Mornings with Pat Kreitlow

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that could freeze ICE out of using space in county jails for the people it rounds up in order to meet arbitrary and racist quotas from the Trump administration. Taking note of how masked federal agents are aiming guns at civilians, smashing out car windows, dragging parents from their children, putting people who haven’t committed crimes behind bars, and flying people out of the country without due process, Wisconsin Examiner editor-in-chief calls it a campaign of terror that the state Supreme Court would be right to rein in...

We’ll be joined by Mayor Jim Paine of Superior, first to discuss a weekend incident that left a police officer shot and wounded. Then we’ll discuss the community reaction to his detailed social media post, where he outlined the things he thinks should be high priorities issues when trying to address the shortage of affordable housing in his community. As always, the topic is accompanied by the thorny issue of homelessness in our hometowns.

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

Wisconsin has continually smashed its own records for expensive political races, in part because the US Supreme in the past has been hostile toward limits on campaign contributions. Now, it’s as if Justice Kavanaugh is saying, “Hold my beer.” The court will hear arguments Tuesday that could wipe out the remaining barrier and allow billionaires to bypass limits on campaign donations by letting them use political parties as legal laundering tools. Former Sen. Russ Feingold filed a brief in the case that could have simply said, “Told you so.”

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When Republicans decided to allow health insurance premiums to skyrocket starting next month, they put a load of pain on small business owners who can’t offer coverage to their workers. From local merchants to mid-sized manufacturers to farmers, they’re all facing sharply higher costs. We’ll talk to the national director of Main Street Alliance about how they plan to tell voters to be aware of the members of Congress who voted to make their lives more expensive, including a key race in western Wisconsin.

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Our Question of the Week is about wedding barns. Around Wisconsin, entrepreneurial families are converting barns or creating scenic rural venues for events — but a major conflict has erupted over liquor licensing and sales. The barn operators say these businesses can’t compete with full-time bars and banquet halls if they can’t rely on food and beverage sales as well as rental fees. Others disagree and say these venues can choose not to follow the law and let customers bring their own alcohol instead. We’ll ask what you’d do if you were a legislator deciding which side to su...

The United States may be on the verge of losing the independent agencies that oversee consumer protection, worker protection, and environmental protection — replaced with nothing but lackeys of whichever politician has the most power. A right-wing group that favors unitary executive power — at least when a conservative is president — will argue their case Monday before the US Supreme Court, with a Chief Justice in John Roberts who has been pushing for this for 40 years, dating back to his days working in the Reagan administration.

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Once upon time, baseball teams had two uniform colors: white uniforms at home, gray uniforms on the road. How times have changed. We now know what the Milwaukee Brewers will be wearing when they’re the visiting club. The question is whether powder blue uniforms deliver some level of intimidation or if they’re simply a nice way to turn nostalgia into revenue from fans.

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The US Supreme Court has a process for handling emergency cases that need quick and temporary rulings while the larger case works its way up from lower courts. But right-wing justices have taken the “shadow docket” in a sharply political direction, including a Thursday ruling that allows Texas Republicans to use a newly-rigged map for its 2026 congressional elections. That’s one of the many stories we’ll cover with our Week In Review panel. We also continue our 12 Days of Kindness by talking with Amery Hospital & Clinic Foundation.

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Is the wood-paneled station wagon on the verge of making a comeback? Sean Duffy hopes so. The Trump administration this week rolled back environmental rules on automobiles, and his transportation secretary told an interviewer it’s all about choice and that even the ol’ “woodie” might make a comeback. Needless to say, the folks on the interwebs had a field day with Duffy’s dream of a gas guzzler that smells of Virginia Slims and hopelessness. Also: Greg Bach joins for our history lesson and gives an update on the Laughing Tap and their fundraiser for their new location.

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We’ll talk to political strategist Joe Zepecki about this week’s announcement that former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is joining a crowded field of Democrats hoping to be elected governor next year. And we’ll ask financial expert Sean O’Malley about the latest economic data that isn’t doing anything to dispel the concerns that an AI stock bubble is the only thing keeping the US economy from teetering toward a recession.

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 a...

The pardon power of the president is absolute, which makes it the perfect target for absolute abuse. President Obama issued 212, President Biden granted 80, President Trump pardoned 144 people in his first term. So far in his second term, Trump has issued more than 1,500 pardons to people convicted of crimes. We’ll ask Congressman Mark Pocan whether anything can be done or if we should resign ourselves to knowing that electing a convicted criminal as president would lead to the prison gates being swung open.

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Mistakes happen to all of us — and most of us try to make a correction when they’re caught. But in MAGA World, you’re supposed to hold firm to your assertions, even when facts get in the way. How else to explain why a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice (a former chief justice, in fact) used a fake quote to give a US Supreme Court ruling the opposite interpretation of what it really did? And she still hasn’t fully corrected the record in a case that could lead to an overdue breakup of Wisconsin’s congressional maps gerrymandered by the far...

Pediatrician Dr. Kellie Snooks joins us with an update on her UpNorthNews video series, Raising Wisconsin. This month, she reviews the misinformation being spread about Tylenol use in children by people who should know better. Same goes for flu shots. We’ll also have this week’s Climate Check with Melissa Baldauff.

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! Get more from Pat and...

Political trivia: It was in 1913 that US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis first coined the phrase “sunlight is the best disinfectant” when it comes to politics and shining a public light on matters that others would rather have staying in the dark. To that end, we’ll have an update in our Homeroom segment on the growing push to make sure taxpayers know about the growing price tag of private school vouchers that drain resources from Wisconsin’s public schools.

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A Wisconsin-based movie might be the feel-good film of the holiday season. We’ll talk about how actor Hugh Jackman is in Milwaukee for the premiere of “Song Sung Blue,” telling the story of a couple whose Neil Diamond tribute band was a bit of a local sensation in the 1980s and ‘90s. With a host whose mom raised him on a steady diet of Neil Diamond tunes, we’ll ask about your guilty musical pleasures. It’s okay, you can admit you still listen to a lot of the Carpenters — or worse, Nickelback!

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Dan Shafer will react to the news about an expanded Democratic field of candidates for governor. Pat also reacts to some of the pardons that president Trump has signed. Later, we begin our 12 days of kindness and talk to folks from Feeding America. We also talk a little Bucks as they slip and fall in Washington.

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...

While there was some activity during the recent fall legislative session, there were plenty of matters that didn’t get addressed. That includes new restrictions on “wedding barns” and other special venues that could put them out of business at a time when the rural economy needs all the help it can get. We’ll talk to wedding barn owner Jean Bahn, farmer Hans Breitenmoser, and Sheila Everhart of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association.

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...

This morning, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes formally announced his entry into the 2026 race to be Wisconsin’s next governor. He joins the current lieutenant governor, a county executive, a couple of legislators, and others running in the Democratic field. We’ll hear Barnes’ opening pitch to do things the “Wisconsin Way” rather than Donald Trump’s “Washington Way.”

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...

As much as we might want to put some troublesome history in our rearview mirror, the fact remains that America is still haunted by the events of 2020: an unchecked pandemic, a fiery public pushback against police violence, and a president willing to fan the flames. Few know the weight of local leadership during that time any better than Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride who underwent a baptism by fire as a newly-elected city leader that was a microcosm of American unrest. His new book provides a five-year look back at the events that put him under siege in his own...

To slightly modify the lyrics from Wicked: “Donald, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once?

Instead of flying off the handle!” The president loves to defy the rules of politics — not to mention basic human decency — but defying the gravity of current polling in next year’s midterms might be something even a wizard couldn’t pull off. We’ll talk to Craig Gilbert, longtime political writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, about what the latest Wisconsin polling shows for 2026.

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It’s Cyber Monday, a date dedicated to online shopping for holiday gifts. But is that really a big deal anymore? Or Black Friday, for that matter? Don’t we all now shop online all year long? Or is there still some kind of novelty about these Thanksgiving weekend shopping dates? Also: the president goes on a Thanksgiving racist rant, winks at a war crime, pardons a billion-dollar money launderer after only 12 days in prison, and is about to pardon a former corrupt Central American leader responsible for 20 years worth of cocaine being brought to the US.

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We spend some time with Dr. Kristin Lyerly as we wind down for the week. As we prepare hunker down for the winter we talk with author Laura Bird. She recommends reading as a good way to get through the cold snowy weather. To read she points to: "How to Winter" by Kari Leibowitz, "Aflame" by Pico Iyer, "Wintering" by Katherine May, "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans, "Seasoning" by Angela Clutton, "Strata: Stories from Deep Time" by Laura Poppick, "Meditations for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman and "Beyond Anxiety" by Martha Beck.

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Our weekly panel of Mark Jacob, Jim Santelle and Joan Esposito discuss news from the week. They talk about the investigations that are pursuing Democrats who told soldiers not to follow illegal orders because, you know, it is illegal to follow illegal orders. Also: our Friday quiz with Dr. Kristin Lyerly and senior producer Frank Gargano.

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...

Pat and Courier Newsroom's political editor Keya Vakil discuss the week's news, including a judge in Georgia dismissing the Donald Trump election interference case. Also: fun with Greg Bach.

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! Get more from Pat and UpNorthNews on their website and follow them on X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. To learn more about the show and all of...

Hear some of our favorite interviews from the last few months as we take a break and spend our Thanksgiving sleeping in a little. In this hour, hear from Chuck Collins, Dr. Kellie Snooks, Tom Nelson and Greta Neubauer.

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! Get more from Pat and UpNorthNews on their website and follow them on X, Facebook, TikTok and...

Hear some of our favorite interviews from the last few months as we take a break and spend our Thanksgiving sleeping in a little. In this hour hear from Fred Clark, Rahul Powar, Bryan Kennedy and Amy Pechacek.

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! Get more from Pat and UpNorthNews on their website and follow them on X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram...

Hear some of our favorite interviews from the last few months as we take a break and spend our Thanksgiving sleeping in a little. In this hour hear from Carmen Solis, Shawn Phetteplace, Ingrid Kundinger, Laura Bird and have a little Wisconsin town name fun with James Kelly.

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! Get more from Pat and UpNorthNews on their...

There are a lot of factors that drive up prices. Unnecessary trade wars come to mind. But you can also connect the dots between food prices and a changing climate. In this week’s Climate Check, we’ll examine how droughts, heat waves, and more frequent flash floods are impacting crops and animal welfare — and driving up prices at the grocery store. Later we are joined by Tom Nelson, author of “Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy,” he weighs in on what the Navy’s decision on shipbuilding means for Wisconsin jobs. Also: Average electricity...

A problem only stays a problem if there’s no willingness to put a solution in place. That’s the case with Wisconsin’s convoluted school funding system. Last week, we visited with two members of a 2017 Blue Ribbon Commission charged with simplifying the way we pay for schools. Those solutions are still waiting for some political willpower — or maybe just some changes to who’s in charge in the Legislature. We’ll talk to Sen. Jeff Smith and Rep. Christian Phelps about how it’s not too late to make things better for taxpayers, educators, and kids.

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Political karma sometimes requires a long wait, but it comes. In 2011, Republicans in the Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker enacted a law changing how to handle court challenges to gerrymandered maps. At the time, it made sense because the state Supreme Court was controlled by fellow conservatives and they were given power to appoint three-judge panels to hear the cases. On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court appointed three-judge panels to hear challenges to those gerrymandered maps — but, as you know, the court is now under progressive control. It took 14 years, but the GOP is learning that sauce for the go...

It’s easy to look at occasional mass protests like the “No Kings” rallies and conclude that not much is being done to stand up to things the Trump administration is doing to our country, but recent events show how individual Americans are coming together and pushing back effectively. We’ll talk to COURIER’s Cam Stevenson about how an expanded ICE presence in Charlotte, NC was thwarted, how Home Depot has backed off its cooperation with illegal arrests based on public pushback, and how DOGE has dried up months ahead of its planned expiration date.

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We’ll talk to state Rep. Angela Stroud of Ashland about the recently completed fall sessions of the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate, what got done and what’s still undone. Charly Ray of nearby Washburn has seen enough that’s not getting done, so he’s thrown his hat in the ring for the 25th state Senate seat in northwest Wisconsin. We’ll ask him about his decision to run.

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 pod...

Tuesday of Thanksgiving week sure seems like an odd place on the calendar to announce the big, beautiful health care plan that’s been promised for many years, but maybe the president is serious this time. Or maybe he’s only thinking out loud about potentially reversing himself and backing an extension of tax credits that keep health insurance affordable for millions of American families. Either way, Republicans in Congress show signs of heading to the exits and not running for reelection in 2026, feeling left out of the loop — as would be expected when they won’t stand up for them...

Author Laura Bird is back with her monthly batch of book recommendations, this time with an eye on books that match the sentiment of the season: thankfulness.

She tells us about eight books: “Maggie; or a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar” by Katie Yee, “A Marriage at Sea” by Sophie Elmhurst, “Everything is Tuberculosis” by John Green, “Birds of the Great Lakes” by Dexter Patterson, “Unabridged: the Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary" by Stefan Fatsis, “So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color” by Caro De Robertis, “Car...

UpNorthNews reporter Salina Heller talked to the father of a Wisconsin-based member of the cast of “Wicked: For Good” about bringing her talents to Hollywood along with her wheelchair. And we’ll find out what the group Fair Wisconsin has been doing to continue the fight for fairness for the LGBTQ community.

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! Get more from Pat and Up...

We’ll review the Green Bay Packers’ dominating win against the Minnesota Vikings as they head toward a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Detroit Lions. And we’ll review the weekend’s news headlines that include the death of DOGE, a small payday for Marjorie Taylor Greene for quitting Congress, and what press reports call a “Trump peace plan” for Ukraine that his own Secretary of State admitted was pretty much written by Russia.

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...

Once upon a time, it seemed like the most shocking thing far-right politicians could do was require that women seeking abortion care first allow themselves to be violated through the use of an invasive type of ultrasound. They somehow found a way to make things worse. We’ll discuss a proposal by Wisconsin republicans that would require women who endure a lost pregnancy to scoop up the pregnancy tissue, put it in a medical waste bag, and bring it to a doctor’s office. With a straight face, they say it’s about groundwater protection from medication-induced abortions and not at...