☀️ Good morning!

It’s Sunday, November 2, 2025

The newest Marquette Poll doesn’t feature any big surprises. It’s still way too early for most people to have a favorite candidate in the 2026 elections for governor and state Supreme Court. But there’s one particular item I want to flag as a great illustration of what makes Wisconsin such an amazing place to call home.

Even though respondents said they aren’t yet familiar with the candidates or the issues, 69% of registered voters say they are absolutely certain to vote in April 2026. Absolutely certain! That’s a wonderful illustration of Wisconsin’s level of civic engagement. Folks understand state Supreme Court elections matter. You don’t see that in every state. We’re in a 50-50 state, so there are a lot of things people don’t always agree on, but we do agree on the value of voting.

More Marquette Poll tidbits are part of today’s newsletter, along with a reminder that Congressman Derrick Van Orden said something important just before Republicans took total control of the federal government.

As always, we invite you to stay up to date with our social media posts and morning radio show, too.

Have a great day!

⏮️ Last Week:  We asked for your thoughts on a suggestion to build a new nuclear power plant on the site of the old Kewaunee Power Station, which ceased operation in 2012. As always, there were so many well-stated responses on both sides of the question of whether to build a new nuclear generator.

A)  58% said Yes. Jeri B. wrote, “Yes, absolutely yes! We need more carbon-free nuclear power, and the safeguards in place now with new nuclear power plants make it so much safer than it used to be.”

B)  42% said No. Joan O. said, “We can have wind power and solar power without contaminating the environment. Let’s go clean energy in Wisconsin.” Others cited the problem of safely storing nuclear waste and expressed concern about data centers requiring so much electricity.

⏭️ This Week: What’s your economic outlook?

We spent some time on this week’s radio show discussing the likelihood of a stock market bubble surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). While it definitely has a role in our technological future, are investors putting too many eggs in one basket? AI chip maker Nvidia just became the world’s first $5 trillion company, which is helping stock prices on Wall Street, but tens of thousands of layoffs have been announced this year, and inflation is creeping upward again. Where will the economy be a year from now?

A)  The economy will be healthier. We’re on a bumpy path, but we’re headed to a better place.

B)  Same old, same old. We are in a long hard slog: no recession, but no big upturn either.

C)  Going down. Whether quickly or slowly, we are recession-bound within the next year.

This is somewhat similar to a question we asked back in March, so we’re interested to see what you’re thinking now. 

We truly appreciate that you took the time to send in your thoughts. To answer this week’s question, hit reply or email me directly at pat@couriernewsroom.com, and we may share it in a future newsletter or on our radio show.

Gov. Tony Evers declared a State of Emergency Friday evening over federal funding lapses for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), impacting 700,000 Wisconsinites.

The temporary termination of SNAP, despite billions of dollars in supplemental funding available for use, is part of Republican strategy in a government shutdown orchestrated by President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers. A month into the shutdown, they are refusing to negotiate with Democrats on a budget that would prevent massive price hikes for health insurance and now a cutoff of benefits to families struggling to afford basic groceries.

“When we support programs like SNAP, we’re not just feeding families we’re strengthening the entire community,” said Semone Thomas, a Wisconsin SNAP advocate. “Every child who goes to bed with a full stomach, every parent who can focus on work instead of hunger, every landlord who can count on rent being paid—all of that adds up to a healthier, more resilient community. Because in the end, food security is not charity, it’s community.”

Evers’ order directs state agencies to take “any and all necessary and appropriate measures” to address the potential FoodShare stoppage.

Read the full story from reporter Salina Heller on our website.

Now entering the second month of a government shutdown, US Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) has consistently toed the party line, repeating talking points on how he thinks Democrats are to blame, even though Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress.

But recently-uncovered audio from nearly a year ago shows Van Orden had a different point of view when the Republican trifecta was about to take over. 

Interviewed on the John Fredericks Show in December 2024, Van Orden said the divisions within his caucus needed to end so that a federal budget could finally be passed once the GOP took over the US Senate the following month.

Republicans have controlled the Senate since January, and they need a handful of Democratic votes to overcome the same filibuster rules they used liberally when they were in the minority, but they have refused to negotiate with Democrats — choosing instead to support the pain a shutdown brings to American families and the economy as political leverage.

For his part, Van Orden’s most recent effort to have something pass Congress is a resolution that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to President Donald Trump.

Baldwin endorses Cooke — Sen. Tammy Baldwin has endorsed Rebecca Cooke in the 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary. “As I traveled around Western Wisconsin last year campaigning for my own reelection, I got to know Rebecca and see her up close on the campaign trail,” Baldwin said in an endorsement video. “I know Rebecca will fight for the people of Western Wisconsin if we elect her to Congress.” Cooke is one of two Democrats hoping to unseat Van Orden, along with Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge.

1️⃣  The issue at the heart of the government shutdown is Democrats’ demand that there be an extension of the tax credits that help pay for health insurance purchased through the marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. In the survey, 58% support extending those tax credits, while 41% oppose.

2️⃣  While some Republican legislators want to allow the carrying of concealed guns without a permit, the poll shows 78% oppose that idea, while 20% support it. 

3️⃣  Paid family leave remains a popular idea for workers, with 77% favoring a business requirement for mothers and fathers of newborns, while 22% are opposed. This includes support from 64% of Republicans, 72% of independents, and 93% of Democrats.

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🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great week!