Gun Violence Surpasses the Opioid Crisis

May 18, 2023

What is your biggest public health concern? Gun violence has surged ahead of the opioid crisis as Americans’ top public health concern, according to the latest edition of the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.

There’s an update in the Rainbowland Waukesha School District saga.

And Ikea is now throwing raves.

Check out this episode on S p otify and Apple Podcasts!

Guns Pass Opioids for What Americans Say is the Greatest Threat to US Public Health

Gun violence has surged ahead of the opioid crisis as Americans’ top public health concern, according to the latest edition of the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.

26% of respondents said “access to guns or firearms” is the No. 1 threat to American public health, up from 17% in February.
25% said the biggest threat is opioids and fentanyl, virtually unchanged since the last poll.
20% said obesity, also almost unchanged.
COVID-19 slipped to the bottom of public health threats at 3%, tied with smoking, alcohol abuse, and unsafe driving.

We ask the audience, what are most concerned about when it comes to US Public Health. You can check out some of the answers we got on Twitter here:

In your opinion and experience:

What is the current greatest threat to US public health?

We kick off the show with that question at 11a.

Watch live on twitter or listen at https://t.co/Sgo54PcBtR
— AsGoesWisconsin (@AsGoesWisconsin) May 18, 2023

Waukesha Teacher Who Spoke Out During ‘Rainbowland’ Said the Superintendent Wants Her Fired

So when you’re experiencing a teacher shortage… and a teacher.

Has 23 years of experience
is a National Board Certified Teacher
was rated “distinguished educator” by her administrators for three years in a row.
was named Outstanding Educator by Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and Wisconsin Education Association Council
is dual language and has never had any disciplinary action in her career

Does that sound like a good candidate for someone you’d wanna let go? Waukesha Superintendent Dr. James Sebert seems to think so. As of this week, he has recommended the termination of Melissa Tempel – the 1st-grade teacher who first shared her school’s decision to not allow 1st graders to sing the Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton song “Rainbowland”. Which got a lot of press… like a lot.

So it’s hard to look at her accolades in conjunction with the embarrassment this story brought on the school district and not at ASK… is this discipline… or retaliation?

Cause from the outside, this looks a lot like she is being made an example of and a warning shot to other teachers in that district, “fall in line or lose your job.”

But if they thought they could bully Tempel into silence, they obviously didn’t realize that she now has grounds to make a First Amendment claim against the District and that this has only reignited the story.

Maybe Colbert will cover it again!