PODCAST · news
Battleground Wisconsin
by Brian Wooldridge
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.
Episodes
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Organizing Democracy Defenders
We celebrate in amazement at the low payroll Milwaukee Brewers who are rolling through the playoffs with a great team that is beating a high payroll franchise stacked with the best players in the world. Can the defenders of democracy replicate the Brewers success in taking down the wealthy and...
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Badgers for Healthcare
We celebrate the late night victory of the Milwaukee Brewers that has Matt tired during the morning recording of the podcast. Go Brewers! Robert has a packed Tick report this week, including Alpha Gal Syndrome, spread by Lone Star ticks rising in Illinois and the theatrical release of a new…
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David Crowley embraces a BadgerCare Public Option
In this week’s Tick Report, Trump declares “war” on ticks and mosquitos through an executive order promising a 90% reduction in the populations of the “foreign, invasive” species. Of course, the order makes no mention of global warming as the cause of skyrocketing tick populations. We dive into…
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How Does Ideology Impact Elections?
Much of the media debate about the 2026 elections presumes voters are making ideological choices between moderate and progressive Democrats, and democratic socialists. This presumption that voters bring strong ideological commitments to the ballot box is refuted by over 70 years of voting…
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Working Families vs. Oligarchs: An Interview with Lori Wallach
Following the latest Tick Report where the explosion of ticks and involuntary veganism rages into fall, we take a deep dive into the state of our economy. First: We talk about the Fed’s raising of interest rates today as inflation gets worse in Trump’s economy, marking the central bank’s first…
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Tiffany backs Trump before Wisconsin
We reflect on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, focusing on how the country has fundamentally changed since that fateful day and how we failed the first responders and civil servants who make this democracy function for all of us. Robert’s latest Tick Report finds Devil’s Lake State Park among the...
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Labor Day
We open with the tick report, including MAGA conspiracy theories about the supposed nefareous actors behind tick-bourn diseases that conveniently deflect attention from big oil and the fossil fuel utilities' responsibility in accelerating climate change. We discuss the We Energies rate hike media...
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Wisconsinites vs. Billionaires & G20
In our weekly Tick Report, we remind listeners that It may be the end of summer but don’t let your guard down on ticks and authoritarians. Robert updates us on authoritarian consolidation, as the U.S. Supreme Court left in place Trump’s flagrantly illegal and unconstitutional assaults on mail-in...
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Embracing Commutations
This week we dig into the criminal justice reform most needed in the next legislation session with Mark Rice, WISDOM’s Transformational Justice Coordinator. Before we get to that vital topic, we provide the latest Tick Report which has surprising findings on the true origin of Lyme disease. We…
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Primary Election: What happened & the roadmap forward
Following our weekly tick report, we do a deep dive into the stunning primary election outcome in the race for governor. We unpack why the Francesca Hong campaign was so successful, why it fell barely short, and a brief road map on how David Crowley can engage the progressive base that worked so...
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Keeping the throttle twisted towards the primary election
Following the tick report where we learn, in the words of a CDC scientist, that “the ticks are winning,” we discuss a new study finding wildfire smoke is now the primary pollutant negatively affecting pregnancy. Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere,...
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Meet Laurel Wales
We welcome Laurel Wales, Citizen Action's Managing Director, to the show as a guest panelist. Following the tick report, we dive into the latest developments in Wisconsin’s governor primary election, including two new polls that show Francesca Hong surging into a commanding lead. How has Hong...
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Elections > Polls
We take a deep into the latest MU Law Poll, which finds Francesca Hong and Mandela Barnes distancing themselves from the field. What does the MU poll clearly tell us and what remains unclear and fluid? We look at other Internal candidate polls, which show Francesca Hong with at 35% and 39%, a 20+...
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Special Interview with Citizen Action endorsed candidate for governor, Francesca Hong
We welcome Citizen Action’s newly endorsed Governor candidate, State Representative Francesca Hong, to discuss her historic campaign and why Citizen Action members endorsed her in a crowded field of strong candidates. Following the latest tick report, we dig into the Wisconsin Election Commission...
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Civil War in the Democratic Party?
With Matt on vacation this week Robert welcomes special Guest State Rep Christian Phelps to discuss the new "improved" Trump immigration crackdown, huge Wisconsin budget deficits in education and health care, and the freakout of establishment Democrats about the gains of democratic socialists and...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Organizing Worker Power & Political Expectations
We welcome Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Service and Hospitality Union (MASH) to discuss the union’s big organizing victory this week at Landmark Theater in Milwaukee, the rapid growth of the union, and the union's commitment to the Living Wage Coalition pushing for a $20 minimum wage...
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May Day 2026
A packed U.S. Supreme Court guts what is left of the Voting Rights Act while cynically claiming not to overturn it. We delve into the the implications for civil rights and for the 2026 and 2028 elections We welcome Christine Neuman Ortiz, the Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera to discuss...
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Electability Trap
We discuss the death of long-time Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political reporter Daniel Bice and reflect on his unique combination of skilled writing, muckraking journalism, and even-handedness, and the respect he engendered from the politicians and political actors he exposed. Dan's passing also...
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Battleground Wisconsin Podcast Special Edition: Governor's Candidate Forum
Listen to Citizen Action of Wisconsin's Governor Candidate Forum, featuring the 7 leading Democratic candidates. Before the debate, Citizen Action's executive Director, Robert Kraig discusses why the forum is so important for you to listen to and previews highlights from the forum.
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Election Day Ceasefire?
We reflect on Trump's flirtation with Armegeddon in Iran and the unstable ceasefire announced on Election Day. We review this week’s Spring General Election that resulted in a romb for liberal Chris Taylor, leaving the state Supreme Court with 5-2 center-left majority. Turnout was down but still...
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Voting and organizing the Wisconsin we need
In the final stretch run toward election day Tuesday, April 7th, we have a deeper discussion on why Chris Taylor will be a great Supreme Court Justice. We autopse Trump’s terrible week, including: the war in Iran, the attack on voting by mail, and SCOTUS oral arguments on Trump’s illegal attack…
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Everyone's an election pundit
We revisit the Iran War escalation and review the current Department of Homeland Security shutdown snarling airports as Trump shoots down every legislative deal to fund TSA, holding for his SAVE TRUMP (voter suppression) Act. With the Democratic Primary for Governor still wide open, some voters…
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Always Organizing
We open with a discussion of this week's Trump Regime lowlights, including the dangerous Iran war escalation and Brad Schimel not leaving his U.S. Attorney's post despite being vetoed by Tammy Baldwin and fired by a federal district court. One silver lining in Wisconsin, after Robin Vos removed…
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Public money for NIL, as public schools make cuts
We discuss the growing opposition to the Iran War and new data revealing the war cost $11 billion in the first week. A coalition of antiwar groups launched a national campaign on Wednesday calling for Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer to step down from their positions as...
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Fighting authoritarians with healthcare
After a brief discussion of Trump and Netanyahu’s war with Iran, we turn to defeating authoritarianism by fighting for policies that help people with their most pressing priorities, like good paying jobs, well funded public schools, healthcare and childcare. We discuss the introduction of new...
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Vos retires
We discuss the retirement of Speaker Robin Vos after a decade of ruthless control of the Legislature. Vos was the most powerful and successful state politician since Scott Walker, and one of the most infuential Assembly Speakers ever. The 2026 election is upon us and Citizen Action is announcing...
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Remembering Jesse Jackson, Postpartum Medicaid victory, $20 Wage Legislation launch, and data centers public hearing
We remember Jesse Jackson for carrying the tourch for the multi-racial working class long after the hopes of the Civil Rights Era faded, his prophetic oratory which still speaks to us today, and his special connection to Wisconsin. We highlight the victory for health care access for mothers,...
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Bondi Bombast Boomerang
Holy Bondi! Following a recap of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s surreal Congressional hearing, we dive into this week in the Trump Regime, including: ICE agents are flowing into Western Wisconsin; Trump immigration officials testify before the U.S. Senate with a potential DHS shutdown looming; And,...
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Governor candidates embrace a BadgerCare Public Option
We discuss how Democratic candidates for Governor are competing with each other to embrace the BadgerCare Public Option bill, which will soon be introduced in the state legislature. We are joined by Citizen Action’s Healthcare Action Coordinator, Kristie Tweed, to discuss widespread public…
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The Bitter Fruits of Failing Democracy
This week we put the tragic events and courageous resistance to tyranny in the Twin Cities in the context of our failing democracy. A new report from the Urban Institute shows that Wisconsin has fallen behind other states in income over the past 50 years, especially compared to our neighbors in...
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Freddy Peralta trade, wage floors, and the politics of MLB
The Milwaukee Brewers’ billionaire owner traded All-Star Freddy Peralta yesterday for prospects, leaving fans upset at the trade and the financing of Major League Baseball that created and normalized such a lopsided and unfair trade. We welcome Simon Rosenblum-Larson, a former minor league…
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Greenleaf Data Center: Organized People Win!
We applaud a victory for local democracy this week in little Greenleaf, Wisocnsin. When Big Tech came calling, local residents pushed back so quickly on a proposed data center that the developers immediately pulled out. We put the Greenleaf story in perspective, taking a deep dive into the…
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Venezuela, ICE shooting and taxing the rich to fund schools and public goods
We lead off with Trump’s gun boat diplomacy in Venezuela and the shocking bloodshed perpetrated by ICE in Minneapolis. What does it mean and how is the resistance to authoritarianism responding so far? We welcome State Representative Ryan Clancy to discuss three game changing progressive tax…
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Representative Cruz fights for promised public school funding
We start with an analyis of the latest health care melodrama in D.C., where four House Republicans unexpectedly broke ranks, joining Democrats in forcing a vote on the renwal of ACA subsidies. Speaker Johnson will not hold the required vote until January. But even if it passes in the House, it…
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Caring about democracy
We welcome Corrine Hendrickson, with Main Street Alliance, to talk about the upcoming Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN) Lobby Day on January 20, 2026 at the state Capitol where childcare, education and healthcare funding will be center stage in day of action. We encourage our...
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People vs Power
We discuss the latest shocking affront to basic human decency by the Trump Regime, starving food insecure American families by cutting off SNAP to states that have not shared the private personal data of recipients with the regime's security forces. Governor Evers and Attorney General Kaul are...
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Organizing a labor revival
We lead-off with Milwaukee Area Labor Council President Pam Fendt to discuss a successful organizing campaign by union workers at the City of Milwaukee to win a Common Council vote to override the Mayor’s budget vetoes, including his effort to scale backe to pay increases for city employees who...
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Wisconsin populist revival heats up
We discuss the pathbreaking Utility Rate Cap bill which is currently circulating for co-sponsors in the state legislature. We praise the current co-sponsors and encourage our listeners to reach out to their state legislators today. We expose the continuing perversion of democracy and human…
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The "Benedict 8"
This week America met the “Benedict 8” – who pursued a craven, cynical, and ultimately unstrategic betrayal of the American public. We dive into how the “Benedict 8” and the leadership that enabled them exposes what’s wrong with Democratic leadership and how it fails to deliver on its goals. Does...
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Election Whiplash?
With Matt under the weather, Robert goes solo with the help of podcast producer Mollee Albinger asking the questions. We dig into the aftermath of the Democratic sweep in the off year elections this week. What does it mean for the ending of the government shutdown and the fight to save liberal...
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A.I. data centers & democracy
We take a deep dive into the on-going data center debate in Wisconsin for the entire show. We welcome IUPAT District Council No. 7, Director of Governmental Affairs Office, Andy Buck to tell us why their union supports the current data centers that will be built union and how IUPAT members get…
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AI & Data Center Bubble
As Trump takes a bulldozer to the White House and liberal democracy, we take a deep dive into the devastating potential impact of the tech oligarchs here in Wisconsin. Foxconn 2.0: the Data Center Invasion, shows that as in the movies the sequel is even worse than the original. Robert tells us...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Brian Wooldridge
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Battleground Wisconsin have?
Battleground Wisconsin currently has 500 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Battleground Wisconsin 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.
How often does Battleground Wisconsin release new episodes?
Battleground Wisconsin publishes regularly with 500 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Battleground Wisconsin?
You can listen to Battleground Wisconsin on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Battleground Wisconsin?
Battleground Wisconsin is created and hosted by Brian Wooldridge.
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