Why are we so obsessed with algae in a D.C. wading pool, or a U.S. Senate candidate’s scandals in Maine of all places over what’s happening in our own backyard?

As we fixate on national sideshows like those, UW-Madison professor Dr. Mike Wagner joins to decipher why our focus shifts away from critical local decisions — like an upcoming La Crosse city budget public hearing. Wagner talks about how our media consumption is so backwards and why local news is the a place people can trust to keep us grounded.

 

We look at the strategic “flood the zone” tactics used by Donald Trump, and similarities between the president’s defenders and those backing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner — how there’s an excuse to every scandal.

We also dive into how social media algorithms manipulate our feeds, and why bad news is always what gets the clicks. Lastly, Wagner breaks down why shows like this one — that intentionally focus on local stories, leaders and decisions shaping the La Crosse area — are exactly what’s needed to fight back against that national cycle.

About the guest:
Dr. Michael W. Wagner is the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea and Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW-Madison.
He serves as the Director of the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal (CCCR).
He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University and is a past winner of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

Before entering academia, he spent years behind the mic working as an AM radio news reporter and anchor

Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

Why are we so obsessed with algae in a D.C. wading pool, or a U.S. Senate candidate&rsquo;s scandals in Maine of all places over what&rsquo;s happening in our own backyard?
As we fixate on national sideshows like those, UW-Madison professor Dr. Mike Wagner joins to decipher why our focus shifts away from critical local decisions &mdash; like an&nbsp;<a href="https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1416988&amp;GUID=898AA6D6-8A85-47F6-8046-1EA8B02F2DE8&amp;Options=info%7C&amp;Search=">upcoming La Crosse city budget public hearing</a>. Wagner talks about how our media consumption is so backwards and why local news is the a place people can trust to keep us grounded.
&nbsp;
We look at the strategic &ldquo;flood the zone&rdquo; tactics used by Donald Trump, and similarities between the president&rsquo;s defenders and those backing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner &mdash; how there&rsquo;s an excuse to every scandal.
We also dive into how social media algorithms manipulate our feeds, and why bad news is always what gets the clicks. Lastly,&nbsp;Wagner breaks down why shows like this one &mdash; that intentionally focus on local stories, leaders and decisions shaping the La Crosse area &mdash; are exactly what&rsquo;s needed to fight back against that national cycle.
<hr>
About the guest:
<ul>
<li>Dr. Michael W. Wagner is the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea and Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW-Madison.</li>
<li>He serves as the Director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://cccr.wisc.edu/">Center for Communication and Civic Renewal</a>&nbsp;(CCCR).</li>
<li>He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University and is a past winner of the Chancellor&rsquo;s Distinguished Teaching Award.</li>
</ul>
Before entering academia, he spent years behind the mic working as an AM radio news reporter and anchor
<hr>
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1k1QCGhGrFA5KH9Rxh6fIO">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/la-crosse-talk-pm-wizm/id1445077021">Apple Podcast</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/la-crosse-talk-pm-with-rick-solem/">here</a>. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area.  Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

La Crosse Talk PM WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

WIZM - La Crosse

Why are we so obsessed with algae in a D.C. wading pool?

If you've spent any time in local coffee shops or boutiques, you know that naming your business after "The Driftless" carries a certain amount of outdoorsy eco-prestige. 

But, according to UW-Madison geologist Dr. Eric Carson, if that business is across the river in Minnesota or Iowa — they are living a lie.

For the past 18 years, Dr. Carson has been mapping The Driftless. He joins ahead of his Badger Talk at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sparta Free Library to tell us just exactly what that means and why it's taken two decades. 

Carson talks about going county-by-county — a job we assume involves a leather notebook, a magnifying glass, and a horse with no name.

Carson humors us on the tech front (turns out they use airplanes with lasers called LiDAR and drill 100-foot soil cores instead), but he breaks down the mind-blowing reality of our backyard — why the ice sheets missed us, why Lake Superior is actually a giant billion-year-old tear in the earth, and how a local river used to flow east, toward Canada, instead of west into the Mississippi River.

Plus, we look at why the U.S. is facing a massive shortage of rock-nerds and why geology is actually a high-security, high-demand career.

Check out the preview, and bring your questions for Carson Thursday at the Sparta Library.

Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online, email here or request a speaker online at badgertalks.wisc.edu.

If you've spent any time in local coffee shops or boutiques, you know that naming your business after "The Driftless" carries a certain amount of outdoorsy eco-prestige.&nbsp;
But, according to UW-Madison geologist Dr. Eric Carson, if that business is across the river in Minnesota or Iowa &mdash; they are living a lie.
For the past 18 years, Dr. Carson has been mapping The Driftless. He joins ahead of his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/4249011402077215">Badger Talk at 5:30 p.m. Thursday</a> at the Sparta Free Library to tell us just exactly what that means and why it's taken two decades.&nbsp;
Carson talks about going county-by-county &mdash; a job we assume involves a leather notebook, a magnifying glass, and a horse with no name.
Carson humors us on the tech front (turns out they use airplanes with lasers called LiDAR and drill 100-foot soil cores instead), but he breaks down the mind-blowing reality of our backyard &mdash; why the ice sheets missed us, why Lake Superior is actually a giant billion-year-old tear in the earth, and how a local river used to flow east, toward Canada, instead of west into the Mississippi River.
Plus, we look at why the U.S. is facing a massive shortage of rock-nerds and why geology is actually a high-security, high-demand career.
Check out the preview, and bring your questions for Carson Thursday at the Sparta Library.
Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online,&nbsp;<a href="http://Badgertalks%20@uwmad.wisc.edu/">email here</a>&nbsp;or request a speaker online at&nbsp;<a href="http://badgertalks.wisc.edu/">badgertalks.wisc.edu</a>.

UW's Dr. Carson on 18 years of mapping the Driftless, ahead of Sparta visit

Giannis traded

Show preview - committee week

District 7 mayor forum

What's next for closed library

TID talk

The city of La Crosse has a lot going on right now — from transforming the now-closed library and tearing down the Kmart, to rezoning for housing by the old Shopko at Bridgeview Plaza and establishing new TIDs on the causeway and by Black River Beach.

To help explain all that, Mac Kiel joins, as we break down the process for what comes next with the old north library and recap her mayor district forum from Monday night — a district that contains both the old Kmart and new elementary school.

To help explain all of it, Mac Kiel stops in studio, as we break down the process for what comes next with the old north side library and recap the mayor district forum from Monday night — a district that contains both the old Kmart and the new elementary school.

Kiel, who is on the Library Board, also walks us through the choices they had that led to the north side library closing.

The building has now gone through the RFEI (Request for Expression of Interest) process, and we talk about the formal and informal proposals that were reported by WIZM on Monday.

Plus, Kiel explains the next steps — the RFP (Request for Proposal) process — which happen Wednesday at the Economic and Community Development Commission (ECDC). 

We walk through some of the six-page document on the ECDC agenda that lays out what the city might want from those submitting RFPs.

Before we got to that, though, Kiel went to the mayor’s District 7 forum, which was also led by city council member Gary Padesky. She talked about what the 30 or so attendees brought up, including the old Kmart coming down— possibly this summer — and the new elementary school going up.

Lastly, we ended with next week’s Finance and Personnel Committee meeting discussing TIDs (Tax Incremental Districts) — one in the Gundersen area, plus others in the Black River Beach area and on the pike headed to La Crescent.

Kiel does her best — again — to help explain a TID. 

We began the show, though, sulking over Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded.

Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.

The city of La Crosse has a lot going on right now &mdash; from transforming the now-closed library and tearing down the Kmart, to rezoning for housing by the old Shopko at Bridgeview Plaza and establishing new TIDs on the causeway and by Black River Beach.
To help explain all that, Mac Kiel joins, as we break down the process for what comes next with the old north library and recap her mayor district forum from Monday night &mdash; a district that contains both the old Kmart and new elementary school.
To help explain all of it, Mac Kiel stops in studio, as we&nbsp;break down the process for what comes next with the old north side library and recap the mayor district forum from Monday night &mdash; a district that contains both the old Kmart and the new elementary school.
Kiel, who is on the Library Board, also walks us through the choices they had that led to the&nbsp;north side library closing.
The building has now gone through&nbsp;the RFEI (Request for Expression of Interest) process, and we talk about the formal and informal proposals that were <a href="https://www.wizmnews.com/2026/06/22/community-center-grocery-store-among-closed-library-building-proposals/">reported by WIZM on Monday</a>.
Plus, Kiel explains the next steps &mdash; the RFP (Request for Proposal) process &mdash; which <a href="https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=50106&amp;GUID=AEBCF739-D81A-431F-9C5E-C723098B1645">happen Wednesday at the Economic and Community Development Commission</a>&nbsp;(ECDC).&nbsp;
<a href="https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=50106&amp;GUID=AEBCF739-D81A-431F-9C5E-C723098B1645"></a>We walk through some of the six-page document on the ECDC agenda that lays out what the city might want from those submitting RFPs.
Before we got to that, though, Kiel went to the mayor&rsquo;s District 7 forum, which was also led by city council member Gary Padesky.&nbsp;She&nbsp;talked about what the 30 or so attendees brought up, including the old Kmart coming down&mdash; possibly this summer &mdash; and the new elementary school going up.
Lastly, we ended with next week&rsquo;s Finance and Personnel Committee meeting discussing TIDs (Tax Incremental Districts) &mdash; one in the Gundersen area, plus others in the Black River Beach area and on the pike headed to La Crescent.
Kiel does her best &mdash; again &mdash; to help explain a TID.&nbsp;
We began the show, though, sulking over Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded.
Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MacKielforCityCouncil">providing the public&nbsp;</a>with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.

Mac Kiel breaks down La Crosse north library's future, mayor's forum in Kmart district, and bye bye Giannis

What does the Chamber do?

Chambers role big v small business

Mississippi River ports initiative

Mayor's meeting, business climate

La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Sam Scinta on his “Lord of the Rings”-length meeting with the mayor, the business climate in the community right now, and that port initiative announced last week.

We began though with just a quick “What does the Chamber do?” as Scinta has been leading it now for the past nine months.

Next, we talked about — what is more of a long game — the new Northern Grain Belts Ports Initiative and what it means for leveraging local waterways.

After that, we spent the final half of the show deep diving into La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey’s three-hour meeting with Chamber members last week.

We break down what the meeting entailed and the "homework" to come out of it — like the push for a city administrator, a business concierge, zoning changes, and historic preservation reform.

We wrap up looking at how La Crosse is faring right now when it comes to the overall business climate, why our unique transit hub gives us a leg up on Madison, and the Chamber's possible future plans for a quarterly "La Crosse is Open for Business" series.

La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Sam Scinta on his &ldquo;Lord of the Rings&rdquo;-length meeting with the mayor, the business climate in the community right now, and that port initiative announced last week.
We began though with just a quick &ldquo;What does the Chamber do?&rdquo; as Scinta has been leading it now for the past nine months.
Next, we talked about &mdash; what is more of a long game &mdash; the new Northern Grain Belts Ports Initiative and what it means for leveraging local waterways.
After that, we spent the final half of the show deep diving into La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey&rsquo;s three-hour meeting with Chamber members last week.
We break down what the meeting entailed and the "homework" to come out of it &mdash; like the push for a&nbsp;city administrator, a business concierge, zoning changes, and historic preservation reform.
We wrap up looking at how La Crosse is faring right now when it comes to the overall business climate,&nbsp;why our unique transit hub gives us a leg up on Madison, and the Chamber's possible future plans for a quarterly "La Crosse is Open for Business" series.

Why are we so obsessed with algae in a D.C. wading pool?

In 1 playlist(s)

WIZM - La Crosse

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips