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Kristen Payne: Families deserve evidence-based answers in MPS budget
Financial challenges do not excuse MPS leadership from explaining how decisions were made, nor does it excuse the board from asking tough questions and offering amendments to make a better budget.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ debate who will pay the political price for rising energy costs
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, discuss which party has a better message on energy costs facing voters in the 2026 midterm election. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

James Wigderson: It’s the hokey-pokey primary
Another Democrat drops out in Wisconsin.

Brian Fraley: This poll explains how Wisconsin’s governor race is about to unfold
Barring a political collapse unlike anything we’ve seen this cycle (and we’ve seen a lot), Hong will be the Democratic nominee for governor. That means it’s time to start paying attention to the election Wisconsin is actually about to have.

Scott Walker: Can a democratic socialist win in a purple state?
Democratic socialist Francesca Hong is more than just wrong on economic and political issues; her policies will make us less safe in Wisconsin.

Ben Eisen: It’s time for Welfare Reform 2.0 in Wisconsin
During the mid-1990s, federal welfare reform emphasized employment and achieved substantial reductions in reliance on public assistance and in poverty. Thirty years later, Wisconsin can build on that success by implementing another wave of pro-work safety net reform, this time at the state level.

Amy Curtis: Desperate WisDems send Evers and Crowley on a doomed road trip
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Gov. Tony Evers are hitting the road in what would be the worst buddy comedy ever. They’re going to try to win over voters with 12 days to the primary.

Mitchell A. Sobieski: Milwaukee’s 2025 flood exposed widening gap between federal disaster aid and local infrastructure costs
Milwaukee’s August 2025 flood revealed how climate-era disasters can break the boundary between household hardship and public infrastructure failure.

Antonia Drew Norton and Carmen Pitre: Milwaukee must work to prevent deadly domestic violence
While we must continue responding with compassion after violence occurs, the time has come to invest just as intentionally in preventing violence before it becomes irreversible.

Bill Berry: Don’t let the cyclospora outbreak scare you off veggies
If you’re worried about produce from big stores or restaurants, which you probably shouldn’t be, go on down to the farmers’ market and buy your produce there, where you know its source.

Bruce Murphy: Crowley was weakest in Democratic governor debate
And Hong looked inexperienced at times. Which candidates were the strongest?

Dan Shafer: 5 takeaways from Wisconsin’s one and only Democratic gubernatorial primary debate
Plus: Coverage from the scene, inside the room at the debate and in the post-debate Spin Room at Marquette University, in what Mandela Barnes called “the most ridiculous race in the country.”

David Blaska: Democrats dance to Hong’s tune
None of the other 4 took after the poll leader.

Jessica McBride: Fran Hong is going to win the Democratic primary
The candidates as the ‘Breakfast Club,’ and what’s going on at the CRAZ

Tom Still: Dem governor candidates can look nationally for data center guidance
Wisconsin’s data center debate, much like discussions in other states, is far from over. Political candidates in both parties must be careful not to hurt their own constituents – people who work in manufacturing, health care, construction and other sectors – by imposing ill-considered rules. The only winners in that approach will be other states or nations.

Anthony Pahnke: Data center doubts can empower rural Wisconsin
Grassroots opposition to the expansion of hyperscale data centers has generated a rare moment when members of both parties seem unified with many voters. In the context of such disputes, rural people deserve to hear real commitments for positive change. Those running for governor in Wisconsin need rural votes. It’s time voters make the candidates earn them.

Scott Mayer: Manufacturing’s comeback is real. Now Wisconsin must seize the opportunity.
If we invest in our workforce, embrace innovation, and ensure manufacturers have access to the talent they need, this comeback will not simply be a short-term rebound.

Simran Arora: Protecting children, strengthening families, and defending parental rights
Together, we can create a Wisconsin where families are respected, children are supported, and public resources are invested in strengthening education, mental health, and the well-being of future generations. Let’s keep Wisconsin true to its values and not allow Wisconsin to become Minnesota.

Michael Lucas: Econ 101: Socialism, Part I
Socialism is fundamentally about reorganizing ownership of the means of production. It demands that decisions regarding what to produce are taken away from the individual and put into the hands of a collective.

Jerry Hanson: Your vote can bring the change we need
Our nation is in need of radical change. Middle- and working-class Americans must use their votes this November to unseat the Republicans in Congress who have allowed our democracy to be pushed aside to honor one man’s demand of power.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ examine the battle for control of the Wisconsin Legislature
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, review the upcoming races to control the Wisconsin Legislature and the issues that favor each party. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for Sept. 18
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and Wisconsin Public Radio Capitol Reporter Anya van Wagtendonk discuss Tom Tiffany’s plane crash, the U.S. Supreme Court halting President Trump’s mail-in balloting restrictions, oral arguments before the state Supreme Court in two cases challenging the state’s congressional lines and more.