Inside Wisconsin

A funny thing happened on the way to the predicted pancaking of the U.S. early-stage investing market. It hasn’t happened yet.

One of the oft-repeated generalizations about small business owners is their universal adaptability to change. Legend would have you believe that economic Darwinism is bred into every small business owner, making them genetically wired to come back from any adversity.

In this part of central Wisconsin, where five counties lie within a few minutes’ drive in any direction, the COVID-19 pandemic still seems far away to some people.

It’s the ideal hand-held communications tool for the 21st century: It’s portable, carries easily segmented global, national, and local news, is updated regularly by professionals dedicated to filtering and editing mounds of information, isn’t controlled by the Chinese or the Russians, and requires no external power source other than natural or room lighting.

In some ways, Wisconsin’s Mike Gallagher and California’s Ro Khanna make for a political odd couple.

It may be too early to know if the adverse reaction reported by a subject in the AstraZeneca-led vaccine trial is linked to the coronavirus test vaccination itself or some other cause.

I don’t get the fascination with TikTok, the video-sharing platform that is essentially a worldwide talent show for obscure skills, but that’s totally OK. Millions of people do enjoy it and, for many of them, it has been a source of entertainment and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many U.S. policymakers seem concerned about reopening bars, restaurants, and health clubs closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They should be at least as worried about restarting America’s education engine, which will best serve the economy — and young people — over time.

In most presidential election years, the marketplace for initial public offerings closes tighter than Ebenezer Scrooge’s wallet as the campaign heats up. That’s not the case in 2020, a year in which neither the worst pandemic in a century nor civil strife has deterred investors from pursuing value.

For the better part of three decades starting in the 1980s, Madison was the only game in the state when it came to starting and growing tech-based businesses.