"Fascism aims to divide us:" a conversation with Francesca Hong

Rob and Omar kick off this week's 365 Amplified with stories making headlines across Madison365:

• Hmong New Year 50th Anniversary – A preview of this year's celebration marking 50 years since Hmong families began arriving in Wisconsin, emphasizing renewed connections with elders and cultural traditions.

• Indigenous Business Conference – Omar reports from Milwaukee's Potawatomi Casino, where hundreds of Indigenous entrepreneurs and tribal leaders gathered to discuss sovereignty, new trade opportunities, and economic independence.

• Funding Cuts for Nonprofits – At Madison's Progress Center for Black Women, Alder Sabrina Madison called on the community to help sustain local nonprofits as public and philanthropic support declines, citing new data on wage and health disparities affecting Black women.

• No Kings Rallies – A look ahead to Saturday's nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations, the difference between protests and rallies, and the importance of visible collective action in defending democracy.

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Main Interview: Rep. Francesca Hong

The first Asian American member of the Wisconsin Assembly joins Rob to discuss her run for governor and her vision for a state grounded in community care and resistance to authoritarianism. Topics include:

• Why She's Running: Hong frames her campaign as a movement against fascism and a push for imagination, solidarity, and working-class power.

• Public Safety and Community Protection: She calls for state action to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and urges residents to report ICE activity through community hotlines rather than social media.

• Economic and Care Policies: Universal child care up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, paid leave for all, and investment in care workers to strengthen families and local economies.

• Public Bank Proposal: Modeled after North Dakota's public bank and Wisconsin's existing WEDC infrastructure to provide low-interest loans and grants to small businesses.

• Healthcare Reform: Expand BadgerCare, hold large hospital systems accountable for costs, and reduce premiums for small business employees.

• Movement Building: Encouraging Democrats to compete in every district and support local candidates to build lasting working-class power statewide.

• On Protest and Democracy: Hong calls protest "direct democracy" and urges Wisconsinites to show up in the streets as visible proof that they are not alone in fighting fascism.

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