Mornings with Pat Kreitlow

Donald Trump has taken the next step in the manual of authoritarian takeovers by trying to turn the Armed Forces of the United States into personal paid mercenaries. The current government shutdown isn’t remotely necessary, but Trump is forcing Americans to ensure it and using our troops as a prop. Now he’s going so far as to ask rich guys to make up for the paychecks he’s holding back from our me...

We’ll talk to Mike Clemens about this weekend’s sports, including a story about his viral post a couple years ago that appeared to show Aaron Rodgers riding in a fishing boat being towed near Lambeau Field. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sur...

Journalist Mark Jacob provides a history of the media mindset when it comes to covering Trump — from a carnival act to the realization this guy wants to be a dictator. We’ll ask former US Attorney Jim Santelle about the growing use by conservative US Supreme Court justices of a tactic that allows them to bark orders without having to spell out legal justification. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is pow...

This will be remembered as a dark week in the sports world, when a collective “I told you so” arose from those who warned that the embrace of legalized gambling was a bet that would not pay off. Courier Newsroom’s Keya Vakil will help us review the investigation into organized crime, sports betting, rigged poker games, and more. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on...

Political bluster doesn’t lower anyone’s grocery bill, and that’s reflected in the latest polling about how the president is handling the economy — and the latest numbers don’t even take into account the newest round of anger sweeping Americans now that President Trump is giving Argentina a massive buyout (enough to pay for the health insurance discounts he’s taking away) and is also offering to i...

The families of people with developmental disabilities are especially worried about their future now that Republicans have shut down access to key government services and are making health insurance less affordable. Knowing that around 80% of women with some form of intellectual disability have been sexually assaulted, access to contraception and other affordable care is especially important. We’l...

You might have experienced this once or twice before, but it turns out Donald Trump lied about something. This time, it’s about doing something only done once before: by the British in the War of 1812. So as Trump demolishes part of the White House (because congressional oversight is no longer a thing), we examine the day’s other headlines that include Trump getting another “surprise” setback from...

Actress Halle Berry spoke out Tuesday in support of a bill in the Wisconsin Legislature that would provide more information to healthcare providers and their patients about menopause. We’ll talk to Dr. Kristin Lyerly about a topic that needs to be destigmatized, given that another 6,000 women a day make the transition to that stage of life. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and...

We’ll talk to the school board president in Viroqua about the latest figures on state funding for public schools that may surprise a lot of people. Despite a new state budget that put some new money into some areas, there was zero increase in general state aid, and so many school districts are falling even further behind keeping up with expenses. More referendums will result from the GOP hostility...

Jon Stewart said it best: "If more guns make us safer, when does that start?" America is already awash in guns, and now Republicans in the Legislature want to do more that could lead to Wisconsin’s next mass shooting. Also: The Republican who ran against and lost to state Attorney General Josh Kaul in 2022 is going to try again. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on...

The photos may be more symbolic of 2025 than all the rest: Part of the White House exterior being torn down to make room for President Trump’s ballroom, an altar to the new Gilded Age. We’ll talk COURIER’s Cam Stevenson from Capitol Hill about how the demolition crew may be the only people doing actual work at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue. We’ll also visit with Dan Shafer from The Recombobula...

We’ll visit with Rep. Francesca Hong, a candidate for governor, who made a campaign stop in Eau Claire last weekend. And we’ll talk to Steve Boe from a group that promotes the ongoing investments being made to grow wind power, solar power, and jobs throughout rural Wisconsin. And Dan Hagen from WJFW-TV tells us about stories he’s following up north. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorth...

We’ll update the appeal filed Monday by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul to an order by a Waukesha County judge that could force the state elections commission to take on a massive project that could bring chaos to 2026 elections — all to chase after fraud that has never been shown to exist, despite lots of claims by people who know they have better odds of winning elections if more legal vote...

Author Laura Anne Bird talks to us about book festivals, with a couple of noteworthy ones happening in Wisconsin. They’re not designed just for authors but for anyone with an interest in learning more about what’s available for books — old and new — in a wide range of subjects. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio networ...

We’ll visit with Bill Hogseth of GROWW (Grass Roots Organizing Western Wisconsin) about their ongoing public meetings to discuss the importance of having politicians focus on improving health care access and affordability for all. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe...

It was a perfect fall weekend for doing harvesting, yard work, watching the Packers… anything to take our minds off how the Brewers’ season ended as it began: four games from hell. We’ll also discuss Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies across the country. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from...

When Wisconsin finally got fairer maps than the gerrymandered ones of the past decade, it led to more turnover than usual in Assembly races last year. There wasn’t as much impact on state Senate races because only half the Senate is up for reelection every two years — so voters should expect several high-profile races in 2026. One of them has officially developed in western Wisconsin, where a Repu...

Even as millions of Americans plan to demonstrate Saturday against President Trump, the opposition to how he’s handling the government shutdown isn’t giving him pause. Congressional Democrats want a deal that says Trump won’t unilaterally rescind federal funds that Congress approves because they don’t trust him. Trump doesn’t care. We’ll ask our Week In Review panel if there’s any path forward whe...

Gerrymandering — the way politicians cheat by rigging maps of legislative and congressional districts — has become so rampant in the age of Trump that some states are taking multiple stabs at making their borders a mockery of democracy. North Carolina Republicans are about to make their 4th altered map in five years. We’ll talk to Billy Ball of our COURIER outlet, the Cardinal and Pine, to learn m...

Jokes aside, it’s serious business that the president of the United States, members of Congress, and others are actually using the phrase “domestic terrorist” to describe people who disagree with them and are standing up to their unethical or illegal activities — and in the president’s case, explicitly calling for their arrest and trial based on no actual crimes being committed. Joe Zepecki has so...

We’ll talk to Cyndi Greening, a Chippewa Valley organizer among the many who are planning “No Kings” rallies at nearly 100 sites around Wisconsin this Saturday. We’ll ask her about the Antifa meetings she attends, the big checks she cashes from George Soros, why she hates America — and other sarcastic tropes that conservatives are using in a desperate attempt to discredit the millions of ordinary...

We feel bad for the women out there named Karen who know better than to make a “joke” about calling ICE on someone. But the meme is out there and so is the Milwaukee woman who’s out of a job after being seen on social media threatening a Dodgers fan who was engaged in some back-and-forth with Brewers fans at Tuesday’s game. We discuss what to do when you want to make a wisecrack that involves some...

The government shutdown is all about a very simple premise: Republicans want to make healthcare less affordable. They need Democratic votes to pass a bill keeping the government open. Democrats will go along if some of those things that make healthcare less affordable are pulled back. Republicans would rather keep hurting Americans through a protracted shutdown. We’ll talk to Leslie Dach, national...