The Dr. Kristin Lyerly Show

Civic Media
  • 3.5 (11)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join Dr. Lyerly—OB/GYN, advocate, and all-around great conversationalist—as she dives into the real issues folks in Northeast Wisconsin care about. From health and family to community, policy, and everyday life, nothing’s off the table. She’s not here to lecture—she’s here to listen, learn, and connect. Expect smart guests, honest conversations, and a whole lot of heart. Catch the show every Saturday and Sunday at 3 on 98.3 & 96.5 WISS (Oshkosh/Appleton). and Sunday mornings at 9 on 1590/97.9 WGBW (Green Bay). It’s life, Wisconsin-style. Listen Live: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

  1. FEB 21

    Who Do We Trust?

    Media Literacy, Misinformation, and the Future of News | With Teacher Abraham Lyerly The information crisis is here. CBS censored Colbert. Gen Z gets news from TikTok. Medical disinformation from RFK Jr. spreads faster than CDC facts. This week I sat down with my producer and oldest son, Abraham Lyerly - a public school teacher - for a generational conversation about media literacy, trusted messengers, and navigating truth in 2026. In This Episode: We break down the legacy media collapse - why CBS, the Washington Post, and traditional journalism are losing credibility through political self-censorship. Abraham shares what his Gen Z peers and Gen Alpha students actually believe and where they're getting it (spoiler: not the evening news). We go platform by platform through the social media landscape: TikTok's algorithm-driven truth problem, Instagram's authenticity shift, the Twitter/X exodus to Bluesky and Threads, Facebook's generational divide, YouTube's long-form comeback, and how Substack newsletters are replacing traditional journalism. As an OB-GYN fighting medical disinformation daily, I explain how vaccine lies and reproductive health myths spread faster than evidence-based medicine can counter them - and what that means for public health in 2026. Plus: exciting announcements about our upcoming documentary, partnerships with organizations like Christy Turlington Burns' “Every Mother Counts”, and what's on the horizon as Wisconsin’s election season heats up. The information war isn't over - it's just moving to where the real fight is. Guest: Abraham Lyerly

    44 min

  2. FEB 14

    State Courts Are the Last Line of Defense

    Judge Chris Taylor on her race for Wisconsin Supreme Court State courts are the last line of defense. And what's happening in Wisconsin is a blueprint for the rest of the country. Between 2023 and 2025, Wisconsin made national headlines twice: first by flipping its Supreme Court to a liberal majority for the first time in 15 years, then by defending that majority against Elon Musk's $22 million spending spree. Both races shattered records. Both became tests of whether grassroots organizing could overcome dark money. Both succeeded. Now comes the next chapter. Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Judge Chris Taylor is running to expand the court from a 4-3 to a 5-2 progressive majority, not just to maintain control, but to build something more durable. Something that can withstand the next decade of attacks on abortion rights, voting rights, worker protections, and democracy itself. Judge Chris Taylor's story is one you need to hear. She spent years as the public policy director at Planned Parenthood Wisconsin, lobbying on what she calls "the hardest issues in politics": reproductive healthcare, sexual assault protections, domestic violence prevention. When Scott Walker's anti-union Act 10 passed and the political landscape shifted, she ran for State Assembly with a newborn and a four-year-old at home. She won. She served nine years fighting for working families and authored groundbreaking legislation protecting survivors of violence. Then Governor Tony Evers appointed her to the circuit court, she was elected to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, and now she's running for the state's highest court. In our conversation, we dig into what it means to go from advocacy to lawmaking to the bench, and whether those experiences make you a better judge or compromise your impartiality. We talk about the cases coming before Wisconsin's Supreme Court that will shape the next decade: challenges to union-busting laws, redistricting fights that will determine fair representation through 2030, and the flood of Trump administration policies that are ending up in state courts across the country. We explore how state constitutions often provide stronger protections than federal law, and why that matters more than ever right now. We also talk about the human side of running for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat where judicial independence is sacred, but voters deserve to understand your values.  This episode isn't just about the Wisconsin Supreme Court 2026 election. It's about the role state courts are playing as a check on federal power. It's about what it takes to win these fights in an era of unlimited spending and nationalized judicial elections. It's about the pipeline from advocacy to power, and whether people who've spent their lives fighting for justice can also be impartial arbiters of the law. If you care about reproductive rights, if you're watching Trump-era policies roll out and wondering where the resistance will come from, if you believe courts should protect people's fundamental freedoms rather than serve partisan agendas—this conversation is for you. Guest: Chris Taylor

    44 min

  3. FEB 7

    Lizz Winstead

    Daily Show Co-Creator on Abortion Rights, ICE Raids, and Why Comedy Is Resistance When they want silence, she brings laughter. This week on The Dr. Kristin Lyerly Show, I'm joined by Lizz Winstead - comedian, activist, co-creator of The Daily Show, co-founder of Air America Radio, and founder of Abortion Access Front. Lizz has spent decades weaponizing humor against oppression, and in this conversation, we dig into how comedy becomes resistance. We talk about: The power of political comedy - from creating The Daily Show to building progressive media infrastructure with Air America ICE raids in Minneapolis - what's happening on the ground in immigrant communities and how fear tactics are being deployed Abortion Access Front - Lizz's groundbreaking work using comedy to destigmatize abortion and support clinics across the country Why humor works - how laughter breaks down shame, cuts through propaganda, and opens conversations that couldn't happen otherwise Feminist Buzzkill - Lizz's podcast tackling patriarchal nonsense head-on This is a fearless conversation about what it takes to keep fighting when the stakes couldn't be higher. Because when they want us ashamed and silent, the most radical thing we can do is laugh out loud and tell the truth. Subscribe to Feminist Buzzkill wherever you get your podcasts. Support Abortion Access Front at AbortionAccessFront.org. Guest: Lizz Winstead

    44 min

  4. JAN 31

    Amanda Zurawski

    The Texas Abortion Ban Nearly Killed Me Amanda Zurawski, reproductive rights advocate and one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year, joins Dr. Kristin Lyerly to share the devastating reality of pregnancy complications under Texas's abortion ban and how she has used her own life-threatening experience to fight back.  At 18 weeks pregnant with a wanted baby, Amanda’s water broke and she was denied standard medical care until she developed a life-threatening infection - because Texas politicians decided they knew better than her and her doctors. In this powerful interview, Amanda discusses: Her near-death experience under Texas's abortion ban and the medical nightmare of "waiting to get sick enough" How she turned personal tragedy into national advocacy, including her testimony before the Senate Judiciary and appearance at the 2024 Democratic National Convention The landmark Zurawski v. Texas lawsuit and the documentary that followed Her role in the 2024 election and why reproductive freedom will be a critical issue in the 2026 midterms Advice for survivors and advocates in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin and other states with abortion bans Dr. Lyerly, a board-certified OB-GYN who successfully challenged Wisconsin's 1849 criminal abortion ban, brings her medical expertise to explain why abortion restrictions are dangerous medical policy - and why this issue isn't going away despite the Trump administration's shock-and-awe political environment. As we approach the 2026 midterms, Amanda's story is a crucial reminder of what's at stake when politicians practice medicine. This is required listening for anyone who cares about reproductive healthcare, maternal mortality, pregnancy complications, and holding lawmakers accountable for the human cost of abortion bans. Guest: Amanda Zurawski

    44 min

  5. JAN 24

    Can Mandela Barnes Win?

    My Interview with Wisconsin's Next Governor (Maybe) Mandela Barnes was Wisconsin's first Black Lieutenant Governor. In 2022, he ran a nationally watched Senate race against Ron Johnson and lost by just 27,000 votes. Now he's running for Governor, and Wisconsin voters have questions. In this episode, I sit down with Barnes for a no-BS conversation about what happened in 2022, what he learned from losing, and why he thinks he can win this time. We tackle the controversies head-on: the crime attacks, accusations about "defunding the police," and how he plans to message differently in a Governor's race. As an OB-GYN who's fought for reproductive rights in Wisconsin, I push Barnes on healthcare access, reproductive freedom, and whether he'll actually fight for patients. We also discuss his vision for education, working families, and climate change. This isn't a puff piece. I ask the tough questions because Wisconsin can't afford to get this Governor's race wrong. Barnes shares his working-class Milwaukee roots, reflects on his time as Lieutenant Governor, and lays out what's at stake in this election. Listen to the full interview and decide for yourself whether Mandela Barnes is the right choice for Wisconsin. Listen to other episodes from this series of conversations with candidates for Wisconsin governor across the political spectrum. In this episode, Dr. Kristin Lyerly sits down with Missy Hughes, the former CEO of Wisconsin's Economic Development Corporation and longtime Organic Valley executive who's running on a platform of economic opportunity for all 72 counties. Listen HERE. Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez joins Dr. Lyerly to discuss her campaign to become Wisconsin's first female governor. Listen HERE State Representative Francesca Hong isn't your typical gubernatorial candidate - and she'll be the first to tell you that. Listen HERE Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys is running to be the state's next governor, leveraging years of legislative experience and proven bipartisan wins to make her case to Wisconsin voters. Listen HERE Guest: Mandela Barnes

    44 min

  6. JAN 17

    Scream Then Act

    Jess Craven on Making Fear Your Fuel How do you turn political fear into sustained action? Jess Craven has been answering that question for her massive Substack community every weekday since November 2016. In this episode of The Dr. Kristin Lyerly Show, Dr. Lyerly welcomes the face of “Chop Wood, Carry Water”, Jess Craven: political activist, content creator, and widely-followed organizer. The daughter of legendary horror director Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream), Jess has unironically applied lessons about confronting fear to building one of the most engaged grassroots organizing communities in America…and she’s just hitting her stride! (Image copyright Wireimage) Topics include:  How to get involved in political activism (even if you're new) The evolution of digital organizing and new media Concrete actions for protecting democracy Parenting a queer teenager while fighting political battles  Avoiding activist burnout and finding joy in resistance The "Chop Wood, Carry Water" daily practice philosophy  Where to find real hope in 2026 Whether you're a longtime activist or someone who's never made a political phone call, this conversation offers practical tools, inspiring stories, and a roadmap for turning anxiety into impact. Guest: Jess Craven

    44 min

  7. JAN 10

    Meeting Patients Where the System Fails Them

    What happens when telling patients the truth gets you fired? This week, Dr. Kristin Lyerly sits down with Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, PA-C—an OB/GYN physician assistant who spent over a decade in clinical practice before being pushed out for refusing to stay silent.  Nikki's new book We Deserve More: Why Reproductive Healthcare is Broken—And What You Can Do About It exposes the gap between what clinicians know, what lawmakers think they know when they write abortion bans, and the flood of misinformation patients face online. In this conversation, Kristin and Nikki dig into: Why advocacy and clinical practice became incompatible How abortion bans expose lawmakers' dangerous ignorance about real women’s health The dark history of medicine How OB/GYN training is still crisis-driven—leaving gaps in menopause care, sexual health, and chronic conditions Practical tools patients can use TODAY to advocate for themselves in a broken system This is medicine, unfiltered.  Guest: Nikki Sapiro Vinckier

    44 min

  8. JAN 3

    How to Beat Donald Trump at His Own Game

    Hundreds of Wins Against Trump While the Trump-Vance administration has attempted to freeze funding, strip healthcare coverage from millions, and attack reproductive rights, one organization has been fighting back in court - and winning. Democracy Forward didn't wait for Inauguration Day to prepare. Anticipating the threats of Project 2025, they built a strategic network of over 650 diverse partner organizations, positioning legal expertise exactly where it would be most effective: in the courts. The result? The moment Trump took office, they were ready, and they've been winning ever since. This week, Dr. Lyerly sits down with Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward and one of “TIME100’s Most Influential People in the World” to discuss the hundreds of legal victories they've secured since January 20th. From protecting immigrant communities to shielding medication abortion from legal attacks, Democracy Forward is serving as a critical check on executive overreach. If you're tired of feeling helpless, this conversation will remind you that resistance isn't futile - it's winning. Guest: Skye Perryman

    44 min
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3.5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Join Dr. Lyerly—OB/GYN, advocate, and all-around great conversationalist—as she dives into the real issues folks in Northeast Wisconsin care about. From health and family to community, policy, and everyday life, nothing’s off the table. She’s not here to lecture—she’s here to listen, learn, and connect. Expect smart guests, honest conversations, and a whole lot of heart. Catch the show every Saturday and Sunday at 3 on 98.3 & 96.5 WISS (Oshkosh/Appleton). and Sunday mornings at 9 on 1590/97.9 WGBW (Green Bay). It’s life, Wisconsin-style. Listen Live: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

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