All Recent Articles - PBS Wisconsin

Ron Johnson stands and speaks inside a building with out-of-focus marble masonry and pillars with Composite order capitals in the background.

Sen. Ron Johnson asks federal government to investigate Wisconsin judge in former Trump attorney’s case

Republican Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a Dane County judge who rejected a motion to step aside in the state's criminal case in which three former aides to President Donald Trump are facing felony forgery charges related to the 2020 election.

December 12, 2025

Health

How farmers at risk for suicide can find mental health help

Family members and therapists are increasing their efforts to offer mental health help and wellness resources to farmers in Wisconsin facing despair as suicide rates in rural areas continue rising.

December 11, 2025

Mary Roberts on discriminatory language in racial covenants

History

Mary Roberts on discriminatory language in racial covenants

UW-Milwaukee Mapping Racism and Resistance volunteer Mary Roberts considers how exclusionary language in restrictive covenants discriminated by race and led to segregation in where people could live.

December 11, 2025 • Southeast Region

A brass-enclosed letter sign with the words Judge Hannah C. Dugan and the number 615 is mounted in a ceiling next to a Wi-Fi router in a hallway with fluorescent lighting.

Courts

What to know as the trial of Judge Hannah Dugan begins

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are selecting jurors in the trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who is accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal officers in the courthouse and is charged with obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest.

December 11, 2025

Joel Brennan poses for a portrait in front of a photo backdrop.

Elections

Joel Brennan enters the 2026 race for Wisconsin governor

Joel Brennan, a former top official in the administration of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, is running to succeed the two-term Democrat in the state's top office and joins a crowded primary field of gubernatorial candidates in the 2026 election.

December 11, 2025

A judicial bench with two sets of seats, one leather and another wood and leather, is between the U.S. and Wisconsin flags and below a large painting mounted on a wall with marble masonry and illuminated brass light fixtures in wall niches.

Courts

How states other than Wisconsin select their Supreme Court justices

The majority of states don't have elections for their highest courts, with some developing ways to vet judicial qualifications — polls show Wisconsinites prefer to elect justices, but the timing, term limits and vetting of candidates could be different.

December 10, 2025

Derek Handley on racial covenants harming Black Milwaukeeans

Social Issues

Derek Handley on racial covenants harming Black Milwaukeeans

UW-Milwaukee professor and Mapping Racism and Resistance director Derek Handley describes the different ways Milwaukee's Black community has been historically targeted when seeking for places to live.

December 10, 2025 • Southeast Region

Anne Bonds on covenants and Milwaukee’s racial segregation

History

Anne Bonds on covenants and Milwaukee’s racial segregation

UW-Milwaukee professor and Mapping Racism and Resistance director Anne Bonds describes how racial covenants for property deeds contributed to segregation and economic disparities around Milwaukee.

December 10, 2025 • Southeast Region

An overhead skylight illuminates marble masonry and two columns with Composite order capitals that flank a carved sign above reading Supreme Court.

Courts

Unlimited donations, weak recusal rules led to record Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign spending

Efforts to implement and maintain public financing for Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates and attempts to tighten recusal rules for justices continue as spending on judicial campaigns in the state skyrockets.

December 9, 2025

A sign reading County Courthouse and a stylized flat, wire sculpture of Lady Justice are mounted on the masonry wall of a Brutalist-style building with a row of pillars in front of glass windows.

Courts

Dane County judge refuses to step aside as requested by former Trump attorney

A Dane County judge rejected a motion to step aside from presiding over a case in which a former attorney for President Donald Trump and two others face 11 felony charges in Wisconsin over a fake electors scheme following the 2020 election.

December 9, 2025

Barry Burden on congressional redistricting going into 2026

Elections

Barry Burden on congressional redistricting going into 2026

UW-Madison political science professor and Elections Research Center Director Barry Burden considers implications of multiple states seeking to redraw congressional district maps by the 2026 election.

December 9, 2025

Elections

Why Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are so expensive

More than $140 million was spent on the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election — loose campaign finance laws, lax recusal rules, a purple electorate and the spring election cycle all help explain why the state's high court races see such high spending.

December 8, 2025

Three side-by-side photos show Mike Roman, Jim Troupis and Kenneth Chesebro posing for a portrait, speaking and listening, respectively, in rooms with out-of-focus backgrounds.

Courts

Former Trump aides allege misconduct by judge in Wisconsin fake elector case

Jim Troupis, Kenneth Chesebro and Mike Roman, who face 11 felony charges related to the fake electors scheme in support of President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, asked for the preliminary hearing in their case to be postponed, alleging misconduct by the Dane County judge presiding over the case.

December 8, 2025

Side-by-side still images from video show Tom Tiffany and Josh Schoemann seated with an ombre backdrop in the background.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: US Rep. Tom Tiffany, County Exec. Josh Schoemann, Barry Burden

Here's what guests on the Dec. 5, 2025 episode said about the Republican primary for governor in 2026 and two lawsuits challenging Wisconsin's congressional voting district maps.

December 8, 2025

A still image shows a finger pointing to a map of Milwaukee on the wall, the map has speckles of green showing where racial covenants historically existed in the city.

History

Mapping a history of covenants and segregation in Milwaukee

Researchers and volunteers with the Mapping Racism and Resistance project in Milwaukee County are examining millions of documents to chronicle where and how racial covenants shaped the community.

December 5, 2025 • Southeast Region

A still image shows Josh Schoemann seated on the 'Here & Now' satellite set featuring a gradient background.

Elections

Josh Schoemann on the 2026 primary for governor of Wisconsin

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann discusses why he is running in the Republican primary for Wisconsin governor in 2026 and how both state and national politics factor in the race.

December 5, 2025

A still image shows U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany seated on the 'Here & Now' satellite set featuring a gradient background, with a graphic at the bottom that reads 'Tom Tiffany' and '(R) Candidate for Governor.'

Elections

Tom Tiffany on the 2026 primary for governor of Wisconsin

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-7th Congressional District, discusses why he is running in the Republican primary for Wisconsin governor in 2026 and how both state and national politics factor in the race.

December 5, 2025

Barry Burden on lawsuits over Wisconsin’s congressional maps

Courts

Barry Burden on lawsuits over Wisconsin’s congressional maps

UW-Madison political science professor and Elections Research Center Director Barry Burden explains the premise and status of two lawsuits that seek to redraw Wisconsin's congressional district maps.

December 5, 2025

Miles Tokheim points his left index figure while facing José Ruiz as both stand on either side of a rolling tool chest, with Oscar Haro Rodriguéz crouching with this right foot on a tire resting on its side while under the bottom of a vehicle with detached tires that is elevated on a car lift, in a room with a concrete floor and other vehicles and equipment in the background.

Education

For Wisconsin high schools to offer more college credit options, more teachers must go to grad school

School officials around Wisconsin want to give more students a jump start on college with dual enrollment classes, but they say they lack qualified teachers — for busy teachers, the return on investing their time and money to attend graduate school is a hard sell.

December 4, 2025

Metal filigree double doors with brass doorknobs and lock mechanisms open into an antechamber with an illuminated overhead light fixture, commercial floor mats and a set of wood double doors with oval glass windows opening into a room with a judicial bench with two sets of seats faced by a low table and multiple rows of wood and leather chairs in a room with marble masonry and a large painting.

Courts

Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear lawsuit on whether local jails can hold immigrants for ICE

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to take a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera, which argues that it is illegal for county jails in the state to hold immigrant detainees for federal authorities.

December 3, 2025

Kevin LeGrow and three out-of-focus people seated to his right sit at a table facing mounted microphones, with a wood podium and other people seated on its far side in the background.

Education

The Wisconsin Civics Games looks to cultivate new generations of public servants

The brainchild of a retired teacher-turned-reporter with a goal of encouraging more young people in the state to become civically engaged, an annual quiz game about government and democracy has doubled in size since it was launched by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

December 3, 2025

Eugene Hasenfus stands in front of a stone wall with multiple lines of letter sign text with names and dates.

History

Eugene Hasenfus, key figure in the 1980s Iran-Contra affair, dies at 84

Eugene Hasenfus, a Wisconsin native who played a key role in unraveling the Iran-Contra affair after his CIA-backed supply plane was shot down over Nicaragua in 1986, has died.

December 3, 2025

A pixelated photo illustration shows a variety of different types of butter, margarine and other dairy products on refrigerated shelves in a grocery store.

Policy

Wisconsin legislators want to tighten the state’s margarine laws

A bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers is pushing to strengthen limits on margarine, an effort that's a reminder of a century-and-a-half long squabble over the butter substitute and the state's dairy industry.

December 2, 2025

Mandela Barnes smiles while standing in front of the out-of-focus stripes of a U.S. flag.

Elections

Mandela Barnes enters 2026 race for Wisconsin governor

Mandela Barnes, who served four years as Wisconsin's lieutenant governor and narrowly lost a 2022 bid for the U.S. Senate, announced his candidacy for governor in a crowded Democratic primary field in 2026.

December 2, 2025

Stacey Murillo Martinez holds a smart phone with a vertical wedding portrait of her and husband Miguel on its screen while sitting at a wood table in a room with wood flooring and with shelves with food containers in the background on one side and another room with chairs, lamps, wall art and other items to the other side.

Courts

Local courts in Wisconsin are left with loose ends when ICE detains criminal defendants

When defendants sit in ICE custody, their criminal cases generally continue without them, sometimes with no explanation of their absence to the court — cases in Dane and Fond du Lac counties highlight differences in approaches and impacts to local courts in Wisconsin.

December 1, 2025

A group of people sit on the outside of four tables with metal legs and laminate surfaces arranged in a square, with plates of food, beverage containers, phones, papers and paper name plats on their surfaces, in a room with a large monitor mounted on a wall next to a metal and glass door, with a table with food and beverages on its surface in front of a window on an adjacent wall.

Health

Community Living Room aims to foster connection, fight loneliness in the Fox Valley

Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin created a space in Appleton staffed with people trained in emotional CPR, and community leaders across Wisconsin want to replicate their approach.

November 26, 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 entrance to a room, with other signs affixed on and next to the door.

Politics

Federal judge says Dugan trial will proceed as planned

A federal judge says a jury trial for Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces charges of obstruction and concealment to prevent arrest, will proceed in December despite talk of a plea deal.

November 26, 2025

A carved sign reading Supreme Court and a carving of a scroll with scales stands above a doorway under a pediment.

Courts

Wisconsin Supreme Court sets three-judge panels to hear a pair of congressional redistricting lawsuits

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ordered that a pair of three-judge panels hear a pair of lawsuits seeking to redraw the state's congressional district maps, a court battle that is part of a national fight over redistricting in multiple states before the 2026 midterm elections.

November 26, 2025

Justin Sydnor on health insurance direct payment proposals

Economy

Justin Sydnor on health insurance direct payment proposals

Wisconsin School of Business risk management and insurance professor Justin Sydnor considers economics and incentives of ideas for the government to issue direct payments to purchase health insurance.

November 25, 2025

An illustration shows a physician using an otoscope to examine the ear of a patient.

Health

How to navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace as costs rise and options shrink

For those who are feeling anxious or overwhelmed about the open enrollment process in the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, trends in rising premiums and declining availability across Wisconsin can help purchasers better understand their plan options.

November 25, 2025

Charles Franklin on polling voters about the Epstein files

Politics

Charles Franklin on polling voters about the Epstein files

Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin discusses findings in national polling about perspectives of voters on how President Donald Trump has handled documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

November 24, 2025

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

Politics

‘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

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

Watch Shows

Explore Online

PBSPassport

Membership

Philanthropy

Sponsorship

More Ways to Support

News

Contact

Explore

Join Us

Support Us

Our Partners

Follow Us