Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez joins Dr. Lyerly to discuss her campaign to become Wisconsin's first female governor.

Photo credit: Nick Garcia

From their shared experience as healthcare professionals entering politics during the pandemic to the fight for Medicaid expansion and reproductive rights, this conversation explores what it takes to lead boldly in uncertain times. Sara shares her vision for Wisconsin's future and why healthcare expertise matters in the governor's office.

Fellow radio host and Wisconsin mom Kristin Brey joins the show for a conversation that covers everything from bridging divides to government shutdowns and doesn’t shy away from the big questions: Has the Democratic Party lost touch with the people? Did liberal feminism actually ruin the workplace? Kristin brings honesty, humor, and the perspective of someone living it all in real time. This one is equal parts fun and real talk—don't miss it.

Dennis McBride won his hometown mayoral race in April 2020 with nearly 60% of the vote. One month later, his world - and America's - exploded.

Over the next twelve months, the new mayor of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin navigated a pandemic, 98 days and nights of racial justice protests, a mass shooting at the local mall, and a high-stakes presidential election. For 40 nights, he and his wife barricaded themselves in their home while protesters chanted outside, flashed lasers through their windows, and threw trash on their lawn. He told his adult children there was a real possibility someone might take his life.

Five years later, Mayor McBride has written "A City on the Edge: Pandemic, Protest, and Polarization," a gripping firsthand account of leadership during America's most turbulent year in generations. He argues that Wauwatosa was "a microcosm of everything that was going on in America" and that we still haven't escaped the forces unleashed in 2020.

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Kristin Lyerly sits down with Mayor McBride to explore the impossible decisions leaders faced, the personal toll of public service, and whether there's a path forward for a deeply divided nation. As McBride says: "We only come out of things if we work hard to make good things happen, and we have to do that by reaching across the aisle to people that we don't normally agree with."

This is a story about courage, resilience, and what it takes to lead when everything is falling apart.

Follow Mayor Dennis McBride on Facebook @dennis.mcbride.737

Listen at CivicMedia.us or wherever you get your podcasts

Find “A City on the Edge: Pandemic, Protest, and Polarization” at Amazon, IU Press, and more

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Kristin Lyerly sits down with the first Asian American member of the Wisconsin Legislature, who's now running to become the state's next governor. Hong brings a perspective rarely seen in executive politics: she's a chef, a bartender, a single mother navigating affordable housing challenges, and a Democratic Socialist who's promising to be the "wild card" in Wisconsin's 2026 race.

From the dish pit to the State Capitol to the campaign trail, Hong shares her journey and her vision for a Wisconsin that centers working-class families. She discusses her progressive platform - including universal childcare, paid family leave, and affordable housing - and explains why she believes Wisconsin needs a movement, not just another establishment candidate.

Dr. Lyerly and Rep. Hong tackle the tough questions: How does Hong plan to win without corporate PAC money? What does democratic socialism mean to Wisconsin voters? How would she work with a potentially Republican-controlled legislature? And what does it mean to be a politician who still picks up bar shifts and knows what it's like to struggle with rent?

Whether you're a progressive looking for bold leadership or a skeptic wondering if Wisconsin is ready for such a departure from traditional politics, this conversation offers an unfiltered look at one of the most unconventional candidates in Wisconsin's political landscape.

This is the second in our series of conversations with candidates for Wisconsin governor across the political spectrum.

Listen to the rest of the series here:

Women have been told to suffer through menopause in silence for far too long. But physicians like Dr. Anita Bublik-Anderson are saying enough is enough.

This week, I sit down with Dr. Bublik-Anderson, a colleague, breast cancer survivor, and the force behind a new groundbreaking menopause and sexual health clinic opening in Wausau. She’s filling a critical gap in care that has left countless women struggling without answers, without support, and without hope.

The statistics are staggering: only 31% of OB/GYN residency programs include menopause curriculum. Just 2,500 specialists serve 1.3 million women entering menopause each year. One in three women are misdiagnosed, and 60% find their doctor’s advice unhelpful. This isn’t just a care gap—it’s a crisis.

We talk about why this is happening. How medical education has failed women. How the politicization of medicine has created barriers to evidence-based care. How ageism and sexism intersect to dismiss women’s health concerns as they age. And how the shame and stigma around menopause have kept women suffering in silence when they should be getting comprehensive medical attention.

But this conversation is also about hope and action. From Capitol Hill to Hollywood, advocates are rising up. Halle Berry—who was misdiagnosed with herpes when she was actually experiencing perimenopause—has become a powerful voice for change. Physicians like Dr. Bublik-Anderson and me are opening clinics, educating patients, and demanding that our medical system do better. And legislators including Rep. Robyn Vining and Sen. Dianne Hesselbein right here in Wisconsin have introduced a bill to ensure that women have the information they need to live their best lives. 

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Bublik-Anderson also shares her personal journey as a breast cancer survivor and addresses the unique challenges cancer survivors face navigating menopause—from treatment-induced symptoms to the complexity of hormone therapy decisions.

This episode is for every woman who has felt dismissed, every patient who couldn’t get answers, every person who believes that half the population deserves better than a medical system that has historically ignored and underfunded their care. It’s time to break the silence. It’s time to demand better. It’s time to reclaim women’s health.

The Milwaukee Brewers are in the NLCS—and we're talking to the man who was there from the very beginning.

On this special episode, recorded on the day of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, Dr. Kristin Lyerly sits down with Dr. Pat McBride, former Dean of Students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and author of The Luckiest Boy in the World. But before his distinguished career in medicine and education, Pat had another distinction: he was the Milwaukee Brewers' very first bat boy.

Pat takes us back to the early days of the Brewers in Milwaukee, sharing stories from inside the clubhouse and the dugout—including unforgettable tales about the legendary Bob Uecker. We explore how those formative experiences shaped his life, why he considers himself "the luckiest boy in the world," and what professional baseball taught him about leadership, resilience, and community.

With the Brewers breaking a six-year postseason series drought and facing the Dodgers in a rematch of the heartbreaking 2018 NLCS, this conversation couldn't be more timely. Pat offers unique perspective on what this team means to Wisconsin, why Saturday's victory over the Cubs felt so significant, and what's at stake as the entire state watches with hope.

Whether you're a lifelong Brewers fan, a student of Wisconsin sports history, or simply love a great story about how childhood dreams shape our lives, this episode delivers.

Go Crew!

From growing up in a converted one-room schoolhouse in rural Taylor County to leading fights for reproductive rights and workers' freedoms in the state legislature, Roys brings more than two decades of progressive advocacy to this race.

As a mom and stepmom of five, small business owner, attorney, and longtime champion for women's health, Roys has built a reputation for seeing political threats before they materialize and building coalitions to fight back. She was in the streets protesting Scott Walker's Act 10 in 2011, helped pass Wisconsin's first pro-choice legislation in 30 years, and now co-chairs the Legislature's Reproductive Freedom Caucus.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss how she thinks about leadership and compromise in a purple state, her vision for education and healthcare, what drives her advocacy work, and how she manages the chaos of running a small business and raising five kids while serving in the state Senate.

This is the first in our series of conversations with candidates for Wisconsin governor across the political spectrum.

Join Dr. Kristin Lyerly and her colleague Dr. Laura Hanks—aka "Dr. Hanks at Your Cervix"—for candid, lively discussions about reproductive health that you won't hear anywhere else.

With the unique humor and insight that only two seasoned OB/GYNs can bring, Drs. Lyerly and Hanks tackle the topics that matter most—from navigating Wisconsin's ever-changing abortion landscape to answering the questions you've been too afraid to ask your own doctor. Is Tylenol really safe during pregnancy? Is birth control safe? Should I exercise during pregnancy? They're breaking it all down with evidence-based answers, real talk, and plenty of laughs.

Whether you're curious about your own health, passionate about reproductive justice, or just love a good doctor-to-doctor debate, this podcast delivers medical expertise without the jargon and important conversations without the stuffiness.

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Dr. Lyerly talks with Laura and Patrick DuSchane, the parents of a three-year-old boy who was present at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis during the tragic shooting on August 27th that claimed the lives of two children and injured 18 others.

In this raw and honest conversation, they share their story of that horrific morning - the chaos, the fear, and the immediate aftermath that no parent should ever have to endure.

But this episode is about more than just surviving tragedy. These parents open up and share how their experience has transformed them, turning their grief and trauma into a driving force for change. They discuss the difficult journey of processing what happened, supporting their young child through the trauma, and finding their voice in the fight for school safety and gun violence prevention.

This is a story about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, choosing to channel their pain into purpose. It's about refusing to accept that such violence is inevitable, and demanding that we all "do something" to protect our children and communities.

This week on “The Dr. Kristin Lyerly Show”, I’m hanging out with Wisconsin State Representative Amaad Rivera-Wagner for a fun chat about everything from Trump's budget shenanigans to Green Bay's awesome music scene. How do federal decisions actually affect your everyday life? What's cooking in Madison? And why is our local arts community so darn cool? Rivera-Wagner breaks it all down with the perfect mix of policy smarts and genuine love for Green Bay culture.

Plus, we're featuring local bands 7000apart and Pegasis, because who doesn't love discovering amazing local talent? Whether you're a political junkie, a music lover, or just here for good conversation, this episode's got you covered. Let's dive in!