Welcome to our new supper club, a perfect destination for Thursday evening conversations about what’s happening around Wisconsin.

In the 6+ years since I helped start UpNorthNews, we have frequently used a supper club analogy when asked to describe the way we want to visit with our audience. It’s based on a lot of personal experience. Because of my roles in media and in politics, people have always felt comfortable approaching me at bars, restaurants, and diners because they want to ask a question or give me their two cents on something in the news. I’ve loved every conversation and would like to create that kind of environment here.

I like to think of supper clubs as the “demilitarized zone” of political chatter.

When we gather in these hometown watering holes, we keep things civil—but differences of opinion are still very much on the menu. We have 187 days until the November election and 103 days until the August primary—so feel free to pause here, mix yourself up an Old Fashioned or pour yourself a ginger ale, and then let’s visit.

Thanks to our move to Thursday evenings, I also get to be one of the first to say: Have a great weekend—and remember to stay up to date with our social media posts.

(And let’s be honest: Who knew there was a radish emoji?!)

🫒 Kaufert & Jacque out – If Republicans hope to maintain control of the Wisconsin Assembly, they need to win in swing districts like the 53rd around Neenah—but that just got tougher after Rep. Dean Kaufert announced Monday he would not run for reelection this November.

And over in the Senate, one-third of the GOP caucus is out the door, with news Thursday that Sen. André Jacque (R-New Franken) won’t run in November—making him the 6th departure out of 18 Republicans, who had a supermajority just two years ago but are now in danger of a Democratic takeover.

🥦 Two progressive Supreme Court candidates – There are plenty of elections still to come in 2026, but the next Wisconsin Supreme Court election in 2027 already has two candidates.

Appeals Judge Pedro Colón, a former Democratic legislator from Milwaukee, announced his candidacy on Tuesday. Colón has more than 15 years of service as a judge after serving for a decade in the state Assembly. Also in the race is Clark County Judge Lyndsey Brunette of Neillsville, with eight years on the bench following six years as the Democratic district attorney.

Both want to take the seat being vacated with next year’s retirement of conservative Justice Annette Ziegler.

🧀  Kalshi countersuit – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a civil suit last week against several so-called “prediction markets” like Kalshi and Polymarket, accusing them of being little more than dressed-up gambling sites. Now, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice is suing Wisconsin, claiming the Kaul suit isn’t legal.

Prediction markets allow people to place money on all sorts of events, including sports, which Kaul says falls under state regulation. The feds claim these sites are investment markets and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sole jurisdiction over derivatives and other contract exchanges.

This seems like a good place to pause and ask for your point of view on the subject.

🎰 What’s your opinion about these prediction markets that are popping up all over? No doubt there will be a lot of responses that say all markets are a form of gambling, but setting aside the image of a Wall Street casino, think of the question more in terms of who should regulate these sites.

Click in the green box to be taken to our website, where you can click A or B or other.

Include a first name and hometown with any comment and we might use your answer in a future newsletter.

🧭 Now to last week’s annual food fight: Here’s what you told us when we asked the eternal question about our namesake neighborhood.

2️⃣9️⃣ N’Ette in Gleason says it’s Hwy. 29: “Up north is where you see more pines than regular trees, the air is fresher, the fields are tilled and planted and the people are friendlier!” 

1️⃣0️⃣ Darrel from Melrose: “I have always felt that Hwy. 10 is north of the middle of our wonderful State and should be considered as ‘up north.’” 

Someone else put it this way: “Living in Milwaukee I do not feel I am up north until I reach Osseo. Up North is either the Norske Nook or the Dairy Queen close to Hwy 10.”

7️⃣0️⃣ Jeff in Grantsburg says it’s Hwy. 70: “The northwoods look of piney forests is unmistakable along this highway.”

8️⃣ Dave Ullrich says it’s Hwy. 8: “When I was a kid and went up north from Wausau to Boulder Junction, my dad always said when he drove up Hwy. 51 and passed two, tall red pines on either side of the road north of Tomahawk, his blood pressure went down and he felt he was UP NORTH.” 

Other answers ranged from Hwy. 2 all the way down to across the state line at South Beloit! It’s proof that all of Wisconsin is America’s Up North, and we thank you for all the responses about how up north makes you feel good — wherever it is for you!

A long-overdue Farm Bill is a little closer to becoming law after House Republicans relented Thursday morning and removed language seen as a giveaway for pesticide companies suspected of not warning users about cancer risks.

The Farm Bill is actually a package of legislation that sets up years worth of federal policy on everything from crop insurance to food assistance to conservation programs and much more. It’s often a fairly bipartisan endeavor, but this year there’s also bipartisan pushback… on language that would have made it harder for people to sue big chemical companies in state courts if they feel the federal rules have become too weak.

We were interested in how members of the Wisconsin delegation would vote on the pesticide protection language, particularly Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. But the measure passed on a voice vote and Van Orden only posted a photo of himself holding up the bill on X. He dedicated several other posts, meanwhile, calling for the indictment or imprisonment of Dr. Anthony Fauci as part of Trump administration efforts to fuel conspiracies about the origin of COVID-19.

The Farm Bill moves to the Senate where it will face challenges from Democrats and some Senate Republicans over major differences that have to be overcome to avoid a filibuster.

🗓️ Our favorite supper clubs often have a bulletin board filled with information about upcoming events and local services. Watch this space starting next week for items on our “Do Something!” calendar.

In the meantime, send your events and announcements to our State Organizing Coordinator, Abigail Deatrick, abigail@couriernewsroom.com (at least one week before the event).

📱 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 weekend!