Pumpkins, politics & a rising Disney star

Hosts: Rob Chappell, Stephanie Díaz de León, and Omar Waheed
Guest: Nate Buescher, UW–Madison freshman and star of Disney Channel’s Electric Bloom
Runtime: 53:38

On this week's podcast, we catch up on a range of news stories from the week, and get acquainted with a new neighbor who's a rising Disney star.

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🌟 Leadership Summit Preview

The eighth annual 365 Leadership Summit is just around the corner, happening Monday, November 3, at the Madison Concourse Hotel. Stephanie and Rob preview the lineup:

• Opening panel “Leadership Unscripted” with Henry Sanders, Dr. Sagashus Livingston, Karen Menendez Coller of Centro Hispano, and Chairman Tehassi Hill of the Oneida Nation.

• Honoring the 2025 Most Influential Leaders at the evening celebration.

• Presented by UW Credit Union and other key sponsors.
  “It feels like a homecoming,” Stephanie says — a reunion for changemakers across Wisconsin.

Register now at 365LeadershipSummit.org/registration.

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🔫 Moms Demand Action at the Capitol

Omar reports from the State Capitol, where Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action held their annual Advocacy Day, pushing for six common-sense gun safety measures:

• Banning guns on college campuses

• Universal background checks

• Extreme risk protection orders (“Red Flag Laws”)

• Tax-free gun safes

• Stricter liability for unsafe firearm storage

• Background checks for gun store employees

Stephanie reminds listeners that “the Second Amendment is not absolute,” and Rob notes that every proposal sounded “pretty sensible.” Read Omar's story here.

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📚 Wisconsin Book Festival: Shobha Rao Returns

Omar recaps his interview with novelist Shobha Rao, author of Indian Country, ahead of her Wisconsin Book Festival appearance. The book explores land, memory, and identity through a murder mystery lens. Rao recalls her “healing” time living in Madison as a young adult and her love of Wisconsin's own Laura Ingalls Wilder. Read Omar's story here.

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🏫 MMSD’s $507 Million Plan

Madison voters approved a massive school facilities referendum, and the Sherman and Shabazz schools are first in line for new buildings. Omar details plans for larger classrooms, separate libraries, and a 13,500-square-foot gym — all ready by September 2027. Stephanie highlights how basic needs like warmth, air flow, and space “deeply affect how kids learn.” Read Omar's story here.

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🥫 SNAP Benefits Suspended

Rob reports troubling news: 700,000 Wisconsinites could lose access to FoodShare (SNAP) benefits starting November 1 due to the federal government shutdown. The panel discusses who’s affected — families, seniors, and the disabled — and pushes back on myths about “lazy” recipients. Read Rob's story here.

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🎬 Guest Interview: Nate Buescher, Star of Electric Bloom

Rob chats with Nate Buescher, a freshman at UW–Madison and co-star of Disney’s new teen series Electric Bloom, now streaming on Disney+. Nate shares:

• How he landed the role after months of auditions

• Filming in California and the culture shock from Chicago winters to LA

• His plans to study biology while continuing acting

• His lifelong passion for storytelling — from Weebles Wobbles commercials at age seven to now being part of Disney’s next big friendship series.

“Even though the show’s for tweens,” Nate says, “my grandma watches it — and she loves it.”

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💬 The Question: “What’s Your Ratio?”

In the closing segment, Stephanie poses this week’s question:

“What’s your ratio of pretending to know what’s going on versus actually knowing what’s going on?”
After a wild story about a $88 million jewel heist at the Louvre, the crew confesses to plenty of “confident BSing.” Omar admits he’s “winging it 70% of the time,” while Rob recalls faking his way through a grad seminar, and somehow getting away with it.

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🎧 Subscribe & Follow

365 Amplified is produced and edited by Rob Chappell for 365 Media Foundation, a nonprofit local independent media organization based in Madison, Wisconsin.
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