365 Amplified

Today on 365 Amplified, Rob, Omar and Nick give an update on what we know -- and what we still don't know -- about who's been trying to enforce Madison parks rules with unhoused people on Madison's east side. Next, we've learned a lot about some disturbing allegations that led to the arrest of the Sun Prairie West High School Dean of Students on charges of child pornography and exploitation. There's quite a bit we still don't know -- including whether or not the dean of students ever actually applied for that job.

Then, lots of people have said during the Trump era that they want to leave the country, but not many have actually done it. Longtime Madison residents Jonathan and Karen Brown join the show from their new home in Cuenca, Ecuador, where they moved just days before the most recent inauguration. They share their reasons for deciding to leave the US, the preparations and process, how they've been settling in and why they consider themselves immigrants, not expats.

Connect:

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In this week's episode of 365 Amplified, hosts Stephanie Díaz de León, Omar Waheed, and Rob Chappell dive into a wide range of local and national stories — from media censorship and free speech battles to community leadership and grassroots democracy — before welcoming a special guest.

Madison attorney Huma Ahsan, candidate for Dane County Circuit Court Judge (Branch 1), joins the show to talk about her journey from immigration law to tribal courts, her work rebuilding a judicial system from scratch on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa reservation, and why she believes Dane County needs a "court of resistance" in the current political climate. Ahsan shares her background, her approach to justice, and what she hopes to bring to the bench.

• Wisconsin politics: Two new names join the race for governor, plus a landslide recall election in DeForest.

• YWCA Racial Justice Summit: A preview of this year's speakers and themes, from abolition to ecological restoration.

• Media and free speech: The FCC threatens ABC over Jimmy Kimmel's remarks — what it means for journalism, censorship, and corporate influence.

• Community leadership: A look ahead to Madison365's annual list of Wisconsin's Most Influential Latino Leaders.

• The most important question: Is a taco a sandwich?

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 team dives into national, state, and local news—and sits down with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who has just entered the race for governor of Wisconsin.

• Political violence and rhetoric: The hosts discuss the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, the responses from both the right and the left, and the broader implications for gun control, public safety, and accountability.

• Wisconsin politics: David Crowley joins the show to talk about his campaign for governor, his path from youth organizing to county executive, and his priorities for affordability, public schools, health care, and rural outreach. He also shares his pick for favorite Wisconsin-born celebrity.

• Statewide races: Former State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa announces her run for Secretary of State, adding to the shakeup in Wisconsin's political landscape.

• Local reporting: Omar brings updates on Dane County rangers threatening unhoused residents near Yahara Park, and the community response to protect those living outside.

• Community & culture: Rasta Barista hosts Madison's first-ever Jerk and Jollof Cookoff, a celebration of Caribbean and African food that also raises funds for youth empowerment programs.

• Sports: This weekend, Wisconsin football has a tall order in Alabama, and it's the Henny Derby between Forward Madison and Richmond Kickers.

• Fun & reflections: The hosts share childhood beliefs they held onto too long (and air some pet peeves about language and punctuation).

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!

On this week's 365 Amplified:

The Dane County Sheriff's Office is ramping up enforcement on school bus safety

Milky Way Tech Hub is giving away laptops

Urban Triage is hosting its Harvest Festival this weekend

and the North Side Festival is coming next weekend

Shaunte McCullum from the Northside Planning Council joins the show with more details on that event.

Plus, what annoys us most, and the trouble with Rob's new percolator.

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!

On the podcast today, Rob, Nicholas and Omar get an update on the immigrant labor troubles in Monroe, and get a preview of the Wisconsin Badger volleyball season. Then, Joe Maldonado from UW Extension joins to preview the second annual Fathers in Focus confererence, coming up October 18.

Read Omar's update on the Monroe dairy workers strike here.

Read Nicholas's preview of the Badger volleyball season here.

Read Rob's preview of the Fathers in Focus conference here.

Register for the Fathers in Focus conference here.

Today's episode is sponsored by Steinhafels.

On this week's podcast, Stephanie, Omar and Rob dig into two big stories from this week's news:

• Workers in Monroe have walked off the job after W&W Dairy's new owners, Kansas City-based Dairy Farmers of America, is forcing employees to reverify documentation status. About 40 workers, most of whom have worked there more than 10 years, are asking for a severance package for those who can't verify. Read Omar's story here.
• Monona Grove Football Club, a local youth soccer club, has fired a volunteer coach over allegations of "berating" players on one occasion and getting into it with a ref on another; promoting her own nonprofit foundation through the club; talking positively about the club on podcasts and radio shows; and a few other allegations -- allegations she only learned about five days after she was initially fired. The director of coaching resigned in protest, and parents are up in arms. Read Rob's story here.

Then we bounce around this week's roudtable question: what's your most Wisconsin thing? And end up planning what sounds like a pretty decent Friday night.

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!

Art House 360, a multicultural community arts space in Verona, officially opened with a ribbon cutting this week, and will host a fundraiser tonight. So we are revisiting our conversation with cofounders Monica Cliff and AJ Juarez from last month about where the idea and inspiration came from, and what the space hopes to offer the community.

This week, Stephanie, Rob and Omar preview:

• Madison Black Restaurant Week
• Freedom Inc's Health Day
• Africa Fest

Then, Rob reports on the event celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and why organizers say democracy remains under threat.

Next up, the effort to recall a member of the DeForest Board of Trustees has successfully prompted a special election. Alicia Williams, who's running to replace incumbent Bill Landgraf, joins to talk about the recall effort, the campaign and what it means for local governments across the state.

We finish up with a question prompted by Omar's obsession with winning a very low-stakes online auction: what's your most toxic trait?

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, Stephanie, Omar, Nicholas and Rob preview Dane Dances and give an update on the Village Board recall in DeForest -- including why it's important beyond the village. Then, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced last week that he will not seek a third term, setting up the first election with no incumbent since 2010. The pundit class has been speculating about who might run, so why not join in? Plus, the roundtable question: what hill will you die on, even if you're wrong?

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, Stephanie, Rob, Omar, and David dive into a packed episode featuring serious local issues, fun community events, and a deep look at a bold new arts initiative in Verona.

🧑‍⚕️ Janesville Nurses Strike Omar reports on the ongoing strike at Mercy Health East, where nurses are demanding a 7% raise, better health insurance, and basic security protections. Despite making $59 million in profit last year, the health system offered only a 3% raise and refused to budge—even as CEO pay topped $11.5 million. Stephanie reflects on the community impact and priorities revealed by the strike.

🎉 Community Events Preview The team shares previews of upcoming local events:

• Disability Pride Festival (July 26)

• Unity Picnic at the Urban League (July 26)

• Park Street Music Festival (August 2)

🎨 Feature Interview: Art House 360 Rob tours the newly launched Art House 360 in downtown Verona and sits down with co-founders Monica Cliff and AJ Juarez. They share how the former school building has been transformed into a multicultural, multidisciplinary arts space for all ages and backgrounds. Learn about the grand opening August 14 and the "Dancing With the Arts" fundraiser on August 15.

🎤 Roundtable: Most Useless Facts We Know To cap things off, the hosts swap their most random and useless trivia—from Joe Biden's proximity to Lincoln's presidency, to flamingo facts, octopus hearts, and the sibling rivalry that created two iconic shoe brands.

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!