City Cast Madison

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan, Molly Stentz and Hayley Sperling recap how the Madison Public Market may get built after all. We also discuss how raises for thousands of university employees are the latest cudgel in the fight between the state legislature and UW. Plus, sometimes you just need to cry in public. And if you’ve got a Madison-themed Halloween costume in the works, we need to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram. Mentioned on the show: Budget boost will allow Madison Public Market to break ground this year [Isthmus] What’s Happening With the Madison Public Market? [City Cast Madison] Republican lawmakers exclude UW staff from state worker pay raise in fight over diversity funding [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Best Places to Cry in Madison [Madison Minutes] Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

According to UW-Madison professor Jennifer Gaddis, most kids don’t eat school lunch in Madison. She studies school lunch programs across the country, including ours. It’s a problem because kids need healthy food to grow and learn. But Madison schools don’t have the kitchens, staff or money to make fresh meals from scratch every day. And last year, complaints piled in about the food. How did school lunches get so bad? How do we make them better? Dylan Brogan sits down with Jennifer to learn what can be done. 🧃 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also mentioned on the show: Check out our episode: What’s Happening With the Public Market? Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The first school choice program in Wisconsin was created more than thirty years ago - and it’s been fought over ever since. If you’d rather send your kid to a private school than your local public school, and you have a low income, the state will pay for it. It started out as an experimental pilot program and now pays for more than 50,000 private school students. A new lawsuit by Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad claims it’s unconstitutional because it’s depriving public schools of public money. Molly Stentz speaks with Brian Potts, partner at Perkins Coie, about what the lawsuit seeks to do. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Madison journalist Bill Lueders learned first-hand what happens to dogs who attack. His dog Stella was attacked by a neighborhood pit bull left to roam. What followed was an investigation by the public health department that, months later, is still open. What Bill learned is that public health will investigate, but there are no easy answers. Meanwhile, the dog can attack again. Dylan Brogan gets the story from Bill Lueders. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Madison started the CARES, or Community Alternative Response Emergency Services, program in 2021 after a wave of protests and a series of deaths. Paramedics and crisis workers now respond to non-violent 911 calls in Madison, rather than police officers. Two years and thousands of calls later, the program seems to be working. But it’s not staffed on nights and weekends and it’s only available within city limits. It could become 24/7 and serve the Madison suburbs under proposals before the Madison City Council and the Dane County Board. Host Bianca Martin caught up with Madison Assistant Fire Chief Ché Stedman to learn how it all works. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan, Molly Stentz and Hayley Sperling talk about Madison schools gaining more kids this year, the UW system’s sudden rebrand, and how Madison residents are dealing with the war in the Middle East after a week of escalating conflict. Mentioned on the show: 🎒 Madison schools see surprise enrollment increase [Cap Times] 🏫 The University of Wisconsin System rebrands as the 'Universities of Wisconsin' [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 💔 Read UW Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s statement on the war in the Middle East [UW Madison] 🎙️ Hear Nina Kravinsky’s NPR reports from the war in the Middle East [NPR] ⛅ Where to get eclipse glasses and watch the solar eclipse on Saturday [Madison Public Library] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Seven Acre Dairy is many things - a cafe, a restaurant, a hotel, a butter plant. But if you talk to founder Nic Mink, it’s also a place for restoration. He renovated a shuttered old butter plant in Paoli, Wisconsin, a small community about twenty minutes from downtown Madison. It’s drawing neighbors near and far to enjoy locally-made butter, soft serve ice cream and a farm-to-table restaurant. It sits along the banks of the Sugar River, nestled among a savanna with oak trees older than the state of Wisconsin. Learn why Nic’s trying to preserve a little slice of Wisconsin’s dairy heritage in rapidly changing industry. 🧈 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. This conversation originally aired February 23, 2023. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.

More than 60 authors, from the nationally famous to the locally beloved (and sometimes both!), are speaking in Madison next week. It’s Madison’s largest celebration of books, and it’s free. This year, most events are in person and take place at the Madison Public Library, at UW Madison and at venues across the city. We speak with Jane Rotonda, the new book fest director, about why you should be there. 📚 The Wisconsin Book Festival runs from October 19 - 22. Get details about all events. See the whole schedule at a glance. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

There’s a giant among us and it lives at the Overture Center for the Arts. It’s a 30-ton pipe organ. It cost more than two million dollars, contains more than 4,000 pipes and is used in performances ranging from Latin Jazz to Bach to collaborations with the UW-Madison Wind Ensemble. The man who knows it best is Greg Zelek, the principal organist for the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He’s the curator of the Overture Concert Organ, and he oversees all of the orchestra’s organ programming. If you caught Greg’s performance last Friday, you’ll want to learn more about why he’s so moved by organ music. Learn about the rest of this season’s organ concerts. Thanks to listener Dee for suggesting this episode. This episode originally aired on August 1, 2023. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. And this week’s theme is executive power. Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz reflect on Dane County Executive Joe Parisi’s legacy. After more than a dozen years at the helm of Wisconsin’s second largest county, he’s announced he’ll retire in May. And we examine the attempt to impeach the head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Meagan Wolfe. Read more: 🗳️ Dane County Executive Joe Parisi to retire next year, setting up a special election [Wisconsin State Journal] 🏛️ Impeach Wisconsin's top election official, top Senate Republican tells Robin Vos [Wisconsin State Journal] 🤔 PolitiFact: Impeachment articles against Meagan Wolfe riddled with false and misleading claims [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] ⚕️ Tone Madison and Madison Minutes win a LION Local Journalism Award for Dobbs series [Tone Madison] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Nature’s Bakery, an iconic Madison institution, has closed. The ovens went quiet, the brick building on Willy Street has been sold, the workers who owned the business have left. First opened in 1970, the bakery was known for its whole grain breads, handmade granola, natural ingredients and co-operative business model. The business weathered a half-century of change in Madison, but quietly shuttered in September. Tessa Echeverria was a worker-owner of the business for eight years and is now on its Board of Directors. Tessa came back to help lay the company to rest and tells us what happened. 🍞 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

We’ve narrowly avoided a shutdown of the federal government, after Congress passed new funding through mid-November. Meanwhile, the legislating goes on. In DC, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin has been focused on health care. She’s been trying to fund the new national suicide hotline, attempting to get the federal government to collect data on sexual orientation, and pushing for help for childcare providers. We caught up with Senator Baldwin in late September. Read more: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [SAMHSA] Most States Have Yet to Permanently Fund 988. Call Centers Want Certainty. [KFF Health News] LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act [Senator Baldwin] Childcare Stabilization Act [Senator Baldwin] Also mentioned on the show: See if you’re registered to vote [WI Elections Commission] What City Trees Do and Who Cares For Them [City Cast Madison] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Librarians are worried. The American Library Association has been compiling data about censorship in libraries for the past 20 years and says attempts to ban books are at an all time high. Dane County Library Service director Tracy Herold has seen it happen here. Today’s challenges look less like a demand for an outright ban from a single group, and more like anonymous social media chatter stirring up controversy about a library, its staff and its books. So this week, Dane County libraries are holding Banned Book Con, a series of events honoring the right to read and celebrating the free exchange of ideas. You can meet one of the country’s most banned authors in Madison this Thursday. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Illinois, Michigan, and recently Minnesota have all legalized recreational cannabis. Efforts to do so in Wisconsin have gone nowhere in the state Legislature. Even so, Madison is seeing an increasing number of stores selling CBD, Delta-8 THC, and other legal cannabinoids — some of which produce the same euphoric high as the recreational weed that’s illegal in our state. We spoke with Alan Robinson, cannabis activist and co-founder of Herbal Aspects, to help us understand this confusing state of affairs. Also mentioned on the show: 🪴 2nd Annual Plants as Psychoactives and Medicines workshop on Oct. 4. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

City Cast Madison’s Dylan Brogan and Bianca Martin round up the news this week. UW-Madison says it’s continuing diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives but is letting a student group do the talking. And Madison names a new accessible playground after the late activist Jeff Erlanger. Also mentioned on the show: 📚 Panel Discussion: Intellectual Freedom in the Face of Censorship Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

In the final installment of how to make the most of fall in southern Wisconsin, Cap Times Food Editor Lindsay Christians shares her reporting on local apple orchards. She provides her picks for where to get apples for pies, where to pick-your-own, and which varieties you gotta try. Who knew you could pickle apples?! Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Apple orchards mentioned on the show: 🍏 Alpine Ridge Orchard 5610 Alpine Road, Brooklyn 🍏 Appleberry Farm 8079 Maurer Road, Cross Plains 🍏 Door Creek Orchard 3252 Vilas Road, Cottage Grove 🍏 Eplegaarden 2227 Fitchburg Road, Fitchburg 🍏 Munchkey Apples 175 Drammen Valley Road, Mount Horeb 🍏 Lapacek’s Orchard N1959 Kroncke Road, Poynette 🍏 Ski-Hi Fruit Farm E11219A Ski Hi Road, Baraboo Also: 🧀 Cheese Fair Off the Square is Sept. 30, 8 am - 1:45 pm, at East Washington Avenue and South Pinckney Street.

It’s day two of our three-part series on how to make the most of fall in southern Wisconsin. On Tuesday’s episode, we gave you recommendations for majestic fall drives. On Thursday, we’ll give you the scoop on local apple orchards you can visit around Madison. But today, we’re getting lost. We’re catching up with Angie Treinen, co-owner and maze designer of Treinen Farm. The Treinen Farm Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch is a 200-acre farm in Lodi, Wisconsin. It’s a third-generation farm famous for its intricate corn mazes. They’ve also got pumpkins, goats, horses, and walking trails to enjoy at the farm. Mentioned on the show: ☕️ Natural Infusions: Herbal Tea Blend Workshop with Qwantese Winters 💉 Participant in UW Health's Lyme disease vaccine trial by emailing [email protected]. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Happy fall! Welcome back to cool nights, crisp air, leaves crunching under our feet, bonfires and well, pumpkin everything. We’re all in. Welcome to the first in a 3-part series on fall getaways. Today, we’re sharing some of our favorite drives for catching exquisite fall colors. On Wednesday, we’ll give you a sneak peek behind-the-scenes at our absolute favorite local corn maze. And Thursday, we’ll roundup the best local apple orchards to visit around Madison. Today, travel writer Kevin Revolinski shares his favorite places around the state to see majestic fall leaves. Read more: 🍁 Backwoods & Byways of Wisconsin [The Mad Traveler] 🍂 Wisconsin Fall Color Report [Travel Wisconsin] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

When Rudi the pet pig was threatened with eviction, he became a cause célèbre. Friends, neighbors and local journalists rallied to his side. Pet pigs were not legal in Madison, yet he’d lived here for more than a year without incident. Until someone complained. But now, pigs are legal. The Madison City Council has changed the law to allow Madison residents to own pet pigs, with some limitations. Rudi’s owner Paula Niedenthal tells us what happened – and what it says about Madison that he was saved. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the week’s news. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz recap the highlights: Planned Parenthood has resumed abortion services in Madison and Milwaukee, the Brewers want the public to pay $600 million to spruce up their stadium, and there’s a bipartisan bill to let voters rank their political choices. Read more: ⚕️ Planned Parenthood Resumes Abortion Services in Wisconsin [PPWI] ⚾ Taxpayers could spend $600 million on American Family Field. Brewers would stay until 2050 [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 💸 This Small But Hated Tax Could Have Collected Millions for the Brewers’ Stadium [Milwaukee Magazine] 🗳️ Bipartisan bill renews effort to introduce ranked-choice voting in congressional elections [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Like many of us, Lauren Rudersdorf is busy. Between her day job at Edible Madison magazine, raising a toddler, and writing several food blogs, she doesn’t have as much time to cook as she used to. But she’s here to show you that you CAN do it. She shares her food prep hacks for cooking and eating well at home – and some delicious seasonal recipes for fall. Find Lauren’s writing: The Leek and the Carrot Locally Grown by Lauren Rudersdorf Edible Madison Lauren’s Favorite Early Fall Recipes: 🥣 Cabbage Patch Soup 🍅 Tomato Soup 🍲 Butternut Squash Soup 🥗 Peanut Kale Salad 🌾 Grain Bowls 🥕 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

The Madison Public Market has been a dream for decades. Three mayors have tried. With a proposed opening in 2025, it’s now the closest it’s ever been to becoming reality. The city plans to remodel its former Fleet Service building on 200 N. First Street and turn it into a business incubator and mall for food-related businesses. It’s a mix of a food court, a shopping center, and a community event space. They’ve secured the space, hired architects and have building designs in hand. They’ve spent years recruiting and prepping vendors to be ready to fill it. They’ve raised millions in both public and private funds. But now, costly construction bids are threatening to derail the project. We speak with Madison Public Market Foundation Board President Karen Crossley about the vision for the market and where they are in the process. Note: We spoke to Karen Crossley on September 15, 2023, before she had reviewed the project construction bids. Crossley says, on behalf of the Madison Public Market Foundation, “We support the introduction of a resolution at the 10/3 City Council mtg that will address the current construction funding gap and allow the Madison Public Market project to move forward. Our commitment is unwavering. We will continue working closely with the City to fully fund the construction project, and to fulfill the goals and mission of the Public Market.” Read more: 🏗️ High construction bids threaten Madison Public Market [Wisconsin State Journal] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

A new documentary explores the life of legendary drummer Clyde Stubblefield, often called the most sampled drummer in history. Stubblefield was best known as James Brown’s drummer, and came up with iconic backbeats that changed the course of music. But he wasn’t credited or compensated for his musical innovation and faced mounting medical debts later in life. He was a celebrated musician in Madison, where he lived and gigged for decades. Bianca Martin speaks with filmmaker Trevor Banks about why Stubblefield should get his due. See excerpts of the film at the fundraiser on Sunday, September 24 at the Majestic Theatre. Bianca Martin will lead a Q+A with filmmaker Trevor Banks. Read more: 🎥 “Give the Drummer Some” film website 🎶 'Funky Drummer' Clyde Stubblefield documentary still coming; fundraiser is Sept. 24 [Wisconsin State Journal] Also mentioned on the show: 💡 The Cap Times Ideas Fest is this week, Sept 17 - 23 [The Cap Times] 🐷 Madison to vote on allowing pet pigs [City of Madison] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Madison is known as a Tree City for its efforts to care for urban trees. Keeping a diverse mix of healthy trees in the city requires constantly planting new ones every year as well as maintaining those planted years ago. City trees in Madison have to be able to withstand freezing winters, sidewalk salt, power lines above, concrete all around, and the occasional car crashing into them. Not to mention insect pests like Emerald Ash Borer. For all trees put up with in our urban environment, the benefits they deliver are enumerable: shade, shelter, beauty, fresh oxygen, homes for animals, planet cooling. But who speaks for those trees? City Forester Ian Brown does. City forestry staff advise on what and where trees get planted and how we, as a city, can care for some of the city’s oldest residents. Today, we’re peeking behind the curtain of Madison’s City Forestry department. Also on the show: 🌳 Madison’s Tree Inventory Starts Today! 🍂 Know where to go to peep beautiful fall leaves with Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz recap the Madison school bus driver shortage, take a sneak peek of the Madison Public Market, and the discuss the latest in the ongoing tug-of-war between the Wisconsin Supreme Court and state lawmakers over political maps. And thanks for voting us Madison’s Best Podcast!! 💖 Read more: Madison schools' bus provider 30 drivers short, has 16 in training [The Cap Times] Check out the Madison Public Market [Madison Public Market Foundation] Wisconsin Republican leader asks former state Supreme Court justices to review impeachment [AP] Republican redistricting proposal not quite what Democratic lawmakers asked for [Wisconsin State Journal] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Qwantese Winters is many things: doula, artist, agriculturist, TV host. When she’s not hosting “Let’s Grow Stuff” on PBS Wisconsin, she’s teaching people all over Madison how to grow and use herbs and vegetables in hands-on workshops… at the library! She’s the Madison Public Library’s Naturalist in Residence for September. With DIY workshops on making digestive bitters and herbal teas, among other things, she’s teaching many ways that food – and a connection to nature – can be healing. 🌱 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. NOTE: This conversation is not intended to be medical advice. Please consult a doctor if you have questions about medical treatments. Also on the show: 🪄 Willy Street Fair is this weekend, September 16 and 17 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

For the first time in 15 years, liberals have a majority on the officially non-partisan Wisconsin Supreme Court. But the court’s locked in a power struggle with the Republican-controlled state legislature. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has threatened to impeach the newly-elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz and change the balance of power. Now, voters have sued, seeking to block any impeachment vote. Meanwhile, tensions are high between the justices on the court. We speak to Jack Kelly, statehouse reporter for Wisconsin Watch, for the latest on how the political divisiveness is playing out behind the scenes. Read more: ⚖️ Wisconsin Supreme Court emails detail chaotic first week of liberal control [Wisconsin Watch] 📧 Read the emails from the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s first week under liberal rule [Wisconsin Watch] Also mentioned on the show: 🐘 Road to the 2024 GOP Presidential Nomination [UW-Madison] 🫏 WisPolitics Luncheon with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin [The Madison Club] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Wisconsin has long had mixed feelings about America’s largest rodents. Beavers have been hunted, trapped, had their dams blown up, and were generally considered to be a nuisance by many of the state’s human residents. Once hunted for their fashionable pelts, they’re now removed by the thousands across the state for a variety of reasons. Madison Parks says beaver dams could cause flooding in nearby soccer fields, golf courses and parking lots; beavers also chew trees at their base, creating potential safety hazards in public areas. Beavers have also been blamed for making streams too warm for trout. Yet many other states welcome beavers, even importing them for their ecosystem benefits. Among other things, they create wetlands, which can act as fire breaks, reducing wildfire damage. They’re known as a keystone species, because they create habitat for many other animals. So why is Wisconsin an outlier? Susan Lampert Smith gives us the lay of the land (and water). She wrote about Wisconsin’s fight over beaver management for Isthmus. Read more: Leave it to the beavers [Isthmus] Also mentioned on the show: Madison Public Market Open House [City of Madison] DNR Looking to Buy Red Pine Cones [WI DNR] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.

Political parties have long known that controlling WHO can vote in an election carries a strategic advantage. Pick your voters, win your election. Hence, we fight over maps. Data science has made it easier than ever to create maps designed to ensure political outcomes. We now have fewer political districts that look like odd-shaped creatures and more that come from strategic targeting of voters based on data profiles and algorithms. Princeton University’s Gerrymandering Project calls Wisconsin’s political maps “some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the United States.” The U.S. Supreme Court declined to strike down Wisconsin’s political maps in 2018. But there are two new lawsuits asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to do so now. Jordan Ellenberg, UW-Madison math professor, explains how he can prove Wisconsin’s maps are gerrymandered. Also on the show: 🤓 NerdNite Madison Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz discuss what’s being done in the wake of a horrifying attack on a UW student in a downtown neighborhood last week. Also, we’re on impeachment watch as Republicans threaten to oust a recently elected Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. What’s new: Democrats are spending millions to fight it. Read more: Three felony charges filed against suspect of 'horrific' Madison assault [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Here's what UW-Madison is doing to increase student safety in the wake of 'horrific' assault [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Download the BadgerSAFE app [UWPD] The WI GOP’s Doomsday Plan for 2024 [The Bulwark] Wisconsin Democrats pledge a $4 million-plus blitz to counter GOP on impeaching Protasiewicz [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Alex Booker, owner of Booker Botanicals, was the only Black farmer from Wisconsin at last year’s National Black Farmers Association Conference. He’s committed to changing that. Not only does Alex run a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in the Madison area where he provides weekly boxes of fresh produce and herbs to members, he also hosts educational wellness events that connect more Black and brown Madisonians to local agriculture. We catch up with Alex to learn why he’s passionate about teaching Madisonians how to grow their own food. And he dishes on the best basil. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. ​​To attend Alex’s fundraising event on Sept. 24, email [email protected]. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Madison was the first city in the nation to offer curbside recycling service. But 55 years of celebrating recycling’s virtues has driven us to optimism. We wishfully toss things in the cart and hope for the best. Friends, we are here to tell you that is NOT how this works. In fact, your good deeds are messing things up — gumming up machines and putting workers in harm’s way. Can you recycle plastic bags? Nope. Those little tabs from your bread bags? Nope. Bottle caps? Nope. And please, for the love of Gaylord Nelson, no shower curtains. So what’s a Madisonian to do? The city’s Recycling Coordinator Bryan Johnson is here to help sort it all out. ♻ Ready to become a recycling evangelist? Check out Sustain Dane’s Recycle Better program. 🚮 Learn what can be recycled in Madison and in nearby communities. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Voice-identification systems, like Siri and Alexa, are becoming common. But they do more than play music or give us directions, they’re now being used as a security measure, like a fingerprint. Banks are beginning to use them to grant us access to our bank accounts. The only problem? They can be fooled. And not just by generating a computer-generated deepfake. By speaking through a PVC plastic tube. We catch up with UW-Madison Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. students Shimaa Ahmed and Yash Wani, and assistant professor Kassem Fawaz to learn how. 🗣️ Read their research. 💻 See their presentation at the Usenix Security Symposium. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz recap the week of kerfuffles on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. GOP lawmakers are talking about impeaching sitting Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz after she rebuffed their request to recuse herself on upcoming redistricting lawsuits. Plus, parents and educators from Lake View Elementary are upset after the Madison School District deems wooden benches a risk. And where was the best place to see the blue supermoon in Madison? Mentioned on the show: 🎧 Hear why the stakes are so high for the new Wisconsin Supreme Court [City Cast Madison] ⚖️ Read the latest about the Wisconsin Supreme Court fight over redistricting [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 🪵 Read about the Lake View Elementary Benchgate [Cap Times] 🎧 Hear Dylan debate the moon with the Madison School Planetarium Director [City Cast Madison] 🚨 Slate’s Political Gabfest is coming to Madison!! [Majestic Theatre] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

If it feels like there’s a bunch of new restaurants in Madison lately, you’re not alone. Our pal Lindsay Christians of the Cap Times clocked more than 30 new places that have either just opened or are coming soon. And she’s here to tell us what’s good. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also on the show: Taste of Madison is September 2 - 3 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Do you have family or friends visiting for Labor Day weekend? Where do you take them to show off Madison? Or maybe you’re hoping to squeeze in a quick getaway this weekend and you’re looking for some ideas? We got you. We thought we’d wager a friendly bet with our friends at City Cast Chicago. We asked our friend, host Jacoby Cochran, to plan a perfect day in our fair city. And then, OF COURSE, we had to offer our ideas for an ideal day trip to Chicago. What do you think? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram. Also on the show: 🚨 Slate’s Political Gabfest is coming to Madison!! 📽️ See recently discovered footage of Thelonious Monk at MMOCA’s Rooftop Cinema Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Elephants are everywhere in Baraboo: painted on the highway overpass, displayed as public art in the park, depicted on murals. But one place they’re not anymore: at Circus World. Circus World was the original home to the Ringling Brothers Circus. For more than a hundred years, they’ve included elephants as part of their circus performances. Today, you can still see circus acts there; they’re now owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society. But as of August 27th, there’s one mammoth change: no more performing circus elephants. Circus World’s last remaining elephants have retired and will now live at a sanctuary in Oklahoma. So what it’s REALLY like working with elephants? We spoke with professional circus clown Karen DeSanto. Karen worked for both Ringling Bros. and Circus World. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The Wisco Birder — aka Dexter Patterson — is back to explain how the roseate spoonbill, native to the gulf coast, found its way to Green Bay this summer. We also learn about what birds to look for heading into fall and some upcoming birding events. Mentioned on the show: 🪶 Swift Night Out Social 💧Charlies Berens and Dan Egan Panel on Phosphorus in Aquatic Ecosystems 🌳 Meet the Library Naturalist Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

City Cast Madison’s Bianca Martin and Dylan Brogan roundup the news this week, including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway defending Madison ahead of the GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee; A Republican bill that would ban “high-risk” research at UW-Madison; And how to send 103 year-old Wisconsin WWII Veteran Harry Baker a birthday card. Mentioned on the show: 📰 Bill would ban high-risk research in Wisconsin aimed at preparing for new pathogens (Wisconsin State Journal) 📚Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky 'gain of function' research (USA Today) 🥳 How to send a birthday card to Wisconsin Veteran Harry Baker 🎧 Things We Wish Someone Told Us About Living in Madison podcast (City Cast Madison) 🍦 Cast a vote for Madison’s Best Ice Cream (Madison Minutes) Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

If you’ve ever been to Osteria Papavero in downtown Madison, you know you’re in for quality handmade Italian dishes, with beloved classics and a constantly changing menu of seasonal local fare. Lasagna Alla Bolognese. Barese-style Focaccia. Budino di Caramello. Are you hungry yet? Now you can learn to make them for yourself with Chef Francesco Mangano’s new cookbook, The Osteria Papavero Cookbook: Recipes from the Italian Shack and Beyond. Written with Lindsay Christians, it’s chock full of stories from Francesco’s childhood, family recipes and gorgeous photos. We sat down with Francesco to learn what’s inside. Also on the show: 🫠 Dane County Cooling Centers (free A/C) 🍦 Name Yer Own Ice Cream Flavor Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

If you’re new to Madison, welcome! We don’t have a cup of sugar for ya, but we do have some advice for living in Madtown that we’ve gleaned over the years. Some hot tips and general life hacks we think you’ll appreciate. Some of us grew up here and some of us moved here, but there’s always those things about a city that you just find out the hard way. Some things take time to discover. We’re here to cut right to the chase and help you live better and more enjoyable lives in our fair city. We brought the entire City Cast Madison team in for this one: host Bianca Martin, producers Molly Stentz and Dylan Brogan, and Madison Minutes editor Hayley Sperling. Do you agree with us? Or do you wanna fight us? Did we hold back? We can take it. Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. You can also find us on Instagram. Also mentioned on the show: 🫠 Dane County Cooling Centers (free A/C) 🗞️ Inside Waupun Correctional Institution’s ‘nightmare’ lockdown [Wisconsin Watch/New York Times] Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The Mariel Boatlift exodus has been called one of the U.S.’s most complex waves of immigration. It was named for the Cuban Port of Mariel, where more than 125,000 people emigrated from in 1980. You’ve likely heard about the large Cuban community that flourished in Miami. But did you know that nearly 15,000 Cuban refugees were sent to Fort McCoy, the U.S. Army base between Tomah and Sparta in southwest Wisconsin? Many settled in Madison. And many didn’t talk about their experience, until now. Maureen McCollum and Omar Granados tell their stories – and more – in an eight-part podcast. It’s called WPR Reports: Uprooted. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts (NPR link). All eight episodes are also on YouTube. Also mentioned on the show: Madison Film Festival is August 26 Sponsored Interview: Scrum Day is Sept 14 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Blake Alvarenga calls himself a Madison liberal. He also owns many guns and he knows how to use them. That sets him apart from many others who he’s met in Madison. He regularly staffs a booth at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, where he talks to neighbors who bought guns for self-defense, and were surprised to learn that nothing comes next. No instructions, no training. So he stepped in to help. He’s the president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Liberal Gun Club and he offers community classes on how to use guns. 📚 To learn more about Blake’s work, check out Joe Tarr’s story in Isthmus: Time to get a gun. 📧 To reach Blake, email him at [email protected]. Also mentioned on the show: 📱 If someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 988 anytime 🩸 There’s a community blood drive on Tuesday, August 22 📰 Suicides rise in Wisconsin, led by more than 500 gun deaths in 2022 [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz remember Ada Deer, a Wisconsin trailblazer who died on August 15th, just days after celebrating her 88th birthday. We also discuss the comings and goings of Madison concert venues and debate our new friend, the 353 area code. Mentioned on the show: 🎧 Listen to Chali Pittman’s full interview with Ada Deer [WORT FM] 📖 Read a brief history of the Menominee [Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin] 🎶 Tell us about YOUR favorite spot to catch a show in Madison [Madison Minutes] Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Landmark Creamery of Paoli makes some of the best cheeses in the world. You don’t have to take our word for it - that’s according to judges at the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and the World Championship Cheese Contest. They make a variety of tasty handmade sheep-milk cheeses. And now, they’re making artisan butter down the street at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli. Landmark Creamery Co-owner Anna Thomas Bates tells us why. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also on the show: Rest in Power, Ada Deer Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Driving in Madison takes some know-how. Construction projects abound as the city grows. Plus, it’s that time of year when you see more people turning the wrong way down Madison’s one-way streets. They’re confusing for tourists, students, and newcomers alike. And of course, getting stuck behind a train is a classic problem on the isthmus. We wanted to know the secrets of getting across town these days. So who better to ask that someone who drives for a living? Producer Dylan Brogan spoke to Adam Chern, a driver for Union Cab of Madison, for his best tips. Do you know about the optical illusion on O’Sheridan? Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Local radio is alive and well in Monona. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association named 98.7 FM WVMO — the “Voice of Monona” — the Best Radio Station in state in 2022. Not bad for a teeny 100-watt station with an antenna on the fire department’s hose-drying tower. WVMO is owned by the city of Monona, run primarily by volunteers, and airs local programs. You can hear a variety of Americana music, updates on city events, and even a quick hello from the Walsh family on Sullivan Street. We speak with founder — and Wisconsin Broadcast Hall of Famer — Lindsay Wood Davis who says, “WVMO serves the community without boring it.” And we talk to one of the station’s youngest volunteers, Beatrix Pauli, host of Bea’s Buzz. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

When Mahanth Joishy became Madison’s Fleet Service Superintendent, the city had zero electric vehicles in its fleet. Now it has nearly a 100 and counting. Joishy is helping Madison reach its goal of running city operations on 100% renewable energy and with net zero carbon emissions, all by 2030. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin finds out how. Also mentioned on the show: 🐔 Madison Children’s Museum Birthday Party and Coopwarming 🍻 Sips for Sustain Dane Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz recap the ongoing saga of state money for our fair city, ask a UW-Madison prof how admissions might change after the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, and ponder why local restaurants wanna break up with food delivery apps. Mentioned on the show: 💰 What will Popple River, Wisconsin's second-smallest town, do with a 5,000% increase in state funding? (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) 🦩 Was Madison Singled Out for Punishment in State Budget? (City Cast Madison) 🦡 The Supreme Court and Admissions (UW-Madison) 🍔 Culver's wants regulations for delivery services, but is considering delivery in its future (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

A few times a year, there’s a special eggroll sale in Madison. The Hmong Institute takes orders of eggrolls by the dozen, perfect for stocking your freezer. The eggrolls are handmade by volunteers and the sales fund the non-profit’s work to preserve Hmong heritage and support Madison’s Hmong residents. And friends, eggroll time is now! Producer Molly Stentz caught up with Hmong Institute COO Mai Zong Vue to learn what goes into this labor of love. The deadline to order eggrolls is Friday, August 11th. Pickup is at the Hmong Institute on August 23rd. How to Order. 🥡 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also on the show: 🍲 Ahan is moving to Willy Street! 👩🏿‍🍳 Madison Black Restaurant Week is August 13 - 20 👩🏽‍💻 Sponsored interview: Scrum Day is September 14 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.