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LaKeshia N. Myers: The echo of history: Douglass’s question resonates in Trump’s America
When Frederick Douglass stood before a Rochester audience on July 5, 1852, and delivered his searing critique “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, he exposed the fundamental contradiction at the heart of American democracy.

Scott Walker: Make American civics courses mandatory in schools
We must remind our fellow Americans why we are a great nation.

Kristin Brey: A Fourth of July list of grievances from overworked, unrepresented America
For a country that prides itself on innovation and reinvention, we sure do seem stuck in the past — clinging to systems that serve fewer and fewer of us, while demanding more and more.

Michael Rosen and Charlie Dee: On Independence Day, we deserve a president who governs by founding principles
Americans celebrating July 4 deserve a president who can both articulate what the Declaration of Independence means and govern according to its principles.

O. Ricardo Pimentel: Who deserves to be a U.S. citizen?
I contend that a chief quality of those who deserve citizenship is that they don’t take their citizenship for granted. They know their parents sacrificed much to make it happen. We are proud Americans. We belong here. And we deserve to stay.

Michael Siebers: Save the VA
DOGE disruptions, retirements and anticipated cuts threaten care for veterans.

Mike Nichols: The truth about MPS, who makes it to graduation and who doesn’t
The big picture: For every kid who enters MPS as a freshman each fall and goes on post-secondary education, there are at least two who do not, at least not in the year after high school ended.

Paul Fanlund: JB Pritzker will bring the fire to Cap Times Idea Fest
Pritzker has long been a fierce Trump critic, and the billionaire governor of Illinois was unsparing in his initial post-election comments, warning against attacks on his state.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ Special Edition: Chuck Chvala and the late Ted Kanavas remember less partisan times
WisOpinion marks the Fourth of July weekend with this rebroadcast of the final Insiders segment with then-co-host former state Sen. Ted Kanavas, who passed away July 3, 2017. In the episode, the two discuss political civility and the meaning of Independence Day. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Gregory Humphrey: Americans summoned to think about future of country on July 4th
The Fourth of July is not just a ritual of fireworks and flag-waving and brats on the grill. It’s a call to remembrance. And shared responsibility. Those revolutionaries in 1776 didn’t just declare independence. They declared allegiance to a set of ideals that we must reaffirm this year. Liberty. Equality. Justice.

Erik Huschitt: Ethanol is saving Americans billions
As Americans prepare to celebrate our nation’s independence this Fourth of July, a new report offers a timely reminder: American-made ethanol is helping us move toward greater energy independence while saving consumers billions of dollars at the pump.

Ruth Conniff: Wisconsin is clawing back civil society
Republicans in Washington are threatening those gains.

William Osmulski: The Art of the Deal by Tony Evers
Gov. Evers proves himself to be a master negotiator, forcing Republicans to give ground on every issue, leaving Wisconsin conservatives empty handed.

Dan Knodl: Wisconsin’s high court says: Who needs laws when you’ve got bureaucrats?
In a 5-2 decision, the Court sided with the Department of Natural Resources in a case involving PFAS contamination—a case that fundamentally shifts how state agencies can wield power over our citizens and economy.

Tom Still: Like it or not, AI’s effects on economy and more are here
Healthy skepticism is in order when it comes to AI, but those who ignore its reality do so at their own risk.

John Torinus: GOP governor candidates: How to read Trumpian winds?
There is good reason for potential Wisconsin governor candidates to hold off on formally announcing their candidacies. They all have to calculate the declining approval ratings of President Trump on their prospects.

Bruce Murphy: How Republicans screwed themselves
Aggressively pushing for laws, policies meant to help them. But Democrats now benefiting.

Bill Barth: Less predictable, more independent
Judges are just politicians in black robes. Except when they’re not.

Joan Downs: Wisconsin Historical Society on the wrong side of history
While the decision of the Wisconsin Historical Society to not fly the pride flag at its Madison location may seem unimportant to some, I would like to offer a different perspective, including the wider implications of this decision.

Mark Lisheron: Taxpayers getting jobbed
Northern Wisconsin Job Corps center spent $290,000 per graduate on ineffective training.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ preview the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s docket
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, take a look at the docket for the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 2024-25 session, which ends in June. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for May 16
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss new state revenue projections and tax cut negotiations, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan’s not guilty plea to charges she obstructed immigration officials, the latest action in the state Legislature, this weekend’s GOP state convention and more.