365 Amplified

Rob, Stephanie and Omar talk through an election night that was decided early. They cover Democratic majorities in Congress and the Wisconsin Legislature, historic statewide wins by Most Influential alumni David Crowley, Jocasta Zamarripa and Yee Leng Xiong, the passage of the state constitutional amendment on DEI, and the new UW System president. Rob explains what comes next as District Attorney...

On your ballot next week are three proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution. Today, Sinceree Dixon from the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin joins Rob to talk through those and what they would do, if passed. Plus, it's a big day for Madison soccer, as Forward Madison begins a run to their first-ever league title. Voting info links: Madison365.org/Vote Myvote.wi.gov Vote411.org Forward...

Madison's Common Council voted 14–6 early Wednesday morning to fire Interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique "Meeka" Glass. The vote came at the end of a meeting that ran about 12 and a half hours and drew more than 140 public speakers. Rob, Stephanie and Omar walk through how the night went. They also cover Rob's reporting on police records about the officer who killed Tony Robinson, which G...

The Milwaukee Bucks open their first season without Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday. Bucks Plus editor-in-chief Monis Khan joins Rob to talk through the trade, new head coach Taylor Jenkins and the players to watch, including hometown guard Tyler Herro and rookie Brayden Burries. Then Sinceree Dixon, communications manager for the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, explains what you need to v...

On this week's 365 Amplified: the Common Council has introduced a resolution to terminate Madison's interim independent police monitor. Rob, Stephanie and Omar walk through the resolution, the city attorney's memo and the questions about whether the council has the authority. A vote could come Oct. 20. Omar updates the expansion of Improve Your Tomorrow, which helps students of color get to colleg...

Madison Common Council members have used a Signal group chat with disappearing messages for more than a year. Rob explains why that raises open meetings and open records questions. Also this week: a Latino pickleball night at Dill Dinkers, Madison's first new library branch in 26 years, nurses at SSM Health Dean voting to unionize, and a look ahead to the ninth annual 365 Leadership Summit. Then R...

Rob Chappell, Stephanie Diaz de Leon and Omar Waheed dig into a busy week in Madison policing: Chief John Patterson's new "service excellence and outreach" division, the Madison Community Foundation grant putting body-worn cameras on every officer next year, and the city's ongoing refusal to release police video. Omar recaps the Isthmus panel on AI and journalism and shares Aaron Perry's plan to t...

Big things are happening in Madison's art scene! Today, the team gives an update on a proposal to turn the 100-year-old Breese Stevens Field into a state-of-the-art concert venue, a Latina-focused art gallery, a Latino-focused book publisher, and a new locally produced movie that got a lot of buzz at its premier this summer. You can see it for free at a Central Library screening next weekend, and...

April Kigeya becomes the latest candidate to enter Madison's mayoral race, joining a growing field ahead of the spring election. Rob breaks down the ongoing fallout from a Madison police officer's restraining order against Independent Police Monitor Aracely Glass, plus new city council moves to review years of police oversight recommendations. Then, a change of pace: Rob shares the story of Brayli...

State Rep Shelia Stubbs is advocating legislation to require body-worn cameras in all police departments. Will that actually increase transparency? We are skeptical. On the show today, Rob and Omar dig into that, including specific reasons for skepticism. Then, we touch on a new effort to unionize yet another group of nurses, and Omar recaps his visit to the Milwaukee Black Historical Society's ex...

This week, the 365 Amplified crew breaks down a suddenly crowded Madison mayoral race — Syed Abbas, Brian Benford, and Kaleem Caire all jumping in against incumbent Satya Rhodes-Conway. They dig into this week's contentious council Q&A on the Baldwin Street encampment clearing, the mayor's much-criticized answer for why she never visited the site, and lingering transparency fights with MPD and the...

Stephanie, Omar, Abby, and Rob dig into the ongoing standoff over evidence-sharing in the Corey Ruiz shooting investigation — breaking down City Attorney Michael Haas's 11-page memo on why police records can't go to the Office of Independent Monitor yet, and why we aren't entirely buying the reasoning. Plus: an upcoming Common Council Q&A on the cleared memorial site, a visit to new Filipino food...

The crew breaks down a chaotic primary election night and what the results mean. Then, a disturbing story out of Sun Prairie: a Dane County sheriff's deputy followed a 19-year-old Black woman for six and a half miles before handcuffing her dad and throwing her to the ground. Plus, SSM Health's latest attempt to delay its nurses' union, Halal Restaurant Week's expansion to Madison, and a lightning...

This week, the team breaks down a chaotic week on Madison's east side: the city's clearing of the Williamson and Baldwin Street encampment that had formed after police killed Corey Ruiz, the violent altercation between independent police monitor Aeiramique Glass and Madison Police, and the ongoing fight over whether the Office of the Independent Monitor will get the evidence it needs. Common Counc...

The crew packs a full room this week: nine days after Madison police killed Corey Ruiz, Rob breaks down the standoff between the Office of the Independent Monitor , Madison Police and the state DCI over evidence access. Plus, we have updates on the La Crosse homicide inquest and Charles Myadze's latest trial delay. The Francesca Hong-led governor's race gets a deep dive on electability, race, and...

On Wednesday, Madison police shot and killed 38-year-old Corey Ruiz at the corner of Williamson and Baldwin Streets in Madison. Today on the podcast, we talk through what we know and what's next. Then, we talk through some more news that came up this week: the end of SNAP and Badgercare benefits for refugees and some other immigrants; a growning run club for young people of color in Madison, Ju Ju...

New studio, same crew — 365 Amplified moves into the Black Business Hub's new podcast studio with a full house. Rob and Stephanie dig into the messy world of campaign finance reports as Wisconsin's governor's race heats up, including a serious discrepancy in Sarah Rodriguez's filings. Beth previews Africa Fest, Omar reports from a youth social action march, Miles warns Wisconsinites about the Lone...

Those swarms by the lake? Harmless, mostly. Miles gets the buzz on Madison's midge season from a UW entomologist, then Omar breaks down Meriter's nurses union facing pushback from hospital management after their historic vote. Beth shares an intimate conversation with a Madison mother fighting to get her autistic children the support — and the belief — they're entitled to. Plus: Barrio Dance score...

Blacks for Political and Social Action of Dane County hosted a forum for Democratic candidates for governor on Tuesday, July 7, at The Hub on Madison's south side. The candidates present were: Lt. Gov. Sarah Rodriguez State Rep. Francesca Hong State Sen. Kelda Roys former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes former Dept. of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley This is...

This week, after a roundup of the week's news, we talk through the controversial appointment of Sean Eichorst has the University of Wisconsin's next athletic director, which happened without interviewing a single Black candidate -- including the guy doing the job now. Then, in a special 608 Soccer Show crossover, we welcome Rally Madison technical director Liz Lawrence and assistant coach Tenzin R...

We have the full crew this week, and a robust roundup of news: an organization inviting the community to help create cartoneras to uplift Palestinian stories; a family-focused health event that grew out of one woman's faith community; the excitement around women's soccer in Madison; the chef behind all the events at Madison's Black Business Hub; an all-Spanish anthology of poetry from around the M...

Today, we get caught up on a few news items -- including Madison's softball dominance, health advocates heading across the pond, and a young entrepreneur making a difference through totes -- before digging into the Office of the Independent Monitor's bombshell report on the in-custody death of Richard Lee Johnson in 2024. The report says Madison Police are responsible for his death through use of...

It's been a hard week in Madison. Today, Rob remembers Michael Johnson as a mover, and a vocal supporter of Madison365 and its mission to amplify voices and create a more informed community. Then, we meet the Summer 2026 class of Madison365 reporting interns, and hear about the stories they're working on: girls' flag football in Madison schools, the Madison Pubilc Market's soft launch, a youth ent...

It's a special, abbreviated episode of 365 Amplified as Rob and Omar welcome the first of Madison365's four summer interns to the mic. Abi Maxey makes her podcast debut and breaks down her first Madison365 story: Bikes 4 Kids Wisconsin's new "Meals on Two Wheels," an e-bike grocery delivery service partnering with the River Food Pantry to get groceries to neighbors who need them. Omar reports on U...

Rob, Stephanie, and Omar are back from a little break, ready to dig into a packed week of news before sitting down with a Madison hip hop legend. The crew breaks down the Office of the Independent Monitor's report on the December arrest of Police Civilian Oversight Board chair Maia Pearson, examining the show of force, the circular logic of being arrested for resisting arrest, and why "doing right...