2020 Sessions
Released Sessions
Can Wisconsin end extreme gerrymandering? A conversation with Eric Holder
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Eric Holder & Jessie Opoien
Eric Holder, former attorney general and chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, talks with Cap Times opinion editor Jessie Opoien about…
Homeland Elegies: A conversation with Ayad Akhtar
Ayad Akhtar & Lindsay Christians
Ayad Akhtar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright raised in suburban Milwaukee, discusses his latest book, “Homeland Elegies.” A blend of memoir and lyric fiction…
Rethinking restaurants: How COVID-19 is transforming the service industry
David Heide, Francesca Hong, Ashley Kosiak & Lindsay Christians
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the brokenness in a restaurant industry that too often exploited workers, perpetuated inequity…
The politics of radical love: Ilhan Omar on Forging Transformational Change
Ilhan Omar & John Nichols
Elected to Congress in 2018, Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar has refused to accept status quo politics. She has challenged xenophobia, racism, imperialism…
COVID-19 Testing in Wisconsin: What’s been done, what lies ahead
Session sponsored and curated by Exact Sciences
Kevin Conroy, Andrea Palm & Amber Noggle
In early March, the leaders of Exact Sciences, Epic Systems Co. and Promega discussed how they could help Wisconsin through the coronavirus pandemic…
A Very Stable Genius: a conversation with authors Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker
Session sponsored by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.
Carol Leonnig, Philip Rucker & David Maraniss
The authors of “A Very Stable Genius,” a New York Times bestseller, about turmoil within the Trump administration, talk about…
One on one with Richard Graber
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Richard Graber & Katelyn Ferral
Since its expansion in the mid-1980s, the Wisconsin-based Bradley Foundation has grown to become one of the country’s foremost funding…
Beyond the protests, the future of Madison policing
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Brian Chaney Austin, Anthony Cooper, Satya Rhodes-Conway & Noble Wray
Spring and summer brought the issue of police reform to the forefront in Madison and across the nation. Now that voices have been heard, it’s time to…
What’s next for conservatives in Wisconsin?
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Brian Reisinger, Charles Sykes & Katelyn Ferral
Regardless of the election outcome, Wisconsin Republicans will face a crossroads between Trumpism and a more traditional Republican path. What will…
A time to act: How does Madison make progress on racial equity?
Session sponsored and curated by Quartz Insurance
Shiva Bidar, Jack Daniels III, Kimila Daniels & Angela Russell
Madison has been grappling with a racial achievement gap for decades. This summer of racial reckoning suggests this affluent and liberal city has not…
What will happen in Wisconsin on Nov. 3?
Tanya Bjork, Charles Franklin, Keith Gilkes & Briana Reilly
National eyes are trained on Wisconsin as a potential tipping point state for the presidential election, but state-level results could also…
How should Wisconsin leaders tackle climate change?
Gregory Nemet, Madeleine Para, Joe Parisi, Elizabeth Ward & Kathleen Falk
Will strict governmental guidelines or a more voluntary approach for businesses be the best way to tackle climate change? Former Dane County executive…
Supreme Misrule: A conversation with Ruth Marcus
Session sponsored by Home Savings Bank
Ruth Marcus & David Maraniss
Washington Post columnist and author Ruth Marcus, one of the sharpest legal and political analysts in America, talks about how the Trump administration…
How should we prepare for the next pandemic?
Session curated by Wisconsin Alumni Association
Kristen Bernard & Kelly Tyrrell
A conversation with Professor Kristen Bernard of UW-Madison, whose research focuses on the interaction between viruses and hosts, with the hope…
Rebecca Blank on the future of her flagship campus
Rebecca Blank & Paul Fanlund
As chancellor, Rebecca Blank leads a world-class research university that faces massive issues from the pandemic. But what makes Blank’s school different…
What is the best hope for Madison’s post-COVID retail scene?
Jessica Cavazos, Stacey Scannell, Carol “Orange” Schroeder & Jason Ilstrup
The closure of stores due to COVID-19 was a heavy blow for businesses everywhere, but will everything get back to “normal” even when…
What happens after a COVID-19 vaccine arrives?
Session sponsored by UnityPoint Health – Meriter
James Conway, Malia Jones, Nasia Safdar & Abigail Becker
Essentially the entire planet is looking ahead to the moment when a COVID-19 vaccine will become available, but will that be enough…
With Madison fighting for equality, why are Latino issues being missed?
Justice Castañeda, Ramon Ortiz, Eugenia Podesta & Jessica Cavazos
Latinos in Madison face special challenges as the city grapples with the economic impacts of the coronavirus: a lack of support systems, financial hardships and…
After COVID-19, what about Madison’s economy?
Session sponsored by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Zach Brandon, Seth Lentz, Sabrina Madison & Jason Joyce
A panel discusses Madison’s post-COVID-19 economy, its advantages and challenges. How does Madison fit in a regional and national context? Its strengths…
How can Madison attract and retain more professionals of color?
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Aaron Bird Bear, Esther Cepeda, Patrick Sims & Dawn Crim
Madison is a relatively easy sell to white professionals, but for years we’ve heard that candidates of color visit the city and see few people…
How will COVID-19 change local health care institutions?
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Damond Boatwright, Sue Erickson, Alan Kaplan & David Wahlberg
The CEOs of Madison’s three big health-care systems discuss what the pandemic has wrought and how it might change delivery…
Protest politics: What makes real change happen?
M Adams, Matthew Braunginn, Douglas McLeod & Natalie Yahr
Madison and the nation are seeing some of the most intensive protests since the 1960s, centered this time around racial disparities and policing…
One on one with Tony Evers
Session sponsored by HealthX Ventures
Tony Evers & Briana Reilly
The pandemic forced schooling to go online at a time when no one has prepared for it. What have we learned and what can we expect?…
‘Rage:’ A conversation with Bob Woodward
Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Bob Woodward & David Maraniss
Bob Woodward, the premier investigative journalist of the modern era, talks about his latest groundbreaking book on President Trump…
How will COVID-19 change K-12 education?
Carlton Jenkins, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Mary Lee McKenzie & Scott Girard
The pandemic forced schooling to go online at a time when no one has prepared for it. What have we learned and what can we expect?…
Past Sessions
Free to members: ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ and authors’ Q&A
John D’Agata, Jim Fingal & Chris Murphy
September 27 @ 7 p.m.
Forward Theater is producing an innovative online version of play about a heavy exchange between a narrative-driven essayist and a fact-driven…
Smarter than You Trivia
Paul Guse
Even the pandemic can’t stop trivia. Join us for Madison’s best trivia experience — offered via Zoom — with your fully formed team or come as an individual…
How 2020 Changes Everything About Politics and Governing
Francesca Hong, Gwen Moore & John Nichols
Gwen Moore is a senior member of Congress, who has served in the Wisconsin state Assembly and Senate. Francesca Hong is a political…
Members only: The state of journalism with Cap Times staff
Cap Times reporters and editors
A chance to ask questions of reporters and editors about what it’s been like to do their jobs during the pandemic, and to offer feedback…