Daily Bread, Nature, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.31.25: Wisconsin Life | The Mushroom Man of Bayfield
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Sunday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 73. Sunrise is 6:18 and sunset is 7:30, for 13 hours, 12 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 53.3 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1939, Nazi Germany mounts a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, thus starting World War II in Europe.
Wisconsin Life | The Mushroom Man of Bayfield:
Two Ice Cream Scoops With a Twist:
00:00 – Eating Spaghetti Ice Cream in Germany
02:43 – This Turkish Ice Cream Doesn’t Melt
Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Politics, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.30.25: Justice Bradley Declines Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Deprecates the Value of Running
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Saturday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 71. Sunrise is 6:17 and sunset is 7:32, for 13 hours, 14 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 43.7 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1799, the entire Dutch fleet is captured by British forces under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral Sir Charles Mitchell during the War of the Second Coalition.
As she had not been fundraising for her reelection effort, and as she had not applied for a vacancy on the federal bench, it’s unsurprising that Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley declined to run for reelection. What she said about the race is more telling than her own role:
“I will not seek reelection to the Wisconsin Supreme Court because I believe the best path for me to rebuild the conservative movement and fight for liberty is not as a minority member of the Court,” she said in a statement.
See Scott Bauer, A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice won’t run again, creating an open seat, Associated Press, August 29, 2025.
In her statement, Bradley simultaneously concedes that the judiciary is not her best option, that anyone backed by the WISGOP will be in the minority even if successful, and, incredibly, contends that the far-right populism she supports is a ‘fight for liberty.’ In this, Bradley is right twice and wrong once: she is without the judicial temperament the court requires, and anyone from the far-right who wins will be in the minority, but she’s simply mendacious to claim that it’s a battle for liberty she and far-right populism have in mind.
World’s first gene edited horses are shaking up polo:
Daily Bread, Politics, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.29.25: Mr. Vance Visits La Crosse
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Friday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 72. Sunrise is 6:16 and sunset is 7:33, for 13 hours, 17 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 34.2 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1949, the Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb, known as First Lightning or Joe 1, at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.
It’s fallen to Vice President JD Vance to improve the reputation of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Yesterday, Vance visited La Crosse, part of Derrick Van Orden’s congressional district, in that effort:
LA CROSSE – Looking to reshape public opinion on the Trump administration’s sweeping tax and spending law, Vice President JD Vance made a stop in western Wisconsin to promote its effects on the manufacturing industry and its efforts to lower taxes for workers while dismissing Democrats’ concerns that it will disrupt access to health care and food aid.
….
Manufacturing and agriculture are the largest sectors of Wisconsin’s economy. The manufacturing industry employs nearly half a million people in the Badger State, and it contributes more than $70 billion per year to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. But economic uncertainty has brought challenges to the industry, as employers struggle to hire and retain workers and combat inflation and rising material costs.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” contains provisions designed to incentivize manufacturers to invest in research and development and to build new factories in the U.S. Such “Made in America” efforts have seen bipartisan support in Wisconsin.
The law also makes changes to government assistance programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin.
Ahead of Vance’s visit, Gov. Tony Evers’ administration released a new analysis estimating the sweeping tax and spending law will cost the state $284 million every two years once fully implemented.
“I’ve been clear from the get-go that Republicans’ so-called ‘big beautiful bill’ is bad for Wisconsin,” Evers said in a statement. “And now, it’s also clear this bill is just as bad for Wisconsin taxpayers, who will be forced to help foot the bill for Republicans’ red-tape requirements just to make it harder for folks to get the care they need and food to eat.”
See Jessie Opoien and Laura Schulte, Vice President JD Vance, in Wisconsin visit, touts Big Beautiful Bill’s impact on manufacturing jobs, tax cuts, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 29, 2025.
Van Orden’s fate rests on how his constituents view Trump, and (less probably) whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court orders congressional redistricting before the November 2026 election.
For himself, however, Vance is confident that he’s tanned, rested, and ready after the eight vacations he’s taken in the seven months since becoming vice president:
“I've gotten a lot of good on-the-job training over the last 200 days,” JD Vance said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, when asked if he was ready to assume the role of commander-in-chief.
— USA TODAY (@usatoday.com) August 28, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Milky Way galaxy seen crossing firmament in timelapse from ancient Syrian city of Palmyra:
Cats
Friday Catblogging: Cheetahs Chasing a Lure
by JOHN ADAMS •
Daily Bread, Far-Right Populism, Politics, Populists, Wisconsin, WisDems, WISGOP
Daily Bread for 8.28.25: The WISGOP Is a Local Chapter of a National Populist Movement
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Thursday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 75. Sunrise is 6:15 and sunset is 7:35, for 13 hours, 20 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 26 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1845, the first issue of Scientific American magazine is published.
A few political realities of our time are clear: (1) the GOP is a populist movement, (2) populist movements are authoritarian, (3) there’s no genuine bipartisanship with an authoritarian populist movement (as it insatiably takes, but does not give), and (4) local politics takes on the character of national politics.
Of that fourth point, there’s yet more confirmation today. The WISGOP is simply the local chapter of a national populist movement:
Following repeated spring election losses to Democrats, and facing a future without President Donald Trump boosting base turnout at the top of presidential tickets, the Republican Party of Wisconsin must increase its out-of-state fundraising, an internal review recommends.
The report was prepared by a post-election commission assembled by the party in the aftermath of several disappointing recent elections — notably three spring state Supreme Court races in which a Democratic-backed candidate decisively defeated one supported by Republicans. In addition to more aggressive fundraising, it also calls for better coordination with county parties and outside groups.
See Anya van Wagtendonk, After disappointing spring, Wisconsin GOP reconsiders fundraising, messaging strategy (‘The state Republican Party said it should be cultivating more money from outside of Wisconsin’), Wisconsin Public Radio, August 28, 2025.
Yes, indeed: the WISGOP needs out-of-state money and outside (often national) groups. Of course it does. Wisconsin’s elections, like those in so many other states, have become referendums on national politics. They’re referendums on national politics because Trumpism (a far-right populism) willingly accepts no limits on its own reach. Every topic becomes a matter for its intrusion and striving for control.
A single misstep from national GOP orthodoxy and their Wisconsin political careers would be over. Statewide WISGOP officials, once seen as significant in their own right, are now only mere foot soldiers in a national populist movement.
SpaceX’s Starship launches for test flight after setbacks:
Conservation, Daily Bread, Legislation, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.27.25: The Push to Save a Wisconsin Conservation Program
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Wednesday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 74. Sunrise is 6:14 and sunset is 7:37, for 13 hours, 23 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 17.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1776, members of the 1st Maryland Regiment repeatedly charged a numerically superior British force during the Battle of Long Island, allowing General Washington and the rest of the American troops to escape.
There’s a legislative effort underway to save the popular Knowles-Nelson Stewardship conservation program, but it faces uncertain prospects:
Without action, the program will end next summer. In his initial budget proposal, Gov. Tony Evers had asked for the program to be provided $100 million per year for 10 years. The version of the budget signed into law in July did not include the program’s re-authorization.
Another bill authored by Republican Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) would re-authorize the program for six years at $28 million per year. To gain the support of the Republicans who want more oversight of the program, the bill would require that any land acquisitions that cost more than $1 million be approved by the full Legislature.
Tuesday’s proposal from Democrats would re-authorize the program for six years at $72 million per year. The bill would also create an independent board with oversight authority over the program.
The 17-member board would include members of the majority and minority in both chambers of the Legislature; two representatives from environmental organizations; two representatives of hunting, fishing or trapping interests; two DNR representatives, including one member from the Natural Resources Board; one representative from the Department of Tourism; one representative of the outdoor recreation industry; one representative from the Ice Age Trail Alliance; a representative of a federally recognized Native American tribe in the state; one local government representative and two members of the public. Members of the board would serve staggered three-year terms.
See Henry Redman, Wisconsin Democrats introduce proposal to save Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, Wisconsin Examiner, August 26, 2025.
As the WISGOP controls both chambers, success depends on WISGOP votes. Some legislation may come of this, but likely less than the WisDems would hope in funds and independence. More likely — something hollow, something hobbled.
Massive dust storm sweeps through Phoenix metro area leaving thousands without power:
Congress, Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.26.25: For Wisconsin, Redistricting (If At All) Will Be a Judicial Decision
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Tuesday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 70. Sunrise is 6:13 and sunset is 7:38, for 13 hours, 25 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 10.8 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
Whitewater’s Finance Committee meets at 5 PM.
On this day in 1791, John Fitch is granted a United States patent for the steamboat.
Across the nation, Congressional redistricting initiatives have spread from state to state. These are state legislative efforts to redefine federal district boundaries within those states.
Redistricting that way is not possible in Wisconsin, as the WISGOP legislature and the Democratic governor would not agree on any congressional redistricting that reduces existing gerrymandering in the state. (It’s notable that the WISGOP argues fallaciously that any attempt to reduce the gerrymandering of the maps from the last decennial census is, itself, a form of gerrymandering.)
For Wisconsin, any adjustments to the state’s Congressional districts will come from judicial action. Two cases are now pending in Dane County Circuit Court: Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, No. 2025CV002252 (Wis. Cir. Ct. Dane Cnty. July 8, 2025) and Elizabeth Bothfeld, et al. v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, No. 2025CV002432 (Wis. Cir. Ct. Dane Cnty. July 21, 2025).
Bald Blue Jay Joins Feathered Friends:
Daily Bread, Elections, Far-Right Populism, Gubernatorial Race 2026, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.25.25: The Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race Will Be a National Race
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Monday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of 68. Sunrise is 6:12 and sunset is 7:40, for 13 hours, 28 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 5.6 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission meets at 5:30 PM. The Whitewater School Board goes into closed session shortly after 6:30 PM, resuming open session at 7 PM.
On this day in 1944, Paris is liberated by the Allies.
At the Journal Sentinel, Craig Gilbert offers an assessment of the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial race. His article presents a few key points (points summarized as ‘AI-assisted’ by the Journal Sentinel; I’d recommend readers review the article in full, of course):
- Wisconsin’s 2026 gubernatorial election is unusual due to the lack of an incumbent and potentially no widely recognized candidates.
- Few candidates have high statewide name recognition, creating an unpredictable race where candidates have more leeway to define themselves.
- Historically, candidates with low name recognition rarely win statewide races, but the open field presents a unique opportunity.
- The race is expected to be highly competitive and the most open-ended in decades.
See Craig Gilbert, With no incumbent and no big names, the 2026 Wisconsin governor’s race is shaping up as unusual, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 25, 2025.
Gilbert’s full article would have been, in the political era before this one, the gold standard of analysis. In conditions of two conventional political parties, with a conventional federal executive, Gilbert’s assessment would be sound.
This is not, however, that time, as these are not those parties and this is not that federal executive. One party is a far-right populist party, and the federal executive is Trump, a bigoted authoritarian.
And so, and so, one should, adjust the Journal Sentinel‘s summary to represent the actual conditions of 2025-2026:
- Wisconsin’s 2026 gubernatorial election is unusual as it has a major authoritarian party and an authoritarian president.
- The lack of statewide recognition will not matter once Trump and supportive donors join the fight. Candidate ‘definitions’ will rest on how they stand in relation to Trump.
- The outcome of the race will depend mainly on how Wisconsinites view Trump and Trumpism.
- ‘Historically’ is yesterday’s now-discarded perspective.
A hot-air balloon lands in a residential area:
Music
Monday Music: Jon Batiste, At All
by JOHN ADAMS •
Crime, Daily Bread, Elections, Law, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.24.25: Wisconsin Judge Rules Against Trump Aides in Felony Case
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Sunday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of 69. Sunrise is 6:11 and sunset is 7:42, for 13 hours, 31 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 1.9 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1970, Vietnam War protesters bomb Sterling Hall at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, resulting in the death of a postdoctoral researcher and injuries to three others.
National headlines continue to surge with far-right populist maneuvering, and yet there remain pending Wisconsin criminal cases from the 2020 presidential election. On Friday, a Wisconsin judge rejected motions to dismiss charges against Trump aides for submitting false electoral documents:
A Wisconsin judge Friday declined to dismiss felony charges against two attorneys and a former aide to President Donald Trump who advised Trump in 2020 as part of a plan to submit paperwork falsely claiming that the Republican had won the battleground state that year.
Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland rejected the motions to dismiss the 11 felony charges filed against the three defendants. The charges are for using forgery in an attempt to defraud each of the 10 Republican electors who cast their ballots for Trump that year.
Jim Troupis, who was Trump’s attorney in Wisconsin, Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who advised the campaign, and Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020, all were initially charged in June 2024. The case has stalled as the judge considered their attempts to have the charges dismissed.
Each of the 11 of the felony charges they face carries the same maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
“Troupis does not show that the First Amendment protects the right to commit forgery, does not show that the government violated his right to due process by entrapping him into that forgery, and does not show prosecutors must exercise discretion to charge an accused of his preferred offense,” the judge said in rejecting the motions to dismiss.
…
The state charges against the Trump attorneys and aide are the only ones in Wisconsin. None of the electors have been charged. The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis all settled a lawsuit that was brought against them in 2023.
See Scott Bauer, Wisconsin judge rejects motions to dismiss charges against Trump aides, Associated Press, August 22, 2025.
The case is State of Wisconsin vs. James R Troupis, No. 2024CF001295 (Wis. Cir. Ct. Dane Cnty. June 4, 2024).
Hainan, China braces for Typhoon Kajiki:
Daily Bread, Gov. Evers, Laws/Regulations, Legislature, State Government, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.23.25: Legislature Blocks Evers Administration Rulemaking
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 74. Sunrise is 6:10 and sunset is 7:43, for 13 hours, 34 minutes of daytime. The moon is new with 0.1 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1775, King George III delivers his Proclamation of Rebellion to the Court of St James’s stating that the American colonies have proceeded to a state of open and avowed rebellion.
There’s an update to this week’s decision of the Evers Administration, relying on a decision of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July, to review and advance backlogged agency regulations. The Legislature has now moved to block publication of those regulations:
The Joint Committee on Legislative Organization voted by paper ballot along party lines Friday afternoon to direct the Legislative Reference Bureau not to publish any rule that hasn’t gone through a review by the Legislature in accordance with Wisconsin law.
Republican lawmakers on the committee proposed a vote on the motion Thursday after Gov. Tony Evers told agencies to skip lawmakers in the final steps of the rulemaking process. There are 27 administrative rules, including one to address the state’s policy on gray wolf management, that Evers submitted to the LRB for publication. Of those, 13 have not been reviewed by a standing legislative committee and are yet to be published.
It’s the latest step the administration has taken in testing the bounds of the recent Evers v. Marklein II ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The majority found in the case that the state laws giving the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules broad powers to block administrative rules indefinitely were unconstitutional.
See Baylor Spears, GOP lawmakers direct Legislative Reference Bureau not to publish Evers’ rules, Wisconsin Examiner, August 22, 2025.
The Evers Administration will have to decide whether to mount a legal challenge, an action that would seek a broader application of Evers v. Marklein II (Tony Evers v. Howard Marklein, 2025 WI 36, No. 2023AP2020-OA (July 8, 2025)).
Tiny flier could soar through the mesosphere powered only by light:
Daily Bread, Sports, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 8.22.25: From Special Olympics Athlete to Disability Rights Champion
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Friday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of 78. Sunrise is 6:09 and sunset is 7:45, for 13 hours, 36 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 0.6 percent of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 2004, versions of The Scream and Madonna, two paintings by Edvard Munch, are stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway. Both paintings are later recovered.
Wisconsin Life | Special Olympics athlete becomes disability rights champion:
Bear breaks into South Lake Tahoe ice cream shop, prefers strawberry: