The Impact Of The Clinton Emails, Wisconsin Life, Federal Policy And Native Americans

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If you ask Republicans, Hillary Clinton’s emails are a scandal, while Democrats say there’s nothing to worry about. We talk with a national political reporter about whether this should concern voters. We find out how current policies are at the root of many problems that plague Native Americans. And on Wisconsin Life, we talk about the Steampunk cultural trend.

Featured in this Show

  • The Ongoing Issues With Hillary Clinton's Emails

    There have been questions and accusations surrounding Hillary Clinton’s use of email and the contents of those messages. We talk with a reporter who has been tracking the issue and look at whether they should be cause for concern for voters.

  • How Has 'Emailgate' Altered Perceptions Of Hillary Clinton?

    In 2015, “emailgate,” or the controversy around Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for official communication during her tenure as secretary of state, became one of the biggest controversies associated with the Democratic presidential nominee.

    And the controversy has followed Clinton well into her race for president.

    “It does seem a service for that nagging reminder of how this email mess does seem to have tarnished Hillary Clinton,” said POLITICO senior reporter Josh Gerstein, who covers the White House and United States Department of Justice. “I think some of her supporters regard her less favorably as a result of what has come out here.”

    One of the major products of the email debate was the rise of concerns over whether Clinton Foundation donors were given access to the State Department.

    Emails that later became public showed communication between one of then-Secretary Clinton’s closest aides and Doug Band of the Clinton Foundation. They eventually raised suspicions over a conflict of interest, when emails showed efforts to connect a major Clinton Foundation donor and a State Department official.

    Gerstein said critics and members of the media raised concerns about whether Clinton was staying true to plans she made to “insulate the State Department from the Clinton Foundation.”

    “There’s some feeling that maybe there was something tawdry surrounding the Clinton Foundation and how it raised money and how people involved with it discharged themselves while Clinton was secretary of state,” Gerstein said.

    FBI director James Comey released a statement last month detailing the bureau’s investigation of “emailgate,” in which he stated the FBI, “did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws.”

    Questions about how trustworthy or honest Clinton is have long colored public opinion around the presidential candidate – more recently, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said he has emails that could be damaging to Clinton’s chances in the presidential election.

    But Gerstein said information around Clinton’s emails has had a limited influence on her performance in the race for president.

    “Some of the information that we’ve seen come out through WikiLeaks and other leaking entities in recent weeks has caused a great deal of consternation within the Democratic Party, but it hasn’t yet done any damage to Hillary Clinton directly,” Gerstein said.

    Gerstein said he’s doubtful voters on the fence about whether to vote for Clinton or Republican nominee Donald Trump will be swayed in either direction based on what comes out of Clinton’s emails.

    “It doesn’t seem very likely to me at this point,” he said.

  • Wisconsin Life: Steampunk In Wisconsin

    On today’s Wisconsin Life we’ll talk about the rise of the Steampunk community in Wisconsin.

  • The New Trail Of Tears: How Washington Is Destroying American Indians

    Native Americans have the highest rates of poverty of any racial group and some of the highest rates of suicide. We talk to Naomi Schaefer Riley, writer of The New Trail Of Tears: How Washington Is Destroying American Indians about how current federal policy is impacting Native Americans, especially those living on reservations.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Karl Christenson Producer
  • Haleema Shah Producer
  • Josh Gerstein Guest
  • Eric J. Larson Guest
  • Naomi Schaefer Riley Guest

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