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Bill Berry: Jane Goodall gave us reasons to hope
Her message of hope rested in part on her faith in young people to make change, and her Jane Goodall Institute, established in 1977, shares that message.

Dan Knodl: Wisconsin families deserve protection from soaring utility bills
The PSC can and must reject the proposed increases from Alliant, Xcel, MG&E, and We Energies. It must prove to the people of Wisconsin that it is willing to stand up to powerful utility interests and fight for ratepayers who are already stretched too thin by rising costs of living.

Pat Kreitlow: GOP making big budget cuts and blaming Dems happens in Madison, not just DC
The closing of facilities to help homeless veterans happened after Republicans removed Gov. Tony Evers’ funding request.

Ruth Conniff: Escalating ICE activity makes Wisconsin less safe
The federal immigration crackdown, and the way it has seeped into local communities, does nothing to improve public safety.

Tom Tiffany and Gabriella Hoffman: Let’s focus on permitting reform, not climate change
American-made energy is clean, affordable and reliable. Domestic mining has the potential to reduce our reliance on China for critical minerals, including rare earth minerals. That’s why bringing permitting reform into the 21st century will usher in America’s golden age of energy and meet our power needs.

Dave Zweifel: ‘Toxic Tom’ Tiffany eager to do Trump’s bidding
Tiffany’s nickname is “Toxic Tom” for a reason. As a Wisconsin legislator before running for Congress in 2020, he worked to significantly reduce the DNR’s regulatory powers and wanted to make it easier to open mines in the wilds of northern Wisconsin.

Steven Walters: ‘A friendly face with an iron fist,’ Meet Devin Remiker, the new head of the Wisconsin Democratic Party
Remiker may maintain a lower public profile than Wikler, who was a frequent guest on MSNBC, but he is just as driven. Asked whether he considers himself a tactician or a cheerleader, Remiker says, “I consider myself a winner.”

Bill Kaplan: Tinpot dictator won’t extend health care tax credits
A democracy gave us the ACA. A tinpot dictator wants to take affordable quality health care coverage away.

Brian Reisinger: Don’t let Charlie Kirk or Minnesota violence tell you how to think about politics
We’ve resisted political violence for generations, and still can. The truth is most Americans don’t fit one side or the other.

Scott Walker: New Jersey, Virginia gubernatorial races provide insight into 2026 midterms
Voters in Virginia and New Jersey will send a clear message next month when they elect a new governor in each state. The results will provide a preview of what to expect in the 2026 midterm elections.

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.

George Mitchell: School choice outperforms — again
Continuing a record dating to the late 2010s, private choice students scored higher, on average, on state tests than comparable groups of public school students. Furthermore, choice students outscored all public students on the college-readiness ACT exam.

Patrick McIlheran: Post-Kirk assassination, Wisconsin needs to teach difference between words and bullets, says prof
Silence after attack on the soul of universities puts too much at risk.

Matt Rothschild: Trump is creating the blueprint for a police state
On Sept. 25, Donald Trump issued a memorandum entitled “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence.” It’s concerning.

Scott Gordon: Wisconsin’s elected officials need to put themselves on the line
Get disruptive, get arrested, get creative, but don’t play along with fascism.

Jamie Stiehm: America’s Caesar, but without the guts
United States senators might note that Julius Caesar did not seize power as much as the Roman Senate ceded power to him.

David Blaska: Big gummint meets its day of reckoning
No Dane County government shutdown but how about a slow down?

Bill Barth: Sensible change to restore trust
Allowing absentee ballots to be counted earlier and reported in a more timely manner should be helpful and increase trust in outcomes.

David Blaska: It won’t sell in Rockford
How Democrats lost the working class

Tom Still: Pros and cons of tariffs strategy continue to play out
Debate over whether tariffs will bring back the hallowed days of American “factory towns” or unleash a new set of economic troubles continues, especially in states such as Wisconsin, where manufacturing traditions run deep.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ reflect on 2024 and its political winners and losers
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, look back on the news events of 2024 and select the year’s political winners and losers. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Dec. 6
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss a Dane County judge overturning parts of 2011’s Act 10 law related to collective bargaining for public workers, the death of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, Gov. Tony Evers’ upcoming budget address, reaction to President Joe Biden pardoning his son and more.