Mornings with Pat Kreitlow

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes came within a whisker of unseating US Sen. Ron Johnson, whose campaign carcass was dragged over the finish line by billionaires who put tens of millions of dollars into racist ads. And yet it’s Barnes who’s the target of not-so-subtle talk in some Democratic circles that he shouldn’t run for governor in 2026 because he didn’t beat Johnson and the billionaires in 2022. We’ll ask Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area about the reasons why Barnes should or shouldn’t make a run for governor.

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It’s one year until some big elections in Wisconsin. We’ll visit with Emily Berge, Eau Claire City Council president and a candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s 3rd District. We’ll talk to guests behind an idea to engage in something called forest carbon management and voluntary forest carbon markets as a way to reduce the impacts of a changing climate, by offsetting industries that can’t quickly reduce their carbon footprint but are willing to fund the growth of natural carbon collection.

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There’s a fair debate to be had about whether it’s a waste of time and taxpayer resources for legislators to create and pass bills they know will be vetoed by the governor. Was it right to make a statement by passing the doomed bills? Or was it the state capitol version of, “This meeting could have been an email,” and it would’ve been enough to issue a press release on what you’d like to do? Either way, Republicans sent a bunch of bills to Gov. Tony Evers that just met their fate thanks to his veto pen.

A Wisconsin Senior Summit in Stevens Point this week will help a statewide group put together an agenda for 2026 that will help candidates understand what the state’s older population needs most from our state and federal leaders.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to...

The current administration has proven itself to be no friend to small businesses: tariffs that raise costs, cuts to healthcare that impact their workers, a shutdown that hurts the economy. We’ll talk to Shawn Phetteplace from Main Street Alliance, a small business group active in court cases that challenge the hostile agenda coming out of Washington, DC.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a si...

Well, that was painful. Despite being two-touchdown favorites, the Green Bay Packers never had the lead at Lambeau Field on Sunday, losing to Carolina, which appeared nearly unstoppable while slicing through Green Bay’s defense en route to an upset win. Also: Gov. Tony Evers declares a state of emergency to help the 700,000 people in the state impacted by President Trump’s likely-illegal cutoff of SNAP benefits for lower income families to afford basic groceries.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Frid...

We’ll visit with State Senate candidate Emily Tseffos on why it’s important for candidates to step up even in the districts that appear to be unwinnable in order to send a message of hope and provide voters with a great alternative to the politics-as-usual coming out of Madison. Also: A little game of politician or Disney villain to kick off the Halloween weekend.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure...

Our Week In Review panel will break down the stream of misinformation coming from the White House and Capitol Hill about the shutdown and the pain being needlessly inflicted on American families and the nation’s economy.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to ci...

Next Tuesday will mark one year until some very important elections in Wisconsin, but there will be voting going on next week in several other states — and those outcomes in New York, California, and other states could be an indicator of how voters feel as the Republicans’ government shutdown enters a second month. Plus: Greg Bach joins us for our daily History Lesson.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to m...

We’ve seen the recessions caused by the dot-com bubble of 2000 and the real estate bubble of 2008. Now there’s reason to fear a new bubble. The stock market is higher not because of basic fundamentals (which aren’t great) but because Wall Street has a new idol to worship: artificial intelligence. With one chipmaker now worth $5 trillion, we’ll ask Sean O’Malley if he’s concerned that there will be nothing artificial about the next bubble that bursts.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio...

We’ll talk to an expert on so-called Medicare Advantage plans because we’re in the open enrollment season for seniors or their caregivers to make important choices on their health insurance plans for 2026. Original Medicare can’t match all of the TV ads being run by the private health insurance companies who get to claim their plans have some kind of advantage — when the truth is there are significant restrictions to keep in mind before going down a road that looks a lot like the troubles Americans faced before the Affordable Care Act.

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Congressman Derrick Van Orden could not have been more clear when he said it: “When we have unified government. If we cannot get our 12 appropriations bills through in a budget, then we don't deserve to be in the majority any longer.” Of course, this was in December of last year and Van Orden has since removed any pretense of being a moderate, but we’ll play back the audio and ask if you agree with him — even if he doesn’t agree with himself any longer.

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Residents in Jamaica and Cuba are in the earliest phases of assessing the damage from Melissa, yet another hurricane that went from zero to Category 5 in record time. And yet cuts from President Trump and congressional Republicans have left the National Weather Service’s parent agency in need of volunteers to help with data collection. Melissa Baldauff will have more in our Climate Check.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure no...

As a teacher herself, state Rep. Angelina Cruz knows a few things about the importance of keeping kids safe from harm, especially from trusted figures who turn out to have ulterior motives. But Cruz also knows political games when she sees them, and that’s what she’s calling out now as Republicans (who haven’t exactly been rushing to release the Epstein files) pile criticism on state education leaders over reports of inappropriate actions but have made their own contributions to the lack of transparency and support for safe schools. She’ll tell us more in our weekly Homeroom...

Wisconsin voters are getting an idea of just how extreme some of the 2026 candidates will be when it comes to something as basic as protecting democracy. Both US Rep. Tom Tiffany, a candidate for governor, and Judge Maria Lazar, a candidate for state Supreme Court, recently held events with one of President Trump’s former advisors, a prominent 2020 election denier.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on...

There’s a lot of selective outrage happening among Wisconsin’s Republican politicians. Some of the people bellowing the most about how the Department of Public Instruction handled accusations of misconduct in schools are also the ones preventing the release of files that would help victims of serial sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein receive justice. The Wisconsin Examiner’s Ruth Conniff gives us some background and perspective on the Wisconsin matter that rightfully has parents concerned.

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The government shutdown means there’s a lot that’s not getting done in our National Parks. Some are obvious — like permits, trash collection, and education programs. There’s also work behind the scenes that’s been parked for now: planning, research, search and rescue training, and more. We’ll have a guest from Friends of the Apostle Islands to tell us how the shutdown is affecting the National Lakeshore up north.

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Open enrollment begins next weekend for families and individuals in Wisconsin who want to buy or renew the health insurance coverage they get through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. They are in for a severe case of sticker shock. President Trump and congressional Republicans have been trying for more than a decade to kill the ACA, and they’re hoping the upcoming explosive cost of policies turns the public against “Obamacare.” But it’s more likely to serve as a reminder that the GOP is squarely on the side of insurance companies and is willing to shut down the governme...

While Latinos across the country worry about a government hostile to their dreams — or maybe even their existence — there are still plenty of people carrying on with visions of creating their own American success story. We’ll talk to a woman whose journey from Mexico to Wisconsin had included the creation of a successful small business. She recently shared her story with a virtual summit for the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce and we’ll hear her advice to others making their own path through the free enterprise system.

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We’ll talk to Lucy Ripp with the progressive political research group A Better Wisconsin Together about how there are already a number of 2026 conservative candidates whose views on women’s healthcare rights are far from the mainstream of Wisconsin values. We’ll also have a report from UpNorthNews reporter Salina Heller highlighting the angst being felt by families whose budgets are about to get a jolt, thanks to a Republican government shutdown strategy based on jacking up everyone’s health insurance bills.

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Donald Trump has taken the next step in the manual of authoritarian takeovers by trying to turn the Armed Forces of the United States into personal paid mercenaries. The current government shutdown isn’t remotely necessary, but Trump is forcing Americans to ensure it and using our troops as a prop. Now he’s going so far as to ask rich guys to make up for the paychecks he’s holding back from our men and women in uniform.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio...

We’ll talk to Mike Clemens about this weekend’s sports, including a story about his viral post a couple years ago that appeared to show Aaron Rodgers riding in a fishing boat being towed near Lambeau Field.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to c...

Journalist Mark Jacob provides a history of the media mindset when it comes to covering Trump — from a carnival act to the realization this guy wants to be a dictator. We’ll ask former US Attorney Jim Santelle about the growing use by conservative US Supreme Court justices of a tactic that allows them to bark orders without having to spell out legal justification.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not...

This will be remembered as a dark week in the sports world, when a collective “I told you so” arose from those who warned that the embrace of legalized gambling was a bet that would not pay off. Courier Newsroom’s Keya Vakil will help us review the investigation into organized crime, sports betting, rigged poker games, and more.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a sing...

Political bluster doesn’t lower anyone’s grocery bill, and that’s reflected in the latest polling about how the president is handling the economy — and the latest numbers don’t even take into account the newest round of anger sweeping Americans now that President Trump is giving Argentina a massive buyout (enough to pay for the health insurance discounts he’s taking away) and is also offering to import more beef from South America. Rural voters and consumers are wondering who they voted for.

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The families of people with developmental disabilities are especially worried about their future now that Republicans have shut down access to key government services and are making health insurance less affordable. Knowing that around 80% of women with some form of intellectual disability have been sexually assaulted, access to contraception and other affordable care is especially important. We’ll talk to one mother about the real-life impact of the GOP’s political games.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am...

You might have experienced this once or twice before, but it turns out Donald Trump lied about something. This time, it’s about doing something only done once before: by the British in the War of 1812. So as Trump demolishes part of the White House (because congressional oversight is no longer a thing), we examine the day’s other headlines that include Trump getting another “surprise” setback from Putin and Trump doing an honest-to-goodness shakedown of American taxpayers for a massive “beak-wetting.”

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Me...

Actress Halle Berry spoke out Tuesday in support of a bill in the Wisconsin Legislature that would provide more information to healthcare providers and their patients about menopause. We’ll talk to Dr. Kristin Lyerly about a topic that needs to be destigmatized, given that another 6,000 women a day make the transition to that stage of life.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single ep...

We’ll talk to the school board president in Viroqua about the latest figures on state funding for public schools that may surprise a lot of people. Despite a new state budget that put some new money into some areas, there was zero increase in general state aid, and so many school districts are falling even further behind keeping up with expenses. More referendums will result from the GOP hostility to public education.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9...

Jon Stewart said it best: "If more guns make us safer, when does that start?" America is already awash in guns, and now Republicans in the Legislature want to do more that could lead to Wisconsin’s next mass shooting. Also: The Republican who ran against and lost to state Attorney General Josh Kaul in 2022 is going to try again.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on...

The photos may be more symbolic of 2025 than all the rest: Part of the White House exterior being torn down to make room for President Trump’s ballroom, an altar to the new Gilded Age. We’ll talk COURIER’s Cam Stevenson from Capitol Hill about how the demolition crew may be the only people doing actual work at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue. We’ll also visit with Dan Shafer from The Recombobulation Area on the governor’s race.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radi...

We’ll visit with Rep. Francesca Hong, a candidate for governor, who made a campaign stop in Eau Claire last weekend. And we’ll talk to Steve Boe from a group that promotes the ongoing investments being made to grow wind power, solar power, and jobs throughout rural Wisconsin. And Dan Hagen from WJFW-TV tells us about stories he’s following up north.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to mis...

We’ll update the appeal filed Monday by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul to an order by a Waukesha County judge that could force the state elections commission to take on a massive project that could bring chaos to 2026 elections — all to chase after fraud that has never been shown to exist, despite lots of claims by people who know they have better odds of winning elections if more legal voters have to jump through more hoops.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Mond...

Author Laura Anne Bird talks to us about book festivals, with a couple of noteworthy ones happening in Wisconsin. They’re not designed just for authors but for anyone with an interest in learning more about what’s available for books — old and new — in a wide range of subjects.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all...

We’ll visit with Bill Hogseth of GROWW (Grass Roots Organizing Western Wisconsin) about their ongoing public meetings to discuss the importance of having politicians focus on improving health care access and affordability for all.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to civicmedia.us/sh...

It was a perfect fall weekend for doing harvesting, yard work, watching the Packers… anything to take our minds off how the Brewers’ season ended as it began: four games from hell. We’ll also discuss Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies across the country.

Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Me...

When Wisconsin finally got fairer maps than the gerrymandered ones of the past decade, it led to more turnover than usual in Assembly races last year. There wasn’t as much impact on state Senate races because only half the Senate is up for reelection every two years — so voters should expect several high-profile races in 2026. One of them has officially developed in western Wisconsin, where a Republican senator’s home is now located in the new district of a Democratic senator. We’ll ask Democratic Sen. Jeff Smith about the decision by Republican Sen. Jesse James to challenge him next...