Isthmus Cover Stories
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Mineral Point Library Archives, R. Richard Wagner Collection
Before Stonewall
The Stonewall riots turn 50 this year. But gay liberation was in play years before — even in Wisconsin — as a new book by Dick Wagner chronicles. Read more
Laura Zastrow
Man on a mission
Three years ago, President Donald Trump suggested a “Muslim registry.” Masood Akhtar responded with the organization, We Are Many United Against Hate, to promote tolerance and preserve the country he idolized as a boy. Read more
Jun 13, 2019
Iain McLennan Duffus
Are trout unlimited?
Wisconsin’s Driftless Region offers some of the best trout fishing in the country, thanks to decades of conservation practices promoted here. It’s boosted the rural economy in places like Viroqua. But global warming remains a threat. Read more
Jun 6, 2019
Sound it out
Many students in Madison lag behind their peers around the country in reading skills. Behind the scenes a pedagogical debate rages over how kids should be taught to read. Read more
May 30, 2019
A rotten year
A lot people in Madison are wondering what the hell is happening in our schools. Even Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham has called it a “trying year.” Isthmus talked to nearly 30 teachers to find out what’s happening behind the scenes. Read more
May 16, 2019
Wisconsin Historical Society
Are we there yet?
Wisconsin made history 100 years ago, becoming the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment, which gave women voting rights. But Wisconsin is less progressive than your teachers told you — and still has a long way to go to reach gender equality. Read more
May 9, 2019
Wisconsin Historical Society photos
Beginning the work
Meet some of the Wisconsin women who fought for women’s right to vote: Mathilde Anneke, Dr. Laura Ross Wolcott, Lila Peckham, Emma Brown, the Rev. Olympia Brown, Theodora Youmans, and Ada James. Read more
May 9, 2019
Darrow Montgomery
A good American son
In 1952 a 49-year-old undercover FBI informant testified that Elliott Maraniss was a communist. Maraniss was immediately fired from his copy editor’s job in Detroit. Five years of turmoil followed. Read more
May 2, 2019
5:01 AM
Nicola Ferrarese
Beer saves the day!
Breweries don’t just supply a community with beer. They create jobs, provide a main street with renewed vitality and create an atmosphere where people want to be. That’s why communities are working to help small breweries open in their towns. Read more
Apr 25, 2019
5:01 AM
Christopher Taylor
Double duty
Yeah, there’s bingo and sheepshead and trivia night. There are also yoga classes, tech talks, spin classes and meat pop-ups bringing people together at today’s craft breweries. Read more
Apr 25, 2019
5:00 AM
James Heimer
Risk averse
UW Health and School of Medicine and Public Health need a “major culture change” if they’re going to move their world class research into drugs and treatments that will save lives, a recent study argues. Read more
Apr 18, 2019
5:01 AM
Coburn Dukehart/WCIJ
The Halls of justice
The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an all-consuming endeavor for veteran journalists Andy and Dee Hall. The two have grown the nonprofit startup into an organization with a national audience of millions. Read more
Mar 28, 2019
5:00 AM
Jason Tish
The Churchill’s darkest hour
Built in 1915, the Churchill Building was Madison’s first “skyscraper.” The building had an enormous influence on how Madison developed. Now the state wants to tear the building down for the most ironic of uses — a history museum. Read more
Mar 21, 2019
5:01 AM
Trending
Slushie fun(d)
The flagship Taco Bell Cantina in Las Vegas is known for adding shots of hard liquor to its “Twisted Freezes.” The Madison Taco Bell Cantina only has a beer and wine license but found a creative way to still serve the spiked slushies. Read more
Before Stonewall
The Stonewall riots turn 50 this year. But gay liberation was in play years before — even in Wisconsin — as a new book by Dick Wagner chronicles. Read more
The GOP’s education deception
Republican lawmakers are spinning their evisceration of Gov. Evers’ budget, talking about their “historic investment” in schools. They’re deliberately obscuring the facts. Read more
Artist installation
The city of Madison is searching for an artist who wants to spend a significant amount of time in a renovated Trachte building in Thurber Park. The search is on for an artist-in-residence. Read more
Coming soon, a new cheese shop on State Street
A cheese shop is coming to State Street. Nomad World Pub wants to relocate. And it will soon be possible to play 88 PGA golf courses without leaving State Street. Read more
