Gov. Jim Doyle flipped the switch on the 2007 Wisconsin State Holiday Tree November 30 at the official lighting ceremony in the Capitol Routunda. This year's tree was donated by the Menominee Tribal Enterprises.

Retired business executive and philanthropist Michael Cudahy and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago was featured in an Economic Forum presentation titled, "Brain Gain: How Do We Keep Our Best and Brightest in Milwaukee and Attract New People and Businesses?" at the Jewish Home and Care Center on November 29. Cudahy is the retired chairman, founder and chief executive officer of Marquette Medical Systems. Cudahy is the retired chairman, founder and chief executive officer of Marquette Medical Systems. Santiago is the seventh chancellor and the chief administrative officer at UWM. The event was sponsored by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. The group strives to enhance the quality of Jewish life and to build a strong unified Jewish community in Milwaukee, in Israel and throughout the world, according to the group's website.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean talked with students at a forum on the UW-Milwaukee campus on November 27. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, discussed national organizing efforts and the role students will play in the 2008 election.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean talked with students at a forum on the UW-Milwaukee campus on November 27. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, discussed national organizing efforts and the role students will play in the 2008 election.

This public hearing, the first of 36 which will be held around the nation, was held in order to listen to the thoughts of individuals and organizations on future environmental policy and governance for the next Congress and President. The hearing was organized by the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance. The organization is dedicated to improving environmental performance, economic sustainability, social responsibility and quality of life, according to the group's website. This hearing was held in Pyle Center in Madison on November 27 and is part of the Path to Washington, an effort by the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance to convene leaders for an ecologically sustainable America.

Rep. Donna Seidel, D-Wausau, shadowed Circuit Court Judge Greg Huber during criminal intake proceedings at the Marathon County Courthouse November 26. Seidel, who formally worked in the Marathon County Courthouse as a Clerk of Courts for 16 years, said she wanted to return and shadow Judge Huber to gain a new perspective on the criminal justice system since her election to the State Assembly in 2004.

U.S. Representative Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, from Wisconsin's Second Congressional District held a listening session with constituents at the Baraboo Public Library on November 26.

Madison Bureau Chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Steve Walters, leads a panel of state Capitol reporters in a discussion of the week's major news stories in state politics. Monday's program focused on healthcare reform with guest Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton.

As part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate's Distinguished Lecture Series, former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman spoke on the UW-Madison Campus on November 14. Prior to his post as Chairman, Mehlman was the Campaign Manager for the Bush-Cheney '04 successful re-election ticket as well as Field Director for the 2000 campaign. Since leaving his Chairman post, Mehlman returned to his law profession with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C.

Madison Bureau Chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Steve Walters, interviewed Assembly Speaker Rep. Michael Huebsch, R-West Salem, at his office in the state Capitol on November 14. Huebsch discussed the state budget, current legislation and his history and future in politics.

Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Big Game Specialist Keith Warnke about the upcoming deer hunting season and consider whether changes in state hunting rules and regulations are needed. The discussion took place at WisconsinEye Studios in Madison on November 14.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler, Jr. joined Mike Gousha, a distinguished fellow in law and public policy, for a wide-ranging discussion with Marquette law students and faculty at Sensenbrenner Hall on the Marquette University campus on November 14.

In the world of fruit fly courtship, the difference between getting a mate and going home alone may depend on the sex appeal of the male’s wing spots, according to UW-Madison evolutionary biologist Sean Carroll and his colleagues. Carroll, an investigator at the UW-Madison’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and fellow researchers have learned which elements of fly DNA make these spots come and go in different species — and they’ve discovered new evidence that evolution is an incessant tinkerer when it comes to complex traits. Carroll talked about how animals develop and evolve in a free presentation, "From Darwin to DNA," on November 13 at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art lecture hall in Madison. Carroll is a professor of molecular biology and genetics and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the UW-Madison. His research focuses on the way new animal forms have evolved, and his studies of a wide variety of animal species have dramatically changed the face of evolutionary biology. The event was a presentation of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters as part of its Academy Evening series. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, founded in 1870, is an independent, nonprofit organization, separate from state government and the university. Funded by grants, private endowments and members, the academy aims act as a catalyst for ideas and action.

Madison Bureau Chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Steve Walters, leads a panel of three state Capitol reporters in a discussion of the major news stories in state politics. Walters was joined by NBC-15 Political Reporter Zac Schultz, Wisconsin Public Radio State Government Reporter Shawn Johnson and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Capitol Reporter Stacy Forster. The group discussed the cable franchise bill, the possibility of a Scott Jensen re-trail and the so-called "frankenstein veto."

Appleton Artist Tim Mayer presented portraits of Wisconsin service men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan in a special ceremony at the Capitol November 8.

Supporters of the Wisconsin Way, a coalition of Wisconsin organizations and individuals, hosted a public gathering at the Waukesha Expo Center on November 7 to discuss Wisconsin's taxes. The event was, according to organizers an effort to engage Wisconsin citizens in a constructive, solution-oriented conversation about what can be done to make Wisconsin taxes fairer and reduce the property tax burden without sacrificing the quality of public services. The effort was funded by the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the Wisconsin REALTORS Association, Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association and Wood Communications Group.

The Eastern Wisconsin Cheesemakers and Buttermakers Association held its 14th annual convention in Darboy, just outside of Appleton, on Novermber 7. The organization dedicates itself to the continuing education on and around the cheese and butter industries though invited speakers at their annual conventions and by providing scholarships to those pursuing higher education within the two industries. This year Dean Sommer and John Jaeggi of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research spoke on the current issues and trends in the whey industry, and George Cornell of Pacific Cheese speculated on what the next two years of the cheese and butter industries could bring in the ways of prices, demands, supplies, and technology.

Sen. Pat Kreitlow, D-Chippewa Falls, Chair of the Senate Committee on Campaign Finance Reform, Rural Issues and Information Technology, addressed the State Governing Board of Common Cause of Wisconsin at the State Capitol about the prospects for campaign finance reform during the remainder of the 2007-08 legislative session. is a non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby affiliated with national Common Cause. The group is interested primarily in campaign finance, ethics and lobby reform, open meetings law and other issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of "clean," open, responsive and accountable government.

Wisconsin native, Brigadier General Roger Lalich, an Iraq War veteran was the keynote speaker at this Wisconsin Veterans Museum fundraiser. Lalich was personal physician for Sadaam Hussein while he was held by the United States Armed Forces. The event, held November 3, was the museum's annual fundraising gala. Funds from the event are expected to go toward a new exhibit at the museum. They plan to make an exhibit commemorating the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009.

The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups Governing Board Dinner, November 1, was an occasion for recognizing seven individuals or organizations for their outstanding contributions to the health and security of older people in Wisconsin. Appearing to speak at the dinner was Governor Doyle, and award winners included Senator Alberta Darling, Senator Tim Carpenter, Commissioner of Insurance Sean Dilweg and others.