Point Taken with Steve Scaffidi & Kristin Brey

Kristin Brey returns from a long weekend, just in time to jump back into the fire with Steve Scaffidi. First up: the unrelenting demand for the release of the Epstein files—and why it won’t go away. Also in this episode: 📺 Steve and Kristin debate the Senate vote to defund NPR and PBS, and whether they could live without public media. 👷‍♀️ Former Wauwatosa Mayor Jill Didier joins in-studio to preview the “Build Like a Girl” event encouraging young women to enter the trades 🏛️ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s potential run for president...again. Plus: ❓Ask Us Anything: Gun laws, Ron Johnson, "Booyah", lawn care, and Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski 🎙️ A preview of the next Scaffidiology and You Need to Listen podcast episodes

Steve Scaffidi is joined by political writer James Wigderson to explore how Senator Ron Johnson has strayed from his small-government roots and Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s online outbursts. Then: 📰 Christian Schneider joins to talk Trump, the Epstein files, what Christian learned from watching every episode of SNL and more. And Ripped from the Headlines: ⚖️ Wisconsin Justice Rebecca Bradley’s empty campaign war chest 💰 Trump's tariffs and their impact on Wisconsin 🏛️ Supreme Court lets Trump dismantle the Department of Education ⛽ Steve weighs in on the Oak Creek Buc-ee’s controversy

WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi is solo today and is joined in-studio by WISN’s Matt Smith for a fast-paced hour on where Wisconsin politics stands—and where it’s headed. They break down new Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker’s first major messaging push, what’s next for Governor Evers, and new scrutiny over uncounted ballots in Madison and more. Also in this episode: 📈 Annex Wealth CEO Dave Spano on Trump’s budget, tariffs, and investor fears 🛑 Why former Trump officials are suddenly silent on the Epstein list—despite past demands

Republican strategist Bill McCoshen and Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki join Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey in-studio for a fiery, insightful hour on the biggest stories shaping politics in Wisconsin and beyond. They kick things off with the growing unrest inside MAGA world—why Trump supporters are angry, what’s behind the Epstein file outrage, and how Democrats are (or aren’t) responding. Also in this episode: 💥 Trump’s “Big Beautiful” budget and what it means for the future of the U.S. 🗳️ A preview of Wisconsin’s 2026 governor’s race—Evers undecided, Republicans jumping in ⚖️ Elon Musk’s “American Party” pitch & Ketanji Brown Jackson’s controversial dissent 🎥 Grab Bag: McDonald’s shade, a Milwaukee Superman, Brewers pride & more PLUS: Porn finds a way.

Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey open with Donald Trump dodging questions about the Epstein files—again—and debate whether Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s football analogy downplays real disaster leadership. From there, it’s a wide-ranging episode packed with Wisconsin news and sharp political insight: ⚖️ Derek Clinger (UW Law) breaks down the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision allowing the legislature to ban conversion therapy—and what it could mean for other regulations Jeramey Jannene (Urban Milwaukee) joins in-studio to: 🚌unpack the deepening crisis at Milwaukee County Transit and how it’s echoing recent MPS struggles 👷‍♂️ A look at fading teen labor, wasteful federal spending, and Biden-era funds getting clawed back—impacting projects like Milwaukee’s 6th Street.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers joins Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey to kick off the show with a candid conversation on the newly signed state budget, criticism from the left, and whether he’s eyeing a third term (hint: he's not ruling it out). Also in this episode: ⚛️ UW-Madison professor Paul Wilson on nuclear power and Wisconsin’s energy future 👞 TSA finally ends the shoe-removal rule (for real this time) 🙏 Churches can now endorse political candidates—Steve and Kristin debate what it means ❓Ask Us Anything Wednesday returns with airport gripes, grocery store closures, and whether Kristin would ever run for office

Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi open with the latest Epstein files confusion—where’s the list Pam Bondi promised, and why is the White House dodging questions? From there, it’s a jam-packed episode tackling the forces shaping Wisconsin and the nation: 👥 Megan Greenwell, author of Bad Company, exposes how private equity is quietly gutting hospitals, employers, and the American Dream. 🧑‍🌾 Sophie Carson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reveals how undocumented workers are targeted—while their employers get a pass. 💬 Rep. Bryan Steil joins to talk about the federal budget, Medicaid, and how his vote reflects his district’s needs. Plus: 💰 Tariffs, Trump’s trade tactics, and the rise of corporate influence 📣 A surprising ad from Americans for Prosperity—and what it says about budget lobbying

Governor Evers signs the state budget—but will he run for a third term? WISN’s Matt Smith joins Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey to break it all down: who won, who lost, and what it means for Wisconsin’s future. Plus: ⚖️ Former Justice Janine Geske weighs in on Wisconsin’s high court 📈 Budget deficits, tariffs, and the economy with economist Brian Jacobson 🧠 Fact-checking listener feedback

On today’s show, Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey cover a packed and powerful news day across Wisconsin and beyond. 🕊️ The show opens with the latest on the Shorewood police shooting—WTMJ’s Mike Spaulding joins with breaking details, and the hosts reflect on the toll of gun violence. 📝 Just hours after Governor Evers signed the state budget in the middle of the night, Steve and Kristin ask: What’s actually in it? Is it a win? And what’s next as Congress battles over Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”? 📞 Nick Matuszewski from Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort calls in to talk about why gun violence is surging in the Midwest, what policies can help, and what still needs to be done. 🧨 Then Urban Milwaukee’s Jeramey Jannene joins in-studio for a rapid-fire roundup: The truth about Milwaukee’s EV charging costs The MCTS fare-skipping audit and what it means for riders What UWM is doing with its' new state funding Has Vision Zero really reduced traffic deaths in Milwaukee? Plus: A new flag for the city—for real this time?

BREAKING: The Wisconsin Supreme Court just struck down the state’s 1849 abortion ban, and Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey are here with instant reaction. What does the ruling mean for reproductive rights across the state—and what’s next for the 20-week limit still on the books? Will the legislature act? This landmark decision has major implications for Wisconsin politics, and we break it all down. Also in this episode: 💰 Donald Trump is likely to meet with undecided Republicans on his "Big Beautiful Bill" 🎤 A sharp and hilarious takedown from comedian Trae Crowder 🧠 Yuval Noah Harari on the erosion of trust in institutions and democracies vs dictatorships 📢 Plus: It’s Ask Us Anything! Steve and Kristin answer your questions about: 🧳 Hidden gem Wisconsin road trips 🍔 4th of July grilling 🍸 Supper clubs & old fashioneds 🧨 Fireworks vs drone shows 🚆 The future of Milwaukee–Madison passenger rail 🃏Card collecting, Medicaid, and more!