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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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