An independent political group (not regulated by campaign finance laws) is criticizing President Bush for money he took from drug companies prior to passage of the Medicare bill. The ads by Campaign Money Watch are running in a part of Wisconsin that is among the most hotly contested areas in the nation. Shamane Mills reports...

The U.S. Justice Department has charged a Janesville man with threatening to blow up a federal building in Milwaukee. Prosecutors say the timing of the case has nothing to do with election-year politics. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Patients with muscular ailments are demanding the UW Medical School re-open a lab for those with multiple sclerosis and ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The lab was operated by a doctor who supporters say fell out of favor with administrators. UW hospital officials say a failure to follow rules, not hard feelings, is why the lab shut its doors. Shamane Mills reports...

A Wisconsin Republican says environmentalists are too quick to unfairly criticize Bush Administration policies on forest and public land managements issues. Sandra Harris reports...

The Navy will shut down its extremely low frequency communication bases in northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Thursday. Nick Pelletier reports that protesters will be on hand to make sure transmissions stop...

Wisconsin's school districts are paying an average of 40 percent more for family health insurance than they were just two years ago. Shawn Johnson reports...

A group of Nobel Science Laureates is touring the country criticizing the Bush adminstration's position on a wide range of scientific policy issues. The winner of the 2003 Noble prize in biochemistry spoke to students and faculty in Madison yesterday. Gil Halsted reports...

Ralph Nader will have to win another court battle before he concentrates on winning votes in Wisconsin. A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday that Nader should NOT be on the ballot because of a mistake in his nomination papers. Attorneys representing the elections board and Nader supporters are appealing that decision. Shamane Mills reports...

For the first time, Americans are getting more of their calories from soft drinks than they are from milk. That's according to a study done at the University of North Carolina. That news has nutritionists and dairy promoters in Wisconsin working hard to reverse the trend. Terry Bell reports...

The Sierra Club's campaign against Bush administration policy on Public Lands is in Wisconsin during the week. Sandra Harris reports...

Wisconsin's AFL-CIO members wrapped up their state meeting Tuesday in Green Bay. They heard from the group's national president who urged union workers to mobilize to defeat President George W. Bush. Patty Murray reports...

The cost of health insurance for the average Wisconsin family has increased by 49 percent over the past four years. That's four times the rate of increase for wages. A report from the group Families USA calls for political leadership to solve the problem. Gil Halsted has more...

State hearings on water diversion from the Great Lakes are underway...with most people backing strong protections for the Lakes. But some business and community leaders away from the shoreline are looking for ways to use more lake water. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Republicans expect to maintain control of the state legislature after the November elections; and they're already planning their agenda for the first 100 days. G-O-P leaders say a tax freeze will help create jobs; others say its a stretch. Shamane Mills reports...

A recent national poll shows most Americans expect the war in Iraq to last for several more years. But there's a strong difference of opinion about whether launching the war in the first place was the right thing to do...especially among those who have a personal connection to the American soldiers who've been fighting there. Gil Halsted reports...

Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry took a break from his debate preparation on Monday to campaign in rural Spring Green, Wisconsin. Kerry told a few hundred people in a tiny school gymnasium that he understands Wisconsin values... and criticized President Bush's policy in Iraq. Shawn Johnson reports...

While Senator John Kerry was trying to win votes from dairy farmers in Spring Green today, Just a few miles away former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was stumping for President Bush. Gil Halsted reports...

After leading a successful trade mission to China in March, Governor Jim Doyle is back in Asia again -- this time hoping to drum up business with Japan. Catherine Brand reports...

Two natural watering holes have been closed to the public around a superfund site on Lake Superior's shore. Mike Simonson reports...

La Crosse County could open most of it's jobs to Minnesota residents. County supervisors are set to vote next month on a controversial ordinance to expand the base from which to choose employees. Sandra Harris reports...

Wisconsin's rural economy will get a special look. A conference called, "Creating the New Rural Economy" will open a world of specialized data to rural leaders. Patty Murray reports...

A panel of state lawmakers on Thursday rejected a proposed increase to Wisconsin's minimum wage. The party-line vote took place after several hours of testimony from people who spoke in favor of the wage hike. Shawn Johnson reports...

The state department of Veterans affairs has a new program to help soldiers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan re-connect with their communities. The families of some veterans say they hope the effort won't be just a flash in the pan. Gil Halsted reports...

A recent poll shows neither presidential candidate has an advantage with Wisconsin voters on the economy. President Bush will try to gain an edge with people in Rock and Racine Counties when he talks tomorrow about his job policies. Shamane Mills reports...

Local officials concerned about lost jobs to workers overseas are pressuring the state to change its ways. Rock County was the first to endorse the American Jobs Act. Now Dane County will consider whether to lend it's support to state legislation that never got off the ground last session. Shamane Mills reports...

The ten year-old debate over Marquette University's sports nickname may ignite again Wednesday. Marquette's Board of Trustees will discuss whether or not to take steps to revive the controversial nickname "Warriors." Terry Bell reports...

A judge this week ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to come up with critical habitat designation for it. Some of the protected land will be in Door County. Plaintiffs hope the outcome of the case will prompt the agency to take the habitat designation more seriously. Patty Murray reports...

Critics say a pending phone contract would make collect calls from Dane County jail among the most expensive in the state. Community activists and lawyers who help the poor say it's a bad deal for inmate's families. Shamane Mills reports...

A Madison woman whose son is a helicopter pilot in Iraq is touring the country with other military mom's to campaign for John Kerry. The goal is to win votes from military families who are angry with President Bush's Iraq policy. Gil Halsted has more...

A new magazine being released this week aims to encourage feminists to support Democrat John Kerry's bid for president. As Shawn Johnson reports, the publication's editor also hopes to influence the Democratic platform...

Democrat John Kerry will spend part of next week in Wisconsin getting ready for the first presidential debate. Shawn Johnson reports...

Anti nuclear activists are questioning the Navy's motives for shutting down the Project ELF radar system in northern Wisconsin. The Navy says ELF is outdated, but the system that will replace it is even older. Gil Halsted reports...

An environmental group has launched a whistleblowers hotline for government employees who want to talk about the proposed power plant expansion in Oak Creek. One EPA scientist recently said the Wisconsin DNR is helping the state's largest power company draft a "sham permit" for the project. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Democratic Governor Jim Doyle wants Republicans to go along with a plan to raise Wisconsin's minimum wage. A panel of state lawmakers is scheduled to consider the idea later this week. Shawn Johnson reports...

Later this week state regulators will hold a hearing about a pharmacist who refused to give a Menominie woman the popular contraceptive known as the Pill -- and didn't transfer the prescription. Women's advocates say its happening more often; a national pharmacy group says its a few unfortunate cases. Shamane Mills reports...

Enron’s collapse remains one of the scariest tales told around corporate campfires. Many workers watched their retirement pensions nosedive with the company, since many had roughly 60-percent of their 401k plan tied to Enron stock. Despite this example, a Hewitt Associates study shows many American breadwinners still have their 401ks heavily lashed to employer stock, as Brian Bull reports...

In the 2004 Presidential race, both major political parties are pointing to inconsistency as a sign of weakness. The Bush Administration says John Kerry's 20-year career in the Senate shows an abundance of "flip-flops" -- while Democrats are firing away at the President's own record of turnarounds. Brian Bull reports on how this tactic may play out in the battleground state of Wisconsin...

More Presidential candidates are trouping through Wisconsin this week with visits from Democrat John Kerry and Independent Ralph Nader. Not to be outdone, the Green Party's candidate will spend the weekend in Wisconsin. Patty Murray reports...

Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry has spent plenty of time wooing so-called "swing voters" in Wisconsin. Yesterday Kerry visited friendly territory. At a stop in Madison, the Massachusetts Senator chastised President Bush for making bad decisions on the war in Iraq, health care and the economy. Shawn Johnson reports...

Ralph Nader says he's confident he'll defeat a Democratic attempt to keep him off the November election ballot in Wisconsin. The independent presidential candidate campaigned in the state Wednesday. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader says the anti war movement should be pushing the Kerry Campaign to speak out more strongly against military spending. He spoke to a crowd of more than 400 people at a rally on the UW Madison campus yesterday. He said his bid for the White House is an effort to jolt the Democratic party towards more progressive positions. Gil Halsted reports...

The failed Republican candidates for US Senate in Wisconsin have all rallied around Tuesday's primary winner, Tim Michels. And a national Republican official says the race against Democrat Russ Feingold is a priority contest for the GOP. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

The rising number of bear hunters - not the bears themselves - are behind a new management program being implemented on the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian reservation. Brian Bull reports...

The Fox Valley Community Foundation has received its biggest-ever donation. An elederly couple's estate has left the charitable organization $16 million. Now the foundation has to figure out how to spend the money. Patty Murray reports...

The first year of Wisconsin's "Clean boats, clean waters" campaign appears to have stopped the spread of some invasive species to inland lakes. Mike Simonson reports from Superior that 350 volunteers were trained to inspect boats for life that could choke out native fish...

In the tenth Senate District primary, former Senator Alice Clausing lost in her bid for another chance to run against Republican Senator Sheila Harsdorf. Mary Jo Wagner has more...

The NCAA basketball tournament may be at Miller Park. Terry Bell reports...

A radio station owner from Portage will represent the GOP this November in the race for a south-central Wisconsin Congressional seat. Shawn Johnson reports...

Baseball history may be made in Wisconsin this week. Slugger Barry Bonds stands poised to hit career home run number 700. Bonds and his San Francisco Giants are in Milwaukee for a three-game series starting tonight. Terry Bell has more...

The state Department of Workforce Development wants to update its child labor rules. Under the proposed new rules 16 year olds would be forbidden from driving on the job. Other jobs would also be off limits. Patty Murray reports...

Retired General Wesley Clarke will be in Wisconsin Tuesday to campaign for John Kerry. The former Democratic presidential candidate will hold a town hall meeting at St. Norbert's college near Green Bay. It's the kick off event for what he's calling "the band of sisters" tour. Gil Halsted has more...

First Lady Laura Bush stopped in Middleton today to campaign for her husband. She told a crowd of mostly women supporters that George W. Bush's policies are helping American families. Shawn Johnson reports...

Elizabeth Edwards came to the UW-Madison campus Monday. The spouse of the democratic vice presidential candidate told reporters she was trying to educate herself. Elizabeth Edwards said she wants to learn more about stem cells. Polls show many voters are concerned whether the government's doing enough to promote stem cell research. Shamane Mills reports...

A new hiring survey for Wisconsin predicts slow growth for the next three months. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry meets with Milwaukee senior citizens Tuesday morning to talk about what aides call the "senior squeeze." Chuck Quirmbach reports...

The bitter race in the tenth senate district four years ago left many with a bad taste in their mouths - record spending helped Republican farmwife Sheila Harsdorf defeat incumbent Democratic Senator Alice Clausing. Now Clausing is back -- but will have to fend off three democratic challengers before earning a rematch. Mary Jo Wagner has more on the four democrats running in Tuesday's primary...

A soon to be open State Senate seat in Milwaukee will stay in Democratic hands. But Tuesday's primary election for the district will halt the legislative career of at least one state representative. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Homeland security includes food safety. And today state agriculture officials showed off new equipment they say will help keep what we eat free of disease. Shamane Mills reports...

As the country observes the 3rd anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a national peace group says it's time for a new approach to fighting terrorism. Physicians for Social Responsibility begins a state wide tour of Wisconsin this week to promote what it calls SMART security. Gil Halsted reports...

The four Republicans running for US Senate held a public forum last night in Madison. They used the opportunity to hammer home familiar campaign mantras and take shots at Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold. Shawn Johnson reports...

At a roundtable discussion held last night in Madison, the Republicans running for US Senate took it easy on one another. Instead, they worked in tandem to criticize Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold. Among their targets was his vote on the US PATRIOT Act. Shawn Johnson reports...

The state's leading liberal legislator faces a challenge from someone within his own party: a prominent former elected official who is making Boyle's behavior the issue. As part of our election series, Mike Simonson reports from Superior on the 73rd Assembly District race...

A high-ranking state Republican has dipped into her personal funds in an effort to hold off a primary challenger. Shawn Johnson reports...

The Vice President came to Green Bay last night. Dick Cheney spoke to a group of supporters at a fundraiser. It was the first stop in a campaign swing that will take him along the eastern edge of the state later Friday. Patty Murray reports...

The top twelve lumberjacks from around the world compete in Chippewa Falls Saturday. One of the competitors is from Lake Geneva. Mary Jo Wagner talked to him and prepared this story...

To ensure drugs are safe and effective, the FDA requires that drug companies doing clinical studies reveal their findings. But regulators may or may not share it with the public and drug makers in a highly competitive industry are often reluctant to tell all. Now a trade group for prescription drug makers is hoping to bolster public trust by posting test results online. Shamane Mills reports...

A West Bend parent wants an apology from school officials who lectured her 8th grade daughter because she refused to stand and recite the pledge of alleigance. The Madison based Freedom From Religion Foundation has named the 13 year old it's activist of the year, and awarded her a one thousand dollar scholarship. Gil Halsted reports.

Peace groups across the country will hold vigils tonight to call attention to the rising death toll in Iraq. In Wisconsin silent candlelight walks are planned in Madison, Milwaukee and Appleton. Gil Halsted has more...

The senate seat in the 32nd District is up for grabs as the incumbent democrat has chosen not to run again. Sandra Harris reports on a race that some say might move the seat back to republicans...

Proposed controls for new water withdrawals from the Great Lakes Basin found choppy conditions at a regional meeting in Chicago last night. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Officials at the highest levels of Wisconsin state government are vowing to take a closer look at the agreements they make with private companies to out-source government work. At the same time, the state continues to put some contracts out for private bids. Terry Bell reports...

The state Attorney General's office has dropped its public records lawsuit against the city of Rhinelander. Last week the city and its insurance company released the details of an $800,000 settlement for the environmental clean-up of the city's land fill. Gil Halsted has more...

It will be a while before the Wisconsin Supreme Court hears arguments in the legislative caucus scandal cases. A court spokesperson says Justices won't hear the cases until January at the earliest. Shawn Johnson reports...

State Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer finds herself in the fight of her political life as she tries to fend off a primary election challenge from Republican Representative Glenn Grothman. An analyst says the contest in and around West Bend could shift GOP politics across the state. Chuck Quirmbach has more on the 20th District State Senate race.

Four republican challengers are taking on U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, who's held office for 2 terms and is going for a third. While Feingold is a familiar figure in Wisconsin politics, his republican opponents are trying to gain recognition with voters while distinguishing themselves from their rivals. Shamane Mills reports on some of the hot button issues pertaining to health care...

Ralph Nader supporters have filed the necessary signatures to get Nader on Wisconsin's Presidential ballot. Shawn Johnson reports...

A new study on predicting heart disease indicates it may be better to be a little fat, rather than lazy. Shamane Mills reports...

A La Crosse man was frustrated when the local newspaper wouldn’t publish his ad---so he found an alternative. He went on radio to criticize the newspaper for not being open to controversial opinions. Sandra Harris reports...

It's deadline day for a group that's trying to recall Democratic State Senator Jeff Plale. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

A number of legislative seats have opened up because of unexpected retirements. Some of those departures stem from the capitol caucus scandal, where campaign fund raising and other allegedly illegal activities were done by caucus staffers and lawmakers. In the 16th state senate district, two experienced legislators are aiming for the seat formerly held by democratic power broker Chuck Chvala. Shamane Mills reports on the 2 candidates in the democratic primary...

Six years ago, Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold won re-election to his U.S. Senate seat by fewer than 40,000 votes. Republicans are hoping to erase that margin this year. Four GOP candidates are running to replace Feingold: a couple millionaire businessmen, a veteran state lawmaker, and a self-proclaimed "Wisconsin country boy." In the first of our four-part series on the U.S. Senate Primary, Shawn Johnson has this introduction of the candidates...

A Wisconsin woman is urging the Democratic presidential ticket to be more forceful when responding to attacks from the Bush campaign. The woman made her point directly to John Edwards, during the vice-presidential candidate's stop in Oak Creek Monday. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards wrapped up a four day visit to Wisconsin Monday. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

This September’s primary in the 96th Assembly district of southwestern Wisconsin is not hurting for candidates. Sandra Harris reports...

Two Democrats are waging an active battle to capture the primary election in Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District. But the winner will face the dean of the state's GOP delegation, incumbent James Sensenbrenner. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

UW-Superior aquaculture researchers have been awarded a $600,000 federal grant to study raising yellow perch in fish tanks. Jennifer Simonson reports from Superior that there is a big demand for yellow perch, but that population is dwindling in Lake Michigan...

With a couple months left before Election Day, a survey suggests Wisconsin residents are most concerned about health care and the economy. Shawn Johnson reports...

Two democrats who operate small businesses say their professions should not be exempt from sales taxes. Both are running in a western Wisconsin primary for a chance to challenge Representative Rob Kreibich. Mary Jo Wagner has more...

The Democratic candidate for Vice President is spending much of Labor Day weekend campaigning through Wisconsin. John Edwards' first stop was a noontime rally in Green Bay. Patty Murrray reports...

President Bush praised lower taxes, more jobs and his new friend Zell Miller, during a campaign stop in West Allis Friday. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Governor Jim Doyle has named an outgoing state senator to the panel that regulates utilities in Wisconsin. Shawn Johnson reports...

Dorm residents at the UW-Madison can expect long distance service for only one more year. The popularity of cells phones is largely behind the restriction. Shamane Mills reports...

The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation is sponsoring its first-ever boxing invitational during Milwaukee's Indian Summer Festival. Brian Bull reports...

The Bush Administration is recommending wilderness protection for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. An Interior official toured the park Thursday. Mike Simonson reports from Superior...

The Bush-Cheney campaign has started a direct mail effort urging Wisconsin voters to register for absentee ballots. As Shawn Johnson reports, this particular mailer has caused some confusion...

The only open seat in Wisconsin's Congressional elections this year is in the Fourth District-- in Milwaukee County. Democratic voters can choose from three party veterans, to try to replace retiring incumbent Gerald Kleckza. The primary race is picking up speed as the candidates and their supporters try to spell out some personal differences. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

Wisconsin will be back in the national political spotlight-as President George W. Bush prepares to visit the state immediately after the close of the Republican Convention. One of his rivals will be visiting at the same time. The Democrat's Vice Presidential candidate will spend a couple of days here as well. Patty Murray reports...

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin has sent a letter to La Crosse’s police chief criticizing police action it says may have violated protesters’ free speech rights. Sandra Harris reports...

The State Elections Board has again rejected a plan to put controls on some Wisconsin campaign ads. Chuck Quirmbach reports...

A group sticking up for workers displaced by employees overseas is trying to convince Wisconsin voters to take away the job of President Bush. A progressive lobbying organization founded by Eleanor Roosevelt hopes to make it a campaign issue in a Wisconsin, a state which has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs, some of which have gone to other countries. Shamane mills reports...

The Wisconsin Elections board will consider a plan Wednesday that would put limits so-called "issue ads" in advance of an election. Shawn Johnson reports...