Climate Change in Wisconsin: A whole new ballgame! Ascension drowns quality care.

Will the 1000 year flood in Southeast Wisconsin finally convince policymakers that the climate crisis is already impacting Wisconsin? The appropriate response would be to quickly enact the Climate Accountability Act, which requires Wisconsin for the first time to adopt an accountable climate action plan that cuts greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and maximizes the economic benefits especially for people in urban and rural areas currently locked out of economic opportunities. We encourage our listeners to contact their state legislators and urge them to support the new Climate Accountability Act We get into the weeds of the scandalous news that Ascension Wisconsin will outsource its ICU Doctors, further imperiling care for patents. This is what happens when you put big profit-maximizing monopolies in charge of health care with virtually no oversight. Robert tells us about developing state legislation to re-regulate the hospital industry in the public interest. Fair maps advocates are rightly appalled by the national gerrymandering fight instigated by President Trump and apparently matched by California Governor Gavin Newsom. But, is it realistic to ask Democrats to unilaterally disarm in the face of attempted authoritarian consolidation? Robert tells us that Ruth Conniff makes a strong case for holding onto the principle, but can progressives hold onto abstract norms in the face of the shredding of democratic norms by a would-be authoritarian movement? Robert argues that outcomes have moral consequences, and that pro-democracy forces must find a way to uphold the principles of democracy while being effective in preventing Trump and his MAGA allies from rigging the 2026 election. We close with an honest conversation about the short-sighted state budget, which leaves a structural deficit for the next two year budget, potentially forcing cuts to critical services even if the Democrats win a trifecta, unless they are willing to reverse decades of regressive tax cuts dolled out to corporations and the wealthy.