Mornings with Pat Kreitlow

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that could freeze ICE out of using space in county jails for the people it rounds up in order to meet arbitrary and racist quotas from the Trump administration. Taking note of how masked federal agents are aiming guns at civilians, smashing out car windows, dragging parents from their children, putting people who haven’t committed crimes beh...

We’ll be joined by Mayor Jim Paine of Superior, first to discuss a weekend incident that left a police officer shot and wounded. Then we’ll discuss the community reaction to his detailed social media post, where he outlined the things he thinks should be high priorities issues when trying to address the shortage of affordable housing in his community. As always, the topic is accompanied by the tho...

Wisconsin has continually smashed its own records for expensive political races, in part because the US Supreme in the past has been hostile toward limits on campaign contributions. Now, it’s as if Justice Kavanaugh is saying, “Hold my beer.” The court will hear arguments Tuesday that could wipe out the remaining barrier and allow billionaires to bypass limits on campaign donations by letting them...

When Republicans decided to allow health insurance premiums to skyrocket starting next month, they put a load of pain on small business owners who can’t offer coverage to their workers. From local merchants to mid-sized manufacturers to farmers, they’re all facing sharply higher costs. We’ll talk to the national director of Main Street Alliance about how they plan to tell voters to be aware of the...

Our Question of the Week is about wedding barns. Around Wisconsin, entrepreneurial families are converting barns or creating scenic rural venues for events — but a major conflict has erupted over liquor licensing and sales. The barn operators say these businesses can’t compete with full-time bars and banquet halls if they can’t rely on food and beverage sales as well as rental fees. Others disagre...

The United States may be on the verge of losing the independent agencies that oversee consumer protection, worker protection, and environmental protection — replaced with nothing but lackeys of whichever politician has the most power. A right-wing group that favors unitary executive power — at least when a conservative is president — will argue their case Monday before the US Supreme Court, with a...

Once upon time, baseball teams had two uniform colors: white uniforms at home, gray uniforms on the road. How times have changed. We now know what the Milwaukee Brewers will be wearing when they’re the visiting club. The question is whether powder blue uniforms deliver some level of intimidation or if they’re simply a nice way to turn nostalgia into revenue from fans. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is...

The US Supreme Court has a process for handling emergency cases that need quick and temporary rulings while the larger case works its way up from lower courts. But right-wing justices have taken the “shadow docket” in a sharply political direction, including a Thursday ruling that allows Texas Republicans to use a newly-rigged map for its 2026 congressional elections. That’s one of the many storie...

Is the wood-paneled station wagon on the verge of making a comeback? Sean Duffy hopes so. The Trump administration this week rolled back environmental rules on automobiles, and his transportation secretary told an interviewer it’s all about choice and that even the ol’ “woodie” might make a comeback. Needless to say, the folks on the interwebs had a field day with Duffy’s dream of a gas guzzler th...

We’ll talk to political strategist Joe Zepecki about this week’s announcement that former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is joining a crowded field of Democrats hoping to be elected governor next year. And we’ll ask financial expert Sean O’Malley about the latest economic data that isn’t doing anything to dispel the concerns that an AI stock bubble is the only thing keeping the US economy from teetering...

The pardon power of the president is absolute, which makes it the perfect target for absolute abuse. President Obama issued 212, President Biden granted 80, President Trump pardoned 144 people in his first term. So far in his second term, Trump has issued more than 1,500 pardons to people convicted of crimes. We’ll ask Congressman Mark Pocan whether anything can be done or if we should resign ours...

Mistakes happen to all of us — and most of us try to make a correction when they’re caught. But in MAGA World, you’re supposed to hold firm to your assertions, even when facts get in the way. How else to explain why a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice (a former chief justice, in fact) used a fake quote to give a US Supreme Court ruling the opposite interpretation of what it really did? And she still...

Pediatrician Dr. Kellie Snooks joins us with an update on her UpNorthNews video series, Raising Wisconsin. This month, she reviews the misinformation being spread about Tylenol use in children by people who should know better. Same goes for flu shots. We’ll also have this week’s Climate Check with Melissa Baldauff. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several statio...

Political trivia: It was in 1913 that US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis first coined the phrase “sunlight is the best disinfectant” when it comes to politics and shining a public light on matters that others would rather have staying in the dark. To that end, we’ll have an update in our Homeroom segment on the growing push to make sure taxpayers know about the growing price tag of private sc...

A Wisconsin-based movie might be the feel-good film of the holiday season. We’ll talk about how actor Hugh Jackman is in Milwaukee for the premiere of “Song Sung Blue,” telling the story of a couple whose Neil Diamond tribute band was a bit of a local sensation in the 1980s and ‘90s. With a host whose mom raised him on a steady diet of Neil Diamond tunes, we’ll ask about your guilty musical pleasu...

Dan Shafer will react to the news about an expanded Democratic field of candidates for governor. Pat also reacts to some of the pardons that president Trump has signed. Later, we begin our 12 days of kindness and talk to folks from Feeding America. We also talk a little Bucks as they slip and fall in Washington. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations...

While there was some activity during the recent fall legislative session, there were plenty of matters that didn’t get addressed. That includes new restrictions on “wedding barns” and other special venues that could put them out of business at a time when the rural economy needs all the help it can get. We’ll talk to wedding barn owner Jean Bahn, farmer Hans Breitenmoser, and Sheila Everhart of th...

This morning, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes formally announced his entry into the 2026 race to be Wisconsin’s next governor. He joins the current lieutenant governor, a county executive, a couple of legislators, and others running in the Democratic field. We’ll hear Barnes’ opening pitch to do things the “Wisconsin Way” rather than Donald Trump’s “Washington Way.” Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is po...

As much as we might want to put some troublesome history in our rearview mirror, the fact remains that America is still haunted by the events of 2020: an unchecked pandemic, a fiery public pushback against police violence, and a president willing to fan the flames. Few know the weight of local leadership during that time any better than Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride who underwent a baptism by fir...

To slightly modify the lyrics from Wicked: “Donald, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once? Instead of flying off the handle!” The president loves to defy the rules of politics — not to mention basic human decency — but defying the gravity of current polling in next year’s midterms might be something even a wizard couldn’t pull off. We’ll talk to Craig Gilbert, longtime political writer for th...

It’s Cyber Monday, a date dedicated to online shopping for holiday gifts. But is that really a big deal anymore? Or Black Friday, for that matter? Don’t we all now shop online all year long? Or is there still some kind of novelty about these Thanksgiving weekend shopping dates? Also: the president goes on a Thanksgiving racist rant, winks at a war crime, pardons a billion-dollar money launderer af...

We spend some time with Dr. Kristin Lyerly as we wind down for the week. As we prepare hunker down for the winter we talk with author Laura Bird. She recommends reading as a good way to get through the cold snowy weather. To read she points to: "How to Winter" by Kari Leibowitz, "Aflame" by Pico Iyer, "Wintering" by Katherine May, "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans, "Seasoning" by Angela Clutto...

Our weekly panel of Mark Jacob, Jim Santelle and Joan Esposito discuss news from the week. They talk about the investigations that are pursuing Democrats who told soldiers not to follow illegal orders because, you know, it is illegal to follow illegal orders. Also: our Friday quiz with Dr. Kristin Lyerly and senior producer Frank Gargano. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and i...