WTMJ hosts Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey kicked off the show with Steve’s return from his trip to Sicily and Malta, sharing travel highlights before Kristin quizzed him on all the major news he missed while away. The two then turned to the ongoing federal government shutdown—now in its 17th day—discussing the political stalemate in Congress and how it’s affecting everyday Americans. Listeners joined the conversation through the talk and text line to share how the shutdown is impacting their lives.

In the second hour, Steve and Kristin talked about Wisconsin’s new statewide school cell phone ban and the debate over whether those decisions should rest with local school boards. They also discussed the latest indictment tied to Donald Trump, Sam Altman’s controversial AI decisions, and how technology ties into the loneliness epidemic.