La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

We discuss the culture of gambling and drinking in La Crosse with UW-L political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, and WIZM’s Brad Williams, and then feature another woman-owned business "for no reason whatsoever" The conversation went a bunch of different ways, including when residents voted by referendum whether to allow a casino to come to La Crosse. Another reason for the talk stems from two La Crosse businesses not being allowed to have their liquor licenses renewed by the city council, and whether Wisconsin’s sports gambling legalization gets fully implemented before Gov. Tony Evers retires. After that, Chergosky talked about the politics of the Wisconsin governor’s race, now that there are seven Democrats and two Republicans on the ballot — and the dilemma of the less popular candidates either needing to make a name for themselves or drop out or go. Lastly, we hyped up another women-owned business in the area “for no reason whatsoever.” Our seventh business featured is Scrappin’ on the Ranch, in Pickwick, Minn. — tucked in the bluffs between La Crosse and Winona. Jolene Danca joined to tell us about her B&B that was created for scrapbookers to get away for a weekend — and she has everything there a scrapbooker would need — but has evolved into everything from bachelorette and graduation parties to weddings and business trainings. Check out Scrappin’ on the Ranch here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at farming issues in Wisconsin, a week after President Donald Trump visited a Chippewa Falls farm last week and, after that, we continue what could be a series, “Hyping women-owned businesses for no reason whatsoever.” But first, Brian Reisinger, joined to talk about fuel and fertilizer prices because of the Iran war and ways to better help the small farms — whether that’s the government or consumers. Reisinger, who grew up on a farm his family still owns and now writes and talks about these issues, is the author of Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family’s Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farm. After that, Carly Green-Easterday took some time out of her day to hype up her Groovy coffee businesses “for no reason whatsoever.” Perhaps this will be a continuing series, after opening with five businesses Wednesday for no reason whatsoever. Abe's Raves is compiling a list of women-owned businesses and it is HUGE. Here are Carly's three Groovy businesses: Groovy Grind Coffee Co. (Galesville) Groovy Sips (Onalaska) Groovy Grounds (La Crescent) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every election, politicians around Wisconsin gather signatures to get on the ballot. This can be an incredibly stressful time for politicians and the results give us interesting clues about the elections to come. From independent candidates to signature challenges in court to hints about what seats will be competitive in November, there is a lot to learn from the end results, if we just bother to look. And that's what we do here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hyping up women-owned businesses for no reason whatsoever Wednesday on the Rick Solem Show. We were joined in studio by Abram Dyke of Abe’s Raves. Our local foodie helped track down a bunch of awesome local businesses that we got on the show, including: Sam Sveum, who owns Nom Sips & Eats Mia Davis of the Mia’s Kitchen food truck Maria Norberg, owner of Grounded Coffee Ka Lia Vang of Ka Lia’s Kitchen Megan Larson owner of Vintage Kitchen We opened the show talking a bit about Abe’s Raves — some of the fun stuff he’s doing on that page and how we need to do the area’s best coffee next. Also, before he had to leave, we ended the show mentioning that Dyke won a huge award for his work as a nurse recently. Now, we weren’t able to, of course, get all the women-owned food and coffee joints in the area on. So, feel free to go to this post on Facebook and add your favorites to the comments. Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An 18-month data center ban in La Crosse is on the docket for the county board. The moratorium legislation comes as a county study committee has its first meeting Wednesday. Dillon Mader and Lia Manock stopped in studio to break down their reasonings for a moratorium, discuss the work the study committee will be doing, and why they feel a ban on data centers is necessary. While there are multiple angles to consider when pausing data center development, Mader and Manock explain why they based their resolution's thresholds on energy usage (two megawatts) and storage (one petabyte). They also discussed why an 18-month moratorium is necessary to give the study committee a full year to conduct its work, report back and possibly craft other legislation. Manock is one of five county board members on the study committee, which also includes a representative from each of the 18 municipalities in La Crosse County. The county board's executive committee will take up the moratorium resolution at 8 a.m. Thursday, before a full vote next week (agenda here). We began the show on how this Thursday meeting is the only change the public has to address the issue during a board meeting. Otherwise, it will depend on contacting your county board rep or emailing the entire board here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bringing down La Crosse’s Kmart, what ever happened to the green bubbler talk from last year and the potential selling of the north side library. Those were some of the big topics we discussed with city council president Tamra Dickinson ahead of their monthly Thursday meeting. We started with the north library, which is scheduled to close for good June 15. Dickinson walks us through the process of declaring it a surplus property and how they get proposals from different groups about what they’d want to do with the building. After that, we hit on the Kmart proposal from Three-Sixty Real Estate Solutions. The council could approve Phase 1 of Three-Sixty’s plans Thursday, which might mean the Kmart comes down yet this year. Dickinson is the chair of the Aviation Board, and we spent some time discussing the turnaround the airport has seen over the past year, adding flights, and what could happen next over there. Lastly, those green bubblers. It was all the talk last summer, but that attention has significantly died down. Dickinson, though, says there are plans in motion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Havlicek stopped in studio just days after saying adiós to the teaching profession after 31 years — 28 of those at Central High School. So, of course, we had to tell a couple of retirement stories, but also got into some of the politics surrounding education and beyond with Havlicek, who is a political activist. Beyond education, we also discussed what he’d like to see as priorities in those running for statewide office — like governor and the Legislature. That included a public option for healthcare, the ability for anyone to participate in the state run pension retirement plan and his idea of government working for the bottom 80%.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle in studio discussing whether the state might get that $2 billion in budget surplus back to taxpayers before the election. We also discussed a data center moratorium, his opponent in November, one governor candidate being $30,000 in credit card debt and an update on rebuilding the Tank Creek Bridge. Earlier in the day, a news release went out from Keith Purnell, who will be Doyle’s Republican opponent in the 94th Assembly District. We got Doyle’s early take on Purnell and whether there might be a debate. In regards to the Tank Creek Bridget that sits along the Great River State Trail, and was burned by an arsonist last year, Doyle discussed when construction might happen and a potential grant coming from the federal government to cover what might be a couple million in cost. Two stories about the governor’s race involved Francesca Hong over the past few days. One, that Capital One is suing her for $30,000 in credit card debt, presumably from her restaurant going out of business during COVID. The other was from a Democratic governor candidate forum where Hong was the only member to support a one-year moratorium on data centers. Doyle also updated us on the La Crosse County Board creating a data center committee, which he will be a part of, and whether he’s heard from anyone that’s pro data center. Lastly, sticking with that topic, we talked quickly about recent comments from the Dairyland Power CEO saying data centers are a “path to prosperity” in small communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We honed in on a couple of President Donald Trump's pet projects and rehashed the state's failed budget surplus deal with Citizen Action of Wisconsin's Robert Kraig. It's hard to pick any one thing when it comes to the Trump administration, but we narrowed it down to these things: Trump's $1.778 billion (what we call) "slush fund" The $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for a ballroom The MMA fight on the White House lawn The Iran war and prices The second half of the show consisted of the failed deal between Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and the top two Republicans in the Legislature to spend the state's $2 billion budget surplus, and all the factors that have come since. That includes the flaws in a Marquette Law School poll showing 80% agreeing with the deal, the analysis since showing it would have put the state in a budget deficit and how Republican Robin Vos wants Evers to call another special session to get it done. Roughly, the deal consisted of one year of special education funding and property tax relief, plus $300 checks and no taxes on tips/overtime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Kmart come down, an indoor pool go up and what’s the north side library worth? Those are a few things we talked about with Mac Kiel in studio, helping preview committee week in La Crosse. The Copper Rocks project is again going before committees. That’s the plan to tear down the old Kmart and create both a business and residential area on that lot. Will Kmart come down this summer? We also discuss selling the north side library process, where committees are looking at making the building a “surplus property” and accepting “RFPs” (requests for proposal). In between all that, we looked at the city survey for building a $33 million indoor aquatics center through referendum. WIZM’s Brad Williams also joined to give us an update on the City Plan Commission, which had met just before the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No Fazoli’s, no drink refill station at McDonald’s, is ranch dressing and cheese curds a Wisconsin thing — just some of the things we utilized UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky for on the Rick Solem Show on Friday. We did also talk some politics with some new revelations about the $1.8 billion budget surplus deal falling through. Chergosky called it “Democrat Drama,” with the governor being reassured by Republicans that they had the votes for it to pass. That deal, — passed overwhelmingly by the Assembly — was voted down by the all the Democrats in the state Senate, plus three Republicans, would was for no tax on tips/overtime, $300 rebate checks, lower property taxes for a year, and school funding. That deal — passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly — was voted down in the state Senate by all 15 Democrats plus three Republicans. The package would have eliminated tax on tips/overtime, provided $300 rebate checks, lowered property taxes for a year, and increased school funding for a year. The conversation focused on the odd timing of the bill, Republicans (who control the Legislature) not having the votes, and whether it could be brought back — since legislators decided they were done legislating for the year back in April. In terms of the non-political conversation, we brought up the Fazoli's in Onalaska announcing it was closing for good last Wednesday, and we proposed what should replace it. We also went down a rabbit hole with McDonald's ending its drink refill stations for customers. That led to how people don't really go into McDonald's much anymore — except for Chergosky, who revealed his young daughter very much likes ranch dressing. Is that a Wisconsin thing? We also discussed Google changing its search engine to basically provide AI answers, killing the SEO industry designed to get your website at the top of the page.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A discussion about Flock cameras, the role he played in shutting down the Ridgland Farms beagle breeding facility and La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke's thoughts after his office put away Josie Dikeman for the death of a 6-year-old. Those were the topics we covered Wednesday on the Rick Solem Show with Gruenke, who we learned has a beagle himself. But we started with the scope of the Dikeman trial in La Crosse County, after she was convicted in the death of a 6-year-old in her care. After that, we discussed Gruenke's role as a special prosecutor against that beagle breeding and testing facility. Why he was given the job, after the Dane County DA refused to charge Ridgland Farms. And how it all led to 1,500 of the 2,000 beagles there being freed. Lastly, we talked Flock cameras, what they are, how they help and the issues people have with them. One of those was abuse of that info, where Gruenke talks about how governments and private businesses have a lot of our information, and how that needs to be protected.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings could have made some big money betting on the prediction markets over the $1.8 billion budget surplus deal that fell through last week. Now, though, that's illegal, after a Gov. Tony Evers executive order banning state employees and their families from making those types of bets. We get into all of it with Billings (D-La Crosse) — specifically how the deal to lower property taxes, send money to schools, give out $300 rebate checks and end taxes on tips and overtime fell through. Billings talks about her process for supporting the deal, but also the specific trade-offs she wasn't happy with. Plus, Billings tells the story about a legislator's joke that hinted to her the deal was not going to pass the state Senate — getting back to how she could have made a big bet on the deal. We also discussed how the Legislature had just three days to vote on this $1.8 billion package, and compared that to the $500 million Milwaukee Brewers stadium funding deal that was hashed out in public for over a month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The two Democratic candidates competing to face Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden this fall brought their campaigns to La Crosse on Tuesday night. Emily Berge and Rebecca Cooke answered 22 questions during a fast-paced forum that lasted about an hour and a half. The event, driven by questions submitted by Democrats across Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, covered a wide array of topics, ranging from protecting clean water and immigration to funding for Medicaid and SNAP. Among the issues raised was the current state of the U.S. Supreme Court, specifically addressing its partisan divide and how justices are appointed. Emily Berge suggested implementing 18-year term limits for the high court, followed by a system where new justices are selected every two years. "President Trump, he's appointed three justices to the court and I think Biden did, he appointed one,” Berge told the audience at the Concordia Ballroom. “And so every two years would allow a more — though there's probably still be some holes — but it would allow more regular appointments and more fairness and equality that way." Cooke agreed with the call for term limits but focused her response on tightening the ethical guidelines for the bench. "Creating a code of ethics for justices,” Cooke said. “II think you've seen an incredible culture of corruption on the Supreme Court. The way that folks have been lining their pockets with special interest dollars from all sorts of people to be influenced to the way that they're voting — or that they're ruling on cases." The candidates were also asked about what Congress can do to help with affordable housing and support homeowners in Wisconsin. Cooke emphasized leveraging federal grants to spark new construction. "Things that I can be supportive of in Congress,” Cooke said, “is that I can advocate for more federal community black grants, which incentivize developers to build affordable housing, making it, again, more affordable for them to build,so that we can get working families there." Berge talked about the benefits of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), but also stressed maximizing existing federal channels. "But we do need funds, so we can do that though through HUD, through CDBG funding, which is Community Development Block Grant,” Berge said. “And right now, what the city of Eau Claire does, is that hands out to a lot of nonprofits, but we can do it for — if we had more. We have almost $1 million through CDBG funding — but if we had more funds, we could spread out that, uh, to for more solutions." While the primary for this race is scheduled for August, voters will have a few more opportunities to hear the candidates debate. Before the August vote, the pair will square off in two more forums — one in Platteville on June 18, followed by an Eau Claire forum July 16.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US House candidate Emily Berge in studio, discussing the issues she’s hearing from the people around Wisconsin’s 3rd District — healthcare, money in politics, the price of gas, and healthcare (again). We started the show, though, discussing party “infighting” — this trigger word political parties use to call out the other side, and how maybe this “infighting” isn’t such a terrible thing vs. an entire party being unified on everything. After that, we talked about how, traveling the district, Berge hears complaints about healthcare and money in politics a lot. Berge talks about her ideas on how to resolve those issues, like Medicare-for-All and ending Citizens United, plus having representatives that are ready to fight for those ideals. Berge also talks about the money in her race and how she was asked not to run. Lastly, we discussed gas prices and the war, where Berge talks about the need to focus and prioritize on issues back home vs. things like a war with Iran.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A day after a conversation about creating a county committee on data centers, UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky joined and toyed with the idea of also having a committee for bringing Costco to the area. It's a matter that was discussed years ago, when River Point District, downtown, had interest from Costco, and was rehashed this week with the La Crosse County Board chair, as well as Jason Spangler's As I See It. Aside from that, however, Chergosky helped break down the gerrymandering wars that could come to Wisconsin. But, also, does the general public know what gerrymandering means? We asked Chergosky if this term is familiar with his new students at UW-L. That actually led to a whole other discussion about student knowledge, cheating with A.I., how students take notes (notebook, or computer?) and the benefits of teaching cursive in grade school — plus can people even read my cursive. After that, more state politics, including back to being pro rigging the voting maps as a way to win the Wisconsin governor election, plus how a $2.5 billion deal between three retiring politicians failed, and what it says about looking ahead to the makeup of state government next year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He might feel the rumble of nearly 200 motorcycles ride by his house Saturday, as Big Bikes for Little Tikes celebrates 30 years with 9-year-old Tucker Lovelace. The ride through the Coulee Region helps raise money for the Viroqua kid who has medical needs nobody—especially a 9-year-old—should ever have to endure. The ride should be buzzing by his house as they take off from Great River Harley in Onalaska, go through Viroqua, and end up at Features in Holmen to help make Tucker and his family's wish come true—helping get him the $15,000 medical bed he needs to sleep safely. With 30 years of Big Bikes, there are surely stories to tell and riders who have been to more than a few of these events to help kids with medical needs. Hoping to capture those stories Saturday—so look for her on the reverse three-wheeler — is Nicole Aarstad, host of the YouTube channel, Know How TV. We might have joked about the trike she's going to ride, but Aarstad hopes to document the ride live and tell some of the stories that come with the hundreds of people donating time and money out of their day to help these kids. Registration: Saturday, 9-11 a.m. at Great River Harley-Davidson (Onalaska) Kickstands Up: 11 a.m. After-party: Features in Holmen. Donate or Register Online: 957therock.com Coverage on YouTube at KnowHowTV See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We couldn't get La Crosse County Board chair Tina Tryggestad to ban data centers, but we did have a good talk about a new committee being formed to study the structures. We also navigated the budget landscape at the state, city, and county levels — including the benefits of the county having an administrator while the city still toils with the idea. We looked at how the county stays stable while the city faces shortfalls, and why those talks of a city administrator have gone silent the last few months. At the state level, we discussed the budget surplus and the deal three retiring state politicians came up with behind closed doors to spend that $2.5 billion before it was voted down — a deal that basically ignored municipalities. Tryggestad is just starting her second term as board chair and we talked about the 10 "green" members of the board and how they'll have to learn on the fly to manage a government with 25 departments and 1,200 employees. We also joked that perhaps during those lessons, the two members of the board with four and five decades of experience — Ralph Geary and Steve Doyle — should give speeches about the "good ole days." Lastly, Tryggestad gave her take on the word transparency and we discussed how the public shouldn't need to be spoon-fed what local government is up to, but also how we could spoon-feed the info anyway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saturday marks the 30th year of Big Bikes for Little Tikes. For those who don’t know, this is the Coulee Region’s version of Make-A-Wish — with motorcycles. This year, they ride for a 9-year-old Viroqua boy named Tucker Lovelace, who is going through medical hardships no person — let alone child — should have to endure. Bags from 95.7 The Rock — which hosts the event each year — joined to talk about Tucker, his family, and their “wish.” The two also reminisced about past Big Bikes kids — some who have grown up and some who have passed on. Ride Logistics & Registration Online Registration: Visit 957therock.com. Day-of Registration: 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Great River Harley-Davidson in Onalaska. The Ride: Kickstands go up at 11 a.m. After-party: The ride ends at Features Sports Bar & Grill in Holmen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse teachers’ union president Jill Schams in studio discussing how political groups like theirs needs to be, how things might be different without Act 10 and her thoughts on historic status of district buildings. Schams, who’s president of the La Crosse Education Association, also talks about the school cellphone ban, new names and mascots for the new and renovated elementary schools, and staffing as the district consolidates buildings. We spent most of our time, though, on politics on various topics. Generally, though, just how schools, teachers and students are all affected by what happens in Madison and Washington, DC., and how teacher groups, union groups and school districts need to navigate those waters. That discussion includes a look at Act 10, which could be struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and how things might be different without it. There is also the matter of the $600 million deal struck by three retiring politicians in the state for education funding and how details are needed to take a stance. In terms of direct La Crosse School District issues, Schams is asked about potential complications that come with buildings getting historic status. When Logan Middle School closed, it was deemed historic after the fact, and the same thing is happening with Emerson Elementary, which will close after next school year. The Lincoln building is still going through a selling process years later, and the district is currently fighting historic status for Emerson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

City council president Tamra Dickinson in studio helping discuss regulating e-bikes, defining downtown, and the missing public meeting on city admin while the public hears about pools and Pearl Street. We open the show though with a quick nugget about why United Airlines is delaying flights between La Crosse and Chicago until October. We also talked quick about filling city committee roles and whether to consolidate some of those meetings. The two big topics though were about the council meeting Thursday over e-bike regulations, which deal somewhat with whether Riverside Park is part of downtown (because you can't bike on sidewalks downtown). After that, Dickinson was asked where the city administrator conversation is happening. While the city conducts public meetings on a potential indoor aquatics center and a new look for Pearl Street downtown, nothing has come on city administrator — which has been a focal point of city government talks for two years. Also, with the city council having intensive conversations in committee and at monthly meetings over the budget, we talked about how a city administrator might facilitate those talks. We also hit on the council having final say on historic status of buildings, including Emerson Elementary School, the city cutting down trees on Rose Street, Drift Cycle spots on the north side.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mac Kiel in studio helping break down what’s happening in La Crosse city government, including a look at e-bike regulation and why the seems to be no city administrator conversation, while we’re conducing pool and Pearl Street meetings. First, though, Kiel talks a bit about the Finance and Personnel Committee meeting’s discussing Thursday about the budget. Kiel talks about how the council had some good questions for the finance director on why the city puts its budget together the way it does. This was a topic last year, as the city scrambled to balance the budget and talked about the same dilemma with the order it’s constructed. After that, we weaved a city administrator conversation into the public meetings the city is having surrounding the potential building of a $30 million indoor aquatics facility and the other public meeting about a new vision for Pearl Street downtown. Lastly, we talked about the Judiciary and Administrative Committee’s look at what could be considered regulation or deregulation when it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters. It’s illegal to bike in Riverside Park? That was one part of the conversation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Scinta wears a few different hats in the Coulee Region. He’s the CEO of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce. He's a political science professor at both UW-La Crosse and Viterbo, where he's also involved with servant leadership. So, naturally, we brought Scinta on the Rick Solem Show to spend most of our time talking about ... movies? It'll make sense when you listen, but we did eventually wrap up with the state of the Chamber. Scinta co-hosts the Civics and Cinema program that's been going on the past two years at the Rivoli Theatre. Along with Dr. Rick Kyte — director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership — the two invite the public to come watch a historical movie, followed by a group discussion about its impact. Scinta sees the series as a way to step back from the current political noise and use classic films to talk about the fundamental building blocks of a healthy community. It’s less about a current events Q&A and more about a shared experience in a dark theater that gets people thinking about our civic responsibilities in a different way. This month, they'll be watching the 1976 Watergate classic, All the President’s Men. We talked why Hollywood doesn't really make "adult" movies — Scinta's word — like this anymore — films that drive real conversation. The screening will happen at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Rivoli. The cost is $5 and 100% of the proceeds go back to local nonprofits. We did wrap up the conversation by getting into what exactly the Chamber of Commerce is and who is actually involved. Scinta admits it’s a bit of a "mystical entity" to some, but it's really a network that includes thousands of local employees — from the big corporations down to the one-man shops and even college students. We also hit on the "big three" issues the Chamber is looking at right now, like the push for a city administrator in La Crosse and how the region is going to handle the "demographic cliff" and keep young talent in the area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn a little bit about Parkinson's Disease and how to stave it off with Bri Holden. She's the program coordinator at the Star Center in La Crosse. The Center has its 4th Annual Parkinson's Walk and Awareness event from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday at Myrick Park in La Crosse. Holden talks to us a little bit about the disease, which isn't curable, and how to fight it off through exercise — which is exactly what they do at the Star Center. Click here for info and to take part in Saturday's event, which will feature a 1-mile walk, along with food trucks, live music, exercise demonstrations, resource booths and children's activities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ingrid Lyons, executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, joined to talk about a renewed mining threat to the pristine wilderness area that encompasses 1.1 million acres in northern Minnesota. We start off with the unique landscape of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the new dilemma with a foreign mining company (Antofagasta/Twin Metals) wanting to mine upstream. Lyons explains the havoc that sulfide-ore mining wreaks on the region and the irony of branding it a "national security" project when the extracted minerals are destined for China. Next, how we got here: Republicans leveraged a legislative tool that previously had never been used to overturn a mineral withdrawal — the Congressional Review Act (CRA) — to undo a 20-year protection order put in place in 2023. Then Republicans in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House (with only one exception) passed the legislation and President Donald Trump signed it into law last week — essentially throwing out 675,000 public comments overwhelmingly against mining the area and years of scientific study pointing to its ill effects. Lastly, we try to understand the end game, because very little of this will benefit the U.S. or Minnesota — and maybe not even the mining company. Lyons addresses whether the project is even economically viable, noting it doesn't appear to benefit the Chilean billionaire's company directly since they have zero-dollar smelting contracts to send those minerals to China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson in studio discussing whether Wisconsin should get into the gerrymandering wars, ways to better communicate with constituents and some of the dilemmas she’s hearing from those in her district. We started the show discussing outreach — holding office hours, hosting town halls and other ways to reach constituents. That conversation started because Johnson has put 70,000 miles on her car, including hosting town halls throughout the state on her proposal for a BadgerCare public option. After that, we got into some of the issues she’s hearing, including one that’s a big off the radar but relatable to the housing crisis happening everywhere — outside entities are coming into Wisconsin, buying up mobile home parks and jacking up the rent and utilities. The second half of the show dealt a bit with the gerrymandering wars, as Republican states are changing their voting maps and stopping elections in the middle of voting, while Democratic states are going to the polls and asking voters if they want to change their maps. An issue started by Donald Trump telling Texas Republicans to change their voting maps. Johnson was asked multiple times if she would be in favor of changing voting maps if things kept getting worse for Democrats. In Wisconsin, politicians who control the Legislature decide how the maps are drawn but Gov. Tony Evers called a special election a month ago to change this process to a nonpartisan voting commission. Though Republicans have gaveled in and immediately out of all 13 prior Evers’ special elections, this one remains open. And Johnson talks about where she stands on the issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest events that happens in La Crosse every year is going to remain a staple of the city through the year 2034. The WIAA and UW-L worked out its longest deal ever, eight years, to keep the state track and field meet here. La Crosse is always looking to expand the types of events it can host but state track has been a staple since the early 1990s. But, recently we've seen the addition of the WIAA state team wrestling meet in town, as well as other regional and national events. Helping bring those events to the region is Explore La Crosse. Jeremiah Burish is the sports sales director there. He joined to help discuss getting the state track deal done, what other events could be in the works — like potential bids for state gymnastics or cross country — and some of the high-profile competitions coming to the area. That includes a massive showcase later this month, as UW-La Crosse prepares to host the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at Roger Harring Stadium from May 21–23, and the La Crosse Center will host the DIII wrestling championships next year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From A New Hope to The Mandalorian, it's a Star Wars day on this May the 4th with Rivoli Theatre co-owners Jon and Clara Gelatt in studio. What's your first Star Wars memory? Did mom also throw all your toys away? Are the old movies still the best? Is the Star Wars universe oversaturated thanks to Disney? The Rivoli is playing A New Hope at 5 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. with discounts for those who dress up or bring their lightsabers. The night will feature specialty drinks — perhaps some blue milk — and preshow trivia. A New Hope will also play through Thursday. Aside from Star Wars, we wrapped up the show looking ahead to a massive month at the Rivoli including: May 9 — The Greatest Showman: Sing and Dance Along! May 12 — Civics and Cinema Presents: All the President's Men, that will include a discussion following the movie led by political scientist Dr. Sam Scinta and Viterbo's Dr. Rick Kyte. March 18 — Kings of Kubb: about the Nordic lawn game. The night will feature documentary Upper Midwest Emmy Award filmmakers B.J. Hollars and Steve Dayton for a brief Q&A following the showing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todd Fergot joined to talk about the big role he was just awarded, becoming the executive director of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and some their priorities, like implementing a shot clock and expanding the state tournament. Fergot has been the boys basketball coach at Central High in La Crosse for 22 years and that’s not changing. But he now takes over this statewide organization that oversees both boys and girls basketball. We talk the WBCA’s big priorities, including the positives and negatives around implementing a 35-second shot clock, what it means to expand the state tournament and getting participation back up in girls basketball. Along with state tournament expansion, we also talked about the idea of playing at other venues, like Lambeau Field or the Brewers stadium. Fergot noted part of the deal to take on the WBCA role was to remain coach at Central and we discuss some of his legacy there, like getting to state six times, winning and losing titles and coaching players like Johnny Davis, who was taken No. 10 in the NBA draft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not often you randomly go to interview someone and learn she's the wife of your old high school coach, but that's just what happened in talking with Stephanie Hauser. Not only is she the WIAA's executive director, but her husband is my old basketball coach from Hortonville High School. But we skipped right over how much Dave Hauser may have yelled at me in gym class and immediately had to talk about their son, Sam Hauser, who's a starter for the Boston Celtics, an NBA champion and one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Then we talked about their daughter Nicki Hauser being an assistant volleyball coach at Missouri, which is playing Nebraska at Wrigley Field this fall. After that, we got into some WIAA business, including keeping state track and field at UW-La Crosse through 2034 — an eight-year deal and one of the longest deals they've ever done. Before we discussed that deal — which she told me after the podcast (because she was off on her figures at the end) is for $145,000 a year — we talked about my idea to have state football at Lambeau Field or state baseball at the Brewers stadium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The director of "sin" tax — or excise taxes — joins to talk about the effects of a gas tax holiday, what Wisconsin gains and is missing out on with legalizing sports betting and marijuana, plus Adam Hoffer is on a mission to walk every street in the city of La Crosse. We start with the definition of sin or excise tax, and why Hoffer views the gas tax differently as a "user fee" for road maintenance. We then examine calls Hoffer has been taking at the Tax Foundation lately about a gas tax holiday, and what that could mean to our road infrastructure when nearly every dollar of that tax is funneled directly into transportation budgets. After that, we discuss Hoffer’s walking tour and his goal to cover all 250 miles of city streets, plus how he leads the Emerson Elementary students to school on Wednesdays. The conversation then turns to the proposed indoor aquatic center at the Northside Community Pool site, as the first of five public meetings was happening just after we recorded. Hoffer, who sat on the UW-La Crosse Faculty Senate during the construction of the $49 million field house, offers perspective on potential funding hurdles, recalling how a single bid jump added $6 million to that project's bottom line. Lastly, we break down Wisconsin’s legalization of sports gambling and the tens of millions in windfall the state could see, as well as how much it loses by not legalizing marijuana — as all of Wisconsin's neighbors move toward established legal markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse’s housing crisis is a multi-front battle involving soaring rents, stagnant inventory, and a lack of available homes. To highlight these challenges and explore potential solutions, Natalie Heneghan, community outreach director at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region, joined us in studio to preview Housing Week. From the drivers behind high rent to the struggles of local builders and the city’s pending zoning code updates, Heneghan broke down the upcoming seminar schedule. Before diving into the policy, we recapped the impact of last weekend’s Neighbor’s Day and then turned our attention to the unique culture at Habitat La Crosse. The organization is powered by a team of 12 — 11 of whom are women. Then there’s Ralph, the dog. We talked about the dynamic of being a women-led organization and Ralph’s official role on the website: “Director of First Impressions.” we spoke with Heneghan regarding the Heritage Preservation Commission’s recent vote to grant historic designation to Emerson Elementary School. The seven-member commission voted in favor of the designation, with Heneghan and Mackenzie Mindel casting the only two “no” votes. The school is slated to close after the next academic year. The school district is currently fighting the historic status, arguing that the designation will restrict future redevelopment options for the site.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) in studio to discuss the "good old days" in Madison, how partisan politics affects getting bills passed, where he stands on online sports gambling, and what the state should do about AI data centers. We also talked about the upcoming open house at La Crosse County’s newly renovated Hillview Healthcare Center. As a member of the county board, Doyle discussed the $19 million project’s unique features, including a first-of-its-kind intergenerational daycare. In terms of state politics, the conversation centered around this statistic: of the 500 bills introduced by Democrats this past session, only 19 got a committee hearing. Doyle pointed out that when Democrats last controlled the Legislature, roughly 40% of Republican bills received a hearing — a stark contrast to the 3.8% rate currently seen in Madison. We also discussed whether getting a bill signed into law actually boosts a candidate's stock during a campaign. Doyle shared a story about a "stolen" bill he had written and saw passed by a Republican. He also highlighted his recently passed legislation capping crypto kiosk deposits at $1,000 per day to protect residents from rampant fraud. We ended the show discussing online sports betting — which was just signed into law by the governor — and the urgent need for the Legislature to address data centers, which Doyle warns can create astronomical energy demands and offer very few long-term jobs despite receiving massive tax breaks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Garcia, the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Party chair in Wisconsin, joined to discuss Wisconsin's candy-soda ban, Democrats winning on the economy for the first time since 2010 — according to FOX, yes FOX — and just how he's feeling about the midterms. We began the show with then-and-now, asking Garcia about the "mixed bag" of the 2024 election —balancing heartbreak of federal losses with the success of picking up 10 state Legislature seats. Garcia explains why flipping the state Assembly is now the primary target and how those new boundaries have shifted the political landscape for incumbents like Republican Derek Van Orden in the US House. We then get into the FOX poll on the economy, where 52% now trust Democrats. We hit on the 32% spike in gas prices tied to the conflict in Iran to the $162 billion corporate "tariff refund" that's like a gift to retailers like Walmart. In the second half of the show, we dive into a new Wisconsin law that the use of food stamps on soda and candy — except for things like ice cream, because "Wisconsin," of course. We look how the government needs to spend $73 million to ban poor people from using food stamps to buy a Mt. Dew, and also Trump's Big Beautiful Bill only complicates this more by opening the door for the feds to take up to $200 million in federal funding away for food stamps. We wrap up with the Trump administration targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center. We did hit on two funny nonpolitical stories. One, a quote on dating from actor Henry Cavil saying, "If you like her, just ask her out. It always works for me." And another story on a California man arrested after returning $34,000 worth of Lego sets with macaroni in the boxes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 10 out of 10. That’s how interesting, or maybe it was how "important," Mac Kiel thought the April monthly city council meeting was. She stopped in studio to help recap the meeting, which included things like the city police being a couple hundred thousand dollars over budget, while other city departments were under budget and how the city council learned of this over the past few weeks. Another thing the council apparently learned over the past few weeks is that the city had around $300,000 in ARPA interest funding with no official plan to use it. That led to one council member proposing using $90,000 to open the North Side Community Pool this summer last minute. So, we discussed that revelation and the dilemmas to having the pool open for the season — while there are also plans to build a new indoor pool facility at that site potentially. We also discussed — to a degree — using $400,000 in TID money on the Civic Center Park District. It’s a thing we discussed before it made its round on council and how the TID money does or does not have to be used before it expires. Lastly, we talked about the La Crosse School Board’s decision earlier this week to keep the old name for a new elementary school, while renaming an old school. We also discussed briefly the names that were not picked. Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It happened this show, trying to recall a famous name from the 1990s and going through the steps with your mind to get there. Is it Alzheimer’s? No, and Dr. Kimberly Mueller, an associate professor at UW-Madison and researcher at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, was there firsthand to explain it. Mueller joined the show ahead of her visit to town to give us a look at the current state of dementia and Alzheimer’s research. We dive into the “blood test revolution” making early detection easier, the local impact of the WRAP study at Mayo in La Crosse, and the lifestyle changes that actually work for prevention — all while getting a glimpse into how an expert in the field spends a typical day. We began the conversation by discussing why these “tip of the tongue” moments — like trying to recall the Mark McGwire using creatine to hit homers scandal — are actually a standard part of typical aging that many of us notice as early as our 40s. Mueller explains that even experts in the field experience these lapses, but she clarifies the specific “red flag” for when word-finding transitions from a normal annoyance to a medical concern. That McGwire connection led to a deeper look at the diagnostic side of the field, where simple blood tests are now replacing invasive brain scans to detect changes earlier than ever before. Much of this data comes from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) — one of the largest studies of its kind — which operates a research site right here at Mayo Clinic in La Crosse. From there, the discussion shifted to the prevention side of the research, exploring why heart health and exercise are proving more effective than “brain games.” Mueller explains that while staying active might not stop the biological proteins of Alzheimer’s from forming, keeping your cardiovascular system in check is a major reason dementia prevalence is actually starting to trend downward. Lastly, we asked Mueller what a professor who researches, studies, and teaches about dementia does in a typical day. Mueller explains her expertise in studying the brain by listening to the way we speak. She breaks down how her team uses digital recordings to analyze “acoustic measures” — the subtle timing, pauses, and sounds within our speech — to identify microscopic red flags that the human ear simply cannot hear. Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online, email here or request a speaker online at badgertalks.wisc.edu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best and worst from La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey’s first year in office, as he stops in studio just days after that anniversary. We also discuss the city’s decision to appeal the Town of Campbell’s incorporation, the ongoing conversation around the north side pool, community outreach, and the reimagining of Pearl Street. We began the show highlighting Washington-Spivey’s top year-one successes before tackling the tougher challenges. That led to a bit of a deep dive into city budget talks and how La Crosse qualifies for between $1-2 million in state funding by staying under a strict spending cap — something that was also discussed in the last city council meeting. Another big part of our conversation — and the last city council meeting — was the status of the north side pool. The Mayor weighs in on the council voting down $90,000 in funding to operate the pool this summer, its need for $1 million in repairs, and the potential collaboration between the city and school district to build a year-round indoor facility. After that, the Mayor was asked about the legal tension with the Town of Campbell wanting to incorporate and the city’s reasons for appealing that decision. In the second half of the show, we break down the features of the new city website and how to get the community better involved and informed on what’s happening within government. We also hit on a couple of things happening, including why the city is putting off a decision on bike lanes down Green Bay Street and the details about how La Crosse could revamp Pearl Street to be better for both community and business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio discussing how Wisconsin's US House members use the F bomb more than anyone, taxpayers are now paying for Badgers players and have state Republicans lost their "muscle." We started the show with the Brewers "city" Wisco jerseys, which led to how our state Legislature will do anything to use taxpayer money on sports. From the $500 million Brewers stadium funding deal a few years ago to the state signing into law this week using $14.6 million to pay Badgers players. Chergosky offered an interesting theory: lawmakers are just giant Badger fans who are terrified of losing ground to Indiana and Michigan — the National Champions in football and men's basketball. Next, we recapped the spring election fallout on the GOP side. With a 20-point blowout in the Supreme Court race, we discussed the "lazy GOP" theory, put forth by Bill McCoshen, a prominent Republican strategist and former top advisor to Tommy Thompson. It's the idea that years of favorable maps left the party organizationally "out of shape" and unable to scrap for votes now that the playing field has leveled. Lastly, we get to analysis of who in Congress uses the F word the most, and it turns out two of the top three are US House members from Wisconsin. And the list is bipartisan — Republican Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Mark Pocan. Lastly, we get to analysis of who in Congress uses the F word the most, and it turns out two of the top three are US House members from Wisconsin. And the list is bipartisan — Republican Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Mark Pocan. That, though, led to a discussion about the Third Congressional District race and Van Orden's recent social media push for a debate. Chergosky noted that Van Orden seems ready to bypass the primary entirely to take on Rebecca Cooke, who still has to defeat Emily Berge in August. Van Orden hasn't debated in either of his past two races. The last time he debated was before a 2020 loss to Ron Kind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandela Barnes is back on the campaign trail, this time running for governor, and he stopped in studio leaning heavily into a "working class vs. corporate greed" narrative. Throughout the show, Barnes hit on his priorities, giving a Top 10 of what he’d like to get done that included expanding BadgerCare, fully funding public schools, and increasing the minimum wage. He also detailed plans to freeze utility rates, tax billionaires, and implement universal childcare, arguing that Wisconsin has "backslid" while neighboring states have pulled ahead. We didn't just talk about his "wish list," though. We also threw Barnes a bit of a conspiracy theory that Republicans in the Legislature — including retiring leadership — might be trying to "set the state up to fail," by draining the budget surplus before a potential Democratic takeover. Barnes also took aim at US House Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, calling his support of certain federal policies a "dereliction of duty" that has left Wisconsin family farms and small businesses footing the bill. The conversation wrapped with skepticism about AI data centers in the state. Barnes joined the pushback against the "secrecy deals" and non-disclosure agreements that often surround these projects, arguing that if big tech wants to use Wisconsin’s water and energy, they shouldn't be doing it behind closed doors — or at the expense of local ratepayers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse City Council president Tamra Dickinson in studio for our monthly deep dive into the April council cycle. On the show, we discuss shifting operating budget funding, where the city administrator talk should be happening, and what's the latest for the old Kmart lot. We also hit on the idea of building an indoor pool facility and the debate over Emerson Elementary School getting historic designation. But we started with a "restart" on the Kmart site—why a last-minute decision to split the lot into four parcels is pushing the project back another 30 days. We also dig into the "orthopedic" history of Emerson and why the school district is pushing back against a landmark status that could complicate a future sale and how the council will have the final say. Sticking with the school district, we discuss how the indoor pool proposal could cost anywhere from $30-$50 million and Dickinson breaks down how those conversations are moving forward. Finally, when it comes to city finance, we look at the "controversial" process of shuffling operating budget money between departments to cover those "in the red," plus the $450,000 use of TID money for Civic Center Park. That leads to talk on how these budget items highlight the need for a City Administrator, but where exactly are those conversations happening?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Murphy on the environmental suck of AI data centers and Wisconsin's Supreme Court race He's what we like to call our political blowhard — politics and economics expert Adam Murphy recently joined the show to discuss the cost of AI data centers, the cost of gasoline vs. EVs and whether gender might play a role in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. We start with the physical infrastructure of AI and why RAM prices are exploding as data centers transition from simple storage to massive processing hubs. That led into the "resource sucking" reality of these data centers in Wisconsin and across the world —as I again compare them to what happens in the movie Oblivion — and whether the state should mandate that tech giants over-produce for the local power grid to keep electricity costs down for everyone else. We then moved on to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race and why the candidates' gender might be a bigger variable for Republican voters than Democrats in the upcoming Chris Taylor vs. Maria Lazar matchup. We finished off the show breaking down the EV math and why charging at home is essentially paying $1.64 a gallon (last week), which makes "range anxiety" for people like Adam’s 72-year-old mother mostly a myth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers does the Friday news dump, vetoing no tax on tips and overtime, and the state doesn’t have a villain to make voters care about a Supreme Court race. Those were the big topics we covered with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky. We also looked at the politics behind whether leaders in the state Legislature and the governor — who are all retiring — are going to do anything with property tax relief and the budget surplus. But, we began with Chris Taylor smoking Maria Lazar in funding in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race which is on the spring ballot, but because there’s no Elon Musk to bring attention to it, and the balance of the court isn’t on the line, it’s almost going unheard. After that, we discussed the reasoning behind Evers vetoing no tax on tips and overtime — two of over 20 bills he vetoed. Part of that discussion included that Evers is retiring so there are no repercussion to the vetoes, which seem unpopular. That led us to another issue with Evers retiring — the fact that it’s just him, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu being the only ones negotiating possible property tax relief. All three are not seeking reelection — retiring from politics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of ideas we've been talking about for years on WIZM are now being put into action at La Crosse City Hall. Jenna Dinkel, an associate city planner, joined to discuss La Crosse bringing back the iconic "Hatched Baby" or blue baby, as well as a the reimagining of Pearl Street in downtown La Crosse. Hatched Baby was vandalized years ago and the city had to take it down. But artists have now restored the 9-foot-tall artwork and we are brainstorming the best places in La Crosse to place it. After that, Dinkel talks about the reimagining of Pearl Street downtown into, what we've been saying is La Crosse version of Madison's State Street — a pedestrian-only street. The city has three concept plans for how it could change Pearl Street ahead of possible construction in 2029.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terry Bauer in the WIZM studio, telling us about the Moon Tunes tribute party Thursday at the Rivoli Theatre in downtown La Crosse, ahead of the 15th year of this concert series at Riverside Park. The event is free but it's already half full. Tickets can be found on the Rivoli website here. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the tribute video begins at 6:30 p.m. There will be raffles drawn throughout the night, which Bauer goes over. After that, we get into what we can expect from Moon Tunes this summer — the first concert is set for June 4 (schedule).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez stopped in studio to discuss her campaign to become Wisconsin's next governor hitting on everything from housing to childcare to minimum wage and marijuana — plus how weird her current job is. After getting to know the former healthcare executive and public health expert, we dove into her "nurse-first" approach to policy, including a bold childcare plan that caps family costs at 7% of income and her push to legalize recreational marijuana as a way to finally bridge the state’s school funding gap. We also got into the "infuriating" housing market and why she believes the state needs to prioritize building starter homes for ownership, not just more rentals. Plus, we pull back the curtain on just how "weird" the job of Lieutenant Governor actually is—from the "shotgun marriage" of the ticket to how she’d hand off major responsibilities to her own No. 2 if elected.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stadium food prices are getting out of hand, and Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff was in studio to discuss how legislative action could bring costs down for fans. Pfaff (D-Onalaska) broke down his “Stop the Squeeze” bill, which would cap concession prices at state-funded stadiums at 20% profit margins. We also compared what must be the best and worst concession deals in baseball — a St. Louis Cardinals ticket-food package that has to be cheaper than a lot of restaurants, while the LA Dodgers’ all-you-can-drink soda price is so steep that Pfaff couldn’t even guess the cost. Also on the show, we discussed Gov. Tony Evers and Republican leaders Devin LeMahieu and Robin Vos working behind the scenes on a compromise for property tax relief and public school funding. Pfaff noted the irony of these closed-door talks, as all three men are set to leave office after this term, leaving the rank-and-file legislators, who are actually running for re-election out of the loop. We started the show discussing the possibility of a special session called by Evers to establish a nonpartisan redistricting commission to create fair voting maps, and got into how the Legislature is already done with its work for the year — highlighting a state Senate session that lasted only one day this month in a frantic attempt to pass 111 bills, of which only 80 made it to a vote before leadership called it quits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mac Kiel in studio previewing committee week for the city of La Crosse, which includes potentially spending thousands of dollars in TID money like it’s an expiring gift card, that includes some big projects. Kiel helps explain—with the help of TID expert John Kovari from UW-L speaking with us before the show—some of the potential avenues for spending the money, which includes moving up the timetable on $450,000 in Civic Center Park upgrades, covering cost overruns on the $4 million Wagon Wheel Trail grant, or making the final $120,000 payment to the wastewater treatment plant. We also discussed the $10,000 library mural, how the Cameron Park farmers market on Sundays will be a little bit more than what’s traditionally been there, and a look back at the closed session regarding the Radisson. We also we break down the difference between those secret meetings and the "special meeting" appeal for a North Side business happening next week. Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holocaust survivor Irene Miller stopped in studio to tell her story, ahead of Thursday’s event at Viterbo University. Miller tells her tale of resilience that defies imagination, beginning when she was 6 years old, her family fleeing the Germans to Warsaw for the "safety" of the Soviet Union. What they found instead was a frozen exile in Siberian labor camps and a desperate fight against starvation in Uzbekistan. This isn't just a history lesson; it is a conversation about the "chutzpah," as Miller tells it, it takes to survive when everything — and everyone — is taken from you. The frozen forest: Hear Miller describe Siberian winters so cold that birds froze to the trees, and the wooden shacks where families huddled for warmth. Survival on "Boiled grass:" Miller recounts the near-starvation in Uzbekistan where her family was forced to eat boiled leaves and onions to stay alive. A legacy of loss: Out of an extended family of over 100 people, Miller was the only one to survive the "graveyard" that Poland had become. A message for 2026: At 93 years old, Miller shares her candid perspective on the "hate and divisiveness" she sees today and why she still believes in the "goodness of every baby." Miller was joined by Holocaust educator Darryle Clott, who asked, "How is it possible that after those horrible things, you are still positive?" Miller’s answer to that question is something every person needs to hear. Event Details: Miller will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Viterbo Fine Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public. Guests should plan to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to get a seat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson (D-Shelby) stopped in studio to help recap the work the state Legislature got done and what still needs to be accomplished — but won't. We began the show discussing how the Legislature is done working for the rest of 2026, despite the need for property tax relief, education and childcare funding, along with Democratic priorities like raising the minimum wage and creating a public option for healthcare. The latter is a recent proposal from Johnson, who describes what it means for Wisconsin to have a BadgerCare public option for health insurance. Johnson also helps break down the final days of session, and if the state Assembly set the Senate up to fail. Last week the Senate met for one day to pass 111 bills but only got through a portion of them before calling it quits for the year. Johnson argues the Assembly didn't set the Senate up to fail, but the two branches work very differently. She described the Assembly, run by Republican Speaker Robin Vos, as authoritarian, while characterizing the Senate GOP, led by Republican Devin LeMahieu, as anarchy. Coincidentally enough, both Vos and LeMahieu are now retiring, which is perhaps a sign that Republicans expect a shift in power after the fall elections, as the new maps keep shaping the politics in the state. Johnson also discussed how the governor could call the Legislature back for a special session to codify a process to create fair voting maps. In terms of what the Legislature did get done, some of it was non-controversial and Johnson talks of these, including Gail's Law, postpartum Medicaid expansion from 60 days to a year and PFAS funding. Others, though, like sports betting legalization and allotting $14.6 million in taxpayer dollars for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to essentially pay athletes NIL money, come with some baggage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If he's going to run for president, his slogan might be, "Washington needs a good powerwashing." Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's former Chief of Staff, stopped in the WIZM studio ahead of a town hall at UW-La Crosse to discuss some issues with D.C. That included his 75-year-old mandatory retirement age, banning prediction market betting for federal employees and their families, and how to help secondary education institutions, like Western Technical College. Emanuel was also asked how he’d get the U.S. out of the war with Iran, and he agreed with the concern over a Commander in Chief whose military objectives change by the hour. Emanuel argued that while troops are risking their lives, D.C. insiders are "betting against America" through predictive markets and normalized corruption — stating that Washington needs a "2x4 upside their head" to refocus on governing. On the domestic side, Emanuel claimed that the federal government is AWOL on job training. He proposed a massive shift in priorities, suggesting that instead of spending millions building detention centers, the U.S. should invest that money into "educational excellence" at places like Western Tech to fill the massive shortage of electricians and nurses. He also touched on the need for federal-state partnerships to modernize technical schools and ensure the next generation is ready for high-paying, middle-class careers. Emanuel is a former U.S. Congressman, White House Chief of Staff to Barack Obama, two-term Mayor of Chicago, and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio, discussing the end of the Wisconsin state Legislature's work for the year that essentially got the second-highest ranking Republican to quit — but it wasn't over banning milkshakes from legislation. Before we got into that though, WIZM's Brad Williams joined to discuss how the farmers market is coming back to Cameron Park — just on a different day — and how the prospect of having an indoor pool between the city and the school district is going. After that, we got into how "Big Milkshake" created its own exemption in a state bill that bans poor people from buying candy or soda with food stamps in Wisconsin, but they can still have their ice cream. It's a ban that will cost millions of dollars in added administrative costs, and another $5-6 million to create such a database. We also discussed how the second-highest ranking Republican is retiring now due to two sports bills he allowed Democrats to help pass — one that essentially gives the Wisconsin Badgers $14.6 million in taxpayer money to pay players, while the other allows sports betting throughout the state. Chergosky explains the Wisconsin Senate's "Rule of 17" which means only Republicans (or who controls the state Seante but it's been Republicans over 15 years) should have the votes to pass bills. Since the two sports bills needed Democrats, Devin Lemahieu is now retiring from the Legislature because he allowed the bills to be voted on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.