Dr. Kristin Lyerly
A Tale of Two States (Hour 2)
Thanks to 12 years of gerrymandered Republican rule, Wisconsin is now one of only 10 states still losing out on federal money to provide more affordable health care to working families through Medicaid/BadgerCare. In Minnesota this week, the Democratic-controlled Legislature is beefing up Medicaid/MinnesotaCare with a public option. We’ll explore how it works and how much Wisconsin continues to lose from the GOP’s Affordable Care Act temper tantrum.
Pudding Fingers and Twiddling Thumbs (Hour 1)
Looking at this week’s events we ask if the Grand Old Party can replace its elephant logo with a pair of twiddling thumbs, given what little is getting done in Madison and Washington. Also, Courier Newsroom national correspondent Keya Vakil joins us to review the Dominion defamation settlement with the Fox political propaganda channel. And we’ll also discuss the effectiveness of the Trump ad spoofing pudding lover Ron DeSantis.
Being Good to the Earth—and to the Kids (Hour 2)
Rep. Katrina Shankland will talk about the legislation she introduces each year around Earth Day to seek better protection for Wisconsin’s amazing natural resources—and the lack of support she gets from Republican colleagues. And in our Hometown Health segment: a pediatric psychologist describes the harm politicians are doing when they punch down and attack children undergoing uncertainty about sexuality and gender.
Fighting the ‘New Normal’ of Big Money Elections (Hour 2)
Before he retires shortly, Matt Rothschild of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign wants to get a few things off his chest—especially the plea that we not normalize the way our elections have been hijacked by high-dollar, outside groups.
Don’t Like the Weather? Wait 5 Minutes. (Hour 1)
Weather tops our news to start the week. You could complain about 90 degree heat and snow and sleet—barely 48 hours apart! Also, the Milwaukee Bucks begin their playoff run. We review today’s start of the Dominion-Fox defamation trial. And Kristin Lyerly updates the legal fight over women’s access to mifepristone.
Weekly Best of UpNorthNews Radio with Pat Kreitlow for Apr 15
We had a very busy week on UpNorthNews Radio, so here's a slice of the best conversations.
First, Representative Jodi Emerson joins Pat to talk about the GOP's refusal to take gun violence seriously. Then, on Hometown Health, Dr. Kristin Lyerly invites Dr. Tracy Guiou to talk about how we can address the increasing childhood mental health crisis. To round out the hour, Melissa Kaye of WFHR returns for another exploration of music and history.
The Pediatric Mental Health Crisis (Hour 2)
There’s a mental health crisis in America—especially for young people. Gov. Tony Evers has said every kid in Wisconsin should have access to school-based mental health services through his “Get Kids Ahead” initiative. We’ll talk to the CEO of Catalpa Health about the resources that the Legislature can provide and the measures that must be taken up as soon as possible.
Maybe You’re the Problem? (Hour 1)
Scott Walker is blaming the Republican loss of young voters on “indoctrination.” Congressman Mike Gallagher says the solution is to “tighten election procedures.” Is there any chance they’re asking if maybe their extremism is the problem? We’ll talk to Joe Zepecki about GOP reaction to last week’s election and Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s announcement that she’s running for a third term next year.
Courts duel over access to abortion pill (Hour 1)
Courts duel over access to abortion pill and Dr. Kristin Lyerly joins to talk about the safety of mifepristone and the ramifications of banning it.
A Victory Lap for Moms (Hour 2)
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court will be controlled by progressives for the first time in 15 years, thanks in large part to moms and their allies who spread the word that nothing gets better until they pursue a much higher level of civic engagement and community organizing. We’ll talk to Nicole Slavin and Erin Phillips of Motherhood for Good about continuing the momentum into areas like the politicization of women’s medication.
