The Recombobulation Area

There’s been a whole lot happening in recent months as Donald Trump has returned to office as president, and Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has begun to take a wrecking ball to various federal agencies, making drastic cuts to the federal workforce.  Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is helping tell the […]

Guests: Dan Shafer, Mandela Barnes, Katia Wanish

Mon Mar 10, 2025

30:44

Last week, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo essentially freezing payments from the federal government. The memo was rescinded, but perhaps it’s a sign of what’s to come from the Trump administration. Regular Recombobulation Area contributor and Marquette University professor Phil Rocco, who has written and researched extensively on the relationship between […]

Sun Feb 2, 2025

41:18

Donald Trump said immigration was his No. 1 issue. So, let’s talk about it. A big picture podcast discussion with immigration attorneys Gabriela Parra and Kevin Layde, and guest co-host Angela Lang.

Mon Jan 27, 2025

58:30

Dan Shafer, Founder of the Recombobulation Area and Civic Media’s Political Member, joins host Mark Becker to answer this: What really happened in Wisconsin in the 2024 Presidential Election? Besides discussing the closeness of the Presidential Election, Mark also asks Dan about the difference between the 3rd Congressional District and the 8th. What’s next for […]

Guest: Dan Shafer

Sat Dec 14, 2024

47:07

The Assembly Minority Leader reflects on the results of the 2024 election in Wisconsin, the first under new maps, and looks ahead to what’s to come in the state legislature in 2025. Greta Neubauer, the state representative from the 66th Assembly District and the Assembly’s Democratic Minority Leader, joined The Recombobulation Area podcast for a […]

Wed Dec 11, 2024

28:21

Donald Trump won Wisconsin and the presidency. Angela Lang and Dan Shafer try to make sense of what just happened.

Wed Nov 13, 2024

38:06

We talked about the “late night ballot dump” issue and more. Part of the Civic Media special broadcast, “Making Your Vote Count 2024.” For the Civic Media special broadcast, Making Your Vote Count 2024, I talked to Scott Krug, a Republican state representative from Nekoosa who currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on […]

Tue Oct 22, 2024

44:44

Breaking down how and why the city of Milwaukee reports election results from absentee ballots all at once on election night, and how bipartisan efforts to reform the process stalled.

Tue Oct 22, 2024

10:00

The results from the latest Marquette University Law School Poll are in, and with less than 55 days to go, Kamala Harris has a four-point lead over Donald Trump. Plus: Tim Walz, Baldwin-Hovde, much more. The Marquette University Law School Poll is the gold standard poll for elections and public policy in the state of […]

Guest: Charles Franklin

Thu Sep 12, 2024

36:39

Here in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, there is a lot going on. Most of this is taking place inside the United Center, but there are other events happening all over town. Yesterday afternoon, I attended one of those events hosted by an organization called The Next 50, a group that focuses on the next […]

Guest: Greta Neubauer

Thu Aug 22, 2024

26:42