Central Time

A Wisconsin woman relives being on a plane that was diverted on 9/11 -- in the form of a play that's coming to Milwaukee. We take look at places in the U.S. where local news is hard to come by. And we discuss new data from the Wisconsin Department of Justice that shows sex crimes rose slightly over a five-year period.

The White House wants to strengthen protections for people who feel their religious beliefs are compromised when they're required to perform certain duties or services. We find out what the potential scope might be. The DNR Secretary-designee discusses his budget priorities. And a new collection of short stories highlights the darker, seedier side of Wisconsin's largest city.

In state news, we hear about a rally at the Capitol and controversy surrounding frac sand mining in Monroe County. WPR host Stephanie Elkins tells us about renewed interest in a pair of African-American female composers from the 1930s. Then, we learn about Facebook's big change to its page design.

It's Food Friday, where we learn about making kitchens... less full... with must-have gadgets our guest recommends. We also hear from Sen. Tom Tiffany about his views on not extending the Knowles-Nelson Act for land stewardship. And we take a look at a top news story.

We talk with a historian about the myths and realities of the Midwest. And, with calls for military intervention in Venezuela, we examine the history of U.S. involvement in the region.

Republican leaders are removing many of Governor Evers' budget proposals, including Medicaid expansion. We find out how Evers is responding. Then we learn about Milwaukee-area high school students who used math to tackle substance abuse. Finally, we talk with a guest who says the right policy solutions can improve America's fiscal outlook.

We discuss the state Supreme Court's order allowing the 82 lame-duck appointees made by Gov. Scott Walker to return to work as the appeal process plays out. Then, a five-time world championship Wisconsinite competed in the 2019 World Senior Championships this past week. We learn more about Wisconsin's role in the sport and find out how he placed. We also discuss the continuing need for more mental health care for our veterans, including conditions like traumatic brain injury.

Digital communities have evolved with technology, from chat rooms to blogs, and now private Facebook groups are in the mix. We talk with a reporter who says these niche spaces seem to be the only place on Facebook largely free of toxicity. We also take a look at this week's top national news.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing to raise the legal smoking age to 21 nationwide, a move that was received surprisingly well from cigarette and vaping manufacturers. We talk about states where the age has already been raised and get the details of McConnell's proposal. We also hear from state lawmakers about what they want education funding to look like.

We often hear about the shrinking middle class, but why is the size changing. We learn why our guest believes that the condition of a class is more important than its size. We also learn more about the role adjunct faculty members play in university systems and why too many adjuncts could mean bad news for the future of higher education. Additionally, we discuss what's missing from the national conversation about infrastructure.