major investment from the Richard J. Resch Foundation is fueling a first-of-its-kind effort to address the mental health workforce crisis in northeast Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Emplify Health by Bellin and Marquette University announced a new seven-year pilot program aimed at training, supporting, and hiring future mental health counselors. New orthopedic and sports medicine clinic breaks ground in Oshkosh, set to open in 2026 The program removes traditional barriers like tuition and unpaid clinical hours by covering educational costs, offering stipends, and providing a direct path to employment with Emplify Health after graduation. 'This particular gift, which is really transformative, actually addresses that whole barrier,' said Alan Burkhard, Coordinator of School Counseling at Marquette University. 'It takes all those financial barriers out of the way. So it covers tuition, provides stipend support, and covers textbooks.' The initiative is backed by a multi-million dollar donation from the Resch Foundation, which is known for its significant contributions to health and education in the region. The goal of the program is to curb a projected shortage of 500 mental health counselors in the area over the next three to four years. Kimberly Sandstrom, a clinical supervisor with Bellin Health, will oversee the hands-on training process and help students gain experience across several specialties, including youth mental health, addiction recovery, and trauma care. 'I will be able to help mentor them through this whole program,' Sandstrom said. 'They'll get a well-rounded experience because we have all those programs.' The program is expected to start this fall, with its first class of students beginning coursework and clinical placements. 'Cops and Bobbers' returning to Sheboygan, register now! Leaders estimate it could generate more than $250 million in long-term economic savings for the healthcare system while addressing one of the region's most urgent public health needs. 'This will be the start of something big,' said Sharon Resch during the announcement at the Resch Expo Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Deepfake nudes outpace Wisconsin law; children and adults at risk
The Brief Generative AI websites are making it easy for children and adults to digitally undress friends, classmates and colleagues. So-called 'deepfake nudes' of children are already banned in 38 states, including Wisconsin. Pending legislation in Wisconsin would make it a felony to share or publish deepfake nudes of adults, too. BAYSIDE, Wis. - A new online threat is putting Wisconsinites at risk of sexual exploitation. Apps and websites are using artificial intelligence to turn innocent photos into so-called deepfake nudes. What we know Dozens of mobile apps and websites are cashing in on the power of generative-AI to turn innocent photographs of identifiable, real people, into computer-generated nudity. In some cases, the sites are churning out images of graphic, simulated sexual acts. "They're unbelievably realistic," says Michael Zimmer, professor of Computer Science and Director of the Marquette University Center for Data, Ethics and Society. "It's kind of an arms race. A lot of the app stores have been trying to remove these platforms, but the websites still exist." FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android For decades, Zimmer said, photo-editing software has made it possible for the tech-savvy to manipulate images in sexually-inappropriate ways. But artificial intelligence has made it faster, easier and more accessible, even to those with little to no technological skills. "The realism, the instant ability to do this. You don't have to have your computer run all night to do this. It happens with just the click of a button," Zimmer said. The backstory To show just how easy it is to do without harming an actual person, FOX6 Investigators photographed a mannequin. We then uploaded the image to a so-called "AI nudify" site and asked it to undress the image. The result was so realistic that we had to use black bars to censor it for use in a news story. We are intentionally not naming the site we used, but one AI-tracking website claims the 15 most popular sites have more than 56 million active users combined. What they're saying When Elliston Berry was 14, she said 2,400 classmates in her Texas High School saw images of her nude body. "It was really embarrassing and shameful," Berry said, "Especially because I [was] just a freshman and everyone is seeing these intimate images of me." Only, it wasn't really her. A classmate had taken a fully-clothed photo of Berry and removed her clothing with an AI-undressing app."My innocence was stripped away," Berry said. Local perspective The same thing happened to a pair of 13-year-old girls in Milwaukee's north shore. The girls were students at Maple Dale school, a K-8 grade school in Fox Point. According to a search warrant affidavit filed in October 2024 by Bayside Police, a 13-year-old male student took photos of two female classmates posted online and used AI to undress them. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News The original pictures were posted to Instagram. One was a selfie taken in a restroom. The other, a photograph of the girl's batmitzvah. In both images, the girls were properly clothed. The computer-generated images made them appear to be nude. The boy shared the photos with another boy on Snapchat. By the numbers While many adults are just beginning to learn about the new technology, researchers say there's a good chance your children already know. "Yeah, there's a very good chance, unfortunately," said Melissa Stroebel, Vice President of Research and Insights for Thorn, a non-profit dedicated to online safety. Thorn surveyed more than 1,200 teens and young adults, ages 13-20. They found one in eight already knew someone who had been victimized by an intimate deepfake. And one in 17 said they had personally been victims. "That's the size of a high school classroom," Stroebel said, adding that often, children who create or share synthetic nudes may simply be curious. "It was somebody they had a crush on, and they thought that this was an acceptable way to explore that crush." Or they may be acting out of revenge for an ex. "Because they didn't appreciate the genuine harm and risk," Stroebel said. While the survey aimed to quantify the problem, some experts say the cases we know about are the tip of the iceberg. Why you should care "I think a lot of these cases go unreported," said Erin Karshen, an Assistant District Attorney in Milwaukee County who prosecutes sensitive crimes. While Wisconsin law does consider AI-generated images of children to constitute illegal child pornography, adults are another story. "There just isn't a great fit for it in the law right now because it's such a new technology that we hadn't seen before," Karshen said. According to the consumer rights non-profit, Public Citizen, 38 states, including Wisconsin, have new laws that prohibit intimate deepfakes of children. But Wisconsin is among just four of those states that do not provide similar protection for adults. "Current law does not take into account deepfake technology," said State Representative Brent Jacobson, a Republican from Mosinee. Jacobson is teaming up with State Senator Andre Jacque, a Republican from New Franken, on a bill that would treat intimate deepfakes of adults the same as a real nude image. The bill would make it a felony to post, publish or otherwise share a synthetic nude image of an identifiable person, without that person's consent, if the intent is to harass or intimidate the person depicted. "The message of this legislation is clear," Jacque said. "Don't do it." The other side The bill unanimously passed the State Senate, but in the Assembly, Representative Darrin Madison raised concerns. "Can it be legally circulated, maybe as a joke?" Rep. Madison asked in a public hearing. "Or maybe for educational purposes." The Milwaukee Democrat did not respond to FOX6's request for an interview, but in the hearing he worried about the impact the law could have on urban youth. "Young people being funneled into our criminal justice system, ending up as sex offenders for life and so on," Madison said. "There's arguments to say this is speech," said Zimmer. "That I should have the ability to create things on my computer in the privacy of my home without the government interfering." "Artistic freedom," said FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn. "Artistic freedom," Zimmer said. Stroebel said there's nothing funny about it. "Creating a deepfake nude is not a joke. It is not harmless," Strobel said. In other words, when it comes to psychological harm caused by computer-generated nudity, there's nothing artifical about it. What's next It's already a felony in Wisconsin to take a naked picture of a person without their consent. Senator Jacque's bill would expand that law to deepfakes. However, before the bill passed the Senate, lawmakers added two amendments. One makes it a crime only if the person posting the image knows the person depicted did not give consent. The other makes the deepfake a crime only if the image is so realistic that a reasonable person would believe the conduct actually happened. The bill, as amended, passed the senate unanimously, 33-0. It now awaits action in the state Assembly.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Striking down tariffs for good would be a gift to Trump and Republicans
The Court of International Trade, a little-known federal court, may have just given President Trump and Republicans the greatest gift imaginable, just as both parties begin focusing on the 2026 midterms. Late Wednesday, the three-judge panel, including a Trump appointee, unanimously struck down Trump's sweeping global tariffs, potentially removing a significant challenge for Republicans as they try to hold on to both chambers of Congress. That said, the administration is risking squandering this gift. The White House is appealing the court's ruling, and was granted a temporary reprieve when a federal appeals court allowed the tariffs to remain in place during the appeals process. And the administration is working on 'Plan B' scenarios to keep the tariffs in effect via other legal routes, should they lose the appeal. However, Trump would be doing congressional Republicans and himself a tremendous favor if he were just to accept the ruling and move on to other parts of his economic agenda. To be sure, the court did leave some tariffs in place, such as those on steel, and it left the door open for Trump to use other avenues to impose new tariffs. But by ruling that Trump had no power to introduce his broad 'reciprocal tariffs' on virtually every country in the world, the court potentially removed the levies with the greatest impact. Indeed, Trump's tariffs and the chaos they've caused for financial markets, businesses and consumers pose a serious threat to Republicans in the midterms, a point polling data makes abundantly clear. Less than four in 10 (37 percent) Americans approved of the tariffs, while nearly two-thirds (63 percent) disapproved, per Marquette University polling. Likewise, by a roughly three-to-one ratio, independents, critical in midterm elections, were even more opposed, with only 26 percent approving of Trump's tariff policies and 74 percent disapproving. Moreover, the same poll showed that 58 percent of Americans, including 70 percent of independents, believe tariffs hurt the U.S. economy, with only 32 percent saying tariffs would benefit the economy. Similarly, 74 percent of Americans broadly felt tariffs would increase prices, whereas only 8 percent thought they would decrease prices, according to Economist/YouGov polling. In that same vein, pessimism over the impact of tariffs on the wider economy explains the considerable delta between Trump's overall approval rating and how Americans feel about his handling of the economy. According to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregator, Trump's job approval is only slightly negative (48 percent approve vs. 50 percent disapprove), but on the economy, a former strength for the president, he is 11 points underwater (42 percent approve vs. 53 percent disapprove). In fact, the unpopularity of tariffs has already begun impacting the GOP's midterm chances. A recent Fox News poll shows Democrats with a 7-point lead (49 percent to 42 percent) in the generic congressional vote, and a NewsNation survey shows a similar 5-point lead (45 percent to 40 percent). This is despite Democrats struggling to unify around strong messaging or a viable alternative to Trump and the GOP. For his part, Trump has done nothing to convince Americans about the potential benefits of tariffs. In fact, he often does the opposite, confirming the worst fears over rising prices and contradicting his own past statements on who actually pays for the tariffs. Last month, Trump told reporters that Americans should content themselves with 'two dolls instead of 30' and that those dolls may 'cost a couple of bucks more.' Further, when Walmart said they have to raise prices due to the import duties, Trump lashed out and demanded that the company 'EAT THE TARIFFS,' a direct contradiction to his never-accurate claims that foreign companies pay the tariffs, not Americans. Trump should heed the warnings of former President Jimmy Carter, who was widely ridiculed — and still is — for telling Americans to accept less for the sake of the greater good. What's more is that if the ruling stands, it would put an end to the constant whipsaw-like trade announcements coming out of the White House. Aside from roiling financial markets, the on-again, off-again tariffs make it impossible for businesses to plan and invest, leading to slower economic growth and denting consumer confidence. Within the span of just a few days last week, Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on the European Union and 25 percent on Apple, just to walk them back days later. The erratic back-and-forth even gave rise to the 'TACO trade' — short for 'Trump Always Chickens Out' — hardly a positive for a president elected to provide strength and stability. Not only has this made the administration look chaotic and rudderless, but it also makes Trump and Republicans as a whole look bad. Plainly, if the tariffs are allowed to remain in effect, Democrats will have little difficulty tying Republicans to the turmoil and economy-suffocating policies coming out of the White House. Or, as Karl Rove put it in the Wall Street Journal, 'the president's chaotic trade talk will badly damage Republicans in the midterms…Voters won't blame foreign countries for higher prices. They'll blame Donald Trump and his Republican Party.' And yet, as happens so often, Trump may prove to be his own worst enemy by doubling down on efforts to radically remake the global economy. In no uncertain terms, the White House should see this as a blessing in disguise and take the court's ruling as a chance to recalibrate its approach. Put another way, Trump would be wise not to look this gift horse in the mouth, lest he want a Democratic-controlled Congress for the final two years of his term. Douglas E. Schoen and Carly Cooperman are pollsters and partners with the public opinion company Schoen Cooperman Research based in New York. They are co-authors of the book, 'America: Unite or Die.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Striking down tariffs for good would be a gift to Trump and Republicans
The Court of International Trade, a little-known federal court, may have just given President Trump and Republicans the greatest gift imaginable, just as both parties begin focusing on the 2026 midterms. Late Wednesday, the three-judge panel, including a Trump appointee, unanimously struck down Trump's sweeping global tariffs, potentially removing a significant challenge for Republicans as they try to hold on to both chambers of Congress. That said, the administration is risking squandering this gift. The White House is appealing the court's ruling, and was granted a temporary reprieve when a federal appeals court allowed the tariffs to remain in place during the appeals process. And the administration is working on 'Plan B' scenarios to keep the tariffs in effect via other legal routes, should they lose the appeal. However, Trump would be doing congressional Republicans and himself a tremendous favor if he were just to accept the ruling and move on to other parts of his economic agenda. To be sure, the court did leave some tariffs in place, such as those on steel, and it left the door open for Trump to use other avenues to impose new tariffs. But by ruling that Trump had no power to introduce his broad 'reciprocal tariffs' on virtually every country in the world, the court potentially removed the levies with the greatest impact. Indeed, Trump's tariffs and the chaos they've caused for financial markets, businesses and consumers pose a serious threat to Republicans in the midterms, a point polling data makes abundantly clear. Less than four in 10 (37 percent) Americans approved of the tariffs, while nearly two-thirds (63 percent) disapproved, per Marquette University polling. Likewise, by a roughly three-to-one ratio, independents, critical in midterm elections, were even more opposed, with only 26 percent approving of Trump's tariff policies and 74 percent disapproving. Moreover, the same poll showed that 58 percent of Americans, including 70 percent of independents, believe tariffs hurt the U.S. economy, with only 32 percent saying tariffs would benefit the economy. Similarly, 74 percent of Americans broadly felt tariffs would increase prices, whereas only 8 percent thought they would decrease prices, according to Economist/YouGov polling. In that same vein, pessimism over the impact of tariffs on the wider economy explains the considerable delta between Trump's overall approval rating and how Americans feel about his handling of the economy. According to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregator, Trump's job approval is only slightly negative (48 percent approve vs. 50 percent disapprove), but on the economy, a former strength for the president, he is 11 points underwater (42 percent approve vs. 53 percent disapprove). In fact, the unpopularity of tariffs has already begun impacting the GOP's midterm chances. A recent Fox News poll shows Democrats with a 7-point lead (49 percent to 42 percent) in the generic congressional vote, and a NewsNation survey shows a similar 5-point lead (45 percent to 40 percent). This is despite Democrats struggling to unify around strong messaging or a viable alternative to Trump and the GOP. For his part, Trump has done nothing to convince Americans about the potential benefits of tariffs. In fact, he often does the opposite, confirming the worst fears over rising prices and contradicting his own past statements on who actually pays for the tariffs. Last month, Trump told reporters that Americans should content themselves with 'two dolls instead of 30' and that those dolls may 'cost a couple of bucks more.' Further, when Walmart said they have to raise prices due to the import duties, Trump lashed out and demanded that the company 'EAT THE TARIFFS,' a direct contradiction to his never-accurate claims that foreign companies pay the tariffs, not Americans. Trump should heed the warnings of former President Jimmy Carter, who was widely ridiculed — and still is — for telling Americans to accept less for the sake of the greater good. What's more is that if the ruling stands, it would put an end to the constant whipsaw-like trade announcements coming out of the White House. Aside from roiling financial markets, the on-again, off-again tariffs make it impossible for businesses to plan and invest, leading to slower economic growth and denting consumer confidence. Within the span of just a few days last week, Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on the European Union and 25 percent on Apple, just to walk them back days later. The erratic back-and-forth even gave rise to the 'TACO trade' — short for 'Trump Always Chickens Out' — hardly a positive for a president elected to provide strength and stability. Not only has this made the administration look chaotic and rudderless, but it also makes Trump and Republicans as a whole look bad. Plainly, if the tariffs are allowed to remain in effect, Democrats will have little difficulty tying Republicans to the turmoil and economy-suffocating policies coming out of the White House. Or, as Karl Rove put it in the Wall Street Journal, 'the president's chaotic trade talk will badly damage Republicans in the midterms…Voters won't blame foreign countries for higher prices. They'll blame Donald Trump and his Republican Party.' And yet, as happens so often, Trump may prove to be his own worst enemy by doubling down on efforts to radically remake the global economy. In no uncertain terms, the White House should see this as a blessing in disguise and take the court's ruling as a chance to recalibrate its approach. Put another way, Trump would be wise not to look this gift horse in the mouth, lest he want a Democratic-controlled Congress for the final two years of his term. Douglas E. Schoen and Carly Cooperman are pollsters and partners with the public opinion company Schoen Cooperman Research based in New York. They are co-authors of the book, 'America: Unite or Die.'
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Education 'reforms' failed. Teaching practices key to boosting Wisconsin schools
In the May 15 edition of the Journal Sentinel, there was an article, 'Teaching practices a key to success, panel says,' by Alan Borsuk, through the Marquette University Law School. This article succulently highlighted the issues in improving public school engagement and achievement while totally leaving out the simplistic, unproductive 'reform' approaches that are most often promoted for the last three decades. Robert Pondiscio, conservative senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, stated, 'We continue to chase silver bullets, new policies, new programs instead of helping the teachers we have be better at their jobs.' The article discussed several very good concepts which need to be explored by the media, especially the Journal Sentinel, instead of chronic reporting of statistical underachievement in public schools and the illusion that choice is somehow superior, even though reporting information is intentionally very limited. Dick Marx, Whitefish Bay Letters: Endless school referendums show why public schools suffer from lack of funding Opinion: Wisconsin is failing to fund education. State budget must make this right Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state: Please include your name, street address and daytime phone. Generally, we limit letters to 200 words. Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter. Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing. Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person. We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions. We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters. Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months. All letters are subject to editing. Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@ or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New concepts for improving public schools should be explored | Letters
