Battleground Wisconsin

Brian Wooldridge
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Battleground Wisconsin is Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s weekly podcast that features the latest political news from the front lines in the embattled state of Wisconsin. The show features: · Robert Kraig, Executive Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin · Matt Brusky, Deputy Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin . Claire Zautke, Health Care for All Director

  1. Organizing the democracy we need the next 250 years

    2 hr ago

    Organizing the democracy we need the next 250 years

    Robert gives us the 250th July 4th Tick Report, nature’s revenge for climate change. This week’s report includes a menacing headline from the Boston Globe, There’s a terrifying uptick in tick-borne illnesses. We educate our listeners on the dangerous and deadly tick-borne disease, the Powassan virus, which transmits in 15 minutes and can include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. Severe cases can bring brain inflammation, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, seizures or lasting neurological damage. Ticks and the current heat wave are climate change induced. We discuss new research saying Wisconsin is 2.9 degrees warmer than 1970. We picked up on a story Battleground Wisconsin covered in June, that Democratic-lead states sued the Trump Regime on Medicaid “medically frail” exemption for work requirements. Now, many states and health policy experts say surprise Trump regime regulations are unworkable. Despite the outcry, crickets from Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services. So-called “targeted enforcement” keeps the Trump/Miller assault on rights of immigrants out of national headlines (and politics) but continues under the radar. In recent weeks ICE has amped up operations in Milwaukee arresting many with no criminal records. Masked agents and violent arrests traumatize families in Milwaukee. ICE also is refusing to follow Milwaukee’s mask ban for all law enforcement officers. We take a dive into the final Supreme Court decisions before the justices go on their long summer hiatus. While immigrants’ rights advocates celebrated the birthright citizenship ruling by the US Supreme Court, it is outrageous that it was a 6-3 decision (really, 5-4 on the constitutional question) and not 9-0. Also, SCOTUS further deregulated big campaign cash (modeled on Wisconsin’s law) further elevating the “rights” of the wealthy and well-connected over everyone else. We are joined by Kate Zolandz, an organizer with the National Union of Healthcare Workers, who was fired by the sleazy Rogers Behavioral Health. She tells us about the workers successful organizing drive that has resulted in Rogers firing workers and targeting the licenses of staff fired after union vote. The union has started a new website with more details.

    50 min
  2. Progressive Caucus in Wisconsin

    25 Jun

    Progressive Caucus in Wisconsin

    Robert opens the show with the latest Tick Report (aka Nature’s Revenge) Report) which includes a rash of tick-related livestock deaths in TN, a DMV region tick infestation to match the swampy reflecting pond on national mall, a USDA educational campaign with an image of 5 ticks you can’t see, and tick solutions you will need to navigate the outdoors this summer! We look ahead to the avalanche of Supreme Court rulings set to be released in the coming days before the MAGA justices retreat to their summer resorts and junkets until the first Monday in October. How lucky for them. Robert tells us what the NYC primary sweep for Mayor Mamdani backed candidates means for the 2026 elections and the reinvention of the Democratic Party. We look at any lessons for Wisconsin’s upcoming election, including the governor’s race. What would a progressive Congress in 2027 and beyond do? We welcome Catherine Rowland from the Progressive Caucus Action Fund to discuss a Town Hall Wednesday, July 8th, 6pm in Racine, Wisconsin featuring members of Congress, Rep. Gwen Moore, Rep. Mark Pocan, and Caucus leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal, among many other progressive luminaries. RSVP NOW We look at a new report from the High Road Strategy Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison finding 458,800 Wisconsin workers would see higher wages (16% of the state’s workforce.) if Wisconsin passed a $20 minimum wage next year. 277,700 Wisconsin workers would be “indirectly affected”, as people earning just above the minimum wage would see raises as pay scales adjust upwards. We close with a review of the 2026 election steal efforts by President Trump, including Postmaster General testimony that U.S. The Post Office will not deliver mail in ballots of states (like WI) that do not hand over their voter files to Trump’s corrupt DOJ.

    51 min
  3. Celebrating Climate Action: An Interview with Ted Kraig

    18 Jun

    Celebrating Climate Action: An Interview with Ted Kraig

    We wish everyone a happy Juneteenth Day and encourage everyone to attend an event near you. Look for us at Milwaukee and Eau Claire events. Robert provides us with the latest Tick report: emergency room visits from tick-borne illnesses are at 10 year high and a Univ. of Rhode Island Tick website finds 9 ticks active in Wisconsin in June, the highest the Black Legged Deer Tick. The Lone Star Tick (which makes you allergic to meat) is present as well. Following a brief discussion on the Trump effective surrender to Iran, we dive into new data demonstrating the devastating impact of Republican cuts to food assistance for families and children. More Than 770,000 Children are no longer receiving SNAP benefits after Trump's savage cuts to federal food program. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 4.3 million fewer people received SNAP nationwide in February 2026. Embattled MAGA Congressman Derrick Van Ordin, himself a food stamp beneficiary during his childhood, justifies these cruel cuts as an anti-fraud measure. We discuss the Trump Regime on-going efforts to steal the 2026 midterms. including Kash Patel’s rogue FBI effort to intimidate social justice groups engaged in voter registration by raiding the homes of leaders of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. We stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Ohio. Learn more at Hands Off Ohio. Robert also explains how Trump is tying the U.S. Senate in knots in his latest attempt to force his supersized voter suppression bill through. We welcome Citizen Action member and climate organizer Ted Kraig to the show to to discuss the 3rd anniversary of the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan. You are invited to celebrate this Saturday morning at 9 AM at the Urban Ecology Center-Washington Park, in Milwaukee. Ted discusses the depth of the climate crisis but also gives us hope that that organized people can make systemic change in the next few years that can put us on a path towards stabilizing the climate crisis.

    51 min
  4. Climate Justice at Walnut Way: Special Interview with Bryan Rogers

    11 Jun

    Climate Justice at Walnut Way: Special Interview with Bryan Rogers

    Following the Tick Report, Robert updates us on Trump's pattern in Iran of threatening escalation and then pulling back. Wisconsin unveiled its new procedures for dealing with BadgerCare work requirements in the Big Ugly Bill. But the Trump/Kennedy HHS’s last minute changes to the final rule makes it much worse than the language of the bill, risking coverage for people with serious conditions such as life threatening cancer. With health care at risk for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, including people too frail to work, is Wisconsin prepared? We revisit the last minute budget gimmick engineered by the big hospital lobby, Evers, and Vos but disallowed by the Trump Regime. We dive into a new Brookings Report finding 45.5% of U.S. households did not earn enough to make ends meet. The report concludes that moving the needle on affordability requires action on both sides of the equation: lowering costs of living and dramatically increasing household incomes. We preview 4 newly scheduled $20 Wage Town Halls in Fond du Lac, Madison, and two in the Milwaukee area We close with an in-depth interview with Bryan Rogers, the environmental justice director at Milwaukee’s Walnut Way. Bryan, who is a regular podcast listener, tells us more about Walnut Way and discusses why they are co-hosting a governor candidate forum on Saturday, June 27th, 10am at North Division High School. Bryan explains why their members are so deeply involved in fighting climate change and higher utiilty costs that fall disproportionally on predominantly Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

    54 min
  5. Low wages and worker power

    4 Jun

    Low wages and worker power

    Welcome to June, it’s Pride Month! We encourage our listeners to RSVP to Citizen Action’s Annual Meeting this Saturday, at 10am. Robert gives us the latest tick report amid national concern about tick-borne illnesses. Spurred by global warming, tick activity continues to surge in Wisconsin while the national media descends on Martha Vineyard as the island is beset by ticks, and victims are forced to avoid red meat. Trump visits Western Wisconsin, the home of Wisconsin’s pivotal Congressional District 3. Is he an anchor on embattled MAGA incumbent Derrick Van Orden and other Republicans on the ballot or does Trump know how to generate a massive turnout of MAGA voters? We dive into a critically important Wisconsin Health Assessment, a periodic report mandated by the State Legislature.Rarely do such radical findings come from an official state government report. This year’s report finds that a stunning 1 in 10 Wisconsinites skipped needed health care due to cost. The report also contains shocking revelations on low wages, the growing unaffordability of housing, massive under investment in public education (especially in low income BIPOC majority schools), and a chronic under investment in public health. Will the next legislature act on this searing indictment of status quo policies or kick the can down the road? MASH union president Peter Rickman joins us to discuss the state health assessment, building worker power, and to update us on newly scheduled $20 Wage Town Halls in Fond du Lac, Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, and more locations. We close with news that Boss Vos vows to try again on the failed surplus budget deal. With Governor Evers continuing to complain about the failure of the first effort, will they get another kick at the cat?

    50 min
  6. Tom Tiffany Embraces the Trump slush fund.

    28 May

    Tom Tiffany Embraces the Trump slush fund.

    Following the tick report, we dive into a wild week for MAGA lackey Tom Tiffany who said he was open to Trump slush fund payouts to January 6th insurrectionists and those who attempted to illegally overturn an election. In addition, Tiffany admitted he was against the budget deal because he wants to give away more state revenue (to rich people of course). Robert takes on the Marquette Law Poll which found 80% of Wisconsinites polled support the failed surplus deal. This is another example of polling failing to improve democratic deliberation, as the ever shrinking state media fails to adequately inform voters. The Congressional Progressive Caucus is backing Taxing A.I. We love it and discuss the need for progressive revenue in Washington and Madison to fund pressing public priorities like public schools, healthcare, and childcare. Sleazy Independent Expenditure campaigns have begun in Democratic Gubernatorial primary. We try to look at who’s behind the money. You may be suprised what we were able to dig up. We close with a look at how corporate America buys our lawmakers with hard and soft power, including a Big Pharma backed event state legislator event in Madison this summer pitched as a way to improve legislative skills. We discuss and encourage our listeners to RSVP to Citizen Action’s virtual Annual Member Meeting, next Saturday, June 6th, 10am.

    45 min
  7. Special Interview w/ State Rep. Christian Phelps: Funding public schools in the next state budget

    21 May

    Special Interview w/ State Rep. Christian Phelps: Funding public schools in the next state budget

    This Memorial Weekend we open with Robert’s tick report, which finds the nation experiencing a surge in tick bites and news that half of deer ticks tested in Sconie carry Lyme disease. After touching on the spectacular crash and burn of the Evers/Vos budget surplus debacle, we dig in with State Representative Christian Phelps, one of the most knowledgeable lawmakers on public education funding. We discuss what he sees as the necessary funding for public schools in the 2027-28 state budget to start fixing the damage done by nearly two decades of under-investment. We debrief the GOP State convention where the party got 100% behind election denier Tom Tiffany and decided it was smart to attack the successful and prosperous state of Minnesota. And more data center backlash, as Milwaukee Common Council votes to ban large data centers and regulate smaller ones, and Wrightsville residents fight potential data centers in their village.

    52 min
  8. Don’t you let that deal go down

    14 May

    Don’t you let that deal go down

    We discuss the failed State Budget surplus deal that left few happy, under cut the next Governor, and left most wondering who asked for it? What does the deal say about Evers’ relationship with fellow Democrats? Is the divide really just a crystallization of what is at stake in this November’s election? New education research underscores the importance of resources for our public schools to succeed. Wisconsin slid to 33rd in math and 30th in reading (out of 38 states evaluated) in sobering new research. Most importantly, the Education Scorecard found post-pandemic recovery achievement in the highest-poverty districts was largely driven by the federal pandemic relief funding. Without that relief, according to the study, the average high-poverty district would have remained at its 2022 level of achievement. In other news, ultra-MAGA Congressman Derrick Van Ordin again loudly denies cutting Medicaid, making him a Liar’s liar. We close with speculations on what kind of gerrymandering Wisconsin will undertake in 2027, if there is a trifecta, to counter the outright theft of Congressional seats by Trump, SCOTUS, and red state governors. We encourage our listeners to attend a $20 Living Wage Town Hall May 21, 6pm, in Racine at the Racine Education Association. (We recorded the podcast before the 18-15 failed vote in the Senate.)

    50 min
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About

Battleground Wisconsin is Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s weekly podcast that features the latest political news from the front lines in the embattled state of Wisconsin. The show features: · Robert Kraig, Executive Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin · Matt Brusky, Deputy Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin . Claire Zautke, Health Care for All Director

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Wooldridge
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2026
  • Episodes
    507
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Battleground Wisconsin

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