A new investigative report shows that due to business-backed efforts to repeal a whistleblower incentive law, Wisconsin taxpayers potentially lost out on millions of dollars in settlements. We learn the details. Young adult novels that explore dystopian futures have been extremely successful in recent years, but stories of teen suicide are now rivaling their popularity. We discuss what’s behind the trend. We also learn why sycophancy, better known as sucking up, has been tolerated in society for a long time.
Featured in this Show
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WCIJ Report Shows Wisconsin Taxpayers Missed Out On Millions After Repeal Of Whistleblower Incentive Law
A new report from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism finds that Wisconsin taxpayers have missed out on millions of dollars in settlements after lawmakers repealed the False Claims Act in the 2015-2017 state budget. That law provided incentives for whistleblowers to come forward with fraud claims. It had been one of the most effective tools to find Medicaid fraud, according to interviews and public record. We talk to the WCIJ’s managing editor about this report and the consequences of the repeal of the False Claims Act.
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Are Suicide Stories Replacing Dystopian Stories In Teen Fiction?
In the 2000s, dystopian stories like The Hunger Games and Divergent were wildly popular in young adult fiction. But one culture writer says that might be changing, and that dystopian stories are being replaced by stories by of teen suicide in the young adult fiction genre. We find out why.
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Why We Suck Up, Brown-Nose, Flatter And Much More
It seems like we all know that one person. You know the type…the one who will do and say anything to get ahead, even if it means kissing the boots of the boss. Like it or not, there are sycophants…better known as suck-ups…all around us. And while many of us like to grumble about it, it’s a behavior that’s been relatively tolerated in our society for quite some time. An author digs into the world of sycophancy.
If you’re honest with yourself, do you suck up sometimes? To whom, and for what purposes? Or do you find yourself on the other side of the equation, with people sucking up to you? How do you respond? Does it ever work?
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Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- Haleema Shah Producer
- Chris Malina Producer
- Dee Hall Guest
- Constance Grady Guest
- Mark Parker Guest
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