Keya Vakil
Hit the Bricks, Mitch (1st Hour)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Obstruction) is stepping down as Senate Republican Leader at the end of this year. Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil tells us how McConnell’s legacy ranges from that of a strategic partisan to a destroyer of norms that has rendered the Senate nearly useless.
Tim Michels, Part Deux (1st Hour)
It could be that Sen. Tammy Baldwin will have a formidable opponent this fall, but California bank owner Eric Hovde would first have to get through a Republican primary—which he failed to do in 2012. We’ll cover this week’s headlines with Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil.
No Honor (1st Hour)
A partisan hit piece, disguised as a special counsel’s report, exonerates President Biden for his handling of classified documents but gets more attention for its efforts at armchair psychiatry. And former President Trump is dealt one loss and quite likely one win in two of his many court cases.
Bye Bye, Rigged Maps (1st Hour)
For more than a decade, voters have been subjected to gerrymandered maps of the Wisconsin Legislature’s Assembly and Senate districts. Now, not only are the current gerrymandered maps going away, but two experts working on new boundaries have already panned two proposed Republican maps as being about as bad as what’s in place right now.
How to Get Moderates Motivated (1st Hour)
Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil takes a look at former President Donald Trump’s performance in this week’s New Hampshire primary and sees where America will face an inflection point on Election Day: Trump polls terribly with moderates, but what if the campaign is so muddy that enough moderates stay home in November? Plus, we’ll look at the, um, unusual things said during Thursday’s Assembly debate about a proposed abortion ban.
Smokescreens and Mirrors, Again (Hour 1)
Once again the talk about Wisconsin Republicans putting forward a marijuana legalization proposal appears designed to go nowhere, as the Senate Republican leader shoots down a plan from the Assembly.
Keya Vakil, national correspondent at Courier Newsroom, joins Pat to take a look at the official start to the 2024 election cycle. From Iowa to New Hampshire, and updates from the legal cases surrounding the frontrunner of the Republican primary.
Plus, sports updates from around Wisconsin from a Bucks blowout win against the Celtics and the Brewers avoiding arbitration with several key players.
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It’s the Guns: Part Infinity (Hour 1)
The latest mass killing in Maine would be tragic enough if Republicans hadn’t rubbed salt in the wound by electing a new Speaker of the House who offered up the usual “thoughts and prayers” and said the answer to this ongoing American carnage is—more guns. Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil has more about how the new Speaker is from as far-right as the fringe gets in politics today.
You’re All America (Hour 1)
President Biden spoke to the nation Thursday night about his visit to Israel, the need to stand up against terror and hate—his resolve to stand with an ally while also seeking to end a humanitarian crisis. In the meantime, Congress remains stuck in a rut while House Republicans bicker over who should be their leader—a soap opera delaying important domestic and international matters.
Dysfunction Junction (Hour 1)
Republicans in the Legislature are passing hateful bills instead of useful solutions. Republicans in Congress can’t figure out who should be their leader. Their leading presidential candidate is becoming increasingly violent and incoherent in his speeches. Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil tells us of at least one instance where someone is sticking up for us—even going after all those junk fees on our bills.
Impeachment-palooza (Hour 1)
Not content with talking about impeaching a president or a state Supreme Court justice, now a few Republicans are passing around a note asking if they should impeach the administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Their resolution is 23 pages full of recycled misinformation about 2020—because some people are still working publicly to undermine American democracy.
We’ll also ask Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil to summarize a week of congressional extremists trying to force a government shutdown.
