http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/laura/justice-or-payback-2025-s422.pngWhen justice turns into a weapon, democracy becomes the target. How the Department of Justice is being twisted into a tool for political revenge — and why it’s tearing down the rule of law in the process.

Families will save an average additional $174 per month thanks to investments fought to secure in the state’s 2025-27 Biennial Budget.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/home-affordable2-s460.pngLegislation fast tracked by majority party left little room for collaboration and input from members outside Committee.

MILWAUKEE - We start with discussion of the new fighting spirit of Congressional Democrats, and the central role the health care cost crisis is playing in the impasse. Are Democrats finally learning how to resist an increasingly authoritarian president? We review the latest MU Law Poll and whether we agree with what veteran political journalist Craig Gilbert calls the Trump paradox, where despite low popularity, Trump 2.0 has been one of the most powerful presidencies in recent American history.

We welcome Heather DuBois Bourenane and Chris Hambach-Boyle from Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) to discuss how the growing private, voucher school program is defunding Wisconsin’s public schools and how their Voucher Transparency Project is exposing the scheme and organizing people in defense of our public schools.

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Learn more about WPEN Voucher Transparency Project.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting his plan to lower energy bill costs for Wisconsin’s working families, a crucial piece of which went into effect yesterday, Oct. 1, 2025.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/laura/trump-lyin-king-s470.pngDonald Trump scolding James Comey for lying is like Al Capone scolding someone for tax evasion. A Wisconsinite calls out the King of Liars for his world-class hypocrisy.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/clergy-sexual-abuse-s440.jpgAppointment of Archbishop Filippo Iannone is a reversal on progress toward zero tolerance.

MILWAUKEE - We start with the on-going invasion of many Wisconsin communities by energy and water sucking data centers. While profiting Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and Big Utilities these projects threaten to accelerate runaway climate change and spike already unaffordable utility prices. While state and local economic development boosters, including the Evers Administration, throw public money at data centers without considering the massive environmental costs and limited economic impact, a few brave communities are standing up in places such as Menomonie and Caledonia. We need to refocus public policy on addressing the climate crisis, not economical development boondogles that light the planet on fire. We encourage people to attend this Sunday’s Climate March at the Capitol in Madison at Noon.

Meanwhile Trump, Vance, and their minions rush to politicize the violent attack on ICE office in Dallas before the facts are in, blaming Democratic and left wing truth-telling about the abuses of Trump’s immigration crackdown. There is a problem with political incendiary language, that it comes from the President, Vice President, and MAGA, not elected progressives and mainline Democrats. We talk about the potential of a government shutdown, and the Trump Regime impact in Wisconsin this week, including Derrick Van Ordin’s demand to cut off federal dollars to the City of Eau Claire, Ellsworth, and Mayo Clinic in retaliation for social media posts.

Citizen Action Board member and former state Representative Sandy Pasch joins us to warn our listeners about a terrible new bill in Madison that restricts free speech in the name of fighting antisemitism by making legitimate and First Amendment protected criticism of Israel into hate speech. The bill is yet another authoritarian attempt to empower government crackdowns against civil society groups and free speech. Sandy calls for our listeners to reach out to their state representatives and senators to oppose AB 446, and support alternative legislation that meaningfully addresses antisemitism.

Finally, we welcome Chris Gooding, Theology professor and union leader at Marquette University, to update our listeners on the Jesuit university’s union busting in the name of God. We discussed how this anti-union strategy spread this month to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where the university walked away from negotiations with their workers, prompting outrage on campus and a strike vote.

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Contact your state legislators weekday, 8am – 5pm at 1-800-362-9472.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers this week visited University of Wisconsin (UW) System campuses statewide to welcome educators, students, and staff back to campus for the 2025-26 school year. During the visits, the governor highlighted his work to secure over $250 million for the UW System over the next two years, the largest increase for the UW System in nearly 20 years. Gov. Evers also fought to secure over $1.2 billion in the 2025-27 Capital Budget for critical infrastructure projects on UW campuses statewide, including projects at UW-Madison, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Stout, Milwaukee, Platteville, and Stevens Point.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/jimmy-kimmel-talks-2025-s441.pngFree speech dies when leaders get to decide what’s “acceptable,” and America is one tantrum away from making that mistake.