INSIDE WISCONSIN

By Tom Still MADISON, Wis. – It shouldn’t surprise anyone that higher education enrollment patterns have changed, and not necessarily for the better in the eyes of those who run colleges and universities. Or employers who need what those schools produce -- talent. The...

By Tom Still FITCHBURG, Wis. – Based on what the average citizen might read or hear, many people may expect the Wisconsin Legislature’s return to work in the Capitol to be dominated by partisan wrangling – whether such friction is necessary or not. While plenty of...

By Tom Still MADISON, Wis. – If you’re one of 10,000 Microsoft workers slated for layoff soon, there’s very little solace in being told it’s part of a “Big Tech” efficiency trend that now extends to more than 154,000 layoffs in less than a year. After all, it wasn’t...

By Tom Still MADISON, Wis. – Nearly a quarter of the Wisconsin legislators sworn into office this month are new to the Senate or Assembly this session. Compared to just six years ago, more than half of the Legislature’s 132 faces in 2023 are new. Fresh blood has its...

By Tom Still MADISON, Wis. – What do these companies have in common? Pinterest, Groupon, Mailchimp, Uber, Slack, WhatsApp, Airbnb, Square, Instagram, Google and PayPal. (Hint: It’s more than just tech.) The first nine companies on the list were born during the Great...

By Tom Still MADISON, Wis. -- Part of the fun of writing a regular column is being able to look back at recurring themes. Here’s a look at 2022 with an eye toward grouping my “frequent flyer” subject areas, which collectively demonstrate I am both an economic optimist...