All Recent Articles - PBS Wisconsin

A still image shows an assortment of blue pill capsules underneath a harsh red light.

How copay accumulators affect patient access to medications

Rx Uncovered: Patients who have health plans with high deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums increasingly encounter an accounting tool known as an accumulator that redirects savings from copay cards.

August 1, 2025

McCoshen & Ross on Wisconsin’s 2026 governor’s race forecast

Here and Now 2026

McCoshen & Ross on Wisconsin’s 2026 governor’s race forecast

"Here & Now" political panelists Bill McCoshen and Scot Ross discuss the outlook for the 2026 race for governor of Wisconsin as Democratic and Republican primary candidates start their campaigns.

August 1, 2025

Veterans hope Wisconsin will restore homeless program funds

Social Issues

Veterans hope Wisconsin will restore homeless program funds

A lack of funds in Wisconsin's 2025-27 state budget is causing two out of three transitional housing facilities that help homeless veterans to close, but proposed legislation would restore support.

July 31, 2025

A man sits in the chair of a driving simulator and holds a steering wheel with his left hand while facing the simulator's gauge console and three computer monitors arranged in a semi-circle, in a room with framed images and wood paneling on a concrete block wall.

Education

Workforce Pell grants aim to support shorter-term jobs training and boost lower-income workers

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a provision to fund short-term jobs training for low-income students — here's what this Workforce Pell grants program can mean for students in Wisconsin.

July 30, 2025

Nicole Schreiner on pharmacists, patients and PBM impacts

Health

Nicole Schreiner on pharmacists, patients and PBM impacts

Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin President-elect Nicole Schreiner considers the difficulties patients can have with accessing medications and the goals of a proposal to limit pharmacy benefit managers.

July 29, 2025

Leafless trees stand on both sides of a snow-covered gravel road with a single set of tire tracks leading toward a clearing area, with a hillside with trees on the horizon.

Social Issues

As rural homelessness grows in Wisconsin, Republicans balk at boosting funding

Homeless service providers around Wisconsin rally together as federal cuts to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds loom and a proposal by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers for $24 million in new funding was cut from the final version of the 2025-27 state budget.

July 28, 2025

Sarah Godlewski stands and speaks into two microphones mounted to the top of a podium, with a row of U.S. flags standing behind her.

Elections

Wisconsin secretary of state won’t run for governor but mulls run for lieutenant governor in 2026

Democratic Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Tony Evers, said she is not planning to run for governor or a full term in her current role, but instead is considering a run for lieutenant governor in 2026.

July 28, 2025

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

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, Josh Dietsche

Here's what guests on the July 25, 2025 episode said about Congress ending its summer session early and the state of Wisconsin's bridges.

July 28, 2025

A still image shows rows of semi-opaque blue pill boxes, filled with various pharmaceuticals of different shapes and colors

Economy

Why more local pharmacies are struggling to stay in business

Rx Uncovered: Drugstores across the United States continue to close, and these businesses point to pharmacy benefit managers as a culprit — proposed legislation in Wisconsin aims to limit their scope.

July 25, 2025

A still image shows Bryan Steil seated in front of a brown leather couch and a large black and white color splotch painting, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil' and '(R) 1st congressional district.'

Budgets

US Rep. Bryan Steil on Congress implementing Trump’s agenda

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-1st Congressional District, discusses passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and pursuing budget rescissions as the House of Representatives cuts short its summer session.

July 25, 2025

A still image shows Josh Dietsche seated in front of a shelf with various black and white sports photos, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Madison,' 'Josh Dietsche' and 'Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation.'

Economy

Josh Dietsche on structural integrity of Wisconsin bridges

Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Structures Director Josh Dietsche describes the status of bridge infrastructure around the state with nearly 1,000 listed as "structurally deficient."

July 25, 2025

Sara Rodriquez speaks while standing outdoors and facing two people whose out-of-focus shoulders are in the foreground.

Politics

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez enters the 2026 race for governor of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is the first Democrat to officially enter the state's 2026 race for governor, launching her candidacy one day after Gov. Tony Evers announced that he would not seek a third term.

July 25, 2025

Crossing the Mississippi River without the Lansing bridge

Economy

Crossing the Mississippi River without the Lansing bridge

The Black Hawk Bridge connecting Iowa and Crawford County in southwest Wisconsin is closing as its replacement is constructed, leaving residents in both states hustling to cross the Mississippi River.

July 24, 2025 • Southwest Region

Courts

Judge orders Abundant Life shooter’s father to stand trial

The father of a 15-year-old girl who shot and killed a student and teacher at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison before killing herself was ordered to stand trial on charges that he allowed his daughter access to guns she used in the attack.

July 24, 2025 • South Central Region

Sarah Davis on trying to understand how health plans work

Economy

Sarah Davis on trying to understand how health plans work

UW-Madison Center for Patient Partnerships Director Sarah Davis describes difficulties in understanding the complex structures of different types of health care coverage plans in the United States.

July 24, 2025

Tony Evers speaks while standing outdoor in front of a lake, with shoreline, trees, docs and buildings in the background.

Elections

Evers says he won’t seek third term as Wisconsin’s governor in 2026

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced that will not seek a third term in 2026, creating the first open race for governor in the battleground state in 16 years.

July 24, 2025

Nathan Deming on film tax incentives and smaller productions

Economy

Nathan Deming on film tax incentives and smaller productions

Eau Claire filmmaker Nathan Deming considers how Wisconsin's film and television tax incentive policies that have been put back into place can help support smaller-scale productions inside the state.

July 23, 2025

Mike Roche on the structure of self-funded health coverage

Economy

Mike Roche on the structure of self-funded health coverage

The Alliance Director of Business Development Mike Roche describes the process of how employers can assemble self-funded employee health care coverage plans to offer benefits while controlling costs.

July 23, 2025

Ahmad Reca Feroz speaks with his hands folded on the surface of multiple connected tables with closed laptops and networking cords on its surface, with multiple out-of-focus people seated facing him in the foreground, with a wall-mounted monitor in the background with the words 2. What are you up to this weekend? and 3. Do you think human rights are universal, or does the definition change in different cultures? on the screen.

Education

Funding freeze threatens adult education programs at Wisconsin’s community and technical colleges

The Trump administration has frozen $715 million in nationwide funding that was set to support adult education — Wisconsin has joined a multi-state lawsuit against the federal government over withholding these funds, which support programs at the state's community and technical colleges.

July 23, 2025

Jeff Kurz on Wisconsin’s capacity for film and TV production

Economy

Jeff Kurz on Wisconsin’s capacity for film and TV production

Action! Wisconsin steering committee member and producer Jeff Kurz considers the state's television and filmmaking infrastructure and its potential for economic growth with production incentives.

July 22, 2025

Dr. Kurt Oettel testifies on pharmacy benefit managers

Health

Dr. Kurt Oettel testifies on pharmacy benefit managers

Rx Uncovered: Dr. Kurt Oettel, an oncologist who works for Gundersen Health System, testifies to the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Health about a bill on the regulation of pharmacy benefit managers.

July 22, 2025

In Focus

In Focus with Antonia Perry, part 2: House calls, gun class

In part two of a series about gun violence in Milwaukee, Antonia Perry and her sons learn about firearms and attend safety classes provided in a partnership between the city and community educators.

July 21, 2025

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

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore

Here's what guests on the July 18, 2025 episode said about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's spending cuts at the national level.

July 21, 2025

A still image shows Kevin Voltz sorting through his medications from a small gray plastic box.

Health

What happens when patients cannot afford ‘specialty’ drugs

Rx Uncovered: A Wisconsin man being treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia seeks to understand why a cancer drug that costs $13,000 a month would not be covered by his self-funded health plan.

July 18, 2025

Wisconsin banks on its filmmaking future with new incentives

Economy

Wisconsin banks on its filmmaking future with new incentives

A political deal to revive Wisconsin's film office and once again offer tax incentives for TV and movie productions is raising hopes among local filmmakers seeking to work in and promote the state.

July 18, 2025

US Rep. Gwen Moore on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Policy

US Rep. Gwen Moore on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-4th Congressional District, discusses the Trump administration's 2025 tax and spending cuts law, and its anticipated impacts on Medicaid, food assistance and more.

July 17, 2025

A video still image shows 12 people sitting at a legislative dais in front of microphones and nameplates, in a room with the U.S. and Wisconsin flags on either side of the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin mounted on the rear wall, with a row of three desks and multiple rows of chairs facing the dais, with a video graphic at bottom including the text Wisconsin Elections Commission and Open Meeting.

Elections

Wisconsin Elections Commission accepts findings that Madison city clerk broke election laws

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 to accept a report that detailed findings that a former Madison city clerk violated five state election laws during the November 2024 election, which included mishandling 193 absentee ballots that went uncounted.

July 17, 2025

Gov. Tony Evers on the dash to pass Wisconsin’s 2025 budget

Budgets

Gov. Tony Evers on the dash to pass Wisconsin’s 2025 budget

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers discusses the passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and how it was a factor in a swift conclusion to the state government approving its 2025-27 budget.

July 16, 2025

Courts

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley on split opinions issued by courts

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley considers how high court justices with different perspectives communicate about and issue rulings that can be unanimous or have narrow splits.

July 16, 2025

A mature deciduous tree with a full canopy of leaves stands in front of one wing of a multi-story Beaux-Arts style building with multiple colonnades and a central dome topped by a gilt statue.

Elections

Wisconsin’s 2026 race for governor by the numbers, more than 15 months out

Fundraising numbers and campaign spending in Wisconsin's closely watched 2026 race for governor shed light on how the race is shaping up more than a year before voters will be casting their ballots.

July 16, 2025

Gov. Tony Evers on balance of powers in Wisconsin government

Politics

Gov. Tony Evers on balance of powers in Wisconsin government

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers discusses political implications of a ruling by the state Supreme Court over the powers of the governor and lawmakers to implement or block administrative rules.

July 15, 2025

Courts

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley on party politics and the courts

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley discusses how influences of partisan politics and campaign donations affects public perceptions of decisions by justices on the high court.

July 15, 2025

A vinyl sign with the words Now Hiring All Positions and a QR code is mounted in the middle of a PVC pipe frame that is placed on a lawn in front of a wood sign with the words Green Bay Correctional Institution, with trees, a road with vehicles, traffic signs and signals and a highway overpass in the background, and with an out-of-focus wood utility pole in the foreground.

Economy

Why pay raises haven’t solved staffing shortages in prisons around Wisconsin

Following initial hires in the wake of broad pay raises, staffing vacancies are again rising in Wisconsin prisons — advocates say improving training, safety and workplace culture would help retain officers.

July 14, 2025

Bill Berrien speaks while standing outside with an out-of-focus U.S. flag, foliage and structures in the background.

Elections

Campaign advertising is starting in Wisconsin’s 2026 race for governor

Wisconsin's 2026 race for governor is hitting the airwaves and internet more than a year before that year's August primary, with Republican candidate Bill Berrien announcing the purchase of about $400,000 in cable TV, radio and online ads.

July 14, 2025

Zac Schultz and Tony Evers sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

Politics

Here & Now Highlights: Gov. Tony Evers, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley

Here's what guests on the July 11, 2025 episode said about the passage of a new biennial state budget and the lessons learned over a 30-year career on Wisconsin's highest court.

July 14, 2025

A still image shows Tony Evers seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Gov. Tony Evers' and '(D) Wisconsin.'

Politics

Gov. Tony Evers on signing Wisconsin’s 2025-27 state budget

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers discusses the 2025-27 state budget deal with the Republican-controlled Legislature alongside a federal reconciliation bill and state Supreme Court ruling impacts.

July 11, 2025

Why two Wisconsin parents want to reform pharmacy benefits

Health

Why two Wisconsin parents want to reform pharmacy benefits

Rx Uncovered: The death of their son following an asthma attack spurred two Wisconsin parents to push for sweeping changes in how health insurance businesses provide and price life-saving medications.

July 10, 2025

Courts

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley on the courts, law and politics

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley reflects on serving on the state's high court for 30 years and how growing influence of partisan politics has affected its work and influence.

July 9, 2025

An blurry person's legs walk in front of two rows of temporary voting booths with metal legs, plastic surfaces and cardboard privacy screens with a graphic of a U.S. flag and the word Vote on each face, in a room with closed double-doors on the rear wall and fluorescent lights in a drop-panel ceiling.

Courts

Another lawsuit seeks to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional maps before 2026 midterms

A lawsuit filed by Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy challenges the state's congressional district maps, arguing they are unconstitutional due to anti-competitive gerrymandering — the lawsuit comes less than two weeks after the state Supreme Court refused to hear two similar cases.

July 9, 2025

A person writes with a pen in their right hand to fill out an absentee ballot envelope, with their left hand holding its corner, while standing at a counter with multiple clipboards with papers on its surface.

Elections

Wisconsin Elections Commission concludes former Madison clerk who failed to count nearly 200 ballots broke state laws

An investigation by the Wisconsin Elections Commission has concluded that unlawful actions by Madison's former city clerk led to nearly 200 absentee ballots going uncounted in the 2024 presidential election.

July 9, 2025

Bill Berrien gestures with both hands while standing outdoors, with an out-of-focus tree line in the background.

Elections

New Berlin businessman Bill Berrien enters the 2026 race for governor of Wisconsin

Bill Berrien, a New Berlin businessman and former Navy SEAL, has entered Wisconsin's 2026 governor's race, announcing his candidacy on July 9 to promote a "Wisconsin First" agenda and aligning himself with President Donald Trump.

July 9, 2025

Tara Roberts-Turner on tribal food resources and community

Indigenous

Tara Roberts-Turner on tribal food resources and community

Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative Board President Tara Roberts-Turner describes how the Tribal Elder Food Box program supports Indigenous community connections through collaboration among tribal nations.

July 8, 2025

From left to right, Jill Karofsky, Rebecca Dallet, Ann Walsh Bradley, Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley, Brian Hagedorn and Janet Protasiewicz sit in high-backed leather chairs at a judicial dais, with another row of high-backed wood and leather chairs behind them, in a room with marble masonry and a Wisconsin flag.

Courts

Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling finds legislative committee overreached authority conversion therapy ban case

The Wisconsin Supreme Court that a legislative committee's rejection of a state agency rule that would ban the practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people was unconstitutional, reducing the power of the Legislature to block enactment of administrative rules by the governor's office.

July 8, 2025

Sunlight illuminates and casts shadows on a multi-story Richardsonian Romanesque-style masonry building with multiple turrets, gables and a central tower, with two U.S. flags flying at half staff on flagpoles next to leafless trees at its central entrance and with other buildings behind it.

Courts

Federal magistrate judge recommends that case against Dugan can proceed

A federal magistrate judge has recommended that charges proceed against Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was indicted on allegations that she helped a man evade U.S. immigration agents inside the county courthouse.

July 8, 2025

Jess D'Souza holds and open bag of feed while standing on dirt among multiple pigs of different sizes in a fenced-in area, with other fences and foliage in the background.

Agriculture

A Wisconsin pig farmer reimagines future options as a USDA program is canceled

The Trump administration's cancellation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Assistance program upends plans for Jess D'Souza, a small-scale farmer in southern Wisconsin who had hoped to finally turn a profit.

July 7, 2025 • South Central Region

Marlon Skenandore on Wisconsin’s Tribal Elder Food Box work

Indigenous

Marlon Skenandore on Wisconsin’s Tribal Elder Food Box work

Oneida Nation Councilman Marlon Skenandore discusses efforts to support Indigenous food systems in Wisconsin through a statewide Tribal Elder Food Box program and boost local producers and economies.

July 3, 2025 • Northeast Region

Budgets

Wisconsin Legislature passes and Evers signs the 2025-27 state budget in early morning to secure federal funds

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has signed the 2025-27 state budget, which passed both legislative chambers in an unprecedented single day on July 2 into the early morning hours of July 3, driven by urgency to access $1.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding for rural hospitals.

July 3, 2025

Shannon Holsey on tribal community clinics and nutrition

Indigenous

Shannon Holsey on tribal community clinics and nutrition

Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians President Shannon Holsey discusses the goals and impacts of tribal health clinics and the statewide Tribal Elder Food Box program for Indigenous communities.

July 2, 2025

Bright light created by an experimental nuclear fusion device illuminates equipment surrounding the location of the reaction.

Policy

Evers signs bills to bolster nuclear power technology in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed two bipartisan bills to boost nuclear power in the state — one allocates $2 million for a study to identify the best site for a nuclear fusion power plant and the other establishes a board to advance nuclear and fusion technologies and host a summit in 2028.

July 2, 2025

Courts

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state’s 176-year-old law banning abortion

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down the state's 1849 that had banned abortions, with its liberal majority ruling 4-3 that the statute is no longer valid because newer laws that restrict abortions supersede it.

July 2, 2025

Gary Besaw on federal funding and tribal treaty obligations

Indigenous

Gary Besaw on federal funding and tribal treaty obligations

Menominee Tribal Department of Agriculture and Food Systems Director Gary Besaw considers legacies of tribal treaties as the U.S. Department of Agriculture eliminates a local food procurement program.

July 1, 2025 • Northeast Region

Tony Evers stands and speaks into a microphone mounted to the top of a wood podium, with three out-of-focus people seated in high-backed leather and wood chairs on a wood legislative dais in the background.

Budgets

Evers reaches deal with Republican lawmakers on Wisconsin’s 2025-27 budget to cut taxes, fund UW

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature have reached a deal on the 2025-27 state budget, which would cut income taxes by $1.3 billion, increase funding for the Universities of Wisconsin despite a threatened cut, and raises taxes to pay for transportation projects.

July 1, 2025

A Black woman with shoulder-length hair and a neck tattoo wearing a purple shirt, looking thoughtfully past the camera.

In Focus

In Focus with Antonia Perry, part 1: A mother’s choice

In part one of a series about gun violence in Milwaukee and how it impacts the city and its families, Murv Seymour talks with Antonia Perry about turning her son over to police after he stole her gun.

June 30, 2025

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

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Anya van Wagtendonk, Michael Osterholm

Here's what guests on the June 27, 2025 episode said about final days of state budget maneuvering by Wisconsin lawmakers and the federal government's shifting stance on vaccination.

June 30, 2025

A still image shows a brick road sign with red and black patterns in a bushy area, the sign reads 'Stockbridge-Munsee Health & Wellness Center' and 'Ella Besaw Center.'

Indigenous

How federal funding cuts threaten tribal health services

Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians President Shannon Holsey says uncertainty over Medicaid and Indian Health Service funding could destabilize health care in Wisconsin's tribal communities.

June 27, 2025 • Northeast Region

A still image shows Anya van Wagtendonk seated in front of a television set, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'State Capitol,' 'Anya van Wagtendonk' and 'Wisconsin Public Radio.'

Budgets

Anya van Wagtendonk on Wisconsin’s 2025-27 budget session

Wisconsin Public Radio state Capitol reporter Anya van Wagtendonk discusses budget talks among Republican lawmakers and what's still on the table as Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wields a partial veto.

June 27, 2025

A still image shows Michael Osterholm seated in front of five clocks showing different zones and two bookshelves, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Michael Osterholm' and 'Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.'

Health

Michael Osterholm on goals of the Vaccine Integrity Project

Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Director Michael Osterholm explains the mission of the Vaccine Integrity Project amid shifts by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

June 27, 2025

Stacked cardboard boxes labeled Tribal Elder Food Box from the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition, with workers packing boxes in the background.

Indigenous

Wisconsin Tribal Elder Food Box program faces unsure future

A Tribal Elder Food Box program launched in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded statewide, but elimination of federal funding is putting serious strains on producers and its operation.

June 26, 2025

Ornate architectural entrance with red marble columns and gold-accented capitals, featuring the inscription SUPREME COURT.

Courts

Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to hear challenges to the state’s congressional district boundaries

The decision, made without explanation from the liberal-controlled court, is a setback for Democrats who had hoped for new, friendlier district boundary lines in Wisconsin as they attempt to win back control of the House next year.

June 26, 2025

White-haired man in a navy suit and striped tie speaks at a podium in a formal wood-paneled government chamber, with officials seated behind him.

Budgets

Wisconsin Supreme Court sides with Republican Legislature in fight with governor

In a unanimous ruling, the court struck down Evers' partial veto of a Republican bill detailing spending on new literacy programs. The case tested the limits of veto powers and the Legislature's ability to exert influence by controlling funding.

June 25, 2025

Mark Copelovitch on parallels between today and the 1930s

Economy

Mark Copelovitch on parallels between today and the 1930s

Mark Copelovitch on how politics today mirror the 1930s backlash against globalization.

June 25, 2025

Budgets

Speaker Robin Vos on prison reform

Speaker Robin Vos on tackling prison reform as part of the state budget process.

June 25, 2025

Budgets

Speaker Robin Vos on childcare access

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, discusses different approaches to expanding access to childcare.

June 24, 2025

Speaker Robin Vos on balancing priorities in budget talks

Budgets

Speaker Robin Vos on balancing priorities in budget talks

Speaker Robin Vos on the balancing act between priorities when crafting the state budget.

June 24, 2025

Hand reaching for a Poland Spring water bottle among rows of identical plastic bottles with white caps on a table.

Environment

Wisconsin Supreme Court delivers win for environmentalists in fight over ‘forever chemicals’

The court ruled Tuesday that state regulators can force landowners to clean up emerging pollutants such as PFAS before they are officially designated as hazardous substances.

June 24, 2025

Young woman holding a protest sign reading “FREEDOM FOR MIGUEL. HE IS NOT A CRIMINAL. HE IS A HUSBAND, A SON AND BROTHER,” with family photos.

Courts

Wisconsin asylum seeker detained in unprecedented wave of courthouse arrests

Three years ago, a brother and sister crossed the border days apart and asked for asylum. Now she has a green card and he’s in an ICE prison.

June 24, 2025 • South Central Region

Two men in suits sit across from each other in a TV news studio, one gesturing broadly while speaking during a ‘Here & Now’ segment.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Devin Remiker, Speaker Robin Vos, Mike Pochowski, Mark Copelovitch

Here's what guests on the June 20, 2025 episode said about Democrats electing a new party chair, progress on the state budget, assisted living referrals and the impact of war and tariffs on the economy.

June 23, 2025

A still image shows Assembly Speaker Rep. Robin Vos seated on the assembly floor in front of an ornate wooden podium, with a graphic at the bottom reading 'Madison,' 'Repi. Robin Vos' and '(R) Assembly Speaker.'

Budgets

Speaker Robin Vos on Wisconsin’s 2025-27 state budget status

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, discusses priorities for the 2025-27 state budget as negotiations continue among individual Republican lawmakers and with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

June 20, 2025

A still image shows Devin Remiker seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Devin Remiker' and 'Democratic Pary of Wisconsin.'

Politics

Devin Remiker on charting Wisconsin Democrats into 2026

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair-elect Devin Remiker discusses his vision for the state party, its candidates and supporters going into the 2026 election cycle in a hostile political environment.

June 20, 2025

A still image shows Mark Copelovitch seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Mark Copelovitch' and 'UW-Madison Dept. of Political Science.'

Economy

Mark Copelovitch on costs of tariffs and wars on the economy

UW-Madison political science professor Mark Copelovitch considers how an unstable landscape of tariffs and wars disrupts the global economy and everyday costs for American businesses and consumers.

June 20, 2025

A still image shows Mike Pochowski seated at the 'Here & Now' set featuring wood paneling, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Mike Pochowski' and 'Wisconsin Assisted Living Association.'

Health

Mike Pochowski on transparency for assisted living referrals

Wisconsin Assisted Living Association CEO Mike Pochowski discusses a bill in the state Legislature that would require more financial disclosures from referral agencies for assisted living facilities.

June 20, 2025

A man in a blue suit and patterned tie speaks at a Department of Transportation podium, gesturing with one hand; U.S. flag in background.

Courts

Judge rules Trump administration can’t require states to help on immigration to get transport money

After twenty states — including Wisconsin — filed suit, a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from withholding billions of dollars in transportation funds from states that don’t agree to participate in some immigration enforcement actions.

June 20, 2025

Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings of the Bad River Band speaking on video call.

Indigenous

Bizhiki’s Dylan Jennings on bringing Ojibwe language into their music

Dylan Jennings explains how Bizhiki's music celebrates Indigenous sounds.

June 19, 2025

Security personnel conduct a bag check and pat-down at a wood-paneled doorway with a sign reading “Phones, Electronics and Photography Strictly Prohibited.”

Politics

Lawmakers on edge as statehouse security tightens after Minnesota shootings

Anxious lawmakers are convening under heightened security in the Wisconsin State Capitol, one of the most publicly accessible statehouses in the country. The session day Wednesday came less than a week after a legislator in neighboring Minnesota was shot and killed and other lawmakers were targeted.

June 18, 2025

Heavily armed state troopers in camouflage tactical gear walk beside two armored vehicles.

Politics

Many lawmakers named in writings of suspected Minnesota shooter vow not to bow down

The suspected Minnesota gunman’s writings mentioned public officials ranging from Minneapolis legislators to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin. Many targeted lawmakers say the violence has prompted them to double down on their legislative work.

June 18, 2025

Man in blue suit and red tie speaking at a podium with microphones, standing before a backdrop of multiple U.S. flags.

Courts

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down Republican law weakening attorney general’s power

A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court has sided with the Democratic state attorney general in a long-running battle over a law passed by Republicans who wanted to weaken the office in a lame duck legislative session more than six years ago.

June 17, 2025

Blue “EMS” letters on a glass window reflecting a partly cloudy sky, green trees, and industrial buildings in the background.

Policy

Three bills before the Wisconsin Legislature seek to address EMS staffing shortfalls

A package of legislation aims to relieve stress on Wisconsin's EMS departments, including funding to bolster enrollment in training courses, incentives to develop regional emergency systems, and improved reimbursement for 911 calls that don't involve patient transportation.

June 17, 2025

Essence Wilks sits at a table with papers and two plastic beverage containers with straws on its surface as Paige Berg stands to one side, with a glass door and out-of-focus illuminated hanging lamps and exit signs in the background.

Social Issues

Three women build a ‘third space’ in Green Bay for community members who have felt left out

Launched in 2024, the nonprofit Third Space Green Bay aspires to create community for LGBTQ+ residents and people of color who live in and around the northeast Wisconsin city — making all feel welcome.

June 16, 2025 • Northeast Region

Politics

Friends say Minnesota assassination suspect is deeply religious and conservative

The man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House of Representatives worked as a security contractor, a funeral service driver and a preacher, and was described by friends and former colleagues as holding deeply religious and politically conservative views.

June 16, 2025

Adam Faust stands in a room with his right arm holding an overhead brace for a milking system and his left hand holding a door handle, with a daylight illuminated window in the background and multiple digital gauges in a row in the foreground.

Courts

Wisconsin dairy farmer sues USDA claiming discrimination against white farmers

The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture on behalf of dairy farmer Adam Faust alleging the Trump administration is illegally denying financial assistance to white farmers by continuing programs that favor minorities.

June 16, 2025

Politics

US Justice Department’s moves on elections signal a shift from protecting voter access

The Trump administration's Justice Department has begun targeting Democratic and presidential swing states with demands for election data or changes to voter registration procedures, suggesting the agency is moving away from its traditional stance of protecting access to the ballot box.

June 16, 2025

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

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Zac Schultz, State Sen. Jesse James, Tracy Vruwink, Jeanne Duffy

Here's what guests on the June 13, 2025 episode said about lawmakers writing the state budget, a pilot program for student mental health. Impacts of federal funding cuts in one community and the status of AmeriCorps projects in Wisconsin.

June 16, 2025

Vance Luther Boelter stands outdoors with a spotlight illuminating his face, with multiple law enforcement officers wearing camouflage uniforms and helmets with headphones and mounted scopes standing in the background with black areas redacting their faces, with foliage and a tree line on the horizon under a cloudy sky at dusk.

Politics

Man suspected of assassinating Minnesota lawmaker arrested

Vance Luther Boelter, the man suspected of shooting two state lawmakers and killing one of them, has been taken into custody in Minnesota, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.

June 15, 2025

Melissa Hortman stands and speaks into a microphone mounted to the top of a wood podium with an out-of-focus wood gavel on its surface and a name plate reading Melissa Hortman on its front, with a wood-carved chair, framed painting and the then-Minnesota flag in the background.

Politics

Politically motivated gunman assassinates DFL leader of Minnesota House of Representatives, wounds another lawmaker

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband were shot and killed in a Minneapolis suburb early June 14, with state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife wounded in what authorities describe as targeted attacks.

June 14, 2025

A still image shows Zac Shultz standing in front of the main chamber at the state Capitol with two green marble pillars behind him, with a graphic in the bottom reading 'State capitol,' 'Zac Schultz' and 'Here & Now.'

Budgets

Zac Schultz on lawmakers writing Wisconsin’s 2025-27 budget

PBS Wisconsin senior political reporter Zac Schultz describes how the state Legislature's Republican-controlled Joint Committee on Finance is assembling portions of the 2025-27 biennial state budget.

June 13, 2025

A still image shows state Senator Jesse James seated in front of a U.S. flag and a Wisconsin flag, with a graphic in the bottom reading 'State capitol,' 'Sen. Jesse James' and '(R) Thorp.'

Policy

Sen. Jesse James on mental health services offered at school

State Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, discusses legislation to create a two-year pilot program to provide year-round school-centered mental health services for at-risk students at two schools in Wisconsin.

June 13, 2025

Jeanne Duffy on AmeriCorps funding and its work in Wisconsin

Budgets

Jeanne Duffy on AmeriCorps funding and its work in Wisconsin

Serve Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Duffy discusses the status of AmeriCorps community service projects in the state in the midst of a federal lawsuit over DOGE terminating the program's funds.

June 13, 2025

A still image shows Tracy Vruwink sat in front of a white brick walled decorated with lots of school administrative posters, with a graphic in the bottom reading 'Nekoosa,' 'Tracy Vruwink' and 'School district of Nekoosa.'

Budgets

Tracy Vruwink on impacts of federal funding cuts in Nekoosa

School District of Nekoosa child care director Tracy Vruwink describes how federal defunding of 21st Century Community Learning Centers and AmeriCorps can affect school programs and food pantries.

June 13, 2025 • West Central Region

Christine Neumann-Ortiz sits and speaks in a room with an out-of-focus print on the wall in the background.

Courts

A Milwaukee immigrant who was framed has been released on bond

Ramón Morales Reyes, an immigrant from Mexico living in Milwaukee who was framed for making threats in the form of a forged letter, was released from the Dodge Detention Center three weeks after federal authorities arrested him.

June 13, 2025

Indigenous

Sasha Maria Suarez on revitalizing Indigenous languages

UW-Madison history professor Sasha Maria Suarez describes programs by tribal nations, K-12 schools and higher education institutions to teach Wisconsin's Indigenous languages to learners of all ages.

June 12, 2025

Ron Corn Jr. on tribal elders sharing the Menominee language

Indigenous

Ron Corn Jr. on tribal elders sharing the Menominee language

Menomini yoU Director of Revitalization Ron Corn describes finding mentorship from tribal elders in Menominee Nation to better learn the Native language and improve fluency in speaking Menominee.

June 11, 2025

Nicholas Jacobs and Elon Musk stand and shake their right hands while their left hands hold an oversized paper check with the words America PAC, pay to the order of Nicholas Jacobs and $1,000,000, with an illuminated screen in the background.

Courts

Wisconsin lawsuit seeks to ban Musk from offering cash payments to voters

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign filed a lawsuit seeking to prohibit billionaire Elon Musk from offering cash to voters in the state, saying that his offering $1 million checks to three voters and $100 to petition signers before the state's spring 2025 election violated vote bribery and lottery laws.

June 11, 2025

Sasha Maria Suarez on Indian boarding schools in Wisconsin

Indigenous

Sasha Maria Suarez on Indian boarding schools in Wisconsin

UW-Madison history professor Sasha Maria Suarez describes the history of religious schools and the federal Indian boarding schools system that Indigenous children attended for decades in Wisconsin.

June 10, 2025

Cain Oulahan sits and speaks in a room with an out-of-focus print on the wall in the background.

Courts

Milwaukee immigrant who was framed in a threat hoax can be released on bond

An immigration judge in Chicago ruled that Ramón Morales Reyes, a Milwaukee resident who was wrongly accused of making threats, is not a danger to the community and can be released from the Dodge Detention Center on bond.

June 10, 2025

Hannah Dugan walks away from an open door, with another person walking in front of her and another person holding the door open for her, in front of a stone masonry building and next to a metal light fixture.

Courts

Trump administration urges court not to dismiss case against Dugan

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice urged a federal judge to reject a motion filed by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan seeking to dismiss criminal charges against her over allegedly helping a man in the courthouse evade immigration agents.

June 9, 2025

Social Issues

Multiple Wisconsin hospital systems remove diversity language from their websites

After moves by President Donald Trump to halt federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, several health care systems operating hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin have quietly changed the language on their websites, including SSM Health, Aurora Health and UW Health.

June 9, 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, Alderman José Pérez

Here's what guests on the June 6, 2025 episode said about the federal reconciliation budget bill and high-profile immigration cases in Milwaukee.

June 9, 2025

A still image shows the Menomini yoU language campus, a wide arched gray building with floral designs on the sides of a large glass entrance with a Menominee Nation flag waving in front of it.

Indigenous

Wisconsin Native languages shift from silence to celebration

A movement to revitalize Indigenous languages is taking root across Wisconsin, as Native speakers teach new generations to speak and celebrate their culture in the wake of decades of forced silence.

June 6, 2025

US Sen. Ron Johnson on a 2025 tax bill and the federal debt

Politics

US Sen. Ron Johnson on a 2025 tax bill and the federal debt

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, discusses his objections to a 2025 reconciliation policy bill cutting federal taxes and spending due to its projected $2.4 trillion increase to the national debt.

June 6, 2025

A still image shows José Pérez seated in front of a wood paneled wall with lots of degrees and certificates with a graphic at the bottom reading 'Milwaukee,' 'José Pérez' and 'Milwaukee Common Council President.'

Politics

Alderman José Pérez on ICE arrests of Milwaukee immigrants

Milwaukee Common Council President José Pérez discusses community support for Ramón Morales Reyes and Yessenia Ruano, residents of the city who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

June 6, 2025 • Southeast Region

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