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Dave Cieslewicz: Barnes’ heavy baggage
His greatest weakness is not likely to be anything he says between now and next August when the primary will take place. Rather his problem is everything he’s ever said in the past as a state legislator and a lieutenant governor.

Bruce Murphy: Wisconsin Eye could go out of business
Does it matter? Only if you care about government transparency.

Dave Zweifel: Robin Vos says low-income mothers don’t deserve health care
Vos pulled a procedural fast one to make sure Wisconsin wouldn’t extend Medicaid coverage to women for a year after giving birth.

Gregory Humphrey: Pete Hegseth must be fired as defense secretary
If the secretary of defense himself disregards international law, how can the United States credibly demand accountability from adversaries who commit atrocities?

Mike McCabe: Looking the wrong way
Brits paint it right on the crosswalks, which way to look. When it comes to politics these days, maybe us Yanks could use crosswalks like that. Can’t seem to tell which way is which.

Steve Gunderson: Wisconsin should pass law barring faithless electoral votes
Whatever one’s politics, we need to all make sure that every legal vote in Wisconsin is counted, and that our votes in the electoral college reflect the outcome of the election.

Paul Fanlund: Pollster: Dems might be too optimistic about Trump’s woes
Marquette University Law School Poll director Charles Franklin says now that “I think there is a risk of Democrats being a little overly optimistic about the problems Trump has.”

Richard Moore: A federalism fight splits MAGA and confuses Kaul
Josh Kaul glided into another hot oven—state regulation of artificial intelligence—and signed a letter with many of his top-cop counterparts that actually contained some reasonable arguments.

Steven Walters: WisconsinEye in demand as network faces uncertain future
The nonprofit must raise $877,000 by Dec. 15 to stay operational, says its CEO.

Quinton Klabon: How do charter schools work in WI? What MPS doesn’t get
Where charter schools are struggling, boards have the power to get them in shape or close them down. That type of accountability is powerful and generates results for kids. Wisconsin should not take its charter superstars for granted.

Bennet Goldstein: The problem with the will to secrecy
When protective laws are zealously applied to contexts for which they were not intended, it can cause its own form of harm.

Michelle Bryant: Rooting for Shedeur in the shadows of Colin
The NFL is a place where Black bodies generate billions in revenue, but Black voices have little worth.

Bill Bussey: Tipping points
“The Global Tipping Points Report 2025,” issued by a group of 160 climate researchers from 87 institutions and 23 countries, provides some food for thought for all of us.

Duane Beachey: Will America wake up before our hate swallows our democracy?
It seems we will have to walk through this period until a majority of the country can clearly see the lies and deception underlying MAGA.

Scott Fitzgerald: GOP plan to expand HRAs offer real health care alternative
HRAs give employees the ability to select the health plan that works best for them instead of being forced to a single, employer-sponsored option.

James Workman: How Wisconsin fishermen reclaimed their place in the industry
They succeed by being specific, measurable and local. Benefits accrue as fishermen see their ecosystem as an appreciating endowment, with rising yields.

Mike Nichols: Madison is a perfect example of why cities should stay out of grocery business
What’s happening in a south side neighborhood in Madison is the perfect illustration of why government should stay out of an intensely competitive business it knows nothing about.

Reg Wydeven: Lawsuits accuse egg producers of fixing prices after avian flu losses
According to the plaintiffs, the companies set prices through Urner Barry’s pricing benchmarks and a private trading platform.

Courtney Graves: Wisconsin sees a surge in childhood disability program enrollment
Enrollment in CLTS and Birth to 3 programs has skyrocketed in recent years, highlighting both rising developmental concerns and growing program participation.

Dave Zweifel: Few ICE detainees qualify as ‘worst of the worst’
More than 97% of the immigrants detained in Donald Trump’s now ended “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago had no criminal conviction whatsoever.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ analyze the race for Wisconsin attorney general
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, take an early look at the race for the Wisconsin attorney general. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Nov. 21
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and Wisconsin Public Radio Capitol Reporter Anya Van Wagtendonk discuss former Wisconsin AG Brad Schimel’s appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, this week’s Assembly and Senate floor sessions, a ruling upholding wedding barn alcohol permit requirements, utility rate hikes and more.