What Is Motivating Midterm Voters?, History And Myths Of Indigenous People, This Week In Wisconsin

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Midterm elections stand a week and a half away. We look at some of the main reasons people will vote in this election. We also talk about the latest political news in the state with WPR’s assistant news director. Then we explore the myths that a historian says persists in the narrative of indigenous people in the United States.

Featured in this Show

  • Weekly News Roundup: Poll Shows Race For Governor Still Tight

    Happ

    Photo: St. Norbert (CC-BY-NC-ND).

    Governor’s Race Is Still Neck-and-Neck, According To Wisconsin Survey

    The latest Wisconsin Survey from Wisconsin Public Radio and St. Norbert College, much like the Marquette University Law School poll, finds Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race to be almost a dead heat. Walker was up one percent, at 47 to 46 percent, but that lead is well within the margin of error, making the race is too close to call.

    The poll also found that 6 percent of voters remain undecided at this point. With the race so close, turnout among the base will be key.

    Happ

    Image courtesy of WPT.

    Brad Schimel and Susan Happ Meet For Debate

    Republican Brad Schimel and Democrat Susan Happ met in a debate televised live on Wisconsin Public Television on Friday night, in which they largely sparred over when and how they’d defend state law.

    Like the governor’s race, the race for attorney general is tight. The latest Wisconsin Survey found Schimel leading Happ by 41 to 40 percent among likely voters. A whopping 21 percent of voters remain unsure of which candidate they’ll vote for.

    Happ

    Photo courtesy of Wisconsin State Legislature.

    Former Assembly Majority Leader Pleads No Contest To Sexual Assault

    State Rep. Bill Kramer entered a plea of “no contest” to reduced charges of second-degree sexual assault on Thursday, and will likely be sentenced to nine months of prison and three years of probation.

    Kramer had served as the Republican majority leader in the Assembly before the allegations of assault surfaced. He will likely soon be replaced in the Legislature by a realtor named Scott Allen, who is running unopposed for his seat.

    Happ

    Photo: World Bank (CC-BY-ND).

    Wisconsin Birth Rates Down For Sixth Straight Year

    Last year was the sixth year in a row that the number of births has declined in Wisconsin.

    There were 66,500 live births in 2013, a decrease of 663 births since 2012 and the lowest birth rate since 1997. Among the reasons experts cite for the decline is the fact that women are delaying child birth due to the weak economy. Teen pregnancy rates are also down.

    Happ

    Photo: Jackie Guthrie (CC-BY-NC-ND).

    Milwaukee County Releases New Batch Of John Doe Emails

    The Milwaukee County executive’s office released about 16,000 emails from the first John Doe investigation into Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign activities on Tuesday.

    Among the new findings: Milwaukee County officials gave Walker’s campaign treasurer, who was also a real estate broker, inside information on bids for a real estate deal. Walker refused to comment on the discovery, and alleged that the emails were released due to political motivations.

  • What Is Inspiring You To Vote In The Midterms?

    Governor Scott Walker yesterday called on his supporters to counter the votes of “many people in Madison who are angry.” A majority of Mary Burke voters say their main reason to vote is Scott Walker and his policies. What motivates you to vote in this election?

  • An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the U.S.

    Although nearly three million Native Americans, from more than 500 federally recognized Indigenous nations live in the U.S., these communities remain among the poorest in the country. A historian and activist looks at the American history from the perspective of its native inhabitants

  • State News Round-Up For October 24th, 2014

    WPR’s assistant news director joins us with the top headlines in Wisconsin this week, including the latest on Wisconsin’s upcoming midterm elections.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Noah Ovshinsky Guest
  • Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Guest