Oct 2, 2026 · 59 min · 15 segments
Madison Common Council members have used a Signal group chat with disappearing messages for more than a year. Rob explains why that raises open meetings and open records questions. Also this week: a…
Rob ChappellHost
Kaleem CaireGuestStephanie Diaz de LeonHostOmar WaheedHost
A little bit later, we're going to hear from Kaleem Kerr, who's just officially launched his campaign for mayor earlier this week.
I had second thoughts about even reporting it because it's probably not as big a deal as it seemed at first.
But I also know that several other media outlets are working on something very adjacent to this, if not this very same story.
So I want to report it, kind of set the level, make sure that it doesn't become a clickbait.
Yeah.
So that, you know, to kind of lay it out and so that other outlets aren't tempted to make a bigger deal out of it than it is.
But basically the story is that comic council members are routinely using and have been for many years a signal to communicate with one another.
Which, when I first heard that there was a group of at least 12 people which is a majority of the council, using Signal to communicate.
I know plenty of folks who use it for other reasons like... recipes someone was trying to share with recipe
somebody was trying to like are you on signal i'm like no i'm like oh i can't send you like how do you want me to send you this recipe email like weird like that's weird
A little bit later, we're going to hear from Kaleem Kerr, who's just officially launched his campaign for mayor earlier this week.
I had second thoughts about even reporting it because it's probably not as big a deal as it seemed at first.
But I also know that several other media outlets are working on something very adjacent to this, if not this very same story.
So I want to report it, kind of set the level, make sure that it doesn't become a clickbait.
Yeah.
So that, you know, to kind of lay it out and so that other outlets aren't tempted to make a bigger deal out of it than it is.
But basically the story is that comic council members are routinely using and have been for many years a signal to communicate with one another.
Which, when I first heard that there was a group of at least 12 people which is a majority of the council, using Signal to communicate.
I know plenty of folks who use it for other reasons like... recipes someone was trying to share with recipe
somebody was trying to like are you on signal i'm like no i'm like oh i can't send you like how do you want me to send you this recipe email like weird like that's weird
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