Good morning.
Winter1 begins in Whitewater with sunny skies and a high of 28. Sunrise is 7:22 and sunset is 4:23 for 9 hours 1 minute of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 2.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1913, Arthur Wynne, a journalist born in Liverpool, England, publishes a “word-cross” puzzle in the New York World that embodied most of the features of the modern crossword puzzle genre. This puzzle is frequently cited as the first crossword puzzle, and Wynne as the inventor. An illustrator later reversed the “word-cross” name to “cross-word.”
Yesterday, FREE WHITEWATER published PBS Wisconsin Interviews of Candidates Running for Governor.
This libertarian blogger holds the working theory (shared by many) that the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial race will be a referendum on federal policy. See It’s Who Was Missing from That Candidates’ Forum That Matters Most (11.9.25: “Our state politics is a proxy for national politics. There’s no evidence that this will change by next November, or for years afterward”) and Assessing Teasers and Speculation About Wisconsin Elections for 2026 (10.6.25: “There’s much about 2026 that’s yet to be decided, but one influence that’s certain. Wisconsin voters’ views of federal policy will shape the 2026 state races, whichever candidates are nominated”).
There are contrary views (that this candidate or that, that this state matter or another) may be decisive. They’re unpersuasive. See The Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race Will Be a National Race.
It’s true that particular statewide candidates, some stronger and some weaker than others, will make a difference. Mostly, however, the degree to which they more effectively support or reject federal policy will be their path to success.
Local races may remain local (although that will vary across the state).
Statewide, however? That’s national now.
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- Winter: the second-best season, after fall. In your hearts, you know I’m right about this. Even now, you’re probably wishing it were colder. ↩︎
Vladdie the Canadian Adventure Cat in Training is prepping for the season:
Click image to play video.