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LeMahieu: Coburn Dukehart
The GOP’s promised tax-rebate checks are not in the mail
Gov. Tony Evers would have to agree to any tax relief package for it to become law and he is not on board.
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Focal Flame Photography
Olbrich Gardens launches expansion process, seeks public input
The number of visitors to the visitor center at Olbrich Gardens has more than doubled since the 1970s.
Mar 3, 2026
Angela Major / WPR
In Madison, Kamala Harris calls out Trump abuses; gets interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters
Former Vice President Kamala Harris was in Madison to promote her new memoir, 107 Days, about her 2024 run for president. But the conversation veered elsewhere.
Mar 2, 2026
LeMahieu: Coburn Dukehart
The GOP’s promised tax-rebate checks are not in the mail
Gov. Tony Evers would have to agree to any tax relief package for it to become law and he is not on board.
Mar 2, 2026
Peter Serocki
What to do in Madison this week: March 2-5, 2026
This week's picks also include The Big Share, Community Shares of Wisconsin's annual online fundraiser for local nonprofits; the 300th show from Cheshire Cat Comedy.
Mar 2, 2026
Hannah Jo Anderson
Two Crows Theatre’s production of ‘Sandra’ is taut, intelligent
Colleen Madden carries the evening in a room where the audience sits close enough to register every shift in breath.
Feb 28, 2026
Shawn Harper
What to do in Madison this weekend: Feb. 26-March 1, 2026
The weekend picks also include films at UW Cinematheque curated and hosted by director Owen Kline; Two Crows Theatre tackles 'Sandra,' the second noir in a trilogy by David Cale.
Feb 26, 2026
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
UW athletics wants dark money
The Wisconsin Assembly has passed a bill giving the UW athletics department $14.6 million every year to spend as it wishes. It would break precedent by providing taxpayer dollars to an athletic program that has long claimed to be self-sustainining.
Feb 24, 2026
Joe TImmerman / Wisconsin Watch
Robin Vos ends historic run as GOP power broker
The next Assembly speaker will be chosen by the party with control after the Nov. 4 elections.
Feb 23, 2026
Jim Summaria
What to do in Madison this week: Feb. 23-26, 2026
Picks for this week also include a concert by powerful Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha; University Theatre presents 'cullud wattah,' a play by First Wave alumna Erika Dickerson-Despenza.
Feb 23, 2026
Steven Potter
50 years of Wisconsin hip-hop
While Wisconsin may not be known as “a hotbed for hip-hop,” says Menkhu Ara Maat, co-curator of the exhibit, “it is here and it’s been here for decades.”
Feb 20, 2026
Courtesy Knothe & Bruce Architects
Hong Kong Café, Choles Floral could be demolished for 113-unit apartment building on Regent Street
Development continues to transform one of Madison’s busiest corridors, as Chicago-based developer Peerless Development plans to build a mixed-use apartment building on the sites of two longstanding businesses.
Feb 19, 2026
Lizzy Larson
The hunt for Harry Styles’ Madison listening party
The British superstar’s team kept the location of a Feb. 18 listening party in Madison for his new album secret. So Isthmus went on the hunt.
Feb 19, 2026
James Pederson
What to do in Madison this weekend: Feb. 19-22, 2026
Picks for the weekend also include the Madison Roller Derby championship; Fire and Wonder Winter Gathering at San Damiano.
Feb 19, 2026
5:03 AM
Jurgen Dopatka
Longtime activist Pat Calchina gathers the community for inspiration
Monthly Re-Imagining Resistance meetups at Linden Cohousing are a “springboard for building a resistance community,” says organizer Pat Calchina.
Feb 18, 2026
5:00 PM
Photo: Steve Dahlgren
Patricia McConnell’s new book is a who-doggone-done-it
‘Away to Me,’ a term used in sheepherding meaning to run counterclockwise, begins with a fatal shooting at a sheepdog trial.
Feb 18, 2026
12:00 PM
Huma for Judge / Ben Jones for Judge
Huma Ahsan vows grassroots challenge in Dane County Circuit Court race
Incumbent Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ben Jones had a sizable lead over challenger Huma Ahsan in Tuesday night’s primary.
Feb 18, 2026
8:30 AM
Spring 2026 Primary Isthmus voter guide
A Dane County circuit court race and three Dane County board seats have primaries on Feb. 17.
Feb 17, 2026
11:00 AM
Guía del votante del Isthmus Elecciones Primarias Primavera 2026
Una carrera para el Tribunal del Circuito del Condado de Dane y tres carreras para la Mesa Directiva del Condado de Dane tendrán primarias el 17 de febrero.
Feb 17, 2026
10:45 AM
Tommy Washbush
Madison hemp stores face evolving regulations
Wisconsin is one of just six states without regulations for hemp-derived THC products but federal, state and local officials are looking to change that.
Feb 17, 2026
9:00 AM
Nadya Rosen
A letter to the drivers of South Park Street
People who stop at a crosswalk lit up with flashing lights don't kill teenagers who are trying to catch the bus to high school. If all drivers on South Park Street followed those rules, my son would still be here with me, making fun of me being old.
Feb 16, 2026
4:00 PM
Submitted photos
Polling suggests Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor must work on name ID
The November election for Wisconsin governor will be the first vote for the state’s highest office with no incumbent since 2010.
Feb 16, 2026
10:00 AM
Linda Falkenstein
One Dish: Vegetarian and vegan lunch at Taj Indian
The new Taj Indian Cuisine and Bar has a smart solution for lunch — vegetarian or vegan specials, served in a thali.
Feb 16, 2026
8:00 AM
Hope Kelham
What to do in Madison this week: Feb. 16-19, 2026
Picks for Feb. 16-19 also includes a concert by Stephen Kellogg & the Homecoming; a La Follette School of Public Affairs talk on the intersection of politics and higher education by former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Feb 16, 2026
5:03 AM
Matthew Ulrich
Madison Ballet’s ‘Pointes of View’ is vibrant and accessible
Regular balletgoers will find wonderful technique in challenging works, while newcomers can simply be swept up in the music, costumes, choreographic creativity, and the dancers’ ability to convey sincere emotion.
Feb 14, 2026
10:50 AM
In the February issue
Farm to fleece to market
Wisconsin’s fibersheds are supporting the labor of small-scale farmers and connecting consumers to farmers through markets and farm tours.
Behind the Isthmus cover: February 2026
A scene from the Jan. 25 ICE protest in downtown Madison makes the February print cover.
Madison Opera’s premiere of ‘Everlasting Faint’ engages with history — and the present moment
An opera about 19th century ghosts and moms taking down the patriarchy couldn’t be more relevant.
Aldo Leopold, Gaylord Nelson and…George Meyer
George Meyer was a force in Wisconsin’s conservation community for 50 years. He died in December at age 78.
Memorial hoops coach Collins tops 500 wins
After winning three state and 14 conference titles, changing his approach to accommodate the game’s evolution, and surviving COVID, the dean of Madison-area basketball coaches contemplates retirement.
World Championship Cheese Contest
Preliminary rounds of judging and public sampling, 10 am-3 pm, 3/3-4, Monona Terrace. Free.
Mar 4, 2026
10:00 AM3:00 PM
Orchid Escape
"Big Bugs, Big Questions" theme, 10 am-4 pm, 1/31-3/8, Olbrich Gardens-Bolz Conservatory. $10 admission ($6 ages 6-12) adv. only for timed entry.
Mar 4, 2026
10:00 AM4:00 PM
First Look at the Fest
Annual Wisconsin Film Festival fundraiser, with trailers for 2026 films, schedule unveiling, food, advance ticket purchases. $60 ($50 adv.).
Mar 4, 2026
7:00 PM
Orchid Escape
"Big Bugs, Big Questions" theme, 10 am-4 pm, 1/31-3/8, Olbrich Gardens-Bolz Conservatory. $10 admission ($6 ages 6-12) adv. only for timed entry.
Mar 5, 2026
10:00 AM4:00 PM
