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Mark Sommerhauser and Frederica Freyberg sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Mark Sommerhauser, Justin Sydnor, Charles Franklin, Jeff Pritzl

Here's what guests on the Nov. 21, 2025 episode said about online sports betting, health insurance costs, early polling for the 2026 elections, and Wisconsin's gun deer hunt opener.

November 24, 2025

A still image shows Charles Franklin seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Charles Franklin' and 'Marquette University Law School.''

Politics

Charles Franklin on Trump’s approval ratings as 2025 ends

Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin discusses approval ratings for President Donald Trump on the economy, foreign policy and other issues as the 2026 midterm election cycle begins.

November 21, 2025

A still image shows Justin Sydnor seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Justin Sydnor' and 'Wisconsin School of Business.''

Health

Justin Sydnor on rising costs for ACA health insurance plans

Wisconsin School of Business risk management and insurance professor Justin Sydnor explains why the costs of Health Insurance Marketplace plans continue rising and the impacts of uncompensated care.

November 21, 2025

A still image shows Mark Sommerhauser seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Mark Sommerhauser' and 'Wisconsin Policy Forum.'

Policy

Mark Sommerhauser on online sports betting law in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Policy Forum researcher Mark Sommerhauser describes the legal status of online sports betting in the state as the industry grows rapidly and lawmakers consider expanding its availability.

November 21, 2025

Jeff Pritzl on Wisconsin’s 2025 gun deer hunt season outlook

Agriculture

Jeff Pritzl on Wisconsin’s 2025 gun deer hunt season outlook

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources deer specialist Jeff Pritzl considers prospects for the state's 2025 gun deer hunt and what forecasts for the season's harvest mean for population management.

November 21, 2025

Linda McMahon speaks while standing in a room with an out-of-focus projector screen and U.S. flag in the background.

Education

Schools fear disruptions as the White House dismantles the Education Department

The Trump administration is steaming forward on its plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, but the plan has drawn pushback from some state and school district leaders, who see no benefit and no hope for a seamless transition.

November 21, 2025

Brittany Koteles on the market value of land and its meaning

Indigenous

Brittany Koteles on the market value of land and its meaning

Land Justice Futures Director Brittany Koteles considers the significance of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration land transfer to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

November 20, 2025

A voter holding the straps of a tote bag in their left hand stands in front of a temporary voting booth with plastic privacy walls and metal legs, located at the end of a row of similar booths in a gymnasium with a wood floor, brick columns and a wood-paneled vaulted ceiling.

Elections

Wisconsin clerks referred 46 cases of suspected fraud, irregularities in the November 2024 election

A Wisconsin Elections Commission report showed local clerks referred 46 instances of suspected fraud and voting irregularities to prosecutors related to the general election in November 2024, with the total number of flagged cases a tiny fraction of the more than 3.4 million ballots cast.

November 20, 2025

A letter sign on reading Milwauke Wisconsin and 310 East Knapp Stre is affixed to a concrete wall that's situated along a sidewalk and in front of a multistory building with a stone exterior and windows on either side of double glass doors below a letter sign reading U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Courts

Immigration appeals board ruling paves way for more deportations to a ‘third country’

A decision by the U.S. Department of Justice's Board of Immigration Appeals makes it easier for federal officials to toss thousands of asylum cases and send applicants to a "third country" where they have never lived, with the mechanism being used inconsistently.

November 20, 2025

A sign titled Hoocąk Language Duide with multiple illustrations of a canoe labeled with Ho-Chunk words and American English translations is displayed on the surface of a wood railing next to branches of a cedar tree.

Science

Wisconsin archaeologists have found 16 ancient Indigenous canoes in Lake Mendota

The Wisconsin Historical Society announced that archaeologists have so far identified 16 canoes submerged in the lake bed of Lake Mendota in Madison, with the discoveries beginning in 2021 of vessels that range from 1,200 to 5,200 years old.

November 19, 2025

Sister Sue Ernster on the trauma of Indian boarding schools

Indigenous

Sister Sue Ernster on the trauma of Indian boarding schools

Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration President Sue Ernster describes listening to experiences of Indian boarding school survivors and the group's interest in pursuing healing and reconciliation.

November 19, 2025

A ceiling-mounted brass enclosed letter sign with the words Judge Hannah C. Dugan and the number 615 is overhead in a hallway with fluorescent lighting outside the wood-paneled doors to a room, with an illuminated EXIT sign above another door in the background.

Courts

Prosecutor says plea talks are ongoing with Milwaukee judge facing federal charges

Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel said discussions are ongoing in the federal case against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces chargers of obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest and is set to go to trial in December.

November 19, 2025

Brittany Koteles on social justice work with Catholic orders

Indigenous

Brittany Koteles on social justice work with Catholic orders

Land Justice Futures Director Brittany Koteles describes how the Milwaukee-based group collaborates with orders of Catholic sisters to make plans for landholdings in pursuit of justice-centered works.

November 18, 2025

A letter sign of the word Kroger with stylized characters is attached to the face of a building with a peaked roof under a partly cloudy sky.

Economy

Kroger closing automated fulfillment centers in Wisconsin, two other states

Kroger, the nation's largest grocer, says it will close automated fulfillment centers in Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin as well as in two other states as the company finds it's faster and cheaper to complete grocery delivery orders at individual stores.

November 18, 2025 • Southeast Region

Robin Vos stands and faces a microphone and gavel on a wood podium, with a high-backed leather and wood chair and a Wisconsin flag behind him, in a room with wood paneling featuring carved relief crests, with the out-of-focus heads of other people in the foreground.

Policy

Vos blocks bill to expand Medicaid funds for new moms in Wisconsin

Splitting with anti-abortion members of the Republican Party, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has refused to join 48 other states in ensuring that vulnerable women have access to potentially lifesaving care for up to a year after giving birth.

November 18, 2025

Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin on data center energy incentives

Politics

Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin on data center energy incentives

State Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, D-Whitefish Bay, discusses working with different organizations to craft a bill to offer incentives for data centers in Wisconsin to increase use of renewable energy.

November 17, 2025

President John Johnson on shared Ojibwe and Catholic beliefs

Indigenous

President John Johnson on shared Ojibwe and Catholic beliefs

Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians President John Johnson discusses hopes to share Ojibwe culture with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration following a land back transfer.

November 17, 2025

Frederica Freyberg sits at a desk on the Here & Now set and faces a video monitor showing an image of Scott Fitzgerald.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, State Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, Diana Maas

Here's what guests on the Nov. 14, 2025 episode said about fallout from the federal government shutdown, a new bill seeks to regulate data centers, and funding delays for consumer energy bill assistance.

November 17, 2025

Multiple leafless trees stand on a lawn with lights, trash cans and park benches in front of a terraced plaza with brick walls and a weathered copper fence, with a multi-story masonry building with first-story arches and multiple colonnades at an upper level above two floors of windows.

Courts

Immigrant in Milwaukee judge case has been deported

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the deportation of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was arrested in April outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse — a circuit court judge who federal prosecutors say helped him leave a courtroom through a private door is set to stand trial in December.

November 16, 2025

A still image shows Scott Fitzgerald seated in front of a cabinet containing family photos and various memorabilia, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Oconomowoc,' 'U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald' and '(R) 5th Congressional district.'

Budgets

US Rep. Scott Fitzgerald on 2025 government shutdown fallout

U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-5th Congressional District, discusses the funding deal that ended the 2025 federal government shutdown, the future of the ACA and prospects for another standoff in 2026.

November 14, 2025

A still image shows Jodi Habush Sinykin seated in front of a red and black brick fireplace, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Whitefish Bay,' 'Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin' and '(D) Whitefish Bay.'

Policy

Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin on a bill to regulate data centers

State Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, D-Whitefish Bay, discusses a bill that would regulate energy use, water use and labor practices of data centers with dozens of facilities in the works across Wisconsin.

November 14, 2025

Diana Maas on funding for energy assistance in Wisconsin

Economy

Diana Maas on funding for energy assistance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Administration Assistant Deputy Secretary Diana Maas discusses the status of the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program with federal funding delayed as utility costs rise.

November 14, 2025

A still image shows Tammy Baldwin standing in at a podium at a press conference, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Madison,' 'U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin' and '(D) Wisconsin.)'

Budgets

Baldwin describes focus on health care during the shutdown

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, explained why most Democrats held out during the 2025 federal government shutdown for funding that included extension of Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits.

November 14, 2025

Why Catholic sisters sold land back to the Lac du Flambeau

Indigenous

Why Catholic sisters sold land back to the Lac du Flambeau

Confronting the painful legacy of Indian boarding schools, an order of Catholic sisters sold a plot on Trout Lake in northern Wisconsin to the Lac du Flambeau tribe as part of the land back movement.

November 13, 2025 • Northern Region

Multiple vertical towers and horizontal bars are connected by an array of multiple power lines, with portions of connecting lines covered by glass insulators, form part of an electrical substation, under a cloudy sky.

Economy

Anthropic, Microsoft announce new AI data center projects as construction continues

Anthropic has announced a $50 billion investment in computing infrastructure, including new data centers in Texas and New York, while Microsoft has announced a new data center in Georgia, to be connected to another in Wisconsin to form a massive supercomputer.

November 13, 2025

An overhead view of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber, including its legislative dais with a U.S. flag behind the Speaker's podium and curved rows of desks facing the rear wall with dais and two sets of double doors, shows multiple people standing on the floor and seated in benches, with overlaid text reading On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment and vote totals for Yea, Nay, Pres and NV for Republican, Democratic and Independent members.

Budgets

Trump signs a funding bill that ends the record 2025 federal government shutdown

Hours after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a funding bill on a mostly party-line vote, President Donald Trump has signed the measure to end a record 43-day-long federal government shutdown that magnified partisan divisions.

November 13, 2025

Kevin Rak on higher need at the River Food Pantry in Madison

Economy

Kevin Rak on higher need at the River Food Pantry in Madison

The River Food Pantry volunteer Kevin Rak describes how the number and needs of people seeking help from the River Food Pantry in Madison are growing as grocery prices continue rising with inflation.

November 12, 2025 • South Central Region

Tawny Hardyman on losing staff during a government shutdown

Economy

Tawny Hardyman on losing staff during a government shutdown

Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program Head Start Director Tawny Hardyman describes how the 2025 federal government shutdown impacted staff retention and recruitment for the organization.

November 11, 2025 • Southwest Region

Politics

Residents of Menominee in Michigan vote to limit the city’s number of cannabis stores

Residents of two Michigan communities bordering other states have voted to ban or limit shops that sell cannabis products — in Menominee, on the Upper Peninsula's border with Wisconsin, nearly 8 in 10 voters approved limiting its number of marijuana shops to nine.

November 10, 2025 • Northeast Region

Courts

Trump administration renews appeal to the US Supreme Court to keep full SNAP payments frozen

The Trump administration is again asking the U.S. Supreme Court to keep full SNAP food aid payments on hold, with justices expected to decide whether to halt those lower court's orders to provide funding amid signs a federal government shutdown could soon end.

November 10, 2025

In Focus

In Focus with Chris Kolakowski: Honoring Wisconsin veterans

Murv Seymour talks with Wisconsin Veterans Museum Director Chris Kolakowski at PBS Wisconsin about artifacts and landmarks that celebrate and tell stories of Wisconsinites who served in the military.

November 10, 2025

Frederica Freyberg sits at a desk on the Here & Now set and faces a video monitor showing an image of Tawny Hardyman.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Rhonda Adams, Tawny Hardyman, State Sen. Jesse James

Here's what guests on the Nov. 7, 2025 episode said about high demand at food pantries, the closure of Head Start programs in southwest Wisconsin and a proposed law to define grooming of children.

November 10, 2025

A flag at half staff flies on a flagpole above a pediment with multiple statues supported by multiple rows of columns of a Neoclassical masonry building with a central dome.

Budgets

US Senate takes first step toward ending 2025 federal government shutdown

The U.S. Senate has taken the first step to end the federal government shutdown after eight Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, voted to move toward passing compromise legislation for funding.

November 10, 2025

Budgets

Trump administration demands Wisconsin and other states ‘undo’ full SNAP payouts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is demanding multiple state governments to reverse full SNAP support for November issued after federal court orders but before a stay by the U.S. Supreme Court, with Wisconsin set to face financial strain after sending benefits to about 700,000 residents.

November 10, 2025

Courts

US Supreme Court issues emergency order to block full SNAP food aid payments

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted an emergency appeal by the Trump administration to temporarily block a federal court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown, even as Wisconsin and other states have distributed payments.

November 7, 2025

A still image shows Rhonda Adams standing in a warehouse where workers are organizing food donations, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Madison,' 'Rhonda Adams' and 'The River Food Pantry.'

Economy

Rhonda Adams on people seeking more help from food pantries

The River Food Pantry Executive Director Rhonda Adams details how higher grocery prices and SNAP funding confusion are causing growing demand for its services, including from many first-time visitors.

November 7, 2025

A still image shows Tawny Hardyman seated in a classroom featuring a shelf designed to look like a tree, with a graphic in the bottom that reads 'Dodgeville,' 'Tawny Hardyman' and 'SWCAP Head Start.'

Social Issues

Tawny Hardyman on closure of Head Start classes in Wisconsin

Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program Head Start Director Tawny Hardyman describes how the federal government shutdown is causing early learning programs to halt and the impacts on children.

November 7, 2025 • Southwest Region

Sen. Jesse James on Wisconsin making child grooming a crime

Policy

Sen. Jesse James on Wisconsin making child grooming a crime

State Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, discusses a bill that would define the act of grooming a child and make it a felony in Wisconsin as the state moves to investigate how teacher licenses are suspended.

November 7, 2025

A still image shows a firefighter walking through a forest with sunbeams illuminating the smoke from a prescribed burn.

Indigenous

A prescribed burn in Superior provides pride and healing

The Fond du Lac Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa practiced a culturally prescribed burn on Wisconsin Point in Superior to restore and heal their land regained after more than a century-long loss.

November 7, 2025 • Northern Region

Madison DeCleene runs while wearing a t-shirt with a St. Norbert Track and Field graphic, with more than a half-dozen out-of-focus runners and a parked vehicle behind her.

Education

Pilot program allows several NCAA Division III athletes to compete for schools they no longer attend

An NCAA pilot program gives Division III student-athletes a chance to continue competing for their original school after transferring if their new school doesn't sponsor varsity athletics — two participants studied at St. Norbert College before transferring to Bellin College.

November 6, 2025 • Northeast Region

Two U.S. flags on flagpoles wave over a balustrade above a series of arches framing multiple doorways and windows on the ground floor of a multi-story Richardsonian Romanesque-style masonry building with turrets and arched windows, with leafless trees standing in the sidewalk next to a street.

Courts

Immigrant at center of the prosecution of a Milwaukee judge sentenced to time served

A U.S. District judge sentenced 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz to time served after he reached a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed not to fight deportation — the federal government indicted a Milwaukee judge who agents accuse of helping the Mexican national evade arrest in a courthouse.

November 6, 2025 • Southeast Region

Sen. Dora Drake on rehabilitating kids convicted of crimes

Courts

Sen. Dora Drake on rehabilitating kids convicted of crimes

State Sen. Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, discusses difficulties of finding jobs and homes among people who served time in the juvenile justice system and goals of seeking rehabilitation and accountability.

November 6, 2025

Sen. Mary Felzkowski on planning Wisconsin’s prison overhaul

Courts

Sen. Mary Felzkowski on planning Wisconsin’s prison overhaul

State Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, discusses how future projections guide plans to restructure Wisconsin prisons, pointing to placement of Secure Residential Care Centers, or SRCCs, in the state.

November 5, 2025

Sen. Dora Drake on the youth prison being built in Milwaukee

Courts

Sen. Dora Drake on the youth prison being built in Milwaukee

State Sen. Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, discusses why the Wisconsin Department of Corrections is building a new juvenile justice facility in Milwaukee and what it means for children convicted of crimes.

November 4, 2025 • Southeast Region

Two farm workers wearing long-sleeved clothing, gloves and scarves over their faces hold branches while facing a conveyer mechanism connected to a truck with a flatbed roof while standing among multiple trees.

Agriculture

Wisconsin farms turn to H-2A visa program in search of a seasonal labor force

Farms in Wisconsin are increasingly hiring temporary and seasonal workers from abroad through the federal H-2A visa program, even as slow-moving bureaucracy can cause headaches while looming rules changes and new fees create more uncertainty.

November 3, 2025

Debbie Gomez-Felder holds a framed color photo of Oliver Buck Champeau in her right hand, with an out-of-focus image of a lake freighter in the background.

History

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior still resonates 50 years later

Nov. 10 marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, perhaps the most famous of all the estimated 6,500 ships that have gone down in the Great Lakes — the 730-foot long freighter was the largest ship ever to sink on the Great Lakes and all 29 members on board died.

November 3, 2025 • Northern Region

Frederica Freyberg and Jackie Anderson sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: State Sen. Mary Felzkowski, Brad Olson, Jackie Anderson

Here's what guests on the Oct. 31, 2025 episode said about the plan to restructure Wisconsin's prison system, how farmers in the state are faring, and the high use of food banks.

November 3, 2025

A still image shows Jackie Anderson seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Jackie Anderson' and 'Feeding Wisconsin.'

Social Issues

Jackie Anderson on SNAP funds and growing use of food banks

Feeding Wisconsin Executive Director Jackie Anderson describes growing demand on food banks as grocery prices continue rising, federal programs are eliminated and SNAP funding is poised to be cut off.

October 31, 2025

Brad Olson on trade, health care costs and Wisconsin farmers

Politics

Brad Olson on trade, health care costs and Wisconsin farmers

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Brad Olson considers uncertainties over tariffs on and markets for soybeans and beef, rising health insurance costs and the status of the next Farm Bill.

October 31, 2025

A still image shows Mary Felzkowski seated in front of a marbled fire place, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'State Captiol,' 'Sen. Mary Felzkowski' and '(R) Tomahawk.'

Courts

Sen. Mary Felzkowski on politics and Wisconsin’s prison plan

State Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, discusses interest by Republican lawmakers to play a larger role in revamping Wisconsin's prison systems through a plan proposed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

October 31, 2025

A still image shows Governor Tony Evers seated at the head of an conference table in front of a red and gold ornate wall.

Courts

Evers promises bipartisan planning of prison upgrades

Republican lawmakers on the State Building Commission are seeking more of a role in restructuring Wisconsin's prison system, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers promises collaboration on future planning.

October 31, 2025

A student with a backpack holds a cellphone in their right hand while walking behind other students in a hallway with a polished floor and brick walls with multiple windows.

Policy

Wisconsin becomes the 36th state to limit cellphone use by students in schools

Gov. Tony Evers has signed a bill passed with bipartisan support that requires school districts to prohibit phone use during class time, making Wisconsin the 36th state to limit how students use cellphones and other electronic devices when they are attending school.

October 31, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gestures with both arms held to the side while standing behind a plastic podium with two mounted microphones and a campaign sign on its front reading Kennedy Shanahan, with multiple larger signs to the side and in the background on a stage, with people seated below facing him.

Elections

Evers signs bill that would allow certain candidates to remove their names from ballots in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill that would allow certain candidates for state and federal office to remove their names from ballots in the state, an issue in 2024 when independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to remove himself from the ballot.

October 31, 2025

A letter sign reading Waukesha County Courthouse stands on the top of an awning with masonry panels that stands above a glass double-door entrance to a multistory building with glass and different types of masonry and multiple rows of windows.

Courts

Waukesha County judge puts on hold ruling that would require checking citizenship of all Wisconsin voters

A Waukesha County Circuit Court judge has put on hold his ruling that requires elections officials to verify the citizenship of all 3.6 million registered voters in Wisconsin before the statewide primary election in February 2026.

October 31, 2025

A car is parked next to a concrete wall with a letter sign on its front reading Milwauke Wisconsin and 310 East Knapp Stre that's situated along a sidewalk and in front of a multistory building with a stone and brick exterior and windows on either side of double glass doors below a letter sign reading U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Courts

Arrests of asylum seekers in Milwaukee show shifting tactics by ICE agents

A Venezuelan couple arrested during a routine immigration check at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Milwaukee will try to continue their asylum cases while detained hundreds of miles away from each other.

October 31, 2025

What’s the plan to restructure the Wisconsin prison system?

Courts

What’s the plan to restructure the Wisconsin prison system?

A plan put forth by Gov. Tony Evers to close, build or repurpose several Wisconsin Department of Corrections prisons is advancing, with a particular focus on the future of the juvenile justice system.

October 30, 2025

Multiple disconnected segments of a metal pipeline sit on an open field.

Economy

US Army Corps of Engineers approves Line 5 pipeline reroute around Bad River lands

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a plan by the Canada-based energy company Enbridge to construct a new 41-mile segment of its aging Line 5 oil and gas pipeline that crosses northern Wisconsin to bypass the reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

October 30, 2025

Jean Pederson on learning about the scope of PFAS pollution

Environment

Jean Pederson on learning about the scope of PFAS pollution

Town of Stella resident Jean Pederson describes seeking clarity about the scale, causes and impacts of PFAS "forever chemical" contamination in Wisconsin and hope for support from state government.

October 29, 2025 • Northern Region

William Casey Crump on PFAS-based food advisories in Stella

Health

William Casey Crump on PFAS-based food advisories in Stella

Stella Town Board Chairperson William Casey Crump discusses the state of Wisconsin's "Do Not Eat" consumption advisories for fish in the Moen Lake Chain and guidance for deer harvested near the area.

October 28, 2025 • Northern Region

Mature leafless trees stand above a snow-covered lawn, with a concrete sidewalk leading toward a parking lot with multiple vehicles parked in front of a multi-story masonry building with a central structure topped by a pillar-supported pediment.

Courts

State Building Commission votes to proceed with Evers plan to overhaul Wisconsin’s prison system

A sweeping plan put forth by Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to overhaul the state's aging prison system is moving forward with bipartisan support despite complaints from Republican lawmakers that their concerns are not being addressed.

October 28, 2025

Education

Meet the high school students keeping Pulaski from becoming a news desert

Pulaski News is a fixture of one community in northeast Wisconsin, a tool to prepare high school students for the workforce and the last official source keeping residents informed about hyperlocal happenings.

October 27, 2025 • Northeast Region

An empty parking lot with leaves and branches on its asphalt surface sits in front of a building with a glass-walled entrance and large window at one corner covered by a decal with an illustration of a woman standing at the center of rays of light, with multiple trees behind it in the background.

Health

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin resumes offering abortions after pause related to federal funding

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has resumed scheduling abortions after a nearly monthlong pause due to cuts affecting federal Medicaid funding in President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill that took effect at the beginning of October.

October 27, 2025

Zac Schultz and Rebecca Mnookin sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: US Rep. Glenn Grothman, US Rep. Mark Pocan, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin

Here's what guests on the Oct. 24, 2025 episode said about the ongoing federal government shutdown and a new program at UW-Madison focused on promoting civil dialogue.

October 27, 2025

The northern Wisconsin town of Stella demands action on PFAS

Environment

The northern Wisconsin town of Stella demands action on PFAS

Residents of a rural lake community in Oneida County are advised to limit consumption of fish and deer due to PFAS contamination and are seeking support — as well as more information — from the state.

October 24, 2025 • Northern Region

A still image shows Glenn Grothman seated in a room with green walls, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Manitowoc,' 'U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman' and '(R) 6th Congressional District.'

Politics

US Rep. Glenn Grothman on 2025 government shutdown politics

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-6th Congressional District, discusses the ongoing 2025 federal government shutdown, timelines and terms of continuing resolutions, and the political stance of Republicans.

October 24, 2025

A still image shows Mark Pocan seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan' and '(D) 2nd Congressional District.'

Politics

US Rep. Mark Pocan on 2025 government shutdown politics

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-2nd Congressional District, discusses the ongoing 2025 federal government shutdown, timelines and terms of continuing resolutions, and the political stance of Democrats.

October 24, 2025

A still image shows Jennifer Mnookin seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin' and 'UW-Madison.'

Education

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin on civil discourse at UW-Madison

UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin discusses the launch and goals of the Wisconsin Exchange, a program seeking to support civil dialogue at the university amid free speech controversies on campus.

October 24, 2025

Multiple students sit in rolling chairs and use tools to practice dental work on the teeth of mannequins with open moths, in a room with multiple rows of desks with computer monitors, water bottles and other items sitting on their surfaces.

Education

Wisconsin tech colleges look to ease dental worker shortage

A $20 million funding boost from the Wisconsin Legislature is allowing technical colleges to expand oral health training programs as the state faces a shortage of dental workers.

October 23, 2025

Zachary Oster on cybersecurity issues for local governments

Politics

Zachary Oster on cybersecurity issues for local governments

UW-Whitewater computer science professor Zachary Oster describes cybersecurity vulnerabilities of local governments in Wisconsin in the wake of a ransomware attack on Iowa County's computer network.

October 22, 2025

Jill Karofsky sits in a high-backed leather chair at a judicial bench with a nameplate reading J. Karofsky, with a row of empty high-backed wood and leather chairs in a room with marble pillars and masonry.

Politics

Racine man charged with stalking, accused of sending intimidating emails to Wisconsin Supreme Court’s chief justice

A 37-year-old man from Racine faces a stalking charge after he allegedly sent the Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Jill Karofsky a series of intimidating and profane emails between Aug. 2 and Oct. 1.

October 21, 2025

A diamond-shaped metal traffic sign with a graphic of a vertical traffic light and a rectangular metal traffic sign with the words Photo Enforced stand on a metal poll, with an out-of-focus traffic signal with two illuminated red lights in the background.

Policy

A bipartisan bill that would allow for traffic cameras in Milwaukee inches forward

Traffic cameras are banned in Wisconsin, but a bipartisan bill in the state Legislature would authorize Milwaukee to install traffic cameras for ticketing speeders and red light runners, an exemption pursued by the city's leaders.

October 21, 2025 • Southeast Region

A pedestrian walks in front of a five-story building with brick walls and small glass windows, with the sun shining over the edge of its roof.

Social Issues

In Chicago, immense show of force signals a sharp escalation by the White House

A September raid on an apartment building Chicago owned by a Neenah-based investor has signaled a sharp escalation in the White House's immigration crackdown and ratcheted up tensions in a city already on edge.

October 21, 2025

Education

Wisconsin trails most states in affordability of public colleges

As lawmakers spend less on higher education and the Universities of Wisconsin implements tuition promise programs, an analysis that included 28 four- and two-year schools in Wisconsin found the state ranks 46th in the nation in its share of public colleges that are considered affordable.

October 20, 2025

Dipesh Navsaria and Frederica Freyberg sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, Beth Swedeen, Eric Genrich, Moniquie Minkens

Here's what guests on the Oct. 17, 2025 episode said about federal funding cuts affecting food assistance and special education, an affordable housing project in Green Bay and a record number of domestic violence deaths in Wisconsin.

October 20, 2025

A still image shows Beth Swedeen seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Beth Swedeen' and 'WI Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.'

Education

Beth Swedeen on federal cuts to special education funding

Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities Executive Director Beth Swedeen considers impacts of U.S. Department of Education funding cuts and layoffs on special education in the state.

October 17, 2025

Health

Dr. Dipesh Navsaria on food insecurity and children’s health

Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a pediatrician, considers impacts of food assistance on the nutrition and mental health of children as funds for state-run programs dwindles due to a federal government shutdown.

October 17, 2025

A still image shows Monique Minkens seated in front of a plain white wall, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Madison,' 'Monique Minkens' and 'End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin.'

Social Issues

Monique Minkens on domestic violence homicides in Wisconsin

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin Executive Director Monique Minkens considers the state's record number of domestic violence-related homicides and how funding cuts and housing are factors in this problem.

October 17, 2025

A still image shows Eric Genrich seated in front of a flag of Wisconsin and a United States flag, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Eric Genrich' and 'Green Bay Mayor.'

Economy

Mayor Eric Genrich on the Green Bay Housing Partnership

Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich discusses the launch of a community land trust nonprofit program with the goal of lowering barriers to owning a home through leasing land to reduce the cost of mortgages.

October 17, 2025 • Northeast Region

A four-panel photo collage shows portraits of Shae Sortwell posing in front of a truck, Clint Moses speaking to another person while standing next to a table with a model of a pelvis and spine on its surface, Lee Snodgrass posing while standing in front of rows of plants inside a curved-roof greenhouse, and Sarah Keyeski posing while seated in an arm chair in an office with another chair and desk in the background.

Politics

An Uber driver, a dairy farmer and a therapist walk into the State Capitol: Many Wisconsin lawmakers have side gigs

It’s common for elected members of the Wisconsin Legislature, who make about $61,000 a year, to have a second job as the state Senate and Assembly each meet for only part of the year, allowing lawmakers to seek additional work opportunities.

October 16, 2025

An out-of-focus road sign with arrows pointed in opposite directions stands in the foreground in front of cluster of buildings, including a round concrete tower with a low dome, with multiple power lines around the facility, a road on one side, and a large body of water in the background.

Economy

A nuclear power plant could return to Kewaunee County, raising hopes and concerns for local residents

A decade after the Kewaunee Power Station closed, its owner EnergySolutions wants to build a new nuclear plant on the site, with the company planning to buy hundreds of acres of farmland and as statewide demand for electricity increases as more data centers are built.

October 15, 2025 • Northeast Region

An asphalt road between a wooded area on the left side and farm fields on the right side, with a road sign in the distance reading Stop Ahead, leads toward a cluster of buildings, including a round concrete tower with a low dome, with multiple power towers and lines around the facility and a large body of water in the background.

Economy

What nuclear power returning to Kewaunee County means for Wisconsin’s workforce

Thousands of workers will be needed to construct a new nuclear plant at the Kewaunee Power Station, as well as nuclear, electrical, civil, chemical and mechanical engineers to design and operate the new reactor.

October 15, 2025 • Northeast Region

A group of Stockbridge-Munsee children sit in a row on the edge of a wood deck, with one adjusting their hair and another eating a container of gelato while holding a microphone in their left hand, with an adult seated on a chair behind them in front of the windows of a building.

Indigenous

Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans reconnects youth with homeland

A group of Indigenous youth traveled from Wisconsin to their ancestral homelands in New York and Massachusetts for the first time in generations, where they reconnected with the land, culture, and identity that was taken nearly two centuries ago — finding healing, joy and a sense of belonging.

October 14, 2025

An line, shading and stipple illustration shows an elderly man sitting in wheelchair inside a prison cell with a bunk bed, desk with chair and barred window in the background.

Courts

Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress the state’s corrections system

Increased use of compassionate release for elderly and sick prisoners could ease costs and crowding of Wisconsin's correctional facilities with minimal risks to public safety, advocates and legal experts say, but this practice remains off limits to many.

October 13, 2025

Frederica Freyberg sits at a desk on the Here & Now set and faces a video monitor showing an image of Tammy Baldwin.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Don Millis, McCoshen & Ross, Chelsea Chandler

Here's what guests on the Oct. 10, 2025 episode said about the continuing federal government shutdown, verifying citizenship of Wisconsin voters, the emerging gubernatorial primary field for 2026, and large-scale renewable energy projects.

October 13, 2025

A still image shows Tammy Baldwin seated in front of a large wooden desk with many shelves, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Washington, D.C.' 'U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin' and '(D) Wisconsin.'

Budgets

US Sen. Tammy Baldwin on 2025 government shutdown politics

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, discusses the October 2025 shutdown of the federal government, the stance of Democratic lawmakers in this impasse and their Affordable Care Act tax credits goals.

October 10, 2025

A still image shows Don Millis seated in front of a set of windows with the blinds closed, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Madison,' 'Don Millis' and 'Wisconsin Elections Commission.'

Elections

Don Millis on the citizenship status of voters in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Elections Commission member Don Millis, a Republican appointee and former chair, discusses a circuit court order for the state to verify citizenship of voters by the February 2026 election.

October 10, 2025

A still image shows Bill McCoshen and Scot Ross seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood panelling.

Elections

McCoshen & Ross on Wisconsin’s 2026 gubernatorial landscape

"Here & Now" political panelists Bill McCoshen and Scot Ross discuss the emerging field of Republican and Democratic candidates who have — and haven't — announced 2026 runs for governor of Wisconsin.

October 10, 2025

Chelsea Chandler on expanding renewable energy in Wisconsin

Environment

Chelsea Chandler on expanding renewable energy in Wisconsin

Clean Wisconsin program director Chelsea Chandler considers the approval of new large-scale wind and solar projects in the state as electricity demand rises from data centers and electric vehicles.

October 10, 2025

A row of corn plants stands under a partly cloudy sky.

Agriculture

A big corn crop in 2025 creates a tricky price situation for Wisconsin corn growers

Wisconsin farmers are enjoying a bumper yield of corn – silage and grain — in 2025 following opportune timing and favorable weather, but these high yields are accompanied by low prices for the crop.

October 9, 2025

A sandwich board sign with the words Famous Yeti's written in chalk on its surface stands next to a brick pillar and in front of the entrance to a building with an open glass door and a wall of glass windows, below a round sign with a graphic of a cryptid and the words Famous Yeti's Pizza.

Health

Legal loopholes in Wisconsin laws regulating THC products leave consumers vulnerable

A year after an incident involving Famous Yeti's Pizza in Stoughton, the state doesn’t have laws regulating how hemp-derived THC products are handled and used in industrial kitchens where foods are prepared.

October 8, 2025 • South Central Region

Doug Rebout on soybean farm uncertainty and forward planning

Agriculture

Doug Rebout on soybean farm uncertainty and forward planning

Wisconsin Soybeans Association President and Rock County farmer Doug Rebout explains how shifting crop prices lead farmers to look ahead to and make plans for selling the following season's harvest.

October 8, 2025

Andy Bensend on the math of growing and selling soybeans

Agriculture

Andy Bensend on the math of growing and selling soybeans

Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board member and Barron County farmer Andy Bensend details how changes in the price of soybeans affects bottom lines of farms that grow at scale and have inflexible costs.

October 7, 2025

A rocket and its contrail arc from lower right to upper left across a dark nighttime sky.

Economy

Musk’s SpaceX contests Wisconsin’s rural broadband plans

The Trump administration is pushing states to direct more federal funding into supporting satellite internet, which is cheaper to install but slower than fiber-optic broadband, and critics fear a giveaway to companies owned by centibillionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

October 7, 2025

Josh Kaul speaks while standing behind a wood podium with six microphones with the flags of different media organizations standing on tripods in its surface, in a room with a cloth banner showing the seal of Wisconsin's Office of the Attorney General mounted on a wall in the background.

Elections

Kaul to run for a third term as Wisconsin Attorney General in 2026 election

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is seeking reelection to a third term in that office in the 2026 election after speculation that he would instead run in the Democratic primary for governor.

October 7, 2025

Social Issues

A decade of immigrants to Wisconsin and immigration enforcement in 9 charts

Immigration hearing and arrest data from 2015 to 2023 illustrate where new immigrants to Wisconsin originated, where they settled in the state, and how they've fared in immigration court.

October 6, 2025

A paper sign showing different examples of photo identification, including driver license, state ID card, Veterans Affairs ID, U.S. passport book or card, student ID card, U.S. Uniformed Services, Tribal ID and Certificate of Naturalization is displayed on the surface of a painted wood table.

Courts

Wisconsin Department of Justice asks Waukesha County judge to pause voter citizenship order

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is asking a Waukesha County judge to immediately put on hold an order that would require elections officials to verify the citizenship of all 3.6 million registered Wisconsin voters before the statewide election in February 2026.

October 6, 2025

Frederica Freyberg sits at a desk on the Here & Now set and faces a video monitor showing an image of Ron Johnson.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: US Sen. Ron Johnson, John Rosenow, Sydney Timmer-Murillo

Here's what guests on the Oct. 3, 2025 episode said about the federal government shutdown, immigrant dairy workers and collective trauma from public violence.

October 6, 2025

US Sen. Ron Johnson on 2025 government shutdown politics

Budgets

US Sen. Ron Johnson on 2025 government shutdown politics

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, discusses the October 2025 shutdown of the federal government, the stance of Republican lawmakers in this impasse and goals of his proposed Eliminate Shutdowns Act.

October 3, 2025

A still image shows John Rosenow seated in front of an archway, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Waumandee,' 'John Rosenow' and 'Rosenholm Dairy.'

Economy

John Rosenow on dairy workers and immigration enforcement

Roseholm-Wolfe Dairy owner John Rosenow discusses the reliance of Wisconsin dairy farms on immigrant labor for milking cows, the legal statuses of these workers and the prospect of immigration raids.

October 3, 2025 • West Central Region

A still image shows Sydney Timmer-Murillo seated in front of a white shelf with various plants, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Wauwatosa,' 'Sydney Timmer-Murillo' and 'Medical College of Wisconsin.'

Health

Sydney Timmer-Murillo on public violence and shared trauma

Medical College of Wisconsin professor and clinical psychologist Sydney Timmer-Murillo considers how exposure to mass shootings and assassinations affect mental health and generate anxiety and trauma.

October 3, 2025

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