They're the "Click and Clack" of Wisconsin politics. Scott Milfred, editorial page editor for the Wisconsin State Journal, and Phil Hands, the newspaper's political cartoonist, analyze the most important issues and debates from the Badger State with political independence and a sense of humor. Instead of tedious talking points from the left and the right, "Center Stage" broadcasts from the sensible center with audio clips from the Wisconsin Capitol, from State Journal editorial board meetings, and from political events across the state.
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Milfred and Hands assess the flurry of data centers being proposed across Wisconsin in communities such as Mount Pleasant, Beaver Dam, Janesville, Grant County and, until recently, DeForest. The billion-dollar projects are needed to support our phones, computers, electronic devices and artificial intelligence. But they also will consume, in many cases, more energy than the cities where they hope to locate. That risks undermining Wisconsin's goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 if the Public Service Commission approves more natural gas plants to power the centers. Our political podcasters play audio clips from the Wisconsin Policy Forum's recent forum in Milwaukee on data center development.
Milfred and Hands play Nostradamus, with apologies to Conan O'Brien, predicting who will win the races for Wisconsin governor, state Supreme Court, Trump's affections and the Big Ten conference in 2026. Milfred sees a future with lots of candidates lining up to run for Madison mayor. Hands makes an easy call about the direction of Madison's property taxes.
This week, we're sharing something a bit different: Scott Milfred joins Richard Kyte and Scott Rada on "The Ethical Life," Lee Enterprises' podcast exploring ethical questions in contemporary life.
Instead of the usual Center Stage format, you'll hear Milfred as a guest in a three-way conversation about predictions, accountability and what the year ahead might bring. The discussion ranges across politics, technology, sports and health care — examining not just what could happen in 2025, but why we're drawn to forecasting in the first place and what last year's predictions reveal about how we think about the future.
If you're looking for the regular Center Stage interview format, we'll be back to that soon. But if you're curious to hear Milfred in a different setting, wrestling with bigger questions about uncertainty and how we make sense of what's coming, give this one a listen.
Milfred and Hands explore the "Game of Thrones" conflict between Sean Duffy, the Trump administration official acting as head of NASA, and Elon Musk, the former billionaire buddy of President Donald Trump who leads SpaceX and Tesla, both of which Duffy now regulates as the secretary of Transportation. Musk insulted Duffy, calling him Sean "Dummy" and making fun of his North Woods lumberjacking skills honed in Wisconsin. But Duffy seems to have the upper hand, at least for now, as America seeks to return to the moon and eventually Mars.
Milfred and Hands size up the candidates for Wisconsin's top job, including those who have declared bids and others who are likely to follow. Our political podcasters agree that one Democrat and one Republican are best positioned for success in party primaries, now that incumbent Gov. Tony Evers has announced he won't seek a third term. So much can happen between now and November 2026, and key to christening a GOP nominee will be President Donald Trump's endorsement.
Milfred and Hands test drive Madison's "20 is Plenty" edict that feels cementy when you actually try to drive that slow -- not that many if any people ever will for very far. Sure, driving so slow in theory makes it easier for a car to stop. But "slow speeders" aren't the problem. Real speeders are. And that requires more traffic enforcement, not feel-good laws pretending motorists will drive slower in cars than many bicycles do on the city's bike paths.
Milfred and Hands tout U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's resistance to the House-passed "big, beautiful bill" that would further burden our children and grandchildren with debt. But he's only half right in focusing on spending while mostly ignoring the cost of tax cuts.
Milfred and Hands get the bottom of Wisconsin's long-overdue legalization of medical marijuana and the stubborn Republican resistance to pot for recreational use -- even though GOP President Donald Trump is for it.
Milfred and Hands dissect Elon Musk’s impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race last week and look ahead to next year’s midterm elections in the swing state and beyond. President Donald Trump's billionaire buddy spent more than $20 million trying to elect Judge Brad Schimel to the Badger State's top court. Musk and Schimel failed in a blowout to Justice-elect Susan Crawford, who won by a quarter-million votes. A left-leaning majority will now hold the court until at least 2028, which would keep abortion legal and force changes to Wisconsin's congressional districts. Musk's lottery-like antics and fake-cheese persona turned off more voters than it charmed.
Milfred and Hands analyze Gov. Tony Evers' prospects for a third term, should he decide to run for governor again next year. Only one governor in state history -- Tommy Thompson -- has served a third (and part of a fourth) term. Milfred thinks Evers could be well-positioned as the antithesis to President Donald Trump. Hands isn't so sure, suggesting the left is hungry for new faces and younger blood. Evers recently met with the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board, talking about his future, school testing and cellphone distractions.
