Isthmus - Madison news & culture since 1976

Courting cash More than $140 million was spent on a Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Loose campaign finance laws, lax recusal rules, a purple electorate, and even the spring election cycle all help explain why hig...

WI Supreme Court races have become everything they were never meant to be — highly partisan, astronomically expensive political battles in which the candidates’ ideologies overshadow their qualifications.

A @wisconsinwatch.org report:
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On Giving Newsday, help Isthmus pay a printing bill! With donations up to $1,000 made before Dec. 31 TRIPLED thanks to matching funds, we can pay for one printing bill today if we raise $2,500.

Today is #GivingNewsday for nonprofit newsrooms like Isthmus and we're trying to raise $3,300 before midnight. All donations up to $1,000 will be matched TWICE!
For more information, head to isthmus.com/sponsored

isthmus.com/news/giving-...

WORT radio volunteers sound off on layoffs, finances A heated feedback session followed the layoffs last week of two staffers and other changes.

Meeting Wednesday night in a room holding the radio station’s vast vinyl record collection, WORT-FM’s board of directors heard heated feedback from volunteers upset at the loss of two longtime staffers and other decisions made without consulting or informing them.

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Vos is blocking breast cancer screening bill, advocates say The bill would require insurance companies in Wisconsin to cover supplemental diagnostic examinations for women with dense breast tissue.

The Wisconsin Senate approved a bill to expand insurance coverage for breast cancer exams by a vote of 32-1.

Advocates say Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is blocking action due to pressure from insurance companies.

@liamberan.bsky.social story:
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Isthmus is a nonprofit, pass it on! Isthmus will celebrate five years as a nonprofit next year yet some people in the community are unaware of the transition and many changes at the paper.

501(c)(3) nonprofit status means that we depend on reader donations to support the work we do, so it’s important that readers understand who we are. In April, Isthmus will celebrate five years as a nonprofit and 50 years as a newspaper.

isthmus.com/opinion/from...

Malfunction means Willy Street traffic pilot didn’t capture speed data A malfunction prevented radars from capturing any usable speed data during the lane closure test on Williamson Street. City officials didn’t notice until within the last two weeks.

A radar malfunction means an $18,500 pilot study to collect speed data on Williamson Street collected no usable data on vehicle speed.

The data is likely not salvageable, says a deputy traffic engineer.

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Vienna data center could use 2.5x the energy consumption of Dane County, says official A proposed data center 30 minutes north of Madison could have substantial environmental impacts on Dane County.

How much energy would it take to operate a 600-acre data center proposed for the town of Vienna? "About two-and-a-half times the electricity that all of Dane County uses currently," says the director of Dane County’s Office of Energy and Climate Change.

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ICE raids, health care top concerns at Madison 'No Kings' rally Madison was among the thousands of ‘No Kings’ rallies held around the country protesting President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration, health care, and cuts to the federal workforce.

Thomas Bartell, a protester in his 60s, sported a yellow Madison West High School T-shirt, where he volunteers as a tutor. Owing to the “No Kings” theme, he duct-taped an “x” over the crown on mascot Reggie the Regent’s head.

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Small-town Wisconsin gears up for ‘No Kings’ rallies Protests against Trump 2.0 aren’t limited to Wisconsin’s big cities — activist groups in smaller communities and rural towns will be demonstrating too.

Health issues kept two McFarland residents from attending anti-Trump rallies in downtown Madison, so they organized their own. They're running the suburban town's "No Kings" rally on Saturday:

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It's happening! How to be prepared for John Nolen Drive construction A city engineer has answers to your questions about the construction project on Madison's most scenic artery.

Isthmus sat down with deputy city engineer Chris Petykowski to get some answers on things we all might want to know during the construction on one of Madison’s busiest arteries.

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A causeway runs through it The John Nolen causeway, a relatively new gateway to Madison’s downtown, will be under construction for the next couple of years. Read how it might impact you.

A thorough breakdown of John Nolen Drive's importance to Madison and what's going to happen during its reconstruction, starting this month.

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Forward Theater launches its 17th season with the powerful ‘Primary Trust’ Connection is key in the inventive yet simple story

Madison's Forward Theater Company opens its season with a simple, powerful production. "This is the story of a friendship. Of how I got a new job. A story of love and balance and time. And the smallest of chances."

isthmus.com/arts/stage/f...

Wisconsin State Journal reporter fired for AI misuse speaks out Fired from the Wisconsin State Journal after filing a story riddled with errors, reporter Audrey Korte shares her side of the story.

Korte says she takes full responsibility for the story’s “multiple factual inaccuracies,” including a made-up source, which she attributes to the use of a company-installed AI program on her work computer. But she says there is more to the story.

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Madison’s ballpark, Breese Stevens Field A new book delves deep into the history of Breese Stevens Field.

Miller's book depicts a Madison that’s long gone, a small town looking for community, where the field hosted contests between teams from Gardner Bakery and Borden Dairy, as well as the city’s high schools.

isthmus.com/arts/books/m...

Journalism in the age of AI A new UW-Madison lab aims to help newsrooms develop in-house artificial intelligence tools that reflect their own values and needs.

According to Dodds, a main goal of the Public Tech Media Lab will be to teach journalists how to use open source technologies to create their own AI systems that align with their values and needs.

More from Judith Davidoff: isthmus.com/opinion/from...

Rush hour lanes on Willy Street to be removed as part of test The lanes are set be removed from Willy Street from early September to late October, as part of a test estimated to cost $24,000.

Madison to move forward with test removal of rush hour lanes on Willy Street. @liamberan.bsky.social has been on top of this issue: isthmus.com/news/news/tr...

Madison’s independent police monitor ignores records requests, city attorney intervention The Office of the Independent Monitor, created to be a check on the Madison Police Department, has failed to fulfill records requests from Isthmus and ghosted the City Attorney’s Office as well.

Council VP MGR Govindarajan says he does not support the additional funding and might also consider further cuts. “I definitely would not want to give them the funding that they're requesting at the moment, because I don't know what they're doing with that funding.”

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Steven Walters looks back at the 2018 Democratic #WISGOV primary for indications of what might happen in 2026:
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Transportation commission urges testing removal of Willy Street rush hour lanes There have been 122 crashes on Williamson Street over the last five years, a number significantly higher than comparable city streets.

“I would like to see us make Willy a less comfortable street for commuters."

More from @liamberan.bsky.social about what city and Marquette Neighborhood leaders are hoping to try on Willy Street to stop cars from crashing into storefronts: isthmus.com/news/news/tr...

Fan favorite Madison artist Emily Balsley’s design is featured on Milwaukee Brewers promo T-shirt

Madison artist Emily Balsley says she hopes that Brewers fans “see themselves” in the t-shirt she designed for the team.
The first 10,000 fans in the gate at AmFam Field Tuesday night will get one.
More from Linda Falkenstein: isthmus.com/arts/sports/...

Madison rents up 47% over the last five years Vacancy rates are increasing and rent increases have slowed, a promising sign for renters in Madison. But monthly rents are still pricing out many residents.

Madison rents went up 47% over the last five years, according to a recent report. But, in a promising sign for renters, vacancy rates in Dane County are the highest they've been in more than 5 years, and rent growth is slowing.

@isthmusmadison.bsky.social

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Madison rents up 47% over the last five years Vacancy rates are increasing and rent increases have slowed, a promising sign for renters in Madison. But monthly rents are still pricing out many residents.

Median rents for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in Madison have increased by 47% since 2020, according to a July 29 study by Apartment List, which found the city’s median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,488.

Story by @liamberan.bsky.social:

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Fan favorite Madison artist Emily Balsley’s design is featured on Milwaukee Brewers promo T-shirt

Madisonians are very excited that local artist Emily Balsley designed the Aug. 12 Brewers t-shirt.

10,000 shirts will be given away. There’s a bus (yes, a bus) of fans, friends and family heading to Milwaukee. Linda Falkenstein has the latest @isthmusmadison.bsky.social

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Epic employees flood Madison’s dating scene Epic employees dominate online dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, Madison residents say. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just is.

The country’s leader in medical software appears to have an outsize impact in Madison's romance arena. People Isthmus interviewed for this article say there is nothing necessarily bad about dating Epic employees, but it is unavoidable.

Story by @liamberan.bsky.social:

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Democracy is crumbling to a fascist wanna-be dictatorial regime 🔥🔥🔥🔥 but then the local alt-news paper spotlights your band’s second EP in two years. 🤠 Thanks, @isthmusmadison.bsky.social!

Backyard Hero: Bonnie Watson Backyard Hero Bonnie Watson has been the Board Treasurer for Community Shares of Wisconsin since 2018.

This month, we recognize CSW Board Treasurer Bonnie Watson as our #BackyardHero!

The Backyard Hero Awards are sponsored by 105.5 Triple M, @isthmusmadison.bsky.social, and Budget Signs & Specialties.

www.communityshares.com/backyard-her...

Epic employees flood Madison’s dating scene Epic employees dominate online dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, Madison residents say. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just is.

Among young people in Madison, it’s a near-refrain: “The pool of dating is Epic.”

For @isthmusmadison.bsky.social’s August cover, I investigated “that one IT company’s” massive growth and the effect it’s had on dating life in Madison. Read below:

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Under Trump, UW-Madison federal lobbying spending already higher than 2024 UW-Madison has already spent $474,000 on federal lobbying in 2025.

UW-Madison has spent more on lobbying the federal government since President Donald Trump took office again than in all of 2024 — including retaining a high-profile firm with clients like Columbia University and UPenn.

@isthmusmadison.bsky.social

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Kaul’s Trump fights will be campaign issue The Wisconsin Department of Justice, under Attorney General Josh Kaul, has signed on to 29 national lawsuits challenging actions by the Trump administration.

Is Kaul’s blizzard of anti-Trump legal actions likely to hurt or help him, if he runs for governor or re-election next year?

Steven Walters weighs in:

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In Madison, five Democratic governors float redistricting, blast Trump budget Governors from Kansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Minnesota blasted Trump’s budget bill and voiced openness to redrawing congressional maps.

In Madison, MN Gov. Tim Walz: “...we're expected to protect the institutions, we're expected to follow the rules on this. We’re not playing with a normal administration.”

More from @liamberan.bsky.social: isthmus.com/news/news/in...