Keystone Pipeline Permit Granted, Sober Housing In Wisconsin, America’s ‘Needless Wars’

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

For those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, housing instability can be a real barrier to success. A state representative joins us to discuss her new legislation that would create sober housing facilities to help people while they break the habit. President Trump recently granted a permit to allow construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. We talk with an environmental professor about the decision and the heated debate surrounding the project. Also, the author of a book on U.S. wars in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Iraq is with us to share why he thinks the conflicts serve as cautionary tales.

Featured in this Show

  • U.S. State Department Grants Permit For Keystone XL Pipeline Construction

    On Friday the U.S. State Department granted a permit for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a reversal of policy under former President Barack Obama. We talk to an environmental expert about what this news means for the U.S. economy and for the environment.

  • Bill Aims To Boost Sober Housing In Wisconsin

    For people in recovery and undergoing treatment for addiction, one of the major ingredients for success is simple, but sometimes hard to find — housing.

    Finding sober living arrangements for people recovering from addiction is often key to staying sober after rehab. A bill re-introduced by state Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, this legislative session would create more sober living facilities for communities that have few or zero sober housing options.

    “It’s a next step for people that have received treatment for alcohol, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental illnesses,” Sargent said. “Often times folks require a safe and secure environment to go to after receiving treatment in order to help them maintain their sobriety because they’re just not quite ready to go back to their normal lives and into the communities.”

    She described the facilities as “home-like” environments, though it’s not quite the same as being where one may have lived before addiction treatment. Sober living homes are often group homes typically prohibiting any kind of alcohol or drug use and require residents to contribute to the home through chores.

    “Not only do you not have access (to addictive substances), but you also have … peer-based support,” Sargent said.

    Wisconsin is struggling with alcohol and substance use. A study found Wisconsin is the heaviest-drinking state in the country, with Menominee County in the lead for binge drinking. This year, the state Legislature took action to address the opioid epidemic, after Gov. Scott Walker called a special session to tackle opioid addiction.

    Sargent said she is hopeful the bill to create more sober housing will get support from both sides of the aisle.

    “Addiction is not an issue that pays attention to party lines,” she said. “There are people of all political flavors, people from rural and urban Wisconsin, people from the north and south parts of our state that have been touched by addiction.”

  • New Legislation Would Expand Wisconsin's Sober Housing Facilities

    A new bill in the Wisconsin legislature would support and expand the state’s sober housing facilities. Democratic State Representative Melissa Sargent introduced the bill, saying that providing substance-free, stable housing for those recovering from addiction will help solve the state’s drug crisis. She joins us to discuss her hopes for sober housing, as well as her concerns about lead in Wisconsin’s drinking water and thoughts on the new state budget.

  • America's Needless Wars: Cautionary Tales Of U.S. Involvement In The Philippines, Vietnam, And Iraq

    In his new book America’s Needless Wars: Cautionary Tells of U.S. Involvement in the Philippines, Vietnam and Iraq, a historian tells us how three unrelated wars can offer lessons for today’s U.S. foreign policy.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Dean Knetter Producer
  • Haleema Shah Producer
  • Michael Kraft Guest
  • Sen. Melissa Agard Guest
  • David R. Contosta Guest