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Mark Lisheron: Republican candidates join nationwide scrutiny of tenure
Republican candidates for governor are joining politicians across the country who are increasingly skeptical of tenure guarantees for professors.

Donald Downs and Raymond Taffora: University of Wisconsin must raise bad grade for free speech
To meet its obligation to a troubled pluralistic republic, UW-Madison needs more free speech and diversity of views among its faculty.

Michael Chameides: Rural America needs Congress to act
As Congress sat idle, hardworking Americans faced rising health care costs, farmers battled dangerous market instability, and millions may lose necessary food assistance.

Dave Cieslewicz: The tragedy of Tommy Thompson
Maybe someday he’ll admit that he was wrong to support Trump. I hope so, because if he doesn’t admit that, his support for the worst president in American history will, at least in my book, overshadow everything else he ever accomplished.

Dan O’Donnell: Democrat border policy devastates Mequon
In a rather stunning development, the city of Mequon is under siege by a burglary ring…from South America.

Vincent J. Thompson and Johan Cruz-Polanco: Milwaukee’s health safety net is about to be hit hard
Before the OBBB lands with full weight, Milwaukee must take the steps it still can.

Tom Still: Nobel Prize winner Watson ‘complex’ mentor for UW-Madison researcher
It’s been said the best teachers can be judged by the success of those they mentor. In the case of Nobel Prize winner James D. Watson, who died this month at 97, a prime example is UW-Madison molecular biologist and biochemist Richard Burgess.

Mark Belling: Trump is choosing Brad Schimel for a reason
A battle-scarred vet is picked to lead a crackdown.

Michael Pointer Mace: Judge Dugan’s arrest threatens judicial independence
Our courthouses need a clear policy protecting Milwaukeans from disguised federal agents.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf: Students need protection from predatory for-profit colleges
Legislators have put forth four bills that would either restrict Wisconsin for-profit institutions that may be poor performing or bolster consumer protections for students attending them.

Neil Kraus: The shady tactics shaping policy in the UW System
Unwritten “political deals,” perpetual audit threats, and fear are being used to reduce educational opportunities outside of UW–Madison and UW–Milwaukee.

Bill Barth: Sowing distrust is not productive
Elections are back to normal these days. The count can be trusted. A tweak here or a tweak there might marginally improve the process. But constant tinkering — mostly for partisan advantage — sows distrust. Stop.

Ben Slowey: We must act to save the hemp industry in Wisconsin
U.S. Hemp Roundtable predicts that the ban, which goes into effect in December, could wipe out 95% of the $28.4 billion hemp industry with dire consequences for farmers and business owners nationwide.

Mike Draper: Health care isn’t a political issue. It’s a math issue. And the math isn’t adding up.
You can’t solve an economic problem with partisan politics.

Dave Zweifel: Move over democracy; the billionaires are in charge
Extreme wealth throughout the country’s history has equaled immense political power. And now we’ve created a legion of billionaires who, let’s admit, have immense power over the lives of the great mass of Americans.

John Nichols: House members move to acknowledge Gaza genocide
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan has signed on as a cosponsor of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s “Recognizing the Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza” resolution, which would have the United States formally acknowledge that the Israeli government has committed genocide in Gaza.

Steven Walters: The legacy of Tommy Thompson
There’s only one Tommy who was a 20-year Assembly member, four-term governor, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, health-care executive and business consultant, candidate for President and U.S. Senate and former president of the Universities of Wisconsin.

Robin Vos: Wisconsin school report cards are misleading. DPI covers up real problems.
Our students deserve real accountability, especially those who are most at risk of slipping through the cracks.

Richard Moore: The moment for universal school choice is upon us
Public education is laying on a table in a 20th-century operating room. What we need is a liberation of learning. What public education needs is universal school choice.

Lakeshia Myers: Government funding bill threatens Wisconsin’s hemp industry
While most Americans were focused on ending the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history, Congress slipped a provision into the funding bill that could devastate Wisconsin’s burgeoning hemp industry.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ discuss candidates running for Wisconsin Supreme Court
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, look at the candidates running in the spring Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Oct. 17
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” Wisconsin Public Radio Capitol Reporter Anya Van Wagtendonk and Associated Press Capitol Correspondent Scott Bauer discuss the 7th CD race, the governor’s race, the latest action in the state Senate and Assembly, and more.