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Jerry Hanson: Our democracy cannot survive
Our Democracy cannot survive one man rule that serves only himself and the needs of those who voted for him.

Gregory Humphrey: Destruction of White House East Wing proves Donald Trump doesn’t care for our values
The destruction of the East Wing is a slap in the face of historians, architects, and everyday citizens who see value in remembering where we came from.

Dave Zweifel: Don’t let public’s window into government close
Jon Henkes, WisconsinEye’s president, explained that it’s not just a media outlet. It’s a movement to guard the fundamental right of every Wisconsinite to see, hear and evaluate the actions of elected officials.

Braiya Nolan: Public needed straight answers when tap water unsafe. It got jargon instead.
The true crisis in Williams Bay may not be the water, but a lack of information. It should not take a scientist to understand and access the village’s water quality and public health information.

Dave Cieslewicz: Donna Shalala for interim UW-Madison athletic director?
She could right the ship while looking for a Fickell/McIntosh replacement.

Dan Knodl: Accountability, transparency needed at DPI
A Capital Times report showed from 2018 to 2023, the Department of Public Instruction investigated over 200 allegations of grooming and sexual misconduct by educators, yet shockingly, many of these predators kept their teaching licenses and stayed in classrooms.

Bruce Thompson: Can new legal challenge reshape state’s congressional districts?
Can more competitive districts be created and what would they look like?

Anneliese Dickman: Wisconsin’s gun stores have violated federal law
Lost or stolen firearms at gun stores threaten people’s lives.

Bill Berry: Why are ugly, polluting factory farms OK, but not solar?
Oconto Republican state Sen. Eric Wimberger has sponsored a bill that would require local communities to sign off on solar before they can proceed. There’s no such law for factory farms. Go figure.

Ben Slowey: We must act to protect MCTS!
If enacted, proposed budget cuts will have dire consequences for Milwaukeeans who rely on public transit for work, school, groceries and medical or social services.

Tiffany Koehler: Early and easier cancer screening can save lives
New screening methods offer more convenient, comfortable options that break down the barriers to care, helping increase screening rates, and most importantly, enabling early detection that can mean the difference between life and death.

Amy Kind: Orion Initiative helps rural health providers team with UW medical partners
Orion Initiative centers rural providers who identify their areas of greatest need, then collaborate with UW academic medical partners to develop innovative solutions to meet those challenges.

Mark Belling: Milwaukee’s busiest I-94 stretch to undergo widening
For decades, Milwaukee leftists opposed widening Interstate 94 in Milwaukee County.

James E. Causey: AI-generated videos depict MLK in unflattering ways. Be prepared to turn off.
Just scroll through your social media feed, and you’ll likely come across something created by AI where you can’t tell if it’s real or fake.

Gregory Humphrey: Local newspapers need our support
The decline of local journalism has real consequences. Studies show that towns without newspapers experience lower voter turnout, fewer contested elections, and increased government inefficiency. When watchdogs in the local newsroom disappear, so does accountability.

Bill Barth: Why independence can’t be given up
From liberal MSNBC to conservative FOX News and dozens of journalism organizations in-between, news gatherers last week refused an administration demand to only report information that is Pentagon-approved.

Mitchell A. Sobieski: News rating services aim to classify reporting bias but risk distorting the role of journalism
Rating services like Ad Fontes and Ground News offer public guidance, but critics say they mislabel ethical reporting as partisan bias and open the door to reputational harm.

Dave Zweifel: If Trump and his minions said it, it’s probably a lie
Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and a chorus of Senate Republicans — all amplified by the “fair and balanced” Fox News network — claimed that the Democrats shut down the government “to give free health care to illegal aliens.”

John Nichols: In Wisconsin, progressive politics can prevail
The key to Baldwin’s victory was not, as the New York Times writers now suggest, centrist caution.

James E. Causey: Here’s how President Trump can deliver campaign promise to lower grocery prices
A grant-funded initiative, such as Mobile Markets in urban and rural areas, would help lower grocery bills, aligning with Trump’s promise to reduce grocery costs.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ discuss Wisconsinites joining the Trump administration
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, review the Badgers going to Washington to join the Trump administration. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Jan. 17
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss Gov. Tony Evers’ creation of an Office of Violence Prevention, the latest arguments before the state Supreme Court, a GOP-backed constitutional amendment making the spring ballot after passing the Legislature and more.