The Morning Show

Green Bay native, Rob Zerjav is the 2023 Minor League Executive of the Year. We examine the past, present and future of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Then, we hear why adults should consider playing a recreational sport in the new year.

What happens next, now that Wisconsin's Republican-drawn legislative maps were ruled unconstitutional? A Marquette University Law School research fellow guides us. Then, the director of the Food is Medicine Institute argues that doctors should prescribe fruits and vegetables to treat diseases.

Time guides every aspect of human life, including when to work, study, eat, sleep and play. As we flip the calendar on a new year, we talk with the producers of a new podcast about humans' relationship with time, how to make the most of time and why there is never enough.

An investigation by KFF Health News finds a Wisconsin farmer, among others, may have died a premature death due to an FDA-approved medical device for people facing heart failure. We hear from the reporter. Then, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel team surveys Wisconsin gun owners to find why they own firearms.

More than 1 million people experience menopause each year and according to a r ecent Mayo Clinic study the experience costs women an estimated $1.8 billion in lost working time annually. We speak with a certified menopause practitioner about symptoms, myths and medications.

How often do you clean your home? Since the pandemic began, cleaning habits have shifted and now inflation is causing prices of household cleaners to rise. As money-saving strategies evolve, we talk about homemade cleaning products and their effectiveness.

For more than a decade, the number of college students graduating in the humanities has been declining and some fear job prospects are disappearing in these fields. We talk with Marquette University educators and a recent graduate about why the humanities matter and how they can be relevant.

What are the origins of breakfast cereal? A new book says the story began 10,000 years ago. The author joins the show to describe the evolution of cereal throughout history.

Exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits including improved attention, lower stress and better mood. But what if homes and offices could evoke the feeling of being outdoors? The environmental design is called biophilic, and we speak with a consultant on how to bring the outside in.

We explore one woman's journey through recovery, finding faith and healing. Caroline Beidler is the former director of Wisconsin Voices for Recovery and author of “Downstairs Church: Finding Hope in the Grit of Addiction and Trauma Recovery.”

The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America with the basin expanding to more than 30 states and 1 million square miles. However, a University of Missouri survey finds most people feel disconnected from it. We speak with an advocate about building relationships with the Mississippi.

A CBC news investigation questions the accuracy of Oscar-winning folk artist Buffy Sainte-Marie claiming Indigenous ancestry. We discuss the report with a Canadian attorney. Later, the leader of a Wisconsin nonprofit explains the significance of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail becoming a national park.

Budgets and response times are a few of the challenges facing rural police and fire departments in Wisconsin. We talk with Galesville's fire chief and Cadott's police chief about their agencies' needs.

A financial educator tells us about a new law that will require Wisconsin high school students to finish a financial literacy course before graduation. Later, the founders of a Madison-based coffee roastery react to a leading coffee magazine naming one of their roasts as the top coffee of the year.

A former Wisconsinite now works as a staff writer with Wirecutter for the New York Times. She shares Wisconsin-centric, Wirecutter-reccomended products to keep you warm and cozy this winter.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor attending COP28 outlines takeaways from the annual United Nations' climate summit. Then, Wisconsin joins over a dozen states allowing "baby box" devices at emergency facilities. We speak with an advocate about safely surrendering newborns.

Last week, the Game Awards selected “Baldur's Gate 3” as its Game of the Year for 2023. We talk with University of Wisconsin-Stout's computer science director for a review of this year's top video games and the gaming industry.

The person responsible for maintaining the Capitol's decorative paint, plaster, tile and furniture explains what the job is like and what they've learned about the building. Then state Sen. Mary Felzkowski details proposals related to hunting, First Nations and child care.

First, a member of the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team established by the state health department details how pregnant Wisconsinites are dying and what should be done to prevent these deaths. Later, a company in Delavan making high-end turntables shares how they make their record players.

College students from across the globe – and in Wisconsin – highlight research to combat the global public health crisis of antibiotic resistance. We head to Green Bay. Then, U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin talks about priorities in foreign affairs, immigration and agriculture.

Credit card issuers charged more than $130 billion in interest and fees last year, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A researcher explains newer trends in credit cards. Later, a senior writer for NerdWallet gives advice on how to best use credit cards.

Wisconsin's new State Geologist explains how environmental data is put to use by various state agencies. Then we talk with two economic development leaders about what's happening in northern Wisconsin.

People spend a third of their lives sleeping , much of it dominated by REM sleep when many dreams occur. All land animals — even spiders — have been documented to experience REM sleep. We talk with a leading authority on sleep to find out what is happening in our bodies during REM sleep.

We talk to two proponents of insect consumption as a sustainable source of nutrition. Then, WPR's state Capitol reporter reviews the latest news in state politics.

The play “Clyde's” is about formerly incarcerated staff at a truckstop diner. We talk about the collaboration between a Madison theater company and a nonprofit helping people in the criminal justice system. Then, indie musician Dessa joins us to talk about her new album and Wisconsin ties.

First, a La Crosse-based nonprofit leader discusses efforts and challenges homeless people face when looking for jobs. Then, Wisconsin Public Radio's education reporter reviews the latest on state K-12 education.

It's less than a year until the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Wisconsin is expected to be a pivotal state next November. We speak with the chairs of Wisconsin's Democratic and Republican party to learn more about their strategy heading into an election year.

We revisit conversations from WPR's "The Morning Show" and invite listeners to share their ideas for future programs.

Thorogood boots was a finalist in this year's “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” competition. We talk with the company's president. Then, a Milwaukee professor discusses his new book about the effects of buttons and switches on the human psyche.

Continuing to play the piano helped Haskell Small recover from a stroke in 2021. He talks with us in advance of a Milwaukee performance. Then, we hear from members of the UW Health nurses' union about the latest in their labor dispute with hospital administrators.

One-third of U.S. military veterans report being arrested at least once in their lives , compared to one-fifth of the general population. We learn how the Sheboygan Area Veterans Treatment Court offers vets a way to get their lives back on track.

UW-Oshkosh geology researchers are visiting Utah's Jurassic National Monument, which is known for its abundance of dinosaur fossils. We explore their excavations. Then, Miss America and Wisconsinite Grace Stanke discusses the combined box office blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”

As move-in day approaches at universities across the state, Wisconsin's TikTok star and maintenance technician Mercury Stardust explains how to make shared living spaces comfortable, functional and safe.

The Hope Diamond is one of the most iconic gems in the world. The Smithsonian caretaker is retiring to Wisconsin. Plus, along the shores of Lake Michigan in Kenosha County, researchers are taking air samples to determine sources of local pollution. We learn more.

Despite concerns about its reliability and factual accuracy, generative artificial intelligence is being tasked by some media organizations with writing news stories. A British journalism professor joins us to explain how newsrooms can utilize the technology to create better journalism.

We look at how invasive spongy moths might alter Wisconsin's forests. Then we explore how climate change is damaging wild rice harvests in Spur Lake and how ecologists and First Nations are trying to restore the plants.

Throughout Wisconsin's summer, nonprofits participate in Land Trust Day events to highlight community-led conservation. We speak with two advocates for land trusts about activities that address land and species preservation.

We discuss new federal student aid to help incarcerated people pay for higher education. Then, as childhood vaccination rates decline in Wisconsin, we learn the barriers that keep children from getting immunized against preventable diseases.

The American Medical Association inducted Milwaukee's own Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld as the organization's new president this month. He speaks about pressing issues facing health care. Later, a renowned obesity doctor discusses the association's new views on using the Body Mass Index.

A leader of the Legislature's LGBTQ+ caucus discusses two Republican bills that would ban transgender athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identities. Then, we talk with a representative from Clean Wisconsin about how animal farms are regulated and what's at stake in a new lawsuit.

A Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation report says there is a need to understand how transitioning to electric vehicles will affect the state's auto sector. The CEO explains the plan to map the EV ecosystem. Then, the Palmyra Eagle School District explains its transition to electric buses.

We're joined by a writer and a master cheesemaker to explore how Wisconsin's parmesan compares to brands from Italy. Later, Attorney General Josh Kaul delves into efforts to stop scam calls and reacts to Michigan's push to prosecute fake electors from the 2020 election.