Chad Hartman

Are you OK with paying people to donate a kidney while living to help save more lives? Chad opens the hour with that fresh debate happening now before jumping into an older debate that continues to rage on involving the state's free school meals program.

Minnesota public schools are in their second year of being able to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. However, debate over whether we should even have the program throughout the state continues.

A new proposal would offer money to folks willing to donate a kidney to a stranger in need. There are certainly many ethical questions to debate...how do you feel?

Chad opens the hour talking about the unsealed evidence against Donald Trump revealed yesterday and Melania Trump sharing her pro-choice stance on abortion. Later, Belinda Jensen joins to talk about our long stretch of warm, dry weather in Minnesota and the incredible power of Hurricane Helene as it roared through the southeastern US.

KAARE-11 meteorologist Belinda Jensen joins Chad to talk about our stretch of warm, dry weather in Minnesota and the incredible size and power of Helene that enabled the hurricane to cause so much damage.

Why would Melania Trump pick a month before the election to reveal that she's staunchly pro-choice, unlike her husband and the majority of Republicans? Chad discusses that revelation and the unsealed evidence that came out yesterday involving Donald Trump.

Which people and places around Minnesota truly deserve the recognition of being called an icon? Chad opens the show with that topic before Lou Raguse joins from KARE-11 to share details about two stories he's been working on and where you can meet him while discussing his book Vanished in Vermillion.

Excellent KARE-11 reporter Lou Raguse joins Chad to talk about appearances to discuss his book Vanished in Vermillion, new details in the Feeding Our Future fraud case, and his work looking into the wild string of 60 recent high-end home burglaries around the metro area.

Chad believes the word 'icon' is overused, but it does deserve to be used in some cases. What places, living people and things are truly deserving of the 'icon' label?

We open the hour talking about WCCO's 100th birthday being celebrated today before turning to the continued turmoil in the Middle East during a conversation with Aaron David Miller.

Aaron David Miller knows the Middle East as well as anyone and he joins Chad with thoughts on how he believes Israel will proceed after yesterday's missile attack from Iran.

What are your greatest memories of WCCO radio and what gift would you give to the station as we celebrate our official 100th birthday?

Should a teacher be fired for agreeing to use a transitioning student's new name, but not their pronouns? That was the case in Virginia where a teacher was fired but later won big in court.

Major Garrett joins with plenty of reaction to the VP debate before our own debate of a teacher in Virginia that was fired for refusing to use the pronoun of a transitioning student but recently won big in court.

Major Garrett of CBS News joins Chad with reaction to last night's VP debate and an interesting theory about how he believes Donald Trump reacted to JD Vance's performance and demeanor.

Chad opens the show with reaction to the VP debate and sharing the thoughts of several listeners. Later, Rena Sarigianopoulos of KARE-11 joins for the regular Wednesday fun.

It's WCCO's 100th birthday today! What gift did we receive Rena Sarigianopoulos??? Nothing. Nothing at all.

What were your takeaways from the VP debate last night? Did you enjoy the turn toward civility? Chad opens the show with those questions and several others after watching JD Vance and Tim Walz last night.

We hear plenty of strong opinions from our guests this hour including Paul Gazelka sharing criticisms of Tim Walz and concerns over a potential Harris/Walz administration and attorney Chris Madel speaking about Mary Moriarty working to support defendants, unless those defendants also happen to be cops.

Contrary to what retired judge Kevin Burke told us yesterday, attorney Chris Madel tells us he believes that Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's push for private police records is not being used fairly to protect police officers that become defendants.