Civic Media

We knew coming into this administration not to expect traditional sensibilities of qualifications from Cabinet members. Still, we hoped to see some regard for making America safer and more secure- what with all the talk of how Trump’s administration would do just that. And then we got Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and all those hopes went down the drain. Last week, we saw in the clearest te...

Over the weekend, the world’s richest man graced us with his ‘presents’ here in Wisconsin. Attorney General, Josh Kaul, filed to stop Musk from delivering two $1 million goodies. Alas, he didn’t dot his Is or cross his Ts and our court system flat out rejected the lawsuits. Even our “radically liberal” Supreme Court that one BS candidate rails against unanimously ruled against Kaul. Imagine that…...

Former Green Bay Mayor, Jim Schmitt is joined by Kelsey O’Donnell-Mauthe, Communications Manager for The Brain Center . Jim and Kelsey talk about brain health and how The Brain Center can help with that. Kelsey talks about what food is good for your health, and how movement helps the brain. Then Dennis Rockhill, the Makerspace Director for the Einstein Project . Dennis talks how the Einstein Proje...

Jim Santelle, host of Amicus: A Law Review , joins us as cohost for the day. In this hour, we discuss the American system of government. We are not a monarchy. Nor should we be an oligarchy. We are a democratic republic with three co-equal branches of government with checks and balances on each other. Those checks are vital to maintaining and protecting the will of the people. Sometimes, these che...

Jim Santelle, host of Amicus: A Law Review , joins us as cohost for the day. For this first hour, we’ve got to talk money. Because this Supreme Court race is ridiculous. With a predicted total passing $100 million, one man bears over a full 25% of that burden. Elon Musk took it upon himself to fund this campaign ad absurdum, first with massive donations to BS’s campaign. Then, he began paying peop...

In this hour, we turn to national news and the priorities of this Presidential administration. Today, we report that Health and Human Services- now led by RFK Jr- plans to reduce their workforce by a full third. Despite claims that the cuts will not result in poorer service, we know that’s simply not true. And a caller shares his experience just this week with the IRS in this vein. Actions like th...

Judge Susan Crawford joins us to discuss why she’s running for Supreme Court of Wisconsin. She shows us she has the character to be our next Justice. This race’s spending balloons closer to the projected $100 million price tag. With that in mind, Judge Crawford shares her horror at the richest man in the world contributing over a quarter of the full spending as of yet. Today, we learn that Elon Mu...

Matt Rothschild joins us as cohost for the day. Last hour we covered the local news, so now it’s time to turn to the national crapshow. The big story continues to be the national security breach on Signal. This is beyond amateur hour, this is amateur era . Because the only qualification so many of these Cabinet and senior officials possess is their undying loyalty to President Trump. And now we se...

Matt Rothschild joins us for the day as cohost. In this first hour, we talk Wisconsin politics. With our next election just days away, we watch as the financial toll of the statewide races climbs astronomically high. Especially when we look to the contributions of the richest man in the world. We reported earlier this week that Musk passed $19 million in contributions; now he closes in on the $20...

In this hour, we continue our coverage from yesterday on the massive national security breach of classified battle plans shared in a group chat on Signal. Today, the Senate Intelligence Committee held their annual hearing on worldwide threats to our national security. And today, the threats to our national security came from inside the house= or rather, the Cabinet. We share highlights featuring S...

Oh boy, it’s only Tuesday huh? Well, let’s get into it. It’s so very nearly time to elect our next Supreme Court Justice in Wisconsin! Make sure to avoid BS this cycle by voting for Judge Susan Crawford! Check your voter registration and all items on your ballot here. Then make a plan and vote by April 1st to elect a qualified candidate we can all remember. That’s a bit of a joke, because some peo...

Harvey Kaye , Professor Emeritus of Democracy and Justice Studies at UWGB , and our favorite Delano Democrat joins us for the hour. We begin by picking up on the massive national security breach committed by Cabinet members and top advisors over Signal. The news leaves our typically verbose Professor gobsmacked and nearly speechless. He manages to call the act “evil, stupid”. And after so many yea...

We begin the week’s news coverage locally with news on the race for our state’s Supreme Court. With absolute gobs of money pouring in from right and left, this race will be the most expensive judicial election in American history. And the last one in Wisconsin broke the record as well. Now, additionally, President Trump wades into the supposedly non-partisan race to endorse BS. It’s a troubling si...

Jim Santelle, host of Amicus: A Law Review , joins us as cohost for the day. Our main discussion this hour is due process- the set order by which justice proceeds in this country. But first, we take a segment to discuss the rallying of Democrats and all those who oppose the tumbling slide into oligarchy and authoritarianism. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) set off this we...

Jim Santelle, host of Amicus: A Law Review , joins us as cohost for the day. In this hour, we discuss the upcoming race to fill a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This race pits Judge Susan Crawford against Judge Brad Schimel- to whom we’ll refer as BS. Throughout the past few weeks, we’ve provided extensive reasoning to vote FOR Susan Crawford and AGAINST BS. Today, we’ve got more. He consist...

Earl Ingram, Civic morning show host , joins us as cohost. This hour, we discuss whether President Trump has the authority to dismantle an Executive Department. Namely, we address the Executive Order he issued today to begin dismantling the federal Department of Education. Now, Congress created the department. And so it will be Congress who ultimately dismantles it- and who has the authority to do...

Earl Ingram, Civic morning show host , joins us as cohost. In this hour, we discuss the need for those in the judicial branch to hold a certain level-headedness. A calm, measured perspective that demonstrates high regard for the experiences of others. In other words, Judge Brad Schimel is out for consideration for the state’s highest court. Not to worry, there’s another candidate running for the s...

Matt Rothschild joins us as cohost for the day. At the top of the hour, we bemoan the eternal evasion of responsibility and consequence our President enjoys. He disobeys judges and flouts the authority of the entire judiciary branch? No problem. He rejects the authority of the legislature to control the budget? Not an issue! He commits massive fraud in New York and earns status as a convicted felo...

Matt Rothschild joins us as cohost for the day. We begin our news coverage in Milwaukee. Well, at least in the conspiracy that somehow, in each election, shenanigans occur in Milwaukee that causes *some* Republican candidates to lose. Judge Brad Schimel, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, began laying his election rejection seed corn based on this tired old trope. Of course, we hear this a...

Harvey Kaye , Professor Emeritus of Democracy and Justice Studies at UWGB , and our favorite Delano Democrat joins us for the hour. In a time when our nation’s President consistently moves toward overthrowing our established orders, maybe we should consider doing the same. Not that we should overthrow democracy. But perhaps we need to change how we approach resistance to Trump’s lawlessness and di...

What would you do with $100 Million? Can you even imagine what to do with $100 Million? It’s an outrageous amount of money. And it’s projected to be spent on our state’s Supreme Court race between Judge Susan Crawford and Judge Brad Schimel. That blows the record of $56 Million set by the 2023 SCoWis race out of the water by nearly 100% . Is this how we want to elect members of our state’s highest...

Former Green Bay Mayor, Jim Schmitt is joined by C.O.O. of Brown County Untied Way, Rashaad Cobb and Robyn Davis President and C.E.O. of United Way. Jim, Rashaad, and Robyn talk about the emphasis on helping the community has in Green Bay. Lean Local is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Sunday’s from 1-2 PM on WGBW . Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to be sure n...

Catch up on this week’s best segments! First, from Tuesday’s first hour : in his first term President Trump was so proud of the stock market and told everyone to watch it. Now as it tumbles into correction? Not so much… Then, from Thursday’s first hour, we talk with Earl Ingram about key takeaways from Wednesday’s first and only debate between candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Next, from...

Jim Santelle, host of Amicus: A Law Review , joins us as cohost for the day. This week, the courts have been extremely busy challenging unlawful orders of the Trump administration. They secured at least a temporary reprieve for probationary federal workers fired last month, who they order must be rehired immediately . Federal judge Beryl Howell came to the defense of law firms targeted by Trump ,...