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Jamie Stiehm: Dems had the cards, then folded
Just five days after the party triumph in elections swept across the country, eight members of the Democratic caucus found a way to throw the upper hand away in the 40-day government shutdown.

Dave Zweifel: Was Dem capitulation a blessing in disguise?
Whether Democrats — who lately have had a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory — can turn this stunning change in strategy into midterm success next year is still the big question.

David Blaska: Were Democrats blinded by the light?
Mesmerized by the Marxist Mamdani mirage.

H. Carl Mueller: Baby Boomers expected to leave a historic living legacy. Will you?
Legacy giving can provide the support they need for generations to come in the name and living memory of the donor.

Carl Behr: A life lived in language
After five household moves over 90-plus years, my childhood library is still with me.

Sara Finger: National Kindness Day reminds us of the power of community
This National Kindness Day, let’s remember that kindness doesn’t require perfection; it requires participation. It’s checking in on a neighbor. It’s listening with empathy. It’s using your voice to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Ruth Conniff: The government shutdown is over. Who won?
None of the problems that led to the shutdown have been resolved.

Gregory Humphrey: Fallout from government shutdown: Justified Democratic anger, GOP’s unhappy marriage to Trump
The messy ending to the nation’s longest government shutdown was not to the liking of most Democrats, but it was probably inevitable given the state of play in Washington.

Dan O’Donnell: The SNAP trap
The number of Americans who rely on and abuse the SNAP system is a number that continues to grow with no end in sight.

David Blaska: Nothing is too big or small for progressives to put under government control
Democrats were willing to strand grandma at the airport and take the Thanksgiving turkey off the table. Showing partisan fight was more important than good governance.

Adam Brabender: Medicaid should fund long-term mental health care
It’s time we give equal treatment as we do to the other disability groups. If it is good for some with disabilities, it should be good for all.

LaKeshia N. Myers: November is Diabetes Awareness Month: Know your numbers, Wisconsin
The numbers tell a sobering story that demands our immediate attention and action.

Bruce Murphy: Beware of data center darkness
There’s little transparency on these deals. No one knows what the impact on Wisconsin will be.

Jason Tashea: AI’s accuracy and dependability can fall short of standards required in court
Supporters of AI use in courts hope that it will save the state money. Unfortunately, the technology isn’t up to the task.

Mike McCabe: Man versus machine
The current regime wants nothing to do with any pause on AI’s breakneck development. For ruling Republicans, it’s full steam ahead, no guardrails. Scientific consensus and public buy-in be damned. Opposition Democrats are the proverbial deer in the headlights.

Christina Lieffring: What Dane County needs vs. what Sheriff Barrett wants
The Dane County Board’s 2026 budget amendments meet the moment.

Sean Wilson: I lived inside Green Bay Correctional. Wisconsin can’t wait another four years
Real reform means investing in people, not prisons.

J.B. Van Hollen: Legislators gambling with future of sports betting in Wisconsin
The push to legalize sports betting across the nation has grown over the last several years, and the stakes are far too great for us to get this wrong.

Mark Belling: Allegedly drunk Muskego teacher is enabled by lawyers and lousy court officials
The teacher has a problem. What’s everybody else’s excuse?

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 Oct. 3
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” Wisconsin Public Radio Capitol Reporter Anya Van Wagtendonk and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel State Government and Politics Reporter Jessie Opoien discuss the federal government shutdown, the races for governor and Supreme Court, a bill from GOP senators to legalize medical marijuana and more.