La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

La Crosse’s housing crisis is a multi-front battle involving soaring rents, stagnant inventory, and a lack of available homes. To highlight these challenges and explore potential solutions, Natalie Heneghan, community outreach director at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region, joined us in studio to preview Housing Week. From the drivers behind high rent to the struggles of local builders and the city’s pending zoning code updates, Heneghan broke down the upcoming seminar schedule. Before diving into the policy, we recapped the impact of last weekend’s Neighbor’s Day and then turned our attention to the unique culture at Habitat La Crosse. The organization is powered by a team of 12 — 11 of whom are women. Then there’s Ralph, the dog. We talked about the dynamic of being a women-led organization and Ralph’s official role on the website: “Director of First Impressions.” we spoke with Heneghan regarding the Heritage Preservation Commission’s recent vote to grant historic designation to Emerson Elementary School. The seven-member commission voted in favor of the designation, with Heneghan and Mackenzie Mindel casting the only two “no” votes. The school is slated to close after the next academic year. The school district is currently fighting the historic status, arguing that the designation will restrict future redevelopment options for the site. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) in studio to discuss the "good old days" in Madison, how partisan politics affects getting bills passed, where he stands on online sports gambling, and what the state should do about AI data centers. We also talked about the upcoming open house at La Crosse County’s newly renovated Hillview Healthcare Center. As a member of the county board, Doyle discussed the $19 million project’s unique features, including a first-of-its-kind intergenerational daycare. In terms of state politics, the conversation centered around this statistic: of the 500 bills introduced by Democrats this past session, only 19 got a committee hearing. Doyle pointed out that when Democrats last controlled the Legislature, roughly 40% of Republican bills received a hearing — a stark contrast to the 3.8% rate currently seen in Madison. We also discussed whether getting a bill signed into law actually boosts a candidate's stock during a campaign. Doyle shared a story about a "stolen" bill he had written and saw passed by a Republican. He also highlighted his recently passed legislation capping crypto kiosk deposits at $1,000 per day to protect residents from rampant fraud. We ended the show discussing online sports betting — which was just signed into law by the governor — and the urgent need for the Legislature to address data centers, which Doyle warns can create astronomical energy demands and offer very few long-term jobs despite receiving massive tax breaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Garcia, the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Party chair in Wisconsin, joined to discuss Wisconsin's candy-soda ban, Democrats winning on the economy for the first time since 2010 — according to FOX, yes FOX — and just how he's feeling about the midterms. We began the show with then-and-now, asking Garcia about the "mixed bag" of the 2024 election —balancing heartbreak of federal losses with the success of picking up 10 state Legislature seats. Garcia explains why flipping the state Assembly is now the primary target and how those new boundaries have shifted the political landscape for incumbents like Republican Derek Van Orden in the US House. We then get into the FOX poll on the economy, where 52% now trust Democrats. We hit on the 32% spike in gas prices tied to the conflict in Iran to the $162 billion corporate "tariff refund" that's like a gift to retailers like Walmart. In the second half of the show, we dive into a new Wisconsin law that the use of food stamps on soda and candy — except for things like ice cream, because "Wisconsin," of course. We look how the government needs to spend $73 million to ban poor people from using food stamps to buy a Mt. Dew, and also Trump's Big Beautiful Bill only complicates this more by opening the door for the feds to take up to $200 million in federal funding away for food stamps. We wrap up with the Trump administration targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center. We did hit on two funny nonpolitical stories. One, a quote on dating from actor Henry Cavil saying, "If you like her, just ask her out. It always works for me." And another story on a California man arrested after returning $34,000 worth of Lego sets with macaroni in the boxes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 10 out of 10. That’s how interesting, or maybe it was how "important," Mac Kiel thought the April monthly city council meeting was. She stopped in studio to help recap the meeting, which included things like the city police being a couple hundred thousand dollars over budget, while other city departments were under budget and how the city council learned of this over the past few weeks. Another thing the council apparently learned over the past few weeks is that the city had around $300,000 in ARPA interest funding with no official plan to use it. That led to one council member proposing using $90,000 to open the North Side Community Pool this summer last minute. So, we discussed that revelation and the dilemmas to having the pool open for the season — while there are also plans to build a new indoor pool facility at that site potentially. We also discussed — to a degree — using $400,000 in TID money on the Civic Center Park District. It’s a thing we discussed before it made its round on council and how the TID money does or does not have to be used before it expires. Lastly, we talked about the La Crosse School Board’s decision earlier this week to keep the old name for a new elementary school, while renaming an old school. We also discussed briefly the names that were not picked. Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It happened this show, trying to recall a famous name from the 1990s and going through the steps with your mind to get there. Is it Alzheimer’s? No, and Dr. Kimberly Mueller, an associate professor at UW-Madison and researcher at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, was there firsthand to explain it. Mueller joined the show ahead of her visit to town to give us a look at the current state of dementia and Alzheimer’s research. We dive into the “blood test revolution” making early detection easier, the local impact of the WRAP study at Mayo in La Crosse, and the lifestyle changes that actually work for prevention — all while getting a glimpse into how an expert in the field spends a typical day. We began the conversation by discussing why these “tip of the tongue” moments — like trying to recall the Mark McGwire using creatine to hit homers scandal — are actually a standard part of typical aging that many of us notice as early as our 40s. Mueller explains that even experts in the field experience these lapses, but she clarifies the specific “red flag” for when word-finding transitions from a normal annoyance to a medical concern. That McGwire connection led to a deeper look at the diagnostic side of the field, where simple blood tests are now replacing invasive brain scans to detect changes earlier than ever before. Much of this data comes from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) — one of the largest studies of its kind — which operates a research site right here at Mayo Clinic in La Crosse. From there, the discussion shifted to the prevention side of the research, exploring why heart health and exercise are proving more effective than “brain games.” Mueller explains that while staying active might not stop the biological proteins of Alzheimer’s from forming, keeping your cardiovascular system in check is a major reason dementia prevalence is actually starting to trend downward. Lastly, we asked Mueller what a professor who researches, studies, and teaches about dementia does in a typical day. Mueller explains her expertise in studying the brain by listening to the way we speak. She breaks down how her team uses digital recordings to analyze “acoustic measures” — the subtle timing, pauses, and sounds within our speech — to identify microscopic red flags that the human ear simply cannot hear. Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online, email here or request a speaker online at badgertalks.wisc.edu. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best and worst from La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey’s first year in office, as he stops in studio just days after that anniversary. We also discuss the city’s decision to appeal the Town of Campbell’s incorporation, the ongoing conversation around the north side pool, community outreach, and the reimagining of Pearl Street. We began the show highlighting Washington-Spivey’s top year-one successes before tackling the tougher challenges. That led to a bit of a deep dive into city budget talks and how La Crosse qualifies for between $1-2 million in state funding by staying under a strict spending cap — something that was also discussed in the last city council meeting. Another big part of our conversation — and the last city council meeting — was the status of the north side pool. The Mayor weighs in on the council voting down $90,000 in funding to operate the pool this summer, its need for $1 million in repairs, and the potential collaboration between the city and school district to build a year-round indoor facility. After that, the Mayor was asked about the legal tension with the Town of Campbell wanting to incorporate and the city’s reasons for appealing that decision. In the second half of the show, we break down the features of the new city website and how to get the community better involved and informed on what’s happening within government. We also hit on a couple of things happening, including why the city is putting off a decision on bike lanes down Green Bay Street and the details about how La Crosse could revamp Pearl Street to be better for both community and business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky, in studio discussing how Wisconsin's US House members use the F bomb more than anyone, taxpayers are now paying for Badgers players and have state Republicans lost their "muscle." We started the show with the Brewers "city" Wisco jerseys, which led to how our state Legislature will do anything to use taxpayer money on sports. From the $500 million Brewers stadium funding deal a few years ago to the state signing into law this week using $14.6 million to pay Badgers players. Chergosky offered an interesting theory: lawmakers are just giant Badger fans who are terrified of losing ground to Indiana and Michigan — the National Champions in football and men's basketball. Next, we recapped the spring election fallout on the GOP side. With a 20-point blowout in the Supreme Court race, we discussed the "lazy GOP" theory, put forth by Bill McCoshen, a prominent Republican strategist and former top advisor to Tommy Thompson. It's the idea that years of favorable maps left the party organizationally "out of shape" and unable to scrap for votes now that the playing field has leveled. Lastly, we get to analysis of who in Congress uses the F word the most, and it turns out two of the top three are US House members from Wisconsin. And the list is bipartisan — Republican Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Mark Pocan. Lastly, we get to analysis of who in Congress uses the F word the most, and it turns out two of the top three are US House members from Wisconsin. And the list is bipartisan — Republican Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Mark Pocan. That, though, led to a discussion about the Third Congressional District race and Van Orden's recent social media push for a debate. Chergosky noted that Van Orden seems ready to bypass the primary entirely to take on Rebecca Cooke, who still has to defeat Emily Berge in August. Van Orden hasn't debated in either of his past two races. The last time he debated was before a 2020 loss to Ron Kind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandela Barnes is back on the campaign trail, this time running for governor, and he stopped in studio leaning heavily into a "working class vs. corporate greed" narrative. Throughout the show, Barnes hit on his priorities, giving a Top 10 of what he’d like to get done that included expanding BadgerCare, fully funding public schools, and increasing the minimum wage. He also detailed plans to freeze utility rates, tax billionaires, and implement universal childcare, arguing that Wisconsin has "backslid" while neighboring states have pulled ahead. We didn't just talk about his "wish list," though. We also threw Barnes a bit of a conspiracy theory that Republicans in the Legislature — including retiring leadership — might be trying to "set the state up to fail," by draining the budget surplus before a potential Democratic takeover. Barnes also took aim at US House Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, calling his support of certain federal policies a "dereliction of duty" that has left Wisconsin family farms and small businesses footing the bill. The conversation wrapped with skepticism about AI data centers in the state. Barnes joined the pushback against the "secrecy deals" and non-disclosure agreements that often surround these projects, arguing that if big tech wants to use Wisconsin’s water and energy, they shouldn't be doing it behind closed doors — or at the expense of local ratepayers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse City Council president Tamra Dickinson in studio for our monthly deep dive into the April council cycle. On the show, we discuss shifting operating budget funding, where the city administrator talk should be happening, and what's the latest for the old Kmart lot. We also hit on the idea of building an indoor pool facility and the debate over Emerson Elementary School getting historic designation. But we started with a "restart" on the Kmart site—why a last-minute decision to split the lot into four parcels is pushing the project back another 30 days. We also dig into the "orthopedic" history of Emerson and why the school district is pushing back against a landmark status that could complicate a future sale and how the council will have the final say. Sticking with the school district, we discuss how the indoor pool proposal could cost anywhere from $30-$50 million and Dickinson breaks down how those conversations are moving forward. Finally, when it comes to city finance, we look at the "controversial" process of shuffling operating budget money between departments to cover those "in the red," plus the $450,000 use of TID money for Civic Center Park. That leads to talk on how these budget items highlight the need for a City Administrator, but where exactly are those conversations happening? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Murphy on the environmental suck of AI data centers and Wisconsin's Supreme Court race He's what we like to call our political blowhard — politics and economics expert Adam Murphy recently joined the show to discuss the cost of AI data centers, the cost of gasoline vs. EVs and whether gender might play a role in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. We start with the physical infrastructure of AI and why RAM prices are exploding as data centers transition from simple storage to massive processing hubs. That led into the "resource sucking" reality of these data centers in Wisconsin and across the world —as I again compare them to what happens in the movie Oblivion — and whether the state should mandate that tech giants over-produce for the local power grid to keep electricity costs down for everyone else. We then moved on to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race and why the candidates' gender might be a bigger variable for Republican voters than Democrats in the upcoming Chris Taylor vs. Maria Lazar matchup. We finished off the show breaking down the EV math and why charging at home is essentially paying $1.64 a gallon (last week), which makes "range anxiety" for people like Adam’s 72-year-old mother mostly a myth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers does the Friday news dump, vetoing no tax on tips and overtime, and the state doesn’t have a villain to make voters care about a Supreme Court race. Those were the big topics we covered with UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky. We also looked at the politics behind whether leaders in the state Legislature and the governor — who are all retiring — are going to do anything with property tax relief and the budget surplus. But, we began with Chris Taylor smoking Maria Lazar in funding in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race which is on the spring ballot, but because there’s no Elon Musk to bring attention to it, and the balance of the court isn’t on the line, it’s almost going unheard. After that, we discussed the reasoning behind Evers vetoing no tax on tips and overtime — two of over 20 bills he vetoed. Part of that discussion included that Evers is retiring so there are no repercussion to the vetoes, which seem unpopular. That led us to another issue with Evers retiring — the fact that it’s just him, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu being the only ones negotiating possible property tax relief. All three are not seeking reelection — retiring from politics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of ideas we've been talking about for years on WIZM are now being put into action at La Crosse City Hall. Jenna Dinkel, an associate city planner, joined to discuss the La Crosse bringing back the iconic "Hatched Baby" or blue baby, as well as a the reimagining of Pearl Street in downtown La Crosse. Hatched Baby was vandalized years ago and the city had to take it down. But artists have now restored the 9-foot-tall artwork and we are brainstorming the best places in La Crosse to place it. After that, Dinkel talks about the reimagining of Pearl Street downtown into, what we've been saying is La Crosse version of Madison's State Street — a pedestrian-only street. The city has three concept plans for how it could change Pearl Street ahead of possible construction in 2029. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terry Bauer in the WIZM studio, telling us about the Moon Tunes tribute party Thursday at the Rivoli Theatre in downtown La Crosse, ahead of the 15th year of this concert series at Riverside Park. The event is free but it's already half full. Tickets can be found on the Rivoli website here. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the tribute video begins at 6:30 p.m. There will be raffles drawn throughout the night, which Bauer goes over. After that, we get into what we can expect from Moon Tunes this summer — the first concert is set for June 4 (schedule). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez stopped in studio to discuss her campaign to become Wisconsin's next governor hitting on everything from housing to childcare to minimum wage and marijuana — plus how weird her current job is. After getting to know the former healthcare executive and public health expert, we dove into her "nurse-first" approach to policy, including a bold childcare plan that caps family costs at 7% of income and her push to legalize recreational marijuana as a way to finally bridge the state’s school funding gap. We also got into the "infuriating" housing market and why she believes the state needs to prioritize building starter homes for ownership, not just more rentals. Plus, we pull back the curtain on just how "weird" the job of Lieutenant Governor actually is—from the "shotgun marriage" of the ticket to how she’d hand off major responsibilities to her own No. 2 if elected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stadium food prices are getting out of hand, and Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff was in studio to discuss how legislative action could bring costs down for fans. Pfaff (D-Onalaska) broke down his “Stop the Squeeze” bill, which would cap concession prices at state-funded stadiums at 20% profit margins. We also compared what must be the best and worst concession deals in baseball — a St. Louis Cardinals ticket-food package that has to be cheaper than a lot of restaurants, while the LA Dodgers’ all-you-can-drink soda price is so steep that Pfaff couldn’t even guess the cost. Also on the show, we discussed Gov. Tony Evers and Republican leaders Devin LeMahieu and Robin Vos working behind the scenes on a compromise for property tax relief and public school funding. Pfaff noted the irony of these closed-door talks, as all three men are set to leave office after this term, leaving the rank-and-file legislators, who are actually running for re-election out of the loop. We started the show discussing the possibility of a special session called by Evers to establish a nonpartisan redistricting commission to create fair voting maps, and got into how the Legislature is already done with its work for the year — highlighting a state Senate session that lasted only one day this month in a frantic attempt to pass 111 bills, of which only 80 made it to a vote before leadership called it quits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mac Kiel in studio previewing committee week for the city of La Crosse, which includes potentially spending thousands of dollars in TID money like it’s an expiring gift card, that includes some big projects. Kiel helps explain—with the help of TID expert John Kovari from UW-L speaking with us before the show—some of the potential avenues for spending the money, which includes moving up the timetable on $450,000 in Civic Center Park upgrades, covering cost overruns on the $4 million Wagon Wheel Trail grant, or making the final $120,000 payment to the wastewater treatment plant. We also discussed the $10,000 library mural, how the Cameron Park farmers market on Sundays will be a little bit more than what’s traditionally been there, and a look back at the closed session regarding the Radisson. We also we break down the difference between those secret meetings and the "special meeting" appeal for a North Side business happening next week. Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holocaust survivor Irene Miller stopped in studio to tell her story, ahead of Thursday’s event at Viterbo University. Miller tells her tale of resilience that defies imagination, beginning when she was 6 years old, her family fleeing the Germans to Warsaw for the "safety" of the Soviet Union. What they found instead was a frozen exile in Siberian labor camps and a desperate fight against starvation in Uzbekistan. This isn't just a history lesson; it is a conversation about the "chutzpah," as Miller tells it, it takes to survive when everything — and everyone — is taken from you. The frozen forest:Survival on "Boiled grass:"A legacy of loss:A message for 2026: Miller was joined by Holocaust educator Darryle Clott, who asked, "How is it possible that after those horrible things, you are still positive?" Miller’s answer to that question is something every person needs to hear. Event Details: Miller will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Viterbo Fine Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public. Guests should plan to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to get a seat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Tara Johnson (D-Shelby) stopped in studio to help recap the work the state Legislature got done and what still needs to be accomplished — but won't. We began the show discussing how the Legislature is done working for the rest of 2026, despite the need for property tax relief, education and childcare funding, along with Democratic priorities like raising the minimum wage and creating a public option for healthcare. The latter is a recent proposal from Johnson, who describes what it means for Wisconsin to have a BadgerCare public option for health insurance. Johnson also helps break down the final days of session, and if the state Assembly set the Senate up to fail. Last week the Senate met for one day to pass 111 bills but only got through a portion of them before calling it quits for the year. Johnson argues the Assembly didn't set the Senate up to fail, but the two branches work very differently. She described the Assembly, run by Republican Speaker Robin Vos, as authoritarian, while characterizing the Senate GOP, led by Republican Devin LeMahieu, as anarchy. Coincidentally enough, both Vos and LeMahieu are now retiring, which is perhaps a sign that Republicans expect a shift in power after the fall elections, as the new maps keep shaping the politics in the state. Johnson also discussed how the governor could call the Legislature back for a special session to codify a process to create fair voting maps. In terms of what the Legislature did get done, some of it was non-controversial and Johnson talks of these, including Gail's Law, postpartum Medicaid expansion from 60 days to a year and PFAS funding. Others, though, like sports betting legalization and allotting $14.6 million in taxpayer dollars for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to essentially pay athletes NIL money, come with some baggage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If he's going to run for president, his slogan might be, "Washington needs a good powerwashing." Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's former Chief of Staff, stopped in the WIZM studio ahead of a town hall at UW-La Crosse to discuss some issues with D.C. That included his 75-year-old mandatory retirement age, banning prediction market betting for federal employees and their families, and how to help secondary education institutions, like Western Technical College. Emanuel was also asked how he’d get the U.S. out of the war with Iran, and he agreed with the concern over a Commander in Chief whose military objectives change by the hour. Emmanuel argued that while troops are risking their lives, D.C. insiders are "betting against America" through predictive markets and normalized corruption — stating that Washington needs a "2x4 upside their head" to refocus on governing. On the domestic side, Emanuel claimed that the federal government is AWOL on job training. He proposed a massive shift in priorities, suggesting that instead of spending millions building detention centers, the U.S. should invest that money into "educational excellence" at places like Western Tech to fill the massive shortage of electricians and nurses. He also touched on the need for federal-state partnerships to modernize technical schools and ensure the next generation is ready for high-paying, middle-class careers. Emanuel is a former U.S. Congressman, White House Chief of Staff to Barack Obama, two-term Mayor of Chicago, and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UW-La Crosse political science professor, Dr. Anthony Chergosky in studio, discussing the end of the Wisconsin state Legislature's work for the year that essentially got the second-highest ranking Republican to quit — but it wasn't over banning milkshakes from legislation. Before we got into that though, WIZM's Brad Williams joined to discuss how the farmers market is coming back to Cameron Park — just on a different day — and how the prospect of having an indoor pool between the city and the school district is going. After that, we got into how "Big Milkshake" created its own exemption in a state bill that bans poor people from buying candy or soda with food stamps in Wisconsin, but they can still have their ice cream. It's a ban that will cost millions of dollars in added administrative costs, and another $5-6 million to create such a database. We also discussed how the second-highest ranking Republican is retiring now due to two sports bills he allowed Democrats to help pass — one that essentially gives the Wisconsin Badgers $14.6 million in taxpayer money to pay players, while the other allows sports betting throughout the state. Chergosky explains the Wisconsin Senate's "Rule of 17" which means only Republicans (or who controls the state Seante but it's been Republicans over 15 years) should have the votes to pass bills. Since the two sports bills needed Democrats, Devin Lemahieu is now retiring from the Legislature because he allowed the bills to be voted on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.