OM DENNE EPISODE
In this episode of Clock the Tea with Dr. Long, Mark opens with a rare moment of hope: the revival of the 9‑8‑8 crisis line for LGBTQ+ youth. He reflects on what it means to protect the most vulnerable at a time when hostility and policy‑driven harm are rising across the country. The episode hints at the deeper story behind this decision — and why safeguarding mental‑health resources is part of the larger fight heading into the midterms.
From there, Mark turns to the shifting political winds in Wisconsin and beyond. Trump’s approval ratings are slipping, even in rural areas that once formed his strongest base. Rising diesel prices, trade instability, and the ongoing war in Iran have created pressure that voters can feel every time they fill up at the pump or check their heating bill. The episode doesn’t spell out every detail — it leaves listeners to discover how these economic realities are reshaping turnout, motivation, and the stakes of November.
Mark then teases one of the biggest surprises of the season: Barack Obama’s endorsement of David Crowley. He touches on the themes of affordability, lived experience, and community‑centered leadership, but saves the full emotional weight of the endorsement for the episode itself. It’s a moment that signals a broader shift happening across the country — one that listeners will want to hear unfold in Mark’s own words.
The episode also steps into one of the most unsettling national stories: the Cornell sexual‑assault case and the wave of victim‑blaming surrounding it. Mark calls out the dangerous narratives emerging online and the failures in campus handling, but he leaves the deeper layers of the case — the reopened investigation, the cultural implications, and the urgency of consent education — for listeners to unpack inside the show. It’s heavy, it’s necessary, and it’s part of the larger conversation about justice this season keeps returning to.
To close, Mark revisits the growing backlash against AI and data centers — now with a new twist: heat pollution. He hints at research showing that data centers raise local temperatures and strain communities already struggling with affordability. The episode ends with Senator Tammy Baldwin’s work to strengthen the 9‑8‑8 hotline, a reminder that leadership still exists in Wisconsin. And as the midterms approach, Mark leaves listeners with the message that has defined this season: pay attention, stay engaged, and vote — because everything we’re talking about depends on it.
Visit www.drmarklong.com
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