Presidential Press Conferences, Bitter Cold, Addiction Cure?, State News Round-Up

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Veronica Rueckert and Gene Purcell discuss revitalizing the presidential press conference. They’ll also talk to an emergency management expert about how to prepare for the bitter cold coming to Wisconsin this weekend. Then they look into a claim that a pill could help to cure addiction and review the week in state news.

Featured in this Show

  • Expert: How To Prepare For Bitter Cold

    Starting this weekend, Wisconsinites will experience extremely cold temperatures. The National Weather Service is expected to issue a wind-chill warning for most of the state from Sunday night to Tuesday morning as temperatures are expected to drop to minus 40 to minus 55 degrees.

    Wisconsin hasn’t see temperatures like this since 1996, according to Tod Pritchard, public information officer for Wisconsin Emergency Management.

    “This is really extreme cold and it literally is life-threatening cold. Frostbite and hypothermia are the biggest risk for people and for pets,” said Pritchard.

    Pritchard urges Badger state residents to stay indoors as much as possible during this cold spell. When venturing outdoors, he said people should cover as much of their skin as possible, especially the tip of the nose, ears and hands.

    When temperatures are this low, frostbite can occur in 5 minutes or less. Pritchard said keeping exposure limited is key to staying safe.

    Like people, animals can be affected by the cold weather. They can freeze to death inside parked cars at the temperatures predicted for this weekend. Pritchard said leaving a pet in a parked car — even for a short period — is unadvisable.

    Pritchard said it’s a good idea to tap on the car hood before starting the engine since stray cats tend to seek out the heat of engine compartment.

    When a person must drive somewhere, they should make sure they have jumper cables and an emergency kit inside the car. He said car batteries can lose up to 50 percent of their starting power in the cold. They should also make sure their cell phone is charged up before heading out so they can call for help if needed.

    For those headed to the Green Bay Packers game on Sunday, Pritchard recommends taking breaks to get out of cold and limiting alcohol intake. Alcohol limits one’s ability to deal with cold, dehydrates the body and makes it hard to have good judgment.

    “Bundle up from head to toe and don’t be the crazy guy with no shirt in the stands,” said Pritchard.

    Bitterly cold temperatures are also correlated with an increase in carbon monoxide poisoning. He said people tend to use items that weren’t designed for indoor heating. To avoid poisoning, he said people should never use a charcoal grill inside, never use an oven for heating and get a chimney checked on a regular basis. If anyone shows symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as a headache, nausea and or confusion, they should get out of house right away — even in the cold — to get some fresh air and call 911.

  • Journalist Says Presidential Press Conferences Need Shaking Up

    A longtime Washington journalist says the quality of presidential press conferences are on the decline…and both journalists and the President have an obligation to shape up.

  • How To Prepare For The Bitter Cold

    Starting this weekend, most of Wisconsin will experience bitterly cold temperatures, with highs in the negative twenties in some areas Monday. An expert on emergency preparedness gives advice for how to prepare for this cold blast and how to stay safe.

  • A Pill To Cure Addiction?

    An expert from the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at The Scripps Research Institute discusses new research supporting the claim that a pill could help to cure addiction.

  • State News Round-Up for January 3rd, 2014

    WPR’s assistant news director joins us to talk about what’s making news in Wisconsin this week, and what’s around the corner.

Episode Credits

  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Martin Schram Guest
  • Tod Pritchard Guest
  • Barbara Mason Guest
  • Noah Ovshinsky Guest