☀️ Good morning!

It’s Sunday, January 11, 2026

It’s been a week. Heck, only 11 days in, it’s been quite a year already. 

😞 Just this week we’ve seen the tragedy of an ICE agent killing a mom in Minneapolis, the president invading a country and abducting its leader, and the return of chatter about acquiring Greenland. It leads to our Question of the Week about the best ways to pause for a little self-care.

But beyond all of these sad or strange headlines, let’s not take our eye off the ball: the things happening in Washington and Madison that have a direct impact on daily life in Wisconsin. There was, for example, a big, but largely symbolic vote that took place Thursday about whether to resurrect the Affordable Care Act tax credits that had been preventing sky-high increases in health insurance rates.

⁉️ US Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) received attention for being among 17 House Republicans who voted “yes.” But there’s a likely explanation for it — so as a former legislator, let me explain the “free pass.”

I like to say that the easiest vote to take is the imaginary one — the one where a politician pretends to have a change of heart but knows the thing he’s voting for isn’t going to pass in the long run. Among Republicans and Democrats, in capitol buildings everywhere, vulnerable members are often given a “free pass” to vote in a way that helps them back home. 

In this case, House Republicans know that Senate Republicans are not going to pass the health insurance credits bill as written. Senators had rejected it once before. So all indications are that the matter will be locked up by senators holding multiple rounds of “serious negotiations,” followed by hand-wringing (“Gosh, we tried.”), but ultimately no real relief from those higher healthcare costs — which is what Republicans like Van Orden really want in order to claim the Affordable Care Act “failed.” (It’s right there on his website.)

But in the short term, Van Orden and the others who voted “yes” get credit for a level of compassion that doesn’t really exist — otherwise they would have voted “yes” at any time over the past year when they knew the credits were going to expire.

👉🏼 Nobody likes to see this cynical side of politics. But it’s real and, in my view, a lot of reporters need to stop pretending there was some kind of big breakthrough. If there’s an eventual deal and I’m proven wrong, I’ll be happy to say so. But it’s better to be honest and set sights low than to give false hopes to voters and false praise to certain politicians.

Have a great week — and remember to stay up to date with our social media posts.

⏮️ Last Week:  What kind of voter will you be in 2026?

🗳️ We acknowledge that our weekly polls are not scientific, but we still can’t help but feel encouraged with responses about what kind of voter you are. We heard from a lot of self-described lifelong “all-star” voters who almost never miss an election, like Jack H. who said, “I  have voted in every election since I was 21. I am now 76 and I will be at the polls as long as I am able.”

All of the other respondents said they had become all-star voters in the past few years, having seen the threats to American democracy, like Kathryn K. who said, “I admit to taking our government for granted. I thought and expected the Constitution to keep checks and balances and keep us safe. I took for granted that as a population we were moving in directions to protect all and treat all with respect. I’m out and voting and telling everyone how I feel! Enough is enough!”

Nobody confessed to not being a regular voter or even a November-only voter, but we know the same can’t be said for the general population so keep boasting about your own civic engagement and inspire others to show up with you this April, August, and November.

⏭️ This Week:  How do you unplug?

🔌 The headlines this week have been heartbreaking. We often remind people not to completely tune out the news, but to also not let the news become an all-encompassing downer. So we want to know, once you’ve caught up on the headlines, what’s the best way to unplug for a little while? Feel free to give us a more specific answer that may or may not involve one of these options:

🄰  Physical activities: exercise, sports, etc.

🄱  Thinking activities: reading, games, puzzles, etc.

🄲  Watching or listening to non-political programs: podcasts, home remodeling channels, movies, etc.

🄳  “I don’t tune out enough. Thank you for the reminder to take a break more often.”

♠️♥️♣️♦️ Personally, I have a favorite daily sports-related podcast and a spouse who has played thousands of rounds of cribbage with me over the decades. What about you? 

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.

😴 Imagine collecting a $60,000 paycheck for the full year, but you only have to do the most essential parts of your job for a few days in January and February. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) says he’s prepared to send the Legislature home long before the session calendar is done in the spring — even though, as pointed out by Democrats like Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), a candidate for governor, there’s still a lot of work that should be getting done. Click on the image below to hear what Hong told us about misplaced priorities.

💻 Rep. Francesca Hong is among lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who say there needs to be more information and transparency about data centers being built and proposed to deal with the explosive growth of artificial intelligence computing. 

Hong is proposing a moratorium on construction until more is known about energy use, environmental impact, the impact on electric utility ratepayers — and she also wants a review of the corporate tax breaks that may not lead to meaningful long-term job creation in Wisconsin communities.

Read my full article HERE.

In 2026, we’re going to do much more to inform you about events, activities, groups, and campaigns that might motivate you to increase your civic engagement and leave you feeling like you’re doing your part to bring our country back from the current realm of ridiculousness. Don’t hesitate to send us your events, suggestions, and questions.

➡️ TUESDAY: Chippewa Valley Indivisible will provide a training and presentation on ICE rapid response tactics and how to prepare for the possibility that a masked paramilitary force will conduct raids in your hometown. 

➡️ WEDNESDAY: Red Wine & Blue is holding its January Banned Book Club meeting with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of the award winning novel The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea. Learn more at redwine.blue.

➡️ FRIDAY: Pete Buttigieg will hold a town hall in the La Crosse area. This is the one that had to be rescheduled from November due to a family illness.

➡️ JANUARY 20: The “Free America” Walkout will be the latest nationwide mass demonstration designed to show unity against raids, purges, surveillance, and fear as America’s new normal. Local events are being planned now.

➡️ JANUARY 21: Main Street Action holds the first gubernatorial forum of the new year in Milwaukee with the seven leading Democratic candidates.

1️⃣ Joe Biden got that done – President Joe Biden liked to take a little dig at Republicans who voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law but would try to take credit anyway as projects came into their districts: “I’ll see you at the ribbon cutting!” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gives us the latest example. READ about it on our website.

2️⃣ Vaccine recommendations changed – Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. has changed the recommended schedule for childhood vaccines put out by the US Department of Health and Human Services, but Wisconsin health officials and other providers have a simple response: Ignore him. WATCH Dr. Kristin Lyerly explain why Kennedy’s move is both puzzling and dangerous. 

3️⃣  Legislators get camera-shy – With WisconsinEye having gone dark, you would think Republican leaders would welcome the technology that allows lawmakers and citizens to use their phones and live-stream committee hearings. You’d be wrong. GOP leadership is enforcing a ban on taking video of legislative meetings. Is there a state open meetings law? Yes, but the Legislature has made itself exempt from it.

📱 Remember, you can stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great week!