Idea Fest

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A close-up of Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders

This annual week of events hosted by the Cap Times features talks on burnout in the healthcare field, the intersection of AI and journalism, free speech at UW-Madison, reducing landfill usage, and more. But the heavy hitters come from the world of politics; still to come are conversations with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday (sold out) and former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Saturday. Thursday's events include a fundraiser with former PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff and longtime Wall Street Journal political reporter Al Hunt. In-person events require a ticket, but virtual events are free; find the schedule and info at captimesideafest.com.

media release: A few months ago, Cap Times publisher Paul Fanlund announced that the seventh annual Cap Times Idea Fest will once again be a hybrid of virtual and in-person events from Sept. 17-23 across Madison. In August, Cap Times associate editor John Nichols announced U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders — the iconic progressive leader who has been a contender for the  Democratic presidential nomination — as the keynote speaker on Friday night, Sept. 22. Other guests at the festival include former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, former PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and many more, with session topics ranging from hunger to artificial intelligence and free speech.

Woodruff and her husband, Al Hunt, a high-powered journalism duo, will be the featured guests in a special fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 21, while Ellison, a leader in progressive circles, will be on stage in Shannon Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Kinzinger, a former U.S. Representative from Illinois and one of only two Republicans to serve on the Jan. 6 committee, will wrap up a day of in-person sessions at UW-Madison’s Shannon Hall with a talk the evening of Saturday, Sept. 23.

Tickets are now on sale and registration is open for all free virtual events. The most current information on sessions and speakers is available at captimesideafest.com.

For the second year in a row, the Cap Times has teamed up with Madison’s Young Blood Beer Company for an official Cap Times Idea Fest beer. This year’s brew, aptly named Second Draft, is a hazy IPA dry hopped with Citra and Summit, and will be available for purchase for a limited time at Young Blood’s taprooms in downtown Madison and at Northstreet, as well as at some in-person fest sessions.