In this week’s episode of 365 Amplified, hosts Stephanie Díaz de León, Rob Chappell, and Omar Waheed dive into local news and the real-world implications of artificial intelligence in journalism. Omar recaps his trip to Detroit for the Online News Association’s AI Summit and reflects on how media organizations must evolve alongside emerging technologies.

The team also covers local news, including the opening of the Atwood Music Hall and an ongoing grassroots campaign to recall a DeForest village trustee following a controversial fluoride vote and reported harassment of local residents.

Later in the episode, Rob sits down for an in-depth conversation with Dr. Alex Gee and Harry Hawkins at Fountain of Life Church. Dr. Gee reflects on three decades of leading the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development and explains why he’s stepping aside to let Harry take the helm. Harry shares his journey from jewelry retail to nonprofit leadership and lays out his vision for Nehemiah’s next chapter — one centered on community-informed innovation, transformational leadership, and Black excellence.

Plus, the team wraps the episode with a fun chat about what they wish they had endless access to.

This week's episode is brought to you by Steinhafels, having their biggest Memorial Day sale ever right now.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

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This week, the full crew is in the house! Rob, Stephanie, Dave, Omar, and Nicholas share stories and sharp insights from across Wisconsin.

🖌️ A South Side Tribute in Color Dave shares the story behind a vibrant new mural on Park Street honoring South Side Madison legends, designed by the Hip-Hop Architect Michael Ford. Hear how families and community members reacted to seeing their loved ones immortalized in art. Read the story here.

🎷 Jazz, Justice & Mary Lou Williams The crew discusses the upcoming Madison Jazz Festival, including a spotlight on the Mary Lou Williams tribute show featuring Madison legends Fabu Phillis Carter and Jane Reynolds, fresh off a Kennedy Center performance. Get the full lineup here.

🎓 Controversial Honor at UW–Madison Omar breaks down community backlash after former Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner—author of anti-immigrant legislation—was awarded an honorary degree. Read Omar's story here.

🦅 Birding as Healing: Dexter Patterson’s Field Guide Rob recaps his conversation with birder, photographer, and BIPOC Birding Club cofounder Dexter Patterson, who’s releasing a new pocket-sized field guide to Great Lakes birds this fall. Read more here.

🍓 Off the Trail Café: Indigenous Food with a Mission In the second half, Rob sits down with Apache Danforth and Jamie Betters of the Oneida Nation, co-owners of Off the Trail Café in Green Bay. The new spot serves more than gourmet breakfasts—it’s a hub for health, cultural preservation, food education, and community empowerment. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram. 

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

Underground Hiking Collective founder Jasmine Banks joins the show today to give some recommendations for great places to enjoy the great outdoors for a hike or a paddle in and near Madison. She also dispenses some words of wisdom on what to wear and bring to ensure you have a good time on the trail. Read what she and three other experts have to say here.

Plus, local men's health advocate Gary Davis chats with Rob about next weekend's free health screening event and the disparities he's faced in his journey as a cancer survivor. Get the details and register here.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

In this episode of 365 Amplified, Rob Chappell is joined by Dave Dahmer, Nicholas Garten, and Omar Waheed for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from NFL Draft day thrills to the real-world impact of abrupt federal funding cuts.

Dave kicks off the show with a firsthand account from the NFL Draft in Green Bay, where Packers fans celebrated the unexpected first-round pick of wide receiver Matthew Golden. The crew breaks down the electric atmosphere and discusses the surprising fall of quarterback Shedeur Sanders to the fifth round.

Then Rob shifts gears to a much more sobering topic: the sudden and complete elimination of AmeriCorps funding in Wisconsin. He shares insights from interviews with Jeanne Duffy of Serve Wisconsin and local nonprofits affected by the cuts, outlining how the loss of these service roles hurts schools, youth programs, and food access across the state.

Omar jumps in with updates on recent immigration-related protests in Milwaukee and Madison, organized by Voces de la Frontera in response to troubling DHS “wellness checks.” Plus, hear about the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association’s “Masters of the Green” golf event in Washington and how the movement is growing nationally from its base in Wisconsin.

The episode wraps up on a lighter note with stories of things the hosts were convinced were true but weren't, one true thing that was doubted, and Rob’s decades-long quest to prove he saw a Smurf in a very unlikely place.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

This week on 365 Amplified, Rob Chappell, Stephanie Diaz de Leon and Omar Waheed bring you an episode of the week's most important news.

🎉 The crew starts with a look at the NFL Draft in Green Bay, including how the Packers are using the moment to promote diversity through workshops and vendor opportunities. Read our story on Off the Trail, the new Indigenous-owned cafe in Green Bay, here.

🧃 Omar gives a flavorful recap of a THC beverage tasting event in Madison, spotlighting several local vendors — including the state’s first Indigenous-owned cannabis company — and how Wisconsin’s murky legality around THC creates both opportunity and awkwardness. Read the story here.

🇵🇸 Then it’s on to the Capitol, where Omar reports on a citizen lobbying effort opposing Wisconsin’s anti-boycott law related to Israel. He shares what advocates are pushing for, how little lawmakers know about it, and what might happen next. Read the story here.

🎂 The team discusses the centennial of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Madison, including a recent luncheon and the essential work the organization does in homelessness prevention and healthcare access. Read the story here.

🎙️ Guest reporter Hallie Claflin from Wisconsin Watch joins Rob for an extended conversation about her months-long investigation into rural homelessness and the troubling trend of police departments transporting unhoused individuals to distant cities like Eau Claire without guaranteed services on the other end. Read the story here.

🛶 Finally, the crew debates Saturday vs. Sunday, sourdough vs. kayaking, and why high-thread-count sheets are the real adult flex.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

\🎙️ Episode Title: Hands Off Black Women, with Dana Pellebon 📅 Release Date: April 18, 2025 🕒 Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes 🎧 Hosts: Stephanie Díaz de León, Rob Chappell, Omar Waheed, Nicholas Garton 🎙️ Special Guest: Dana Pellebon

Episode Summary: In this week’s deeply personal and unapologetically honest episode, the 365 Amplified team is joined by special guest Dana Pellebon, Board Chair of Urban Triage and former Dane County Supervisor, who offers insight, receipts, and unwavering truth about what she calls years-long campaign against Urban Triage founder Brandi Grayson, the real story behind the organization’s county contracts, and the broader implications for Black-led organizations in Dane County.

Key Topics Discussed:

• 🎂 Clyde Stubblefield Birthday Tribute: Celebrating the legacy of the “Funky Drummer” with insight from mentee Joey Banks. Read the story here.

• 🏀 Knut Knueppel Declares for the NBA Draft: Why the Wisconsin standout is turning pro and what it means for the future of a basketball legacy. Read the story here.

• 🔍 Channel 3000 Article & County Scrutiny: Breaking down the problematic coverage, including selective targeting of Brandi Grayson’s LinkedIn and resume. Read our coverage here.

• 📝 The Bigger Picture: Racism, entitlement, and why Urban Triage is being held to a different standard.

• 💥 Quote to Remember: “Hands off Brandi Grayson. Hands off the Black women that are doing the work.” – Dana Pellebon

• 🧟 Zombie Apocalypse Check-In: To lighten the mood, the crew imagines who they’d bring with them in a zombie apocalypse survival team.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

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Release Date: April 11, 2025 Duration: 1h 8m Hosts: Stephanie Díaz de León, Rob Chappell, Nicholas Garton, Omar Waheed

This week, the crew dives deep into the University of Wisconsin’s decision to abruptly cancel monthly BIPOC employee lunches—an initiative that served as a space for connection, networking, and support for people of color on campus. The hosts unpack what this means for employee retention, equity efforts, and the larger implications of anticipatory compliance in response to federal and state pressures. Read the story here.

They also cover:

• 🪧 The UnityPoint Meriter nurses’ pre-strike rally and what’s at stake as contract negotiations continue. Read the story here.

• 📚 A major funding loss for the Literacy Network’s citizenship instruction program—and the broader consequences for legal immigrants in Madison. Read the story here.

• 🧠 A powerful return: Black Oxygen is back! Rob chats with host Angela Russell about the show’s origins, upcoming season focused on Black women, and the unique power of podcasting to create space for authentic Black voices. Listen to classic episodes here.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

This week on 365 Amplified, the crew is back and broadcasting from the new Madison365 HQ at Starting Block in the Spark Building to recap a week filled with local political shakeups, Open Cup soccer drama, and some serious inspiration on and off the court.

Stephanie, Rob, Omar, and Nick dive into:

• Madison city council election results—Who held on, who was unseated, and some eyebrow-raising campaign suspensions and controversies.

• The Wisconsin Supreme Court race—Susan Crawford’s win, Brad Schimel’s loss, and Elon Musk’s unwelcome attempted influence.

  • Read the story here.

• A heated Open Cup soccer match that ended in a defeat and some extracurriculars.

  • Read the recap here.

• The surprise celebrity status of Wisconsin's own Jeremy Payne, who is now in a viral US Cellular ad campaign.

  • Read the story here.

• DeAndre Martin’s appointment as the new CEO of CEOs of Tomorrow, and what the future holds for the youth entrepreneurship org.

  • Read the story here.

• Basketball phenom Nyajuacni Riak, a freshman at La Follette already turning heads with college offers from UCLA, Alabama, and Minnesota.

  • Read the Q&A here.

• The Knueppel family dynasty dominating Wisconsin basketball from grade school to Duke University.

• Cory Booker’s 25-hour Senate filibuster, why performance and politics go hand-in-hand, and why sometimes being dramatic is exactly what’s needed.

  • Read the story here.

• A round of reflection on the worst advice they’ve ever received.

Connect:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

• Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

• Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

This week, the team is back from a much-needed break and ready to break down the big news in Madison and across Wisconsin.

🧑‍⚖️ Local Elections Are Here (April 1!)

• The gang discusses the impact of local elections, including the upcoming Madison Common Council races and the statewide constitutional amendment on voter ID.

• Confusion around election dates? We break down what’s real and what’s political misdirection.

• Rob and Stephanie unpack why these “small” elections actually matter—local government = big consequences.

Interview: Joanne Pritchett

• We hear from the challenger for District 9 Alder, on her motivation to run, her advocacy style, and environmental concerns in Madison’s west side.

Most Influential Native American List

• Rob highlights Madison365’s sixth annual list celebrating influential Native American leaders statewide.

• The team reflects on how the list has grown and the importance of representation across professions—judges, teachers, CDFI leaders, and more.

Encore Prom & Wisconsin’s Aging Population

• Want to relive prom with purpose? Verona’s Encore Prom is back—this year’s event supports older adult programming amid Wisconsin’s aging demographic surge.

• Read more here.

Nerd Bugs Makes the INC. 500 List!

• Madison’s own Dr. Ronak Mehta lands on Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 500 for her educational plushie startup, Nerd Bugs.

• Omar shares how the company began as a children’s book idea and turned into a national health education tool—with cute, anatomically-correct organs.

• Read the story here.

⚽ Soccer, Shots, and Showdowns

• Forward Madison advances in the U.S. Open Cup and prepares to host a second-division team for the first time ever.

• Rob dreams of the ultimate “Jager Henny Derby” and defends his love for Jägermeister.

• Plus: a surprise sports education moment on “escort parades” for local teams—and what the 365 crew would want to be celebrated for.

🔗 Read More:

• Full coverage at Madison365.org

Support Local Journalism: If you appreciate our work, consider donating to keep 365 Amplified and Madison365 thriving. Visit madison365.org/donate to contribute.

🔗 Follow Us: Stay connected for real-time news updates and discussions: 📲 BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe & tune in every Friday for the latest insights on local and national news!

Just popping into your feed to mention a couple Wisconsin colleges and universities seeking new leaders as well as updates on the Wisconsin Badgers, Forward Madison and Abundant Life Christian School.