Cherita Booker
A Supreme Comeuppance (Hour 1)
The right-wing justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court who played politics with taking away powers from the governor and attorney general are shocked —SHOCKED!— to have learned that the same thing can happen to them. They’ve even appropriated the phrase that was first applied to them—politicians in justices’ robes. We’ll use radio-friendly language to explain the term “FAFO” to them, now that progressives have a court majority. Plus, Cherita Booker with the most-read stories on UpNorthNews social media sites.
The Barbenheimer Effect (Hour 1)
As we usually do on Mondays, we’ll review which UpNorthNews stories are getting the most clicks and views—but we can’t overlook the two movies that are dwarfing everything else in summer viewing. We’ll check reaction to Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Plus we’ll review those more Wisconsin-based views on stories about the best fish frys in the state and whether people think former President Donald Trump’s grasp on reality is slipping.
Who Cheers Against a Soft Landing? (Hour 1)
The latest economic data shows better odds that the economy is going to have a “soft landing” from the pandemic recession. That’s certainly better than going from a recession to a recovery-with-inflation and then back to recession. And yet some folks can’t seem to stop rooting for failure if it makes Democrats look bad. Also: Gov. Tony Evers talks about tax rebates vs. tax cuts—while Republicans dither again with a budget surplus.
Send That Law Back to 1849 (Hour 1)
A Dane County judge on Friday afternoon said it was her interpretation that a controversial 1849 law does not actually apply to elective abortions and is superseded by a 1985 abortion rights law. Dr. Kristin Lyerly is one of the intervenors in the case and gives us a progress report as the lawsuit challenging the ban takes a big step forward. Also, Cherita Booker has the most-clicked stories on the UpNorthNews social media sites.
Forget Twitter – Go Outside and Play (Hour 1)
Are you as borderline-addicted to Twitter as the host of this show? Then both of you need to go outside and play more since Elon Musk seems content to burn the “birdie” platform to the ground. In Cherita Booker’s review of the most-clicked UpNorthNews stories and Christina Lorey’s preview of upcoming features, we have several ideas for enjoying Wisconsin without constantly checking your phones.
A Bunch of Zeros (Hour 1)
Now that we know how Republicans in the Legislature want to squander most of the $7 billion budget surplus for tax cuts skewed to the very rich, let’s review all of the many things the surplus could have been used for—but Republicans opted for $0 for each one, in order to put an extra $30,000 a year into the pockets of each millionaire in the state.
Juneteenth, DEI and the GOP (Hour 1)
On this federal holiday commemorating Juneteenth, the efforts by Black Americans to overcome generations of racism are being opposed more overtly than anytime in recent memory. We’ll report on how Wisconsin Republicans treated the issue at this weekend’s state convention. Also, Cherita Booker will tell us about the most-read, most-watched stories on the UpNorthNews social media sites.
Three-Term Tony (Hour 1)
Gov. Tony Evers shows he’s no stranger to Wisconsin politics, saying something at this weekend’s state Democratic convention that already has people talking about 2026. Also, we’ll have the latest on the federal criminal charges against former President Donald Trump over sensitive documents regarding national security that he took improperly, handled sloppily, spoke about recklessly, and tried to hide from law enforcement seeking their return.
Allow Myself to Introduce Myself (Hour 1)
Austin Powers quote notwithstanding, we’re excited to be introducing ourselves to new listeners today as the Civic Media radio network grows to include stations in the Chippewa Valley, La Crosse, Hayward, and more. We’ll review some of the weekend headlines, get our regular Monday morning visit from Dr. Kristin Lyerly, and have Cherita Booker review some of the most-read and watched stories on the UpNorthNews social media feeds.
We’ve Been Down This Path Before (Hour 1)
The national news programs have been focused on the southern border and the elimination of a pandemic-era restriction on immigration—but the problems our country faces have been around since long before COVID, and they could have been solved by now were it not for the sabotage done by a few right-wing members of Congress a decade ago. Also: Cherita Booker with our most clicked-on social media stories. And Dr. Kristin Lyerly checks in for today’s history lesson and music break.
