Free markets, limited government, and individual liberty- you know these principles, now hear the stories of the men and women who embody them and the policies that advance them. Listen as the team from Wisconsin’s Badger Institute come together to demystify, explore, and discover ways to make communities in our state freer and more prosperous, one episode at a time.
Kevin Hermening’s time as the youngest American hostage in Iran
A Marine serving at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, Oak Creek native Kevin Hermening became the youngest American hostage when militants aligned with Iran’s Islamic revolutionary government stormed the embassy.
Released after 444 days in captivity, some spent in solitary confinement, he returned to Wisconsin to build a successful financial services firm and serve as president of his local school board. He is now running for Congress in the 7th CongressionalDistrict.
The Wausau resident supports President Trump’s “decision to act to protect American lives and confront a regime that has targeted Americans, armed our enemies and destabilized the entire region for more than four decades,” according to a Facebook post.
He recounted his experience in Iran — and how it shaped his view of the world — in an interview with Badger Institute President Mike Nichols in 2021. We run it again here today.
13 Apr 2023
Making Sense of Milwaukee’s Crime Stats
On the surface, Milwaukee’s latest year-over-year crime statistics show promise for the safety of the state’s largest city. Some city officials have even touted the aggregate numbers as cause for optimism.
But the numbers tell a different story when examined in context: Milwaukee is in trouble.
Researcher Sean Kennedy joins Patrick McIlheran to interpret the data and chart a path forward for Milwaukee to move from a culture of criminal coddling to one of certain justice.
Kennedy’s latest for the Badger Institute, “Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble”: https://www.badgerinstitute.org/latest-crime-figures-show-a-milwaukee-in-trouble/
8 Mar 2023
Cops in Schools: The Numbers No One is Talking About
A new report by Badger Institute Managing Editor Mark Lisheron reveals that calls to police from MPS high schools dramatically increased – again. Lisheron joins Badger Institute Vice President Michael Jahr to discuss the troubling numbers – and the encouraging news that the Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has signaled support for putting police back in schools.
The report: https://www.badgerinstitute.org/calls-to-police-from-mps-high-schools-up-dramatically-again/
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