Winning Wisconsin: Recent Episodes

Wonder Media Network

In the post-mortem that followed 2016, one state was singled out as having pushed Trump over the electoral finish line: Wisconsin. Winning Wisconsin is the story of how one state’s fight for its own political identity changed the country -- and how, four years later, it might be poised to do so again.

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We’re bringing you an episode of a new podcast we think you’ll love: The Amendment. A new podcast about gender, politics, and power from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network, The Amendment is hosted by award-winning journalist and 19th editor-at-large Errin Haines.

Each week, Errin sits down with people who have fresh perspectives on the state of our country – and asks questions that center the voices of women, queer folks, and people of color. The Amendment adds much needed asterisks to America’s most pressing political conversations – and gets clear on the unfinished work of our democracy.

In this episode, we hear from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones on what role the free press should play in ensuring the survival of our democracy.

Nikole Hannah-Jones is the creator of the 1619 Project, Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University, and a leading voice on the vital role of journalism in our democracy today. In the inaugural episode of The Amendment, Errin and Nikole discuss the current state of journalism, the high stakes of this presidential election, the importance of historical context in our political moment, the challenges faced by Black women in journalism and more.

Follow The 19th on Instagram, Facebook, X and via our newsletters.

Follow Errin Haines on Instagram @emarvelous and X @errinhaines.

Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

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Since Teaching Texas wrapped last fall, the state has been embroiled in a debate over school vouchers, climate change education and district takeovers. But flying slightly under the radar – though equally consequential – is House Bill 1605. In a discussion recorded live at Texas Tribune Fest, Grace is joined by Rep. Gina Hinojosa and State Board of Education Chairman Keven Ellis to dive into how the bill re-allocates power, impacts teachers, and charts a new future for Texas public education.

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Each year, Texas public school students learn the story of their state’s origin: the battle for the Alamo. The story has become a rallying cry throughout the ages for Texans, and Americans – It’s an underdog tale of sacrifice. But, it’s also not very historically accurate. In the series finale, Grace explores the danger of teaching myths as though they’re fact.

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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This fall, for the first time in 12 years, the Texas State Board of Education was due to review the Social Studies TEKS. In doing so, they attempted to answer the question: how should we teach U.S. History? Against the backdrop of outrage over CRT and a midterm election that will likely bring a more conservative board to power – what did the SBOE decide?

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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Library books aren’t required reading like textbooks are, but they can play a big role in a child’s education. As activists and politicians bring book banning back into the education debate, one group of Texas parents are fighting back. They want their kids to read stories that center diversity – and in the case of one contentious book, they won.

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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Critical race theory. It’s the latest rallying cry for people attempting to disrupt trust in public education. What do we lose when parents vilify educators? To find out, Grace pays a visit to the Texas suburb at the center of the national conversation.

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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Nowadays, standards known as TEKS dictate what every Texas student needs to learn. The State Board of Education is in charge of approving these standards. So, when a creationist dentist gained control of the board, those standards started to reflect his beliefs – for better or worse.

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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When the Gablers’ protégé, Neal Frey, gained control of Educational Research Analysts…he took a different approach.  Grace journeys to Longview, Texas to meet the man himself and witness the last vestige of the Gablers’ enterprise.

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By the 80s, Norma and Mel had gained real traction in the textbook industry. And with their newfound power, they start dictating what goes into textbooks. They threaded their conservative Christian beliefs into textbooks across the nation, with little regard for separating fact from opinion.

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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On the outskirts of Hawkins, Texas, a couple found a problem in one of their kids’ school books. They didn’t have a background in education, but because they lived in Texas, their concern ignited a national movement and several decades of influence over what the rest of the country learned.

Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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Introducing Teaching Texas, a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08

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Named a 2022 Tribeca Festival Official Selection for audio storytelling, Wonder Media Network is proud to introduce its first true crime podcast: I Was Never There. Thirty-four years ago, Marsha “Mudd” Ferber vanished without a trace from Morgantown, West Virginia. Mother-daughter duo Karen and Jamie Zelermyer are going back to the land to figure out what the hell happened. I Was Never There is as much true crime show as it is an ode to Appalachian countercultural movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Series premieres June 9, 2022.

Listen to I Was Never There. 

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Straddling the border between the US and Canada, the Skagit Watershed is a haven for sea creatures. The “Magic Skagit” is in peril: the ways of life it has sustained for the communities along its shores are faltering under years of settler disruption, and upstream, its headwaters originate in a pool of unprotected land threatened by extractive industries. Still, there’s hope in numbers: a cross-border coalition of federal, Tribal, and political leadership on all levels, dedicated to saving the Skagit River. 

“You must have cleaned a lot of fish.” I say. // “I think we cleaned out all of Puget Sound…”

Won’t be long before all the fish are gone, then the cannery will go, and all we’ll have is hunger and sorrow.”

This season, we’re excited to collaborate with The Slowdown, hosted by Ada Limón. From American Public Media – and in partnership with The Poetry Foundation – The Slowdown delivers a different way to see the world: through poetry. Listen here. 

Take Action:

  • Follow Rena’s work, and get her new collection of poetry, at RenaPriest.com
  • Learn more about Amy’s work with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community at Swinomish-nsn.gov
  • Stay up to date with Washington Wild’s conservation efforts at WAWild.org

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Grace is back with a new show tackling the greatest challenge of our time: climate change. Each week, As She Rises connects the power of poetry with the work of local activists to create an intimate portrait of climate change. 

This episode of As She Rises visits the land currently known as Louisiana. Poet Jerika Marchan reads from her collection “SWOLE,” recounts living through Hurricane Katrina, and tells us why she'll stay in Louisiana as long as it will let her. Colette Pichon Battle, founder and executive director of the Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy, advocates for structural shifts towards ecological equity and climate justice in communities of color on the frontline of climate change.

Subscribe to As She Rises on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Introducing WMN's newest original podcast, Gravity, a show about what becomes possible when we look at hardships differently, hosted by Dr. Lucy Kalanithi. Join us to explore transformations around loneliness, the myth of the ideal nuclear family, climate crisis, and more. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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Subscribe to White Picket Fence anywhere you listen to podcasts. 

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Thanks for listening!

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In our series finale, Grace examines what happened on election night and where Wisconsin goes from here. 

Read Dan Kaufman's article in The New Yorker, Will Trump's Broken Promises to Working-Class Voters Cost Him the Election?  

An analysis of Wisconsin's election results from Craig Gilbert at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It's created by Grace Lynch, and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer. Dana Munro contributed reporting to this episode. 

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To win Wisconsin, campaigns can't solely rely on turning out their base of supporters, they need to persuade voters. 

Read FiveThirtyEight's analysis of how Trump's gaining support with young Black and Hispanic men and losing support among white women in suburbs . 

Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It's created by Grace Lynch, and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is our Executive Producer. Dana Munro contributed reporting to this episode. 

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The city blamed for Hillary's defeat is home to some of the starkest racial disparities in the country. Four years later, the citizens of Milwaukee are in a fight for the vote, for their health, and for racial justice. 

Read Joseph O'Neill's article in The New Yorker, "How Milwaukee Could Decide The Next President"

Learn more about BLOC and their work in Milwaukee

Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It's created by Grace Lynch, and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is the Executive Producer. 

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Four years after overwhelmingly supporting President Trump, Wisconsin's dairy farmers are struggling to stay afloat. 

Read Dan Kaufman's article in The New Yorker, "How Suffering Farmers May Determine Trump's Fate" 

Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It's created by Grace Lynch, and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is the Executive Producer. 

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How Governor Scott Walker's attack on labor transformed Wisconsin into ground zero for divisive politics.

Read The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics by Dan Kaufman

Read How The Right Lost Its Mind by Charles Sykes

Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It's created by Grace Lynch, and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is the Executive Producer.

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Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It's created by Grace Lynch, and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is the Executive Producer.

Background reading:

FiveThirtyEight's tipping-point analysis.

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Grace Lynch on twitter

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Winning Wisconsin is a Wonder Media Network production. It is created by Grace Lynch and produced by Grace Lynch and Maddy Foley. Jenny Kaplan is the Executive Producer.

WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia

Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08