A couple of years ago, Dr. Erik Severson transferred a heart patient to a different hospital. When the man died under Severson’s care, the physician took a risk as he broke the news to the man’s son. He apologized — although he knew his words could be used against him in court. Now a Republican lawmaker, Severson has introduced a bill to let doctors do just that without fearing malpractice.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has retreated from claims that consuming dairy products could aid weight loss after some experts branded the statements “deceptive” and “discredited.”

A major Wisconsin dairy group continues to promote dairy products for weight loss, four years after two national groups, under pressure from the Federal Trade Commission, agreed to stop.

The milk board, which spends nearly a million dollars a year promoting dairy’s health benefits to children, defended its conduct and said claims were based in science.

On April 6, lawmakers repealed every aspect of 2009’s so-called “Truth in Auto” law except mandatory auto insurance. Insurance companies argued that the 2009 changes would lead to higher premiums and more people going without insurance. Trial lawyers invoked catastrophic situations in which the disputed auto policy provisions could make the difference in whether accident victims can pay their bills or go bankrupt. Both sides spent heavily to influence the Legislature. But the general public was largely silent.

For farmer Brian Wickert, the raw milk bill is about having the freedom to live without interference from the government. But for health officials in America’s Dairyland, it’s about potentially exposing unsuspecting citizens to disease-causing bacteria. At the crux of this debate is the age-old question: How much should government protect its citizens from possible hazards?

In September, a family’s vacation in Wisconsin Dells turned tragic when an infant touched the glass front of a fireplace and suffered third-degree burns at a resort hotel. Manufacturers of gas fireplaces are being buffeted by lawsuits and the threat of federal regulation amid heightened concerns about the risk of burns from the appliances, which can get hot enough to melt skin.

Westwood College Online has temporarily stopped enrolling Wisconsin students, but maintains it doesn’t need approval from the Wisconsin agency that sent it a cease-and-desist letter.