International Women’s Day, Fraternity Investigation, The Week In Wisconsin

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Where do women stand in the world today? Veronica Rueckert and Rob Ferrett take stock of successes and challenges in commemoration of International Women’s Day on March 8th. Then they go behind the scenes of a year-long investigation into national fraternities, and round up the week’s political news in Wisconsin.

Featured in this Show

  • News Recap: This Week In Wisconsin

    It was a busy time. for news in Wisconsin this week.

    This week saw teachers and school administrators rush to defend Common Core, continued debate about a proposed pipeline expansion that will double the volume of oil carried from Canada’s oil tar sands to Lake Superior and Assembly Majority Leader Bill Kramer stripped of his leadership position amid allegations of sexual harassment.

    Noah Ovshinsky, WPR’s assistant news director, gave a rundown and recap of the what happened:

    Effort To Scrap Common Core Standards Stalled

    School superintendents and teachers crammed into a state Senate chamber on Thursday to defend Common Core, a set of education standards for K-12 in English language, arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt.

    At stake was a controversial bill that would axe the Common Core education standards currently adopted by 45 states. The bill, sponsored by Tea Party groups and conservative lawmakers, would establish a board of individuals appointed by the Legislature, the governor, and the state superintendent to oversee all education standards.

    Enbridge Pipeline Proposal

    Enbridge Energy announced this week they want to build a large replacement pipeline to carry oil from the Canadian oil tar sands to Lake Superior.

    The $7-billion upgrade to the existing line would nearly double the 1,000-mile-long pipe’s carrying capacity, and change the type of oil it carries to include both light and tar sands oil. Supporters, including Gov. Scott Walker, argue that the pipeline will help the U.S. become more energy-independent.

    Environmental groups call it another Keystone XL.

    Kramer Removed From Leadership Post

    Republicans in the Assembly voted on Tuesday to remove state Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, as majority leader for the rest of the session.

    The vote came just days after allegations surfaced that Kramer sexually harassed two women on a trip to Washington, D.C. Kramer checked himself into an undisclosed treatment center shortly after the allegations against him were made public.

    Rep. Pat Strachota, who was elected to replace Kramer, will be the first ever female majority leader in state history, but will hold the office for less than nine months as she’s retiring at the end of the year.

    Looking Ahead

    As the current legislative session starts to wrap up, expect to see a flurry of activity as last-minute proposals are pushed through the Legislature before the end of March.

    WPR’s Noah Ovshinsky joins Central Time every Friday at 4:45 pm to review the week’s top news.

  • International Women's Day

    Saturday, March 8th is International Women’s Day and president of Women Thrive Worldwide discusses the status of women’s rights around the world

  • Investigative Report Tracks ATF Problems In Wisconsin

    An ongoing report tracks the activities of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Wisconsin–and finds a lot of mistakes and questionable tactics. A Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporter joins the show to share the report’s findings, and the Congressional reaction.

  • State News Round-Up For March 8th, 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

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Noah Ovshinsky Guest
  • John Diedrich Guest