Transcript
Emerson Lehmann on Wisconsin’s Small Towns & His Trip to South Korea (Hour 2)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Wed May 20, 2026
From Washington to Hollywood and right back to Wisconsin.
It's night light with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach.
Connecting the dots on the stories shaping our world with smart takes, sharp humor and plenty of personality.
You know, I really expected more professional behavior from you.
It's news and culture without the noise.
Yeah,
come on!
Here's Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach.
Dude!
Welcome tonight, ladies and gentlemen.
Happy Wednesday, everybody.
Great to have you here.
You've made it this far.
We might as well keep going, because Friday is just around the corner.
But even more importantly, as Greg would attest to, Thursday is around the corner, and Thursday
is a
wonderful day, too.
But let's rejoice in Wednesday, because it's the eve of Thursday.
You see how I connected all those dots, Greg?
Yes.
And you should always be glad it's Tuesday, because it's not Monday.
OK.
So basically, every day,
is truly a holiday.
I am Pete Schwab, coming to you live from northeast Wisconsin and joined as always by Greg Bach, who comes to you live from southeast Wisconsin, just down the coast, the third coast, as it were.
And Dom Lee is in Madison, producing the show and work in the board and joining us for our usual Tom Fullery and great conversation.
How are you
guys doing tonight?
I'm not doing too bad.
I'm not doing too bad.
It's a great day.
I'm actually really happy about this day.
It's hump day.
I just finished my Taco Tuesday yesterday, and I'm having some chicken at home.
It's a great day, guys.
It's a great day.
Boy, you are easily amused, Dom.
I love that.
That will carry you far in life.
That simple, that's fantastic.
Chippy.
How was Taco Tuesday?
Was your roommate?
Did he come over?
Your former roommate, I should say?
Former roommate?
No, it was just me.
I made tacos all by my lonesome, but sometimes that made it better because I had all the tacos to myself and I can change it the way I want.
It turned out really good.
There were like ten book titles in there.
I love them all.
Tacos by myself.
I can't
have all the tacos to myself.
Come over for
sad tacos.
Well, that's the thing is that there's a lot of folks out there who could like, you know, sit at their windowsill as the rain drops down on them on the glass.
Just eating their tacos like, I don't have any.
But you're like, no, man, I'm here by myself.
I got all the tacos to myself.
It's great.
That's
how you taco.
How
are you enjoying the new place?
It's really good.
I'm starting to fully move in.
I did go to the restore to get a coffee table and I got a coffee table and it was cheap.
It was nice.
So thank you for the tip there.
I didn't have to go to IKEA or anything like that.
Really good.
Fantastic.
Awesome.
That's awesome,
dude.
How about you, Greg?
Do you have a good day?
Oh, it's fine day.
You know, another no exciting one.
You know, just live in life doing my thing.
Nothing big to report.
But you know, that's half the fun of being alive, if you ask me, because, you know, I'll take a humdrum day over walking in here going, I'm
just, you know.
So humdrum is so much better than those days packed with drama.
where you can't even keep up.
I totally agree.
I'll take a humdrum or a good drum.
A bad drum?
No, thank
you.
Right, exactly.
Well, we've got a good show tonight.
I tried to make... Here's the mistake I make.
Where I live here in Christmas City, USA, I sometimes will try to exercise.
I'll get a little walk-in while I make calls.
It's very hard to do that because here in Christmas City, everyone has a dog that knows how to bark whenever Pete is on the phone.
And I have a neighbor who has a dog that just like kind of howls.
It's like, ooh, it sounds like he's dying.
And every time I get to that house on my lap, I try to get, I'm like, okay, I think I can make a business call here.
I'll call someone and find it today.
This guy goes, where the hell are you?
I was like in a dog graveyard or something,
but it doesn't matter.
Yeah, we've got charismatic.
quirky dogs here, but it's, it's always something though.
It's a leaf blower, a lawn
mower,
this people where I live love their toys and they're all this kind of stuff.
So it's always an adventure, but you know, my
dog
gets
like, she, uh, she gets very, uh, very, uh, animated when people are outside.
And I always say the same thing to her when I'm like, what's going on out there?
And I look, I'm like, Oh, just people live in their lives.
Honey, there you go.
Don't you have to be so upset about these things, but she's a dog and that's what she does.
And, you know, but, and she accepts that answer.
Oh, no, no, she keeps barking as I am, as I'm trying to talk to her.
She's barking as if the three-year-old across the street playing with the rubber ball is going to come into the home and somehow snatch her away.
That's, I think that's what my dog thinks, but yeah, I still love her very much.
And I miss her right now.
I can't wait to get home and give her scritches, give her all the scritches.
Sorry.
That was
unsettling.
But sweet, very sweet, Greg.
You're a great dog, Pierre.
I can tell that because the two things I know, Dom, and back me up in this.
Greg is a guy who is in orbit around his wife, which is very nice, and loves his dog.
And that says a lot about a man.
Both true.
Both
true.
I'm such a good man.
My gosh.
Oh, man.
Amazing.
Just shoot me some ideas how we can bring back down to earth.
I was just
trying to be a nice guy.
I'll text you, probably.
You are.
I'm really good.
I'm really good.
You're a wonderful guy.
I'm like an inspiration to kids like like be like Greg like like be like Mike whatever give me my own shoe What what are we talking about?
I'm sorry.
I drifted off there.
He cuts hair.
He talks poly size comedian.
He does it all he's a Renaissance radio man.
Oh Wow,
I hope we both
I like to build people up.
It's it's it's fun.
It makes me feel good about myself.
Wonderful.
Wonderful.
We have a great show tonight
guys.
Yeah, what's going on tonight?
What are we doing?
Well, it's funny you should ask because
at
535 after the news at the bottom of the hour, we have one of our favorites here at Civic Media.
He is a like 21 time Milwaukee Press Club award winner.
He founded the Recombobulation area and he does just he was voted best columnist in the state, I believe recently.
Dan Schaefer will be here at 535.
Fantastic.
We're going to talk about.
The governor's race in the Democratic field and maybe we'll dabble in the Republican field if there is a field Dan will set us straight and tell us what's up And it is always fun to talk to our pal Dan Schaefer.
So join us at 535 and then It's kind of like fun news guy night here because both these guys are in the news racket and they both have personalities and are fun to talk to our pal Emerson layman who is a regular on nightlight will join us from Green Bay over the stream he is the host of
Action two news this morning on WBOY in Green Bay.
So cool.
Action news.
Action news.
That's right.
And there's never a dull moment.
And Emerson is also an avid pickleball player.
And not just like he likes to play pickleball,
he's
really good at it.
He's like ranked in the state.
And he's had a fast ascent, Dom.
So this is a guy you want to cozy up to, not in a weird way, but just pick his brain a little bit if you get a chance.
He
was all about racing.
Pickle his
brain.
Pickle his brain, again.
But he was all about racing when I met him, because he
used to
race cars and he's a big racing fan.
Pickleball has taken over his life.
Since that first meeting, most of our chats have been about news, small towns, Wisconsin, Pickleball.
He's a really fun guest.
Looking
forward to
having him on here at 620 in hour number two.
And also, folks, just a reminder that the Night Light Movie Club is in full swing.
And this week will be no different.
And hour number two on Thursday, we will be talking about the movie, Dom, you want to do the honors?
Yeah,
it is.
More timpanies.
Are we blowing our budget on timpanies?
I think we are.
It is National Lampoon Vacation, yes.
That is the movie.
All right, sweet.
I love it.
National
Lampoon's Vacation, not to be confused with...
somebody else's vacation.
It's his vacation.
That's being confused with the remake, which I think is just vacation.
Vacation.
The Ed Helms,
the Helmsian version.
That's
funny.
I really like that, that timpani line.
Do we have a timpani budget?
I don't want to have to dip into petty cash.
I just
want to
come in under budget.
So, Dom, easy on the Temponies if you think it's costing us money.
Oh, Dom!
Oh, okay.
No, we're doing it.
Sorry, I'll be going off.
What do we have?
A DOJ slush fund that's going to bail us out here if we spend too much on Temponies?
What
the H?
That's a really, that's very good.
Very good.
Well, thank you, Greg.
Very good.
Very good.
You're not just saying
that because I said you were a great husband and dog parent and comedian and all that other stuff.
Not just, not, not.
Not in spite nor because you know, it's just part of my good nature who I am as a human being like a glowing a glowing example on how to be wonderful That's who I am very modest.
I'm gonna write a Greg song and at some point I'll unleash it Dom will do timpani's maybe we'll even add other instruments and make it an actual song
I would I would ask that if a song be written I would I would I would humbly request
a song that would be written about me, but which, by the way, it's about time.
It's not really humble
if you're
asking us to.
I'm just asking that it's all timpani.
Okay.
Just 100% it.
No guitar, no bass, no synthesizers, no any of that junk.
I just want all timpani and
how
you frame that and tune that up.
That's your problem, not mine, but that's my request.
So we've got a, uh, yeah, that'll be interesting because
of the budget.
Right
my problem left
to get it approved.
I mean he just he just hit the timpani again.
So the fact that you mean Sorry, that was great.
It Dom is great at spending
other people's timpani money,
but when it comes
time to pay the check, where do you think Dom Lee is going to be?
We
just got a text from Troy from on whoreb who?
Who sent us an article about it?
Speaking of stand-up comedy, an NFL player who did stand-up comedy.
So we'll have to, maybe we'll dig into that.
But speaking
of the
NFL, there is breaking news, guys.
Aaron Rodgers says this is it.
Do you believe him?
Aaron who?
I think his last name is Rodgers, but he managed to wedge a D in there.
No.
He says this will be his last NFL season fellows.
Who does he play?
He plays for the Steelers, right?
And that's actually a serious question I can't remember anymore.
It
is he's on the Steelers.
Mike McCarthy is now the coach.
He'll be reunited with Mike McCarthy.
I know what I kind of like I thought he got a bad
reboot Talk
about limping into the sunset
my goodness, but he says
this is it.
We'll see if he now when he's weird It'll just be a weird guy.
It's not
eccentric because
yeah but but he's he'll still have that platform where it's former NFL quarterback and most likely Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers the world isn't just flat it's like super flat
way in folks what do you think about this retirement as you know the phone lines are always open here
eight
five five seven five two four eight four two eight five five seven five civic and with that in mind let's get to our question of the night
Let's talk about the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Pregunta.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Domanda.
Question.
Question.
Questions.
What summer food are you looking forward to most?
That is tonight's question, folks.
It's barbecue season.
It's really upon us, even though it's not technically summer yet, but what?
Summer food are you most looking for eight five five seven five two four eight four two eight five five seven five civic You can also text us on the civic media app or if you're watching the radio on Facebook YouTube or X Twitter You can drop us a stream comment and be part of the fun.
It's always more fun when you guys participate
Hey Pete, you know how people love to be nostalgic and they love to think about the good old days and you know like days of yore gone by all that kind of stuff?
Well
a
very own Tom Tiffany United States congressman here from Wisconsin running for governor is also going back to the years of 2020 where he is still not uh He's still not confident in whether or not there was any shenanigans in the 2020 presidential election and he feels that the FBI Investigating Wisconsin is something that needs to happen because we need to find out well, you know We just gotta find out what happened gotta find out what happened there Pete what happened?
It's such
lip service.
It's like, hey, I'm still on this, but he knows, he knows.
Like as Tom Barrett, former Milwaukee mayor said, and he's part of a bipartisan group with former Wisconsin attorney general, JB Van Hollen.
They recently were part of this democracy defense project and not a bipartisan, not multi-state initiative to build trust in the country's election system.
Barrett says in the 2020 election has been litigated and relitigated and you guessed it, relitigated over and over again and nothing has changed.
And those are when the case has been brought in front of Trump-appointed judges.
There was nothing.
This is ridiculous.
Well, my favorite part here in this story that we got from the Wisconsin examiner says whatever they're searching for, the investigation should be allowed to continue.
And let's find out.
what happened there.
Tom, they found out we're over this.
Let us move on and keep telling the people that you want the job.
The guy who doesn't believe the election was the election and a guy who also was protecting Donald Trump.
Who's done many bad things, but we can't get in that right now.
But yeah, let's move on from 2020.
We
already, we're ahead of the game.
We already haven't found anything.
So there's no reason to continue.
I just looked right now.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing burger as they say that's my favorite summer food by the way All right, this is nightlight with peach boba and Greg back a Bach
Wow, I
went back to the back After I spent most of this segment building him up.
All right.
We're coming right back folks on the civic media network
Welcome back.
This is Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach coming to you live on the Civic Media Network.
It is great to have you with us, folks, on this Wednesday night in sunny, beautiful Wisconsin.
I'm going out on a limb and saying it's sunny and beautiful everywhere, even though I only live in part of the state.
That's how it works, but it is a gorgeous night here.
I hope you're having a wonderful day.
Our question of the night is what summer food are you looking forward to most?
Yeah, barbecue season is upon us.
Nobody, everybody loves a summer barbecue.
So what food are you most looking forward to?
And it doesn't have to be a barbecue.
It could be a, it could be a bowl of fruity pebbles.
Greg, frankly, whatever you like to eat in the summer, there are no right or wrong answers.
We like to be inclusive here.
Our guest tonight, Dan Schaefer, will be with us after the news at the bottom of the hour.
He is the founder of the Recombobulation area, and we all need Recombobulating every once in a while, and Dan will set us straight tonight.
And then our pal Emerson Lehman from WBAYTV in Green Bay will be here in hour number two.
Lots of fun tonight.
Our fun news night.
Very,
very fun news night.
You mentioned this before the big slush fund that we discussed yesterday.
Yeah.
And according to an ABC news story, two officers who defended the cap the capital on January 6 are suing to stop Trump's anti weaponization fund, which is the 1.776 billion dollar slush fund that is going to be paying out folks who feel like they have been wrongly harassed.
convicted jailed all that stuff basically it's anybody who likes Trump and people who you know who are either not in jail again or still alive from the January 6 insurrection where a bunch of traitors storm the Capitol and I always forget about this part they urinated and smeared feces on the wall so classy that's great but these two officers are two of the most
vocal because they were very much highlighted during what after this happened, Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges were both both filed a lawsuit saying that this is unconstitutional.
It prevents it basically goes against everything that like the president's not supposed to be saying things up like this.
And also we should not be paying these individuals the money like it basically is just saying
This is a slush fund.
This is to simply get money in in his in his supporters pockets as he said loyalty over the law and I'm really happy that this happened because this this slush fund this money should not be paid out to anybody personally I just you know, it's it's it's reprehensible yet not surprising
picture yourself as Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges the day people storm at the Capitol you hold your ground
You're trying to defend the people's house, so to speak.
And this happens to you.
One of them gets crushed.
They both get injuries.
And they're watching the people that did that get compensated by the president.
They must be like in a million years, I never could have saw something like this happening.
So it's just mind-boggling.
And how about this, too?
that guy that had the Buffalo hat on, whatever the goof, I forget his goofing, but
the, the, the January 6th shaman, the mega shaman or whatever you call it.
He bailed on Trump.
And now he's like probably going to go back cause he could pocket a cool mill.
You never know.
Well, one of the guys here, Michael Caputo, it says here in the story, he served as a, he was a spokesperson for the department of health and human services.
He was targeted.
targeted more like he was investigated by the FBI regarding the Russian interference in the 2016 election.
And he says, as survivors of the illegal Russia gate investigation, survivors, Pete, survivors.
Yep.
These two gentlemen who defended the capital and risked life in limb, those are survivors.
Those are patriots.
They at
least deserve a sign on the wall of the capital, which, by the way, was voted on into law that it had to happen.
That plaque has still not gone up.
These two gentlemen are patriots.
The folks who want to get this slush fund money are traders.
And I'll say it till the last day of my life.
and don't deserve anything.
And I can't even like, even if you're on the other side of the aisle or you're partisan and you support Trump, you can't in your right mind say, well, these guys were bad.
They should have let people go in there and done whatever they want and look for Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi or Josh Hawley or whoever.
I just don't understand it.
I don't know who would support or not support their lawsuit and the job they tried to do that day.
It's absolutely insane.
What
they
do is they do something to the effect of what Tom Tiffany is doing with the 2020 election denialism.
He's like, well, we've got to find out what's happening.
We don't know what really happened.
Yes, you do.
You were there.
We watched you hide under your desks.
Yeah, exactly.
So you might appreciate this, Greg.
There was a Trump envoy.
He was the Louisiana governor, Jeff Landry.
He was handing out mega hats.
and merch and swag.
This was in the New York Times.
He was in Greenland and people didn't want him for the most part.
Some people flipped him off.
Most people didn't want them.
I mean, that's a bad day.
Yeah.
Well, my favorite part of that whole story, first of all, can we just stop with Greenland?
Can we just stop?
Stop, stop with the Greenland thing.
This is just ridiculous, but
even the
movie.
My favorite part of the entire story.
I send this to us.
I said we had to cover this.
There was a Landry tour the town in the cold drizzle offering free mega hats to Greenlandic Children, which by the way, it sounds really weird Greenlandic Children only to be greeted with refusals.
He attempted to sweeten his pitch by telling some kids.
that if they visited his Louisiana mansion, they could have, quote, all the chocolate chip cookies you can eat.
Dude, you're
just short of
saying, get into my van.
I've got candy.
You weirdo, weirdo, weirdo.
Let me see how creepy I can be.
Yeah.
I mean, you
want some
cookies?
You're partying of enough scrutiny.
Yeah.
Should you?
Yes, Mr. Landry, should you be talking to children at all right now in this case at all?
No.
Here are the dangers of working with another comedian.
You took my van line Greg.
I had the van line written right here.
I'm glad we got it out there though.
You're absolutely right.
It's just it's awful So all right folks Dan Schaefer is coming up next.
He is our pal a multi-award.
Is that like 3,000
awards?
This just in Dan won another award
for being so big.
He needs a huge I was gonna say van.
Why would I go there?
That's not cool
Uh, Dan is coming up next.
He is outstanding.
He is like a phenomenal journalist here in our civic media colleague, and we can't wait to talk to him.
As always, that's coming up after the news.
This is Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach.
Welcome back to Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach here on the Civic Media Network.
Get in touch, let us know what you're thinking.
Call or text the numbers the same 855-752-484-2855-757.
Leave a comment on our live stream.
We're currently streaming on Facebook, YouTube and the platform.
We still call Twitter still ahead.
We'll be having a great conversation with WBA.
Why morning show anchor Emerson layman that will be in the second hour.
And from what I've been told, pickleball will be discussed.
And of course, we wrap everything up with the nightcap here on the show.
But right now, oh, by the way, the question of the night is what summer food are you looking forward to most?
Let us know, call, text, leave a comment on the live stream.
We'd love to hear from you, but.
Let us now welcome our first guest of the evening.
He is the founder of the Reconpopulation area, the 21-time Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication.
Yeah, I'm running all that because I want to make sure everyone knows how award-winning he is.
Mr. Dan Schaefer is here today.
He's also our civic media colleague and our friend.
Good afternoon slash evening.
Dan, how are you doing?
Hello
there, fellows.
Happy to be here.
Good to see you all excited to recombobulate here on Nightlight.
Excellent.
Excellent.
Well, first of all, congratulations on the awards you won at the last...
award ceremony.
I kicked you up to 21, correct?
21 for
the publication, including gold for Emily Mills, one of our contributors.
Very excited for them and very excited for these honors from the Milwaukee Press Club.
Six years in a row now that we've got an award there.
Five years in a row with gold.
So pretty exciting.
Wow.
And we're actually going to be talking about Emily's article in a little while, but right now we're going to focus on an article that you wrote about a week and a half ago.
Actually, about a week or so ago.
Key retirements and poor polling for Republicans suggest assembly majority is in play for the Democrats.
You have been talking about this for a while.
Well, you and I have been talking in elections, what seems like
But like specifically the 2026 election has been big in your mind specifically for the fact that as you reported and as we're seeing over and over again Long time Republicans are just saying thanks, but no thanks.
Peace out.
I'm done for now Thanks.
Bye.
Bye.
And that's it and and that's really kind of a showing people Where the opinion is on their party's politics, but also how they don't feel like they can probably make it through a general election and fall
Yeah, I think there there was one retirement that really caught my eye over the last few weeks here and kind of prompted me to write this piece and dig into it a little bit further and that was from a Republican State Representative Jesse Rodriguez and she has been in the legislature since 2013.
She's a member of the joint finance committee has a good reputation as being you know one of the saner members of the Republican State Assembly We could talk about how
Harrison might break down.
But I think the fact that she has...
consistently outrun the top of the ticket in her district in District 21, which includes much of southeastern Milwaukee County, which includes cities like Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, Cudahay, the Milwaukee Airport, so like the literal place where you can go recombobulate is in
her
district at the moment.
But she has, you know, even as Kamala Harris won in her district in a red wave year in two years ago, she
one pretty convincingly over a Democratic challenger.
And I think she was, I want to say nine points ahead of the top of the ticket in
her
district.
And so somebody who's, you know, relatively young, who's been rising in the ranks in the state assembly, when somebody like that retires, I think that's when you really take note of the shifting political wins that are there in the assembly.
And I think, you know, looking ahead to the fall general election, I think the state Senate has
been looked at as the more likely chamber of the two for Democrats to have the opportunity to flip with this is the first time a number of those number of those state senators will be on the ballot under new maps.
There've been more retirements in that chamber even so I was kind of coming into this year thinking okay I think the Democrats can probably flip the
Senate, but I think the assembly is still gonna be a little bit tougher I still think I was still was saying I you know because of how much incumbency matters in some of these down ballot races I was saying the Republicans are still probably the favorite
to win in the assembly.
I think that changed with just by this one retirement because I think it is really showcasing a signal that's in the noise here of, you know, Jesse Rodriguez retiring, Dean Coffert in Nina retiring at the end of his term as well.
A couple other folks, you know, in some of these swingier districts who are running for reelection.
But also there is some polling that I got a got a chance to look at from better Wisconsin together that showed that a number of these
you know state representatives.
you know, they do these polling against kind of generic Democrat, right?
And all of them are behind.
And even in districts, a couple districts that were won by Donald Trump in 2024, a lot of those state representatives are facing a pretty challenging polling environment right now.
So I kind of in my big picture calculus that I'm forecasting out here, I went from like kind of a lean Republican environment for the assembly.
Now I think it's a straight up toss up.
I think it could
really go
either way.
Yeah.
Yeah, and that's huge news of what 15 years 15 years.
Yeah.
And yeah, Democrats have not controlled the state assembly since I think 2009 to 2010 that session.
And so I think this is a huge opportunity.
uh for Democrats and I they have a number of qualified candidates like this uh you know this race in particular that I highlighted in 21st assembly district there's a couple candidates running but the top Democrat in the district is Dan Bukiewicz who is the mayor of Oak Creek and has been since 2018 uh he has pretty strong name ID there he's also been the president of the building and constructions trade council for more than a decade uh so a pretty well known you know candidate as far as uh state assembly candidates will go
And now that he's not running against a, you know, overperforming incumbent state representative who's done really well over the years, it's a really good chance to pick that one up.
So between that race and a handful of others, you know, I think that's five seats that Democrats need to need to pick up in order to win control of the assembly.
And, you know, by, by some of these poll poll results show that, you know, a lot of people in many of these swing districts, Donald Trump's favorability.
is cratering in
a
lot of these places.
A lot of people, you know, they're asked about whether the state legislature has done enough to address the affordability crisis.
Most people say no.
And so I think there's, you know, a number of factors, you know, kind of contributing to this overall challenging environment for Republicans.
That's the voice of Dan Schaefer.
He is an award-winning, crazy award-winning journalist here at Civic Media and the founder of the Reconpopulation area.
Dan, you say Trump's popularity is cratering.
I still can't believe it's that high.
Who's right?
No, I'm kidding.
So what do you attribute this kind of...
these issues with this upcoming election too.
I mean, we've got Trump who is not doing his party any favors, it seems like, especially in Wisconsin.
Maybe he has more of an influence still in the South or Southeast.
But here in Wisconsin, is it proactive Democrats and grassroots groundswell, that kind of thing?
Is it Trump?
Is it a combination of the two?
To what do we owe this?
Because you saying that the assembly is in play really truly blows my mind.
Well, I think it's you know, it comes down to some of these these swing districts that they took a look at and there's the places the Fox Valley is one of them The city of wassa and marathon County.
There's a district there.
That's that's really of interest In the kind of like Northwest part of Wisconsin close to the the kind of the district closest to the Twin Cities The excerpts there.
So these are where some of the most competitive races in the state are gonna be And I think you know, you're seeing the fact that on the economy
You know, Trump has always had pretty strong poll numbers on the economy throughout his first term.
And I think that's where he's really, really losing ground.
I think, you know, the fact that, you know, inflation is still remaining relatively high.
You've got gas prices going higher and higher.
You know, I think a lot of the things that.
Trump had campaigned on.
He hasn't really followed through on in ways that people have wanted to see.
And so I think the economy is really the issue that's driving this because I think in prior polls, that was really what was keeping Trump's numbers.
uh, you know, up to where they were, you know, they were never especially great.
But I think the fact that they were,
you know,
still hovering around that 45% approval rating was through his economic numbers.
And now a number of, and again, these are in swing districts.
His favorability is below 40% in a few of them now.
And so, um, and so I think the economic numbers are really telling on this.
And I think that's, that's always going to be the number one issue that people vote on.
Uh, and I think it's, you know, it's, uh, it's on.
Democrats to make sure that voters are connecting with what they have to say on these economic issues too.
So we're talking about the election.
We're talking about, you know, we have a, you know, the nationwide election, but especially in Wisconsin, we've got a governor's race coming up.
And it's the first time it's been an open seat for a long time.
And the, you know, the Republicans have anointed their, their man, Tom Tiffany, congressman sitting there, Wisconsin congressman.
But, and the democratic field is quite big.
And it got bigger because of the announcement of a businessman by the name of Kurt Bangstead.
And
I mean, I'll be perfectly honest, Dan.
I was both unsurprised.
but also very unhappy when I saw that he announced that he is going to be running for governor.
And you had an amazing conversation with Emily Mills on your podcast about this and their article regarding this.
And I love the title.
Alas, the left isn't immune from loud, obnoxious grifters.
And that's something we talked about a lot on Matt Narenair, you, me, and Jane, the fact that Eric Hovde and Tom, Tim Michaels came in and said, well, I'm a rich business guy.
So this can be my job, right?
It's my job.
So I'm just going to take it because it's mine, right?
But what were your thoughts when you heard that?
that he made his announcement.
Yeah, I just think that, you know, it was his announcement was coming off the heels of a controversy too.
And where he was had some pretty despicable things to say about, you know, the the incident that happened at the White House Correspondents Association dinner.
And, you know, I don't want to repeat any of that really.
But but I think the fact that it was coming on the heels of that and it's just, you know,
Bankstad seems to embody the worst characteristics of the caricature of the unhinged kind of blue and on liberal who is just like out.
bear and on the fringe and saying outlandish things and trying to get attention and trying to inject himself into every possible issue that he can.
You know, I saw a story today that he was stumbling back and forth about like what he was doing in response to what was going on in Watertown with the symphony.
the symphony song that was being played there.
He just kind of waded into that issue.
Like, thanks Kirk.
Great.
I'm sure they all wanted you to be a part of that.
And I think it is just like, I think by association, by even the vaguest association, he drags everybody on the left down because of it.
And I think, you know, for one, just a much like Trump, he is good at getting attention.
He's not particularly good at providing any meaningful results on anything else.
We have about a minute, Dan, before we have to do a break, and then we'll come back with more from Dan Schaefer.
But given that you made that comparison, not so subtly to Donald Trump, does the fact that he kind of is portraying himself as an outsider, banks that I'm talking about, and he's got some money, apparently, and he's anti-establishment, so to speak, does that help him in Wisconsin against more rank-and-file Democrats?
No, I think there are seven qualified Democrats in this field.
I'm interested to see what they all are going to have to say, you know, over the next 80 or so days here before the August 11th primary.
I don't think Bankstag counts himself as a qualified candidate here.
But he is definitely one of the loudest.
So that's always something to be said.
So we're going to be talking more with Dan Schaefer on the other side of the break.
So don't go anywhere.
He is the founder of the recombobulation area and now 21 time Milwaukee Press Club.
I think we're going to get a preview of that.
So don't go anywhere.
We're coming back in a couple of minutes.
You are listening and or watching Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Buck here on the Civic Media Network.
Stay tuned and stay close.
Hmm.
We're currently streaming on Facebook, YouTube and the platform.
We still call Twitter.
Still ahead after the six o'clock news.
We'll be talking about your text, your thoughts on tonight's question.
What summer food are you most looking forward to?
Let us know.
Drop a comment on the live stream.
Give us a call.
Give us a text.
We'd love to hear from you.
And this call conversation will eventually make me very, very hungry.
But.
speaking of amazing things to do right now.
We are having a great conversation with our guest, Mr. Dan Schaefer, the founder of the Reconpopulation Area and Civic Media colleague and friend.
We're talking about the election.
We're talking about the ever widening field on the Democratic side.
But Dan, you said you have a new piece that's going to be coming out, I believe, tomorrow that you want to give us a preview.
Let us know what's going to be coming out.
Well, I haven't
told many people that this is coming yet, but I wanted to share with the night light
with Pete and Greg listeners that I have a big piece that I've been working on for quite some time that I'm planning to publish tomorrow.
It is a longer feature story on one of the candidates running for governor and that candidate is Francesca Hong.
And
I think
she's running a fascinating campaign and I wanted to learn a little bit more about what was going on with it.
So I spent some time interviewing Ms.
Hong and I am excited to publish it and for folks to have an opportunity to learn more about this campaign because I think one of the things that I really wanted to get into with it is that, you know, there are a lot of narratives, a lot of talk.
about this campaign.
And I think it was a good opportunity to kind of slice through some of the noise and get to what's really happening here.
That's great.
I can't wait to read that.
You know, Dan, you were pretty vocal about the possibility of Governor Evers not running again.
You thought we needed a youth infusion.
I agreed with you on paper, but I was also like, oh my gosh, what if nobody from the Democratic side wins or we get a crazy in there or something?
And Tony Evers, I hosted a forum with him up here in Marinette years ago and I thought, this guy's never gonna win.
He was still running.
My wife's teacher, I wanted to like him a lot and I did, but I'm like, he's so quiet.
And as it turns out, he's been a really effective governor.
What will you miss most about his governing style and who most exemplifies it?
if you have an opinion on that in the democratic field for the gubernatorial race.
Yeah, I think, you know, one of the best things about Governor Evers is that he's been great at playing defense.
And I think his veto pen has been extremely important to democracy in Wisconsin and really throughout the country.
And I think there has been, you know, a lot that he's done to prevent some of the.
worst impulses from the Republican controlled state legislature from passing.
And so I think he's been a terrific goalie for the state of Wisconsin in a lot of ways.
But I think one of the
One of the challenges is that, you know, when we have divided government, he hasn't always had an opportunity to advance, you know, what the policies that he's wanted to pass.
Like he has signed for Republican budgets in his eight years in office.
And so I think that's been a bit of a challenge.
But I think overall, you know, I think he even said this after he was reelected.
He said, boring wins in Wisconsin.
And I do think there is something to that where people like the.
the same stable, reliable leadership of a, you know, longtime public servant like Tony Evers.
But again, like you, like you referred to, I did write last year that I think he should pass the torch.
I'm glad he did.
I think it's time for somebody new.
And I think we do have seven qualified candidates who are going to, you know, and I'm hoping things start to heat up.
a little bit here.
Because frankly, I have been a little bit surprised at the lack of activity in the lack of, you know, kind of much noise coming from these campaigns.
There's been a lot of forums.
There's been a lot of events going on throughout the campaign.
We haven't seen TV ads yet just yet when those mailers aren't going out.
You know, I think Francesca Hong's campaign has been the busiest on social media by far.
And that's part of why I wanted to look into it more.
But I think overall, you know, we saw there was some news last week that
Sarah Rodriguez and her campaign and David Crowley and his campaign were making some ad buys with some connected groups.
But I think, you know, they got to do something now because I think once, you know, once we get past the school year and into the summer, people aren't paying attention to day to day news, perhaps as much they're going off going on vacation doing other stuff.
You know, we've got less than 90 days now between now and the August 11th primary.
Let's let's get going here.
They're
trying to
outbore
each other.
Well, and I think too is like, you know, it's the summertime, it's schools out, it is people planning vacations, people living their lives, but also on top of that.
other elections, people are going to start getting those mailers.
And when people start getting those mailers, those calls, those commercials, they start to tire of that in very, very fast.
And when seven people, now a people want to delineate themselves, it's going to be even harder.
So yeah, I mean, the fact that just isn't some basic stuff out there, I was very surprised at, and I wonder if they're all sitting there going, no, you first, no, you first, no, you go first, like very Wisconsin polite, like, no, you can go ahead.
But we only have about a minute before we got to get out of here for the news.
you know, with regard to the election, is there anything that's really like, you know, making you take notice as far as Wisconsin election, whether it's the governor's race or, you know, one of these more local races that we should be keeping our eye on that you're seeing that's really interesting you.
What do I
have like 20 seconds for that?
No, I think over the big picture, the big picture of the opportunity that this year presents, I think is the really the main story.
The first open race for governor in 16 years.
We've got the first opportunity for first time, a fully post gerrymandered maps election in the Senate and the assembly.
And I think there's so often, you know, political movements when they happen, I think they start in Wisconsin.
I think so often Wisconsin is a preview for the rest of the country.
And I think it's a really
and unique opportunity for Wisconsin voters to have a say here.
That is the voice of Mr. Dan Schaefer, the founder of the Recombobulation Area.
Check out his work at RecombobulationArea.News.
We will put those, we'll put that in the show notes so you guys can check it out.
Subscribe to the newsletter as well.
You will not regret it.
It's great local reporting.
That is very much award winning.
So check it out.
Dan, thank you so much for being here.
I hope you have a very fantastic weekend.
Thank you very much.
All right.
When we come back, we'll be talking about the question of the night.
What is the summer food that you were looking forward to most taking your texts, your calls, getting your opinions here on Nightlight with Pete and Greg.
Stay tuned.
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Welcome back to Night Light with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach here on the Civic Media Network.
You can always get in touch with us, call or text the numbers, the same 8557 5248 4285 5757.
Leave a comment on that live stream.
We're currently streaming on Facebook, YouTube and the platform still called Twitter.
Still ahead, we'll be speaking with Emerson layman, who is the morning show anchor on WB a Y and we'll be talking about, I mean, really about lots of stuff.
I don't really, I mean, I don't know what's on the docket here.
He's
just a fun
guy.
He's
a fun guy because he talks about his job.
He approaches it with great enthusiasm.
And, you know, he does a side gig on WBAY called Small Towns, which is a great kind of magazine show about small towns.
I'm looking forward to that's coming up in just a little bit.
And then, of course, we're wrapping everything up with the night cap.
So don't go anywhere.
We're going to be hanging out.
If you missed the first hour, we missed our conversation with Dan Schaefer, who is the founder of the Reconpopulation Area.
You can simply go to civicmedia.us slash shows.
Look for Night Light.
Download episodes.
Listen to them at your leisure anywhere you'd like.
Download them as a podcast and get in touch.
Get caught up and be here part of the conversation and
We, uh, we will lead tomorrow as a reminder, tomorrow's movie club in the second hour.
We'll be discussing vacation.
Oh.
A third time?
Wait too late.
Sorry.
Wait.
Tom's gonna sink the company.
I love
it.
Oh my gosh.
Like, like bankruptcy.
Why?
Too many timpanies.
It's automatic.
I feel like you're timpani crazy right now.
Like, you're like, like...
You really love that timpani.
You love that dramatic pause, that dramatic, like, you know, just wait for it.
Yeah,
and you did it.
Did you have that fear just for a moment, Tom, when Greg first made that joke about the timpani budget, like, where you were like, oh, my God, the timpani budget?
Yeah.
When I was a
young guy, when I was your age, man, that's all I thought about.
What did I do?
And you're not like that.
You're much more confident than I was.
But I would always be like, oh,
no.
What did I do now?
I
was nervous.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Me too.
Me too.
I was like, am I going to get in trouble?
And people would be like, for what?
I'm like, I don't know.
Give it time.
Let's see what happens.
Just
something.
And I'm
like, what do I owe you guys?
What do I owe the company to the Tiffany thing?
I'll reimburse you.
I don't want,
you know.
$1.776 billion.
Where can
I
get that kind of money?
I wonder.
So yeah, tomorrow night's movie club.
We'll be talking about the movie vacation.
Don't play the timpani and discussing the film, the history, the, our thoughts on it.
And we want to hear from you.
So of course, every Thursday we do the movie club here on nightlight.
So join us for that as well.
But without any further ID, we're going to restate the question of the night and get into some fun conversation about your answers.
That's right.
Let's
talk about the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Question.
Question.
Questions.
The question is, what summer food are you looking forward to most?
Again, give us a call.
Give us a text.
Number's the same.
855-752-4842.
855-755 Civic.
Leave a comment on the live stream.
We are on Facebook, YouTube, and the platform.
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You can also get in touch with us via the Civic Media app.
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And if you want to get in touch with us with regard to a...
guest idea, topic idea, or just let us know how we're doing nightlight at civicmedia.us.
N-I-T-E-L-I-T-E at civicmedia.us.
Now, normally, we'd start the whole thing with our opinions and our thoughts, but we have a call on the line from Ollie in the Northwoods,
and that,
for me, is takes precedence.
Ollie gets to the front of the line.
Ollie, good evening.
How are you doing?
Hey,
Ollie.
Hi, guys.
Well, I needed to call quickly because they turned my station from night light to over to the ball game.
Well,
you
could always
listen to us on the app, Molly.
Oh, I don't have a phone.
Damn sports.
And I listened to you on the old fashioned radio.
Love
it.
Thank you, sweetie.
We really appreciate that very, very much.
I just wanted to say that I'm
Looking forward to grilled steak and some homemade potato salad.
Doesn't
that
sound yummy?
It sounds
amazing.
Ollie, we'll be up there in about three,
four
hours.
I'll tell you what, Ollie, we'll bring the steak, we'll bring the potato salad, we'll bring the grill, and we'll make it for you.
Oh, that would be awesome, because that's what I usually have to do is drop in.
Give
them
our number, Ollie.
Oh my gosh, that's
a great
answer.
Yeah, that's one.
Well, I hope your kids are listening right now and do right by their mom and their grandma and make some steak and potato salad.
I hope so.
All right, Ollie.
You
too.
Thank you so much for
calling.
We love hearing from you.
So good.
So good answer.
Steak and potato salad.
Come on now.
That sounds
amazing.
You know what?
I here's here's how much I like Ali.
I'm not a potato salad guy.
But really the way she sold that with the grilled steak,
I would eat it for Ali.
Oh, I absolutely love potato salad.
I could I mean, potato salad could just be the meal.
I'm good.
Wow.
Except for
German potato salad.
That's trash.
Disgusting.
Disgusting.
I
like pretty
much all kinds of potatoes.
I just can't do the mayo and the.
Yeah,
understood.
I
mean, yeah.
I know a lot of people who don't like potato salad texture that sometimes there's egg in there and people are like, no, thank
you.
But, you know, that just means more for me.
So there you go.
Exactly.
Pete, what summer food are you most excited for?
I was hoping you'd ask, Greg.
Yeah.
Um, corn on the cob.
And here, here's how much I love summer too.
I don't really like tomatoes.
I don't dislike them, but I could take
them.
I love a tomato fresh from the garden.
Give me a tomato.
Give me some corn in the cob.
And if I want to get really crazy, I'll get a grill basket, put some vegetables in there, and then when they pull them off, some goat cheese and some balsamic vinaigrette, mix it up.
Oh, man, forget it.
Good stuff.
I'm so hungry right now.
Come on over, guys.
I got this.
First, we're going to Pete's house.
We'll pick up Pete.
We'll eat there, and then we'll drive all the way to the Northwoods, Dolly.
We'll eat there, and then we'll just take a really long nap.
It's the night light summer food across the state to it.
Exactly.
Yeah.
I love it.
Dom, what about you, buddy?
What are you
looking forward to?
It's real quick.
I got to go brats.
I love a good brat.
I also love, I like a good dog too, but brats, brats are number one.
It just, nothing beats a good brat on a nice summer day, having a little, you know, going out on the water.
Woo!
That boy is
officially a Wisconsinite.
switched
over.
It sounds like an old guy from Louis.
I had brats.
I'm going to excuse myself for a while
and I'll rejoin the party.
How it goes.
Where's, where's Dom?
He's swimming.
You can just find him by the bubbles.
He
had a lot of
brats.
I'm really looking forward to cracking open the grill this year and really getting into it because I feel like I'm turning into that guy where I just want to grill stuff because it's summertime.
I want to grill stuff in the winter too now, but I usually, I keep, I play it safe.
Usually like chicken breast or salmon or wings, brats, hot dogs, things like that.
But I think I might want to try to make a steak this year.
I'm going to try.
Some test runs if you will but you know, I love me some grilled food.
I love and speaking of corn on the cob Pete Yeah, I think I've said this before and I want to give this tip out to everybody when you get some good fresh corn on the cob Get yourself some lime juice.
Oh,
yeah
I know I know everyone says oh, I need butter and salt you don't you want it, but you don't need it It's not necessary to eat corn in the cob, but just try it once
like even cut it in the half and take one half and just pour some lemon juice or lime juice on there and it will crisp it up.
It'll freshen it up.
It's so tasty.
You won't need salt.
I have not had salt or butter on my corn in so long because I always have some lime juice.
Dude, I love butter and salt.
Can I do lime with the butter and salt?
You absolutely can.
Yes.
But that's a lot of competing flavors.
And at some point, like, like for me, it's like, I want to eat the corn too.
I don't want to just
eat
butter and salt.
So I always just go like, and it was a friend.
mindset here, just try this.
And I did the thing of like, just try it.
And I was like,
Oh, this is really good.
All
right.
Big proponent,
big
proponent.
What are the people saying, Dom, on the text line?
What are people looking forward to for this summer with great food?
We got a lot of texts here.
We got Monica from Mount Horrib sand, watermelon, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe trying to grow them again this year.
All three really good.
Love watermelon, too.
I completely forgot what I was saying.
Love
watermelon.
So tasty.
So, so tasty.
Let's see what else.
We got Melissa from Willy Street says, my favorite summer food is a cream puff from the fair.
Interesting choice.
I like
that.
Very interesting.
OK,
cool.
We got Brett from Brown Gears saying, in this economy, the food I'm looking forward to eating this summer are the two steaks we put on layaway.
Only three more payments.
Oh, Brett.
Oh, Brett.
Yes.
Smart Alec.
Yeah.
Always
comes in great.
He's good.
We got Jack from Merrimack saying, favorite summer food is definitely sweet corn, no matter how it's cooked.
By the way, about your comments at the start of the show, Tom Fuller has been one of my best friends ever since I was a child.
That's very true.
Same
Jack.
So he does exist.
He does exist.
He does.
He's like a
leprechaun.
You
find Tom Fuller and you get
a pot of gold.
He's Jack's bestie.
We got John listening on Columbia County.
He says, sweet corn and garlic, spicy
pickles.
Oh.
Wow, that's interesting.
I've never had those
before.
Lovely.
Garlic
and anything.
Wow.
Oh, I love garlic.
Oh, thank you.
Thank goodness gracious.
And
let's do one more and then we'll go to the Facebook
responses.
Yeah, we got Tony the trucker or Texanin says gents all the fresh veggies from my garden, especially
tomatoes.
Let's move it on over, slide it on over, rock it on over to the Facebook page where we got comments on this as well.
We got Pete.
We got Mike
says garden fresh vegetables.
Sarah Jean says my mom makes these creamy cucumbers with fresh cucumbers from the garden.
It's so good over mashed potatoes
with
meatloaf.
Very and she put a picture on there, too.
If you want to go to Facebook, it looks looks like a creamy delight.
Looks dynamite.
Thank you, sir.
We've got Amanda Nemmer who said, Sarah Jean recipe.
She's asking for the recipe.
That's so gauche.
Anyway, Amanda, but Sarah Jean said, I'll get it from my mom.
So there you go.
I love when people bond over social media.
Rich Tallarico, our buddy who was on last week says.
clam chowder.
Nice.
On a nice humid day.
Daniel Fine says chili or liver and onions.
That's a good one, Dan.
He actually says I love watermelon and cherries, fresh garden vegetables and cucumbers.
Stacy Sue says watermelon.
Watermelon's a great one.
I can't believe I forgot about watermelon.
And then Jay Campbell says, yep, that's for me.
That's it for me, especially the locally grown ones with the nice dark rind.
So sweet.
Those are watermelon connoisseurs, guys.
I
love watermelon.
Let's do a couple more here.
Teresa says pork steak on the grill.
Is that pork steak?
Or she means pork and steak?
Maybe.
I mean, we got to look up.
Either one sounds good.
To the internet you go.
It says, pretty much anything cooked on the grill.
I'm with you, Jim.
Well done.
Katie Gray says, big fat tomato sandwich.
And then
Jay says, sweet corn grilled.
All
right.
Pork steak is a real thing.
Tomato sandwich.
Pork steak is a real thing.
What's that?
Pork steak?
It's a real thing.
It is.
It's like a hybrid?
Yeah, it's like from the pork shoulder.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Dump.
Have you never heard the word gauche before?
No, I was so confused when Pete said that.
I was like, I have no idea.
Gouche means like tacky or my goodness.
Like how it's like, ugh, like if you walk up to a person and say, what kind of, what kind of a, what kind of a dress is that?
Oh, why would you ask that?
Or how much did you make on that?
That's gauche.
We need to talk of the neighborhood.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
You don't talk like that.
We more decorum.
My goodness gracious.
Oh, Dave, Dave on the stream says sweet corn.
Sweet corn is pulling in.
Yeah.
Sweet corn is basically the, uh, firefly of last night's question tonight's question.
I
tried to, I tried to make a reference.
That
was well done.
We will get.
to more of your thoughts and your texts and your ideas on tonight's question.
What summer food are you looking forward to most?
But we got to take ourselves a quick little break.
But when we return, we will be talking to Emerson Layman, WBA morning show anchor, as well as pickleball enthusiast here on Night Light with Pete Schwabba and Greg Box.
So stay tuned.
Stay close.
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen so great to have you here with us as we jam through a Wednesday night We are probably having more fun than people should have on a Wednesday But you got to get through the week and it is so fun to have you guys tuning in tonight here on the Civic Media Network Let us know your answer to tonight's question.
What summer food are you most looking forward to that is tonight's question of the night tech?
us, call us, just get ahold of us one way or the other.
Pony Express, whatever you have to do, be part of the show.
We love it when you join and help us light it up.
All right, I'm very excited to welcome my next guest.
He is one of our best pals here at Nightlight, and we are making history tonight because this is the first appearance by this next gentleman where he has not been in studio, I believe, so we're going to welcome him.
From Green Bay, Wisconsin, over the stream, he is the host of Action 2 News This Morning on WBAY in Green Bay, and he joins us now, Mr. Emerson Layman.
Hey, buddy.
Good evening, fellas.
Thanks for having me.
Appreciate it.
Thank you for opening your home to us because
I
feel like we get a sense of your space and I feel a little more connected to you.
Yeah, you know a nice little view of the living room in my apartment.
I was I could have I could have been sitting on that food town behind you Pete like I wouldn't drove in up there.
Listen, you're the second Green Bay resident Dr. Liar Lee if that is your real name who has mentioned the food town.
So it's it's always you're always welcome and I have a little bit of a bone to pick with you in a
fun
way.
Okay, so Emerson hosts this show called Small Towns, Greg.
It's kind of an off-shoot news magazine, would you say Emerson is?
Yeah, I would classify it as that.
Okay, so you know I'm from Marinette.
You came here and did a Small Towns on Marinette Catholic Central High School, which is now called St.
Thomas Aquinas.
Yes.
Their 150th anniversary buddy.
I would have been there for you.
I could have given you a tour of the school.
I would have showed you my locker.
I don't
get the call.
You're a student there?
Oh, wow.
Look at the time.
Look at the time I got to get out of here.
I'll see you later.
I just, you know, with you doing a hosting a night show, I didn't think you'd be up at 9 a.m.
So I didn't want to bother you.
You
know what?
That's lame, but I accept it because I
respect
you.
So
thank
you for
at least- It's layman.
The last name is pronounced layman.
It's not.
I don't know what
you- I still got two of the books, hopefully, for later this summer, Pete.
We're gonna make that story work, so.
All right, fantastic.
I'm always here for you.
Real quick, before we get into too much of what's going on with you, what am I missing in Green Bay?
Like we just said during the break, I don't go there every night anymore.
We don't have the studio space there.
I don't miss the commute, but I do miss being in Green Bay every night.
It's a wonderful town.
Yeah, I think downtown Green Bay misses you as well.
But it's that one time of the year where people are out and about.
Staying lighter, people down walking along the river.
I don't know, maybe tonight it's a little bit chilly, but I enjoy the brisk weather.
No, man, Green Bay is Green Bay.
We're hustling and bustling first farmers market on Broadway tonight.
So that's always fun.
You know, those are a big draw.
So hopefully they're probably packed with people right now.
So things are good.
Things are good, but you're missed down here for sure.
Well, thank
you, sir.
My whole old man being now is like a farmer's market at night.
I know.
I don't even think it's fair that they call this one a farmer's market though.
It's more like a, it's just kind of like a mini festival on Broadway every Wednesday.
They got the food vendors and the bands and it's, it's a, it's an excuse to go have a beer with your friends after work and eat some deep fried foods as well, I think.
I went to a farmer's, so I live in Kenosha and there's a couple of farmer's markets on Saturday and we were out with my mother-in-law and we were like, oh, let's check out this one here.
And we were looked and it was said there was a farmer's market.
And she goes, this is more like a garage sale.
I was like, because honestly, it wasn't really a farmer's market.
It was no food.
And there was
not a lot of produce.
It all looked like a bunch of secondhand stuff.
It's a farmer's market.
I'm like, this is not a farmer's market.
This is a flea market.
It's fine.
There's nothing against flea markets.
I love these flea markets.
But calling this a farmer's market is very much false advertisements.
What do you you grew up in southern Wisconsin?
Emerson and Erick you ask him I guess I should say outside Milwaukee Like you've been in Green Bay for a couple years now in addition to the farmers market.
What do you like to do for fun there?
I know you will get into pickleball and all that But what are some of your favorite sites to to visit or to frequent in Green Bay?
Yeah, honestly, I probably should get out a little bit more.
It's kind of work pickleball repeat, but
It's I've really enjoyed just kind of out about like just like out and about like I love the the Fox River Trail down there.
Friends and I will go like we'll rollerblading down that and just along the river there enjoying that.
But I want to get to I've kind of got a list for this summer.
This is my last summer before turning 30 Pete.
So I'm a little I'm a little
anxious about that, I guess you could say, but I'm trying to I want to get up to a bunch of different things.
I've gotten into Green Bay Blizzard football lately.
Oh, sweet.
The indoor football scene is just intense.
So I joined that I want to hit up some Green Bay Rocker.
I'm a sports guy.
So I wanted some Green Bay Rockers games this summer.
And just if people have other things I need to go check out, please do.
But it's, you know, running around with small towns, it gives us a good excuse to get out to all these different
little communities kind of surrounding Green Bay and have definitely enjoyed that a lot from the work aspect of things.
But in terms of, you know, for fun myself, I've been checking out a lot of the local pickleball courts and know where the different, what parks have those.
And yeah, just, just stay in busy for sure.
I feel like Pete, we should, the four of us, we should go to Green Bay and play some pickleball.
And it would
be
really funny to just watch Dom and Emerson dominate while you and I are like,
Oops, I missed
fellas any time any time you're welcome dude
I seen Emerson play he came to Marinette for a tournament and I showed up and got some video The guy's a ringer.
So Tom, I know you think you're hot stuff and I'm sure you're better than Greg of me But I don't you know, he's a ringer.
So listen, I have a jewel a paddle a paddle.
So I'm ready to go I have
I'm ready to
go.
I'm ready to go.
What's
anything to you Emerson?
I'm sponsored by you.
Yeah, so that's
We're
going to get into that.
I pulled a hammy just listening to that.
We will come back and talk to our pal Emerson layman about what's going on in Green Bay.
He is the host of the action to news this morning on WB.
Why does great work there?
And we'll talk pickleball too.
When we come back, this is nightlight with Pete Schwabba and right back on the civic media
network.
Welcome back.
I'm Pete Schwabba coming to you live from northeast Wisconsin.
Just down the coast in Radio Park in Racine is Greg Bach and Dom Lee holding down the fort.
In Madison we are the Otterhay Triangle and it is great to have you with us tonight.
Our question is what summer food are you most looking forward to?
I think grilling season is officially upon us so be part of the show folks and let us know what you think.
Right now
One of our nightlight best pals is with us to Emerson layman.
He is the host of action to news this morning on WBA why in Green Bay?
He does a great job there and also hosts the show small towns and you can see those episodes on the WBA why website correct Emerson people can just go there and
yeah if you head to WBY comm we've got a small towns tab right on there you click on that and it'll take you to
every episode that we have done every episode my predecessor did you can check it all out right there by the click of a click of a button or the finger tap on your phone and yeah we go to some pretty cool places so go go check it out and inspire yourselves for your summer travels to go check some of these spots out.
Absolutely.
I just, I'll ask you first about another one you did, the Paper Valley Railroad.
That was a recent episode, I believe.
I love trains.
Yeah, really cool stuff.
What have you seen?
What's been your most fun thing to talk about when you've gone to these towns?
In terms of like, how do you mean in terms of just like one specific story or like in...
Subject
matter, a crazy fun character, whatever.
You probably walk into these things not really knowing what to expect because small towns could be pretty quirky.
So that's kind of a way that I actually was talking with my photojournalist Shane Fitzsimmons about that.
So like obviously when we get these pitches because we will get a decent chunk of pitches for people wanting us to come check these.
different locations, whether it's a person or a really cool business, things of that nature.
And we do our vetting process to make sure it's legitimate and they're good people.
Just checking that whole journalistic integrity process up.
But once we get through the basics of that, I don't really do deep dives into them because I want it to be as authentic as possible when I get there to ask
these
questions.
go into a deep dive and I know all the answers to these questions already, then I just feel like it takes a little bit of that authenticity away from the visit, whereas I get up there to, I'll use Porterfield, for example, up by UP.
We did a sawmill up there earlier this year.
And family run sawmill, I had never stepped foot on a sawmill before.
So I'm just walking around like a...
Like a kid almost like
oh look
at the big trucks and all the really crazy
saws and all
that's how they make two by fours like you know things like that like you just you Take all this stuff in I was out at it.
We were out at a dairy farm today, and I'm not ashamed to admit I I just kind of grew up in Wisconsin thinking cows have always been here No cows are not natural to the United States.
They were
getting
shipped here from Europe back with
Columbus
I make sense.
Yeah,
it's it's things like that where you know, I I Want to be able to ask those questions and learn something every day like
yeah,
I'm a firmer leader with the you know, you want to try and learn something new every day and getting the chance to go meet these people and learn about their craft learn about their hobbies their passions and
You know, that's the thing that I would say kind of to circle back to your question that I enjoy the most is the passion that these people have for what they do, whether it's playing a sport or we covered underwater hockey a couple of weeks ago.
Like that
was unreal.
That's great.
Yeah, underwater hockey, like snorkels and a hockey puck on the floor of a pool.
Like who knew that was a thing?
I did it until we got there.
You know the model railroads they were so so passionate about their
projects and
what goes into it and it's really fun to see people.
Almost in a quirky way but just light up about what it is that they're passionate about and then just go into just awesome detail and share that with with the world because it takes guts right to invite a news camera
to come into
your home or your business and then.
get excited about something and share that with people and I just I really appreciate people trusting me to give them the opportunity to do that.
That's fantastic.
It sounds like it's less of an interview and more of just a conversation, you getting to know the people in the area.
And I think that's what makes it authentic and interesting to watch and to listen to.
When you responded back to topics, you said in here that you just got back from South Korea too.
What were you doing there?
A vacation?
Was it work?
What's going on?
Yeah, South Korea was unreal.
My sister and brother-in-law actually live over there, so shout out to... I want a quick shout out to all of the armed forces and those families.
Whether living here in the homeland or abroad, they've been over there for about a year and a half now, and we were checking out all the sights and sounds and the tastes of South Korea.
I mean, the food was incredible, the people, the...
experience was just so remarkable.
And I tell people like Asia was never on, but this was my first time traveling overseas.
And Asia was not really at the top of my list of places that I got some places in Europe that I really like to go check out.
But having my sister and brother-in-law over there was so fun to just spend two weeks just every day we were exploring.
And that's so cool.
It was just go, go, go.
And by the end of the two weeks, I was almost like, okay, I'm ready to
Get back home here and just kind of chill for a second because it was just so much Travel and exploring and you don't know the language except for hello and thank you and you're just running around but I mean a beautiful country the most kind patient people especially knowing that we were we were foreigners I was there with my mom and my dad and Yeah, really really enjoyed it, but it really makes you appreciate I Never considered myself a military
family, so to speak, like my grandfathers that served, but I've never really been impacted.
I've had some friends, but to have my brother-in-law serving over there and my sister living over there, just it gives you a whole new appreciation for those families, not only the one serving, but their families as well, who pack up their lives to go with and support them.
And yeah, just very appreciative, especially with, you know, Memorial Day coming up.
obviously grateful to those who are serving and all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and just so grateful for that experience to go spend two weeks with them when we don't get to see them very much.
That is the voice of Emerson Lehman, folks.
He is an early riser because he hosts the Action 2 News This Morning on WBAY in Green Bay and he is a frequent flyer here at Nightlight.
All right.
I think it's time.
You know, the news is great.
You've won awards too.
We've had a lot of award winners on tonight and just two, but you guys have your share of awards.
So, uh, but have you won an award?
Journalistic awards are great, Emerson, but tell us about pickleball.
Are you ranked as I understand it, right?
Uh, I don't like in terms of like ranking like in the state, like I don't
think so.
Um, but we like, there's like, uh, there's like, uh,
ranking system that I'm pretty I'm pretty decent at the pickleball game.
We've talked about it on nightlight a few times.
Does that mean you don't want to talk about it right now?
Oh, no, we totally can't.
We totally can't.
That's fine.
You want here.
We got a poll.
We got the wonderful Badger State.
Look at that.
What is
that?
Is
that
a
pickleball medal?
This is a pickleball medal from Badger State.
So my goodness.
This was my first time we got they call it a triple crown.
So when you when you win every division that you were eligible to play in you kind of sweep the tournament they call it a triple crown and I played men's 5-0 singles men's 5-0 doubles and then mixed 5-0 doubles which 5-0 is kind of like the highest amateur rank before you get to the pro divisions
and
We we swept the weekend in Wausau back in I think that was like
January into February, like that first weekend of February.
So I
was
pretty pumped about that.
So.
Yeah.
So you're, it's the triple crown.
So you're the secretariat of Wisconsin pickleball.
I would say amateur pickleball.
Maybe I guess you could say that.
It was, uh, no, man, it was so fun.
Um, I, they, they, they host the batter state games over in Wausau.
And I, that's where I learned how to play.
So, uh, we were talking with Dominic, you know, the 70 and 80 year olds can really.
Ball out on the pickleball court.
They're good.
So mean sometimes.
That's
where I learned was at the local YMCA in Warsaw.
And it was probably 67-year-old ladies that were just running me and my friend around the court.
And we played a lot.
I got a little bit better.
And it's so fun to go back there for, I try and get back there for a tournament every winter and every summer just to kind of like see my old friends, people who
Some of them used to watch, some of them used to play with me back there and just to go back and visit with them and see the old stomping grounds and then to sweep it was pretty special as well.
That was one I
don't
think I'll forget for a while.
But no, we had a tournament in Green Bay a couple of weeks ago.
They had three pros that were there.
my partner and I got fourth.
So we at least put up a fight with the pros, but we didn't get on the metal stand like we wanted to.
So I'm definitely not the best in the state by far.
Yeah, I don't wanna be one of you anymore.
You're
fourth best in the state, all right?
I'm so humble.
Wow.
Dom, do you have any questions for Emerson?
You are new to the game.
I love it.
I'm glad to hear you're playing, man.
The biggest question I have is, what is the hardest for you to play?
Is it singles or is it doubles?
Because I've heard both sides.
Yeah, I
would say it depends how much you want to run.
People think, oh, pickleball, it's a smaller court.
that that's true but also that means the ball is coming back that much faster than in tennis.
So like they try and compare it I would say singles pickleball is a lot more comparable to tennis in the sense of you're just trying to rip the ball as hard as you can pass the person where in doubles it involves a lot of touch a lot of finesse kind of a lot of strategy that goes with it so.
I think they both have their challenges and they both have their benefits so I would kind of.
You're definitely warped.
Like I'm a lot, you're definitely tired after a singles tournament, but I'm, I've been exhausted after doubles tournaments too.
So I kind of, they each have their own challenges that you have to kind of grasp, but you just got to figure out what, I tell people to play both because I think one can kind of compliment the other in, in different aspects.
A question for you really.
Well, first of all, I feel like just watching for me would make me tired, but that's a whole other story.
between me and my doctor.
What is the, where is the step, Emerson, where we see a table or a podium and you walked to it and you go, today I announced I'm becoming a pro.
I'm going pro today.
Thank you to all my sponsors, my family, all over the world.
Like, is there a, is there a version of the story, Emerson, where you are a pro pickleball player?
You know, people ask me that sometimes.
It is as much fun as it would be.
I think.
to do that like this isn't these pros out there aren't just people that are picking up a paddle and going on playing friday saturday sunday and they're just remarkable at it like they're training eight hours a day they're playing every day for eight like they're they're putting in that work and i maybe if i was if the pickleball boom was 10 years earlier and i would have started playing it in college a bit um it could have been there could have been a shot where i would have been like oh i want to try this for a year but i i've
I'm in the, I've got a pretty decent career that I'm proud of in the news industry right now.
So I
don't really
want to put that on pause to go train as a full-time job to play pickleball.
So maybe like they have a senior tour.
So if, you know, things are still rocking when I'm 49 years old, I got 20, 20 years to go.
Maybe I'll jump on the senior tour and do that.
All
right,
baby, I have
hope.
You've already got a trusted face in news.
If you became a pro pickleball player, you'd be the most trusted face in pickleball.
And I think that's something to be very
proud of.
It'd be fun to combine the two.
Yeah, that's neat.
Absolutely.
Hey, buddy, as always, great catching up.
Let's do it again soon.
And we'll talk.
We'll talk movie soon.
That was so fun.
Thank you for having me.
And watch our small town special Monday at noon on WKY.
I didn't even ask you that.
I'm glad you got the plug in.
Small towns, Monday night.
Absolutely great show.
Thank you, sir.
Talk to you soon, buddy.
See you
guys.
All right.
That's Emerson Lehman.
Check out his work at WBAY.com.
This is Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach in Nightlight.
We are coming right back for the Nightcap.
It's time to wind it down.
Let's take a moment to look back and ask.
What did we learn today?
This is Nightcap with Greg and Pete.
Welcome back to Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach here on the Civic Media Network.
You can always get in touch with us here eight five five seven five two four eight four two eight five five seven five civic with a comment on that live stream currently streaming on Facebook YouTube and the platform We still call Twitter tonight's question is what summer food?
Are you looking forward to most if you want to get a last minute comment in there?
We'd love to hear from you and on tomorrow's show.
I was wrong I believe we have Rob Thomas on the show tomorrow.
We do
in my first
hour 535 will be talking to movie critic Rob Thomas about the summer blockbusters and then in the second hour
Oh my goodness.
Tonight Nightlight Movie Club, where we are discussing the film, National Lampoon's Vacation.
The first one, some would say the only one, but...
You know, that's for other people to discuss, but we'll talk about that tomorrow night show.
So join us for that discussion.
Watch the movie.
Let us know your thoughts.
And we'd love to hear from you.
And we are officially in the nightcap where we talk about what we've learned.
But more importantly, we hear from you.
Dom, who is left on the text line regarding tonight's question or just thoughts in general?
Yeah, we got quite a few more.
We got Bridget texting in saying brats boiled in beer and onions and served with raw
onions.
That's
good.
That's really good.
We got John Murray texting in on WMDX.
He says, living here in Scotson and previously Illinois, the Broads are year round.
Even at breakfast, they cook so well in the air fryer.
Oh, it's truly amazing.
But
my summer favorite right now is rhubarb pie in a close second is Schmore's.
Mm, Schmer.
Did you hear that, Pete?
Schmore's.
That was adorable.
Schmore's.
Did you
say the rosiery before you came to work today?
That's all I'd like to say.
He also says that, also, please never try to grill your watermelon slices.
Turns into a demon fruit that tastes really bad.
I would not have even ever thought to try that.
On top of that, he said, Greg, steak, get
the grill
hot.
Four minutes bathing in flames, flip.
Four minutes bathing in flames, take it off and let it rest on a platter for five minutes.
Perfect medium rare flavor.
There you
go.
So a couple of things with that.
One, I would love to get a recipe for medium or medium rare, medium or rare plus.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Let me revise that.
Rare or rare plus.
I don't like medium.
I like rare.
That's just me.
Also, I don't know how to do flames on a grill.
Like I have a gas,
I have a
gas grill.
Oh.
Well, so I don't know how to create actual flames on the gas grill.
I guess I have to look that up.
Plus I don't want to destroy my face because this is your money maker.
It's my money maker there.
That's what and I something tells me John would have an answer for
you.
Yeah, absolutely.
And I appreciate John.
Thank you for the thank you for I imagine that it's everything there only instead of four minutes.
It's like three minutes.
You know, it's just a little bit less.
But yeah, John, thank you so much.
What else we got there?
Any other text messages?
Yeah, Melissa from ministry also says
Okay, just made me think of another one, rhubarb pie, and I make
a
mean
one.
Rhubarb was really good, so yeah.
That's John's better half.
Okay,
there we go.
Oh, we got Karen texting in on WAUK.
He says, fresh raspberries from my backyard.
And then Nick from Marshall says, sweet corn and watermelon, also strawberries.
And then John texting in on WMDX says, also rhubarb and peach and apple crumble.
I grow them all.
I love spring and what
it
gives us.
That is awesome.
That is a beautiful way of putting that, John.
Thank you so very much.
Do we have any last minute thoughts on the Facebook?
Yeah, we've got Matt Harper, my favorite rock-rap artist from Green Bay, says, corn in the bowl at the farmer's market.
Probably heard our talk with Emerson.
And then we've got, thank you, Matt.
And then we've got Janet, who says, fresh ripe tomatoes off the vine.
Summer is the only time I really eat tomatoes.
Same
as these, Janet.
I'm with you.
It's weird.
It's a refreshing food, if you think about it, when it's made, when it's like crisp and fresh and, you know, yeah, you could just.
Like, cut them into slices and pop them.
Just boom.
My wife makes, I mean, it's not, I mean, nothing, nothing taken away from Bridget.
I love her very much.
But she'll, all of a sudden, will make the slices of tomato, a slice of mozzarella, and then some like, like a basil leaf and a little bit of drizzle there.
And you just like pop that.
It's a great little appetizer right there.
Oh my goodness.
That's like bruschetta, but without the bread.
And the, no.
bruschetta is like the something different it's different you want to scold me go ahead no no no no of course I'm not gonna scold you what are you talking about there what you look disappointed like no I was wrong with you because for a moment I had to think myself wait bruschetta wait a minute what is and then I realized it no it's it's it bruschetta is like it's like a toasty toast little piece of toast with like what almost feels like a pico de gallo on top of it
Then maybe but like to me like what she just makes is just a slice of tomato slice of cheese and then the drizzle.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm okay.
I have no idea Look, it sounds like flavor country either way on my Facebook page My friend Sarah says corn on the cob corn cob is winning and I just saw a last-minute text come in from Greg and Waukesha our buddy Greg What about corn with cheese on top of it?
Well, I mean two each their own and that's how we were hand that you want I mean, I'm sure I'm sure you can find that stay fair along.
It's like also on a stick
deep fried and all those things.
Pete, what did you learn tonight?
Man, I learned that, you know, I just learn every time I read Dan Schaefer or I talk
to
him.
And so it was interesting to hear about the Democratic candidates and the Republican side and what's happening in the election.
That's what I learned tonight.
It was great.
Great having Dan
and Emerson on.
Yeah, it was a great show.
Wonderful, wonderful guest this evening.
Don, what about you?
I learned about Emerson's small town series, him traveling across
Wisconsin,
seeing more
about Wisconsin.
I thought it was really cool.
All right.
And I learned that just because you play pickleball once doesn't mean you can turn pro.
So that's why I'm going to retire before I play it all.
Not with that
attitude.
Chris on the text line, our buddy Chris, he says, that's caprese, Greg.
Sure, we make caprese because we are.
fancy.
We love schmores.
All right, we got to get out of here.
So thank you so much to Tucker to Dominic to engineering and traffic for all the work they do making sure these microphones turn on.
We can nothing without you.
Everyone who called texted everyone who got in the live stream without you.
There is no us.
Thank you so very much.
Remember tomorrow, movie critic Rob Thomas in the first hour and in the second hour, we're in the night.
We're in the movie club watching talking about the movie vacation.
So come on back.
and have some fun with us stick around here on night on uh civic media because there's lots of great programming after we are done but we got to get out of here so pete say good night to the people
it's a two-parter tonight love you casper good night
wisconsin
