Northern Wisconsinites Pat Kreitlow, Sarah Yacoub, and Kirk Bangstad focus on Wisconsin politics and culture through the lens of living Up North.
Ep 41: Vote April 5 Like You Remember January 6
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to the outgoing mayor of Merrill about the creeping authoritarianism that’s being found at all levels of government—federal, state, and local. Chris Hambuch-Boyle of the Wisconsin Public Education Network talks about the wild rhetoric coming from right wing groups and school board candidates. And state Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler discusses the importance of not staying home during crucial local elections on April 5.
WatchEp 39: May the 14th (Amendment) Be With You
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to Milwaukee lawyers Joe Goode and Mark Leitner about the federal lawsuit they filed against Senator Ron Johnson and Congressmen Tom Tiffany and Scott Fitzgerald for aiding the attempted presidential coup that culminated with the insurrection of January 6, 2021. Our guests first piece together the story on how these three defendants played their part in an orchestrated conspiracy, and then discuss why they think they can win this case.
WatchEp. 38: New Maps, Who Dis?
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to attorney Mel Barnes of Law Forward and political analyst Joe Zepecki about the new political maps Wisconsin voters will have for the next 10 years.
WatchEp 37: Wisconsin’s Real Main Street Voice
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to Shawn Phetteplace of the Main Street Alliance about being a small business alternative to the big corporate lobbying giant. And they discuss how Ron Johnson has helped Donald Trump undermine Ukraine over the years, leading us to the recent Russian attacks.
WatchEp 35: Nobody’s Senator
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to Bob Lynk, President of UAW local 578, and Tim Jacobson, Chief Steward, UAW local 578 about Oshkosh Defense jobs not coming to Oshkosh because Ron Johnson won’t lift a finger. Mike Crute joins the conversation to discuss Sen. Johnson’s history of outlandish actions and statements.
WatchEp 34: Matters of Honor and Trust
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to former DNR Secretary George Meyer about how Republicans have destroyed the honor system that guided state Senate confirmation of secretaries and board members. Then, Charles Carlin of Gathering Waters talks about a Republican proposal that undermines the land trusts that enable pristine land to be preserved for recreation.
WatchEp. 32: Fighting the Real Election Fraud
Sarah, Kirk and Pat are joined by Congressman Mark Pocan to discuss his call for a federal investigation into Trump supporters who fraudulently posed as Wisconsin electors. Then, state Sen. Jeff Smith discusses the election “fraudit” being done by Republican legislators.
WatchEp 31: Slaying the Gerrymander
Kirk and Pat are joined by Dr. Kristin Lyerly and former GOP State Sen. Dan Theno to talk about ongoing efforts to build public support for nonpartisan redistricting so that rigged, gerrymandered maps become a relic in Wisconsin someday.
WatchEp. 30: King for a Day—and Then Some
Sarah, Kirk and Pat talk to Scott Thompson of Law Forward about the fraudulent electors in Wisconsin and elsewhere who tried to help Donald Trump overturn an election. And Mark Thomsen of the Wisconsin Elections Commission gives a further update and discusses his new weekly radio program.
WatchEp 29: Battleground: Wisconsin
Sarah, Kirk and Pat talk to Ann Jacobs, chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, about the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection and how the “investigation” by former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman is seen by many as a slow-motion extension of this ongoing attack on our democracy.
WatchEp. 28: Christmas Is More Than Words
Sarah, Kirk and Pat talk to Pastor Kris Kramer about the original lyrics to cherished Christmas songs and how those messages should guide our actions today. The show takes a holiday break and returns on January 5, 2022.
WatchEp. 27: Of Maps and Mayors
Kirk and Pat talk to Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway about Chief Inspector Gableman’s bumbling election investigation—and Law Forward attorney Doug Poland about the latest moves to prevent gerrymandered maps for another decade in Wisconsin.
WatchEP. 26: Local Control? You Believed That?
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk about how conservatives used to claim they fought for local control, until they got control of the levers of power. Also, an infectious diseases specialist talks about fighting both the coronavirus and vaccine misinformation.
WatchEp. 25: Shop Local, Serve Local
Kirk, Sarah and Pat discuss ways to shop local with a Marshfield coffee shop owner. And they talk to a Lincoln County Board member about how people can get on the ballot and serve in local government rather than allow Trumpists to dismantle vital local services.
WatchEp. 24: Murderous Vigilante or Self Defense?
Kirk, Sarah and Pat talk to Portage Co. District Attorney Louis Molepske and Keith Findley, a criminal law professor at UW-Madison about the Kyle Rittenhouse trial—and how carrying automatic weapons in public is now "normal" enough to warrant a claim of self-defense.
WatchEp. 23: Follow the Money
Kirk and Sarah talk to retired Wausau executive Lon Newman about why some his city’s elite are still donating to a member of the sedition caucus (Tom Tiffany), and then talk to Matt Rothschild of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign about how the infusion of dark money has hurt Wisconsin’s democracy.
WatchEp. 22: What's Next, Kids in Coal Mines?
Kirk, Sarah and Pat talk to the author of a book about labor history in light of a Republican proposal to let 14-year-olds work until 11 p.m. Also, former state Sen. Patty Schachtner talks about how public health experts planned for a pandemic but couldn't have planned for such political denial and obstruction.
WatchEP. 21: What Does and Doesn't Belong Up North
Kirk, Sarah and Pat talk to UpNorthNews reporter JT Cestkowski about his road trip covering stories in Ashland, Washburn, and a Culver's where he tried the latest trend in burgers. And a guest from the Ashland area gives background on the controversial Enbridge Line 5 project.
WatchEp. 20: Inspector Gableman
Get ready for frequent appearances by the Pink Panther theme song because Inspector Clouseau's replacement is on the case of the nonexistent election fraud. Sen. Jeff Smith and Attorney Chris Bremer are our guests.
WatchEp. 19: Schools Under Siege: A Right-Wing COVID Love Story
The politicians who’ve literally created toxic work environments are finally getting blowback. Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to a parent who’s filed the latest lawsuit against schools ignoring pandemic safeguards, and to a teacher forced to resign in that same district.
WatchEp. 18: The Legal Cavalry
Kirk, Sarah, and Pat talk to Doug Poland of Law Forward, a group dedicated to protecting Wisconsin from right-wing court assaults on democracy and safety.
WatchEp. 17: The Brewery vs. the Wayward School Boards
Only in Wisconsin could a brewery care more about kids' safety than some of our state's school boards. Kirk talks to his SuperPAC director and an attorney handling the lawsuit being brought against school boards who fail to protect kids from COVID.
WatchEp. 16: Wake Me Up When September Ends
The Green Day song has never felt more relevant. Guest host Dr. Kristin Lyerly joins Kirk and Pat to discuss a long month and a long summer of watching neighbors fight to prolong a pandemic. Pattie Forsberg discusses her decision to resign from a school board in St. Croix County rather than deal with a recall election pushed by safeguard blockers.
WatchEp. 15: What Have We Learned?
Kristin, Kirk, and Pat talk to Rep. Jodi Emerson of Eau Claire about the final state budget bill passed by Republicans in our season finale. They cover the missed opportunities of a squandered surplus and then review what else we've learned about this session of the Legislature before the summer break.
WatchEp. 14: How to Blow a $4 Billion Surplus
Wisconsin has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use a budget surplus to fix long-running problems. Instead, school students aren't getting anything extra for education. Heather DuBois Bourenane of the Wisconsin Public Education Network explains the GOP proposal to Pat, Kirk, and Kristin.
WatchEp. 13: PFAS and Clean Water Up North
Kirk, Kristin, and Pat talk to Zach Vruwink, city administrator in Rhinelander, and Doug Oitzinger, former mayor of Marinette, about GOP and WMC efforts to block clean-up of industrial chemicals called PFAS.
WatchEp. 12: Farmers, Fair Maps, and Fair Taxes
Kirk and Pat talk to Hans Breitenmoser, a Lincoln County dairy farmer and activist for putting an end to gerrymandered political maps. Kristin files a report on a big, fat corporate tax break that survives even as GOP legislators try to take away pandemic relief from families.
WatchEp. 11: The Laundry List of Badness
Pat, Kristin, and Kirk talk to Jorna Taylor about Pride Month and inclusiveness. They also review the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad list of headlines about politicians who would rather exclude people than solve problems and bring people together.
WatchEp. 10: C'mon, White People
Kirk, Kristin, Kirk and Pat talk with Marathon County Board member Ka Lo about the difficulties and divisions that opened up when the board was asked to make a simple statement of openness, diversity, and inclusion. Also, Sen. Jeff Smith on a bill to end gerrymandering in Wisconsin.
WatchEp. 9: What's This Button Do?
Kristin, Kirk, and Pat talk to Rep. Francesca Hong about the so-called labor shortage which is actually a red flag to fix our broken system for paying hospitality workers. And our last segment got lost when someone hit a button in a burst of energy!
WatchEp. 8: Ladies' Night!
Kristin, Kirk, and Pat talk about the resumption of social activities for those who’ve been doing the right things. Also, Rep. Evan Goyke about massive Republican cuts to the proposed state budget and its impact on the state.
WatchEp. 7: Cheeseheads and Chuckleheads
Kirk, Kristin, and Pat talk about the assorted characters who do everything from block vaccination progress to complain about Cardi B. Our guest is attorney Christine Bremer who outlines how Gov. Tony Evers makes judge appointments differently than the former guy.
WatchEp. 6: Holy Balls!
Kristin, Kirk and Pat are joined by Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg. Topics include goats, buckthorn, local government in northern Wisconsin, our new email address and much more.
WatchEp. 5: Feel the Power... of Getting Nothing Done.
Kirk and Pat are joined by State Rep. Jodi Emerson of Eau Claire to discuss the many ways Assembly Speaker Robin Vos wants to wield power: governor, attorney general, elections chair, school board… everything, it seems, but state legislator.
WatchEp. 4: Radioactive
Kristin, Kirk and Pat on the radio! The show touches on fish fries, elk hunting, and even the pros and cons of what cheese should be the state cheese!
WatchEp. 3: Trails and Tribulations
Kristin, Kirk and Pat discuss how local governments have to balance listening to businesses that want to attract trail riders, and residents who want peace and quiet. Also, local elections are sexy!
WatchEp. 2: Squeaky Cheese and Smoking Meat
The podcast hosts discuss WI vaccine availability, the child tax credit, the minimum wage and much more.
WatchEp. 1: Only One Fishing Shanty Left On Lake Wissota
The show touches on the stimulus package, the wolf hunt, and even the pros and cons of daylight savings time.
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