City Cast Madison

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.

PFAS chemicals show up in all kinds of things: non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, microwave popcorn bags, firefighting foam. They’ve been dubbed “forever” chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment, making them very hard to get rid of. And they’re showing up in our water. Scientists are still discovering the health risks of PFAS, but research suggests that PFAS exposure increases the risk of kidney and testicular cancer. The CDC says most of us have been exposed to PFAS at some point. The Madison Water Utility plans to install a PFAS-removing filter at one well that they shut down due to contamination. It’ll cost $6 million dollars. Producer Dylan Brogan caught up with Joe Grande, Water Quality Manager with the Madison Water Utility, to learn how it’ll work. 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.

John Yost has taught survival skills to people of all ages for more than 30 years. He can build impromptu shelters in all weather, start a fire without matches, and generally hunt, fish, trap or forage his next meal. And yes, he’s auditioned for Survivor and Alone. And no, he’s not preparing for the zombie apocalypse. He’s a Wisconsin farm kid who grew up outdoors with a love of nature. Mentioned on the show: 🔥 Yost Survival Skills 🐾 Dane County Humane Society 🐈 Acro-cats 💊 Addiction-treating drug still seldom prescribed in ERs, study finds (Cap Times) 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.

It wasn’t long ago that Wisconsin Supreme Court elections were snoozers with low voter turnout. After a raucous decade in Wisconsin politics, that era is over. Judge Janet Protasiewicz won the statewide office this spring in the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. With lawsuits about ballot drop boxes, the state’s political maps and abortion already winding through the courts, big questions over political power, voting rights and liberty are at stake. Now that Judge Janet is on the bench, what can we expect from the new court? Dylan Brogan caught up with UW-Madison Political Science Professor Howard Schweber, who says that recent moves by the U.S. Supreme Court have made our state court even more important. 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 recap Wisconsin’s role in the latest Trump indictment and ask why Madison apartment building names are just so… interesting. Plus, there were Nazis in Watertown last weekend. What is happening? Mentioned on the show: 🏳️‍🌈 Unity Project of Watertown 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.

D.B. Pedersen has been a chef in the Madison area for years. He’s worked at L’Etoile, Weary Traveler, the former Taqueria Gila Monster, and the Taliesin School of Architecture, to name a few. His latest venture? A soup delivery business called Soups! I Did It Again. Along with Bazile Booth, they cook up high-quality soups from scratch, using fresh local ingredients, from a kitchen in Spring Green. They deliver to Madison on Mondays. You can also find their soups at the Festival Foods on the isthmus and at Woodman’s West. Their plan is to supply local restaurants with fresh soup in a kaleidoscope of flavors. Dylan Brogan caught up with D.B. to learn what’s cooking. 🥣 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: 🚓 Madison approves body cams for police officers on the northside. Listen to our interview with Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. 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

Every Friday night in August, it feels like Madison throws a party for itself. The rooftop of the Monona Terrace becomes a dance floor, with live bands ranging from funk and soul to mambo and disco. There are also DJs and dance lessons… and you’ll find babies boogieing next to your neighbors. And it’s all free. You don’t need a ticket. Just show up. We speak with Al Cooper, president of Dane Dances, about this year’s lineup. 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.

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. Host Bianca Martin sat down with Greg to learn all about why he’s so moved by organ music… and why he thinks you’ll be, too. Learn about the upcoming season of organ concerts. The next free farmers’ market concert is Saturday, August 19th. Thanks to listener Dee for suggesting this episode. 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.

It’s been more than eight years since Tony Robinson died. The teenager was shot dead by a Madison police officer who responded to a 911 call to Tony’s apartment on Willy Street. The police department cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. The district attorney declined to prosecute. Tony’s mother, Andrea Irwin, settled a civil lawsuit against the city in 2017. Her attorneys called it the biggest settlement in Wisconsin history for a police shooting. But Tony's grandmother, Sharon Irwin-Henry, still wants her day in court. We sit down with Sharon to learn what’s next. 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.

Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz are here to roundup the news of the week… including the state of Madison’s housing crisis and how our newish program to answer mental health crisis calls is working. Maybe that’s why everyone’s been at the movies with Barbie. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email us at [email protected]. We’re also on (the former) 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.

There’s a new restaurant open on Monroe Street, in the former Brasserie V space. It’s called One and Only, and they’re sporting seafood, seasonal salads, house-made ravioli, and of course, the legendary frites. Co-owner Stephani Dalbesio gives us the scoop. 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.

While we don’t have hurricanes or a sinking oceanfront, Madison is not immune to our changing climate. It feels like when we’re not flooding, there’s a drought or a heatwave or smoky bad air from Canadian wildfires. Or all of the above. Is this the new normal? We turned to our new state climatologist, Steve Vavrus, for an explanation. Also on the show: Check your air quality Tips for spotting heat stroke and heat exhaustion Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email us at [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.

Madison is said to have more bikes than cars. And with 200 miles of bike trails in the area, there’s a lot to explore. So we turned to biking aficionado Grant Foster of Madison Bikes for his favorite trips. He’s got tips for everyone from newbies to those ready to make a weekend out of it. Plus, basic bike maintenance. Grant’s recommendations: If you’ve got 30 minutes or less: Downtown Loop along State Street and Capitol (2 miles) Lake Mendota shorefront to Picnic Point (3 miles) Wingra Lake Loop through the UW Arboretum (6 miles) Lower Yahara River Trail (6 miles) If you’ve got an hour or two: Lake Monona Loop (12 miles) Cap City Loop: Lake Farm Park to Seminole Hwy, through the Arboretum and back to Lake Farm via Wingra and Cap City paths (16 miles) Day Trippin’ Badger State trail south to Paoli and back (17 miles round-trip) Bike Camping Military Ridge trail west to Blue Mounds State Park and back (46 miles round-trip) Lake Farm Park south to Lake Kegonsa State Park and back (20 miles round-trip) Lake Farm Park east to Sandhill Station State Campground and back (60 miles round-trip) Also mentioned on today's show: 🦋 Blooming Butterflies at Olbrich Botanical Gardens 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.

If you’ve been to a Wisconsin bar, you’ve likely seen a pull-tab machine. Pop in a buck and out comes a rectangle cardboard card that may get you a cash prize of up to $250. Tea Krulos got the bizarre backstory of this unofficial — yet legal — lottery. He joins City Cast Madison to explain how Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps (as they're officially known) became a thing. For more on Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps, read Krulos' article "The Unlikely Story Behind Pull-Tabs in Wisconsin" published by Milwaukee Magazine. Also mentioned on the show: 🎂 UW Madison’s 175th Birthday Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. 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! Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Dylan Brogan, Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz are here to roundup the week’s news. Factory farms sue over pollution permits, west side neighbors rally to save a pet pig, and musicians get paid after local journalism intervenes. 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.

Move over brewers, Madison distilleries are having a moment. And they’re making more than just brandy for your Old Fashioned. Fifteen years ago, Madison had exactly one distillery, and it was pretty new. Now, there’s at least ten in the area, if you count companies producing spirits for their own cocktails. Our pal Lindsay Christians, food editor at The Cap Times, is here with the latest on local spirits. 🍸 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Distilleries and cocktail companies mentioned on today’s show: Imaginary Factory (Madison) Old Sugar Distillery (Madison) Plain Spoke Cocktail Company (Madison) State Line Distillery (Madison) Yahara Bay Distillers (Madison) Dancing Goat Distillery (Cambridge) Doundrins Distilling (Cottage Grove) J. Henry and Sons (Dane) Wollersheim (Prairie du Sac) Awildan Distilling (Sun Prairie) 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.

Looking for a good place to swim in the Madison area? Worried about blue-green algae in the lakes? Wondering what pools and beaches are open these days? Maybe you want some personal recs on the best spots to take the little ones. Alisa Sleep, one of the founders of the Madison Mom parenting site, joins us to share her faves. Here’s the Madison Mom guide to local pools, splash pads and beaches. 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.

Madison’s professional men’s soccer team, officially called Madison Forward Football Club, is on a winning streak. They’re currently ranked second in their league, USL League One. What’s behind the flamingoes’ rally? We catch up with captain Mitch Osmond about what’s going right this season. 🦩 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.