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Ruth Conniff: JD Vance struggles to sell Van Orden and Trump to tariff-battered Wisconsin
The visit, aimed at shoring up vulnerable Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden ahead of the 2026 midterms, was part of a post-State of the Union victory lap Vance is taking to market the so-called Golden Age of prosperity Trump claims he and the Republicans have delivered to rural and blue-collar voters. It’s a tough sell.

Scott Walker: Swing-state showdown: Wisconsin Supreme Court election carries presidential stakes
Conservatives must mobilize to defend voter ID and constitutional reforms.

Paul Fanlund: The Black Business Hub is another Madison success story
Led by Urban League of Greater Madison president and CEO Ruben Anthony, the sleek and modern Black Business Hub on South Park Street is bubbling with business activity.

Mike Nichols: Grades now hyper-inflated at UW-Madison
Canadian universities have a remedy

John Humphries: Wisconsin’s school levy tax credit won’t help our education system
Allocating funds to the school levy tax credit does nothing to help schools. The school levy tax credit amount has already been raised substantially. Let’s help Wisconsin taxpayers first.

Rebecca Draeger: New legislation targets grooming, but what about DPI enforcement?
When an agency partitions only minimal resources toward investigating sexual misconduct, allows educators to forfeit their licenses rather than face full review, and fails to publicly disclose the reasons behind revocations, it creates blind spots that predators can exploit.

Kurt Bauer and Jay Timmons: Regulatory certainty and talent development will power Wisconsin’s next 250 years
Some states roll out the red carpet for families and businesses. Other states roll out red tape. Wisconsin has to decide which state it wants to be.

Derrick Van Orden: Thanks to President Trump and Vice President Vance, Wisconsin is leading America’s manufacturing comeback
Vice President Vance’s visit comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, which made clear that America is back on track after years of economic hardship. And nowhere is that comeback more evident than right here in Wisconsin.

Dave Cieslewicz: Dems stoop to Trump’s level at SOTU
While Trump was just more of the same — I can’t be disappointed in a man I have no respect for to begin with — the Democrats did not do themselves proud either.

Jill Underly: Our schools are central to democracy
Public education promises more than academic credentials; it promises citizenship and democracy. And that is a promise we can’t afford to break.

Mark Belling: Goliath leaves Madison
Robin Vos’ towering speakership has lots of highs but some aggravating lows.

Emily Tseffos: Stewardship program is in jeopardy
If you care about access to public land, about hunting and fishing traditions, about the outdoor economy that supports small-town Wisconsin, now is the moment to speak up.

Buckley Brinkman: Creating an AI advantage for Wisconsin
Wisconsin can lead in AI implementation — particularly in manufacturing. This leadership will not happen organically. It must be designed. We should create a Wisconsin AI Network – strong local nodes connected through deliberate statewide mechanisms.

Bill Barth: Independents need to speak up, loudly
On Election Day, independent numbers need to be heard. Make it loud.

Dave Cieslewicz: UW athletics wants dark money
A pending state bill would provide $14.6 million a year to the department. Spending on name, image and likeness agreements would be exempt from the state’s open records law.

Courtney Graves: How to fix Wisconsin’s slowing economic growth rate
A previous report from the MacIver Institute shows that Wisconsin’s GDP growth is lagging behind the rest of the nation. This report dives deeper into why that may be happening and what policies can be implemented to fix it.

John Torinus: High court shelves Trump’s tariff mess
The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overrule President Trump’s broad-scale use of tariffs to punish other countries caught him by surprise.

Cam T.B.: The federal war on trans healthcare mirrors that of abortion
Hospitals are folding to anti-trans hate, but the community continues to advocate for trans youth.

Thomas Nelson: Jesse Jackson redefined the Democratic Party
For those ground down by today’s politics, remember Jackson’s example. Keep hope alive.

Jeffrey Leverich: Blame both parties for this political moment
The democratic promise of our nation is broken by big-money corruption. Can we finally understand that the current turmoil confronting us results from our failed political system?

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ analyze the Dem field for Wisconsin governor
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, take a look at the Democrats running for Wisconsin governor and those who may yet join the race. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Aug. 8
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and Wisconsin Public Radio Capitol Reporter Anya Van Wagtendonk discuss lobbying the Capitol, a new Supreme Court justice, the Texas Dem lawmaker protest echoing Act 10, a ‘setback’ in modernizing the state’s unemployment system and more.