City Cast Madison

With the year coming to a close, what are your hopes and dreams for the city of Madison in 2024?Maybe it’s more late night food options? Less traffic? More bike lanes? Here at City Cast Madison, we definitely have some thoughts on the matter. Host Bianca Martin is joined by Madison Minutes newsletter editor Hayley Sperling to reflect on the year and chat through some of their 2024 resolutions for...

Nothing says holidays like family and food, and Ahan, a local Laotian spot, has both. We sat down with the restaurant’s co-owner and chef, James Beard Semifinalist Jamie Brown-Soukaseume, to ask about her expansion to Williamson’s Street, which of her mother’s recipes made it to the menu, and even the secret ingredient behind the Laotian cuisine.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voic...

Calling all bird watchers! Get ready because some of the local birds you see around Madison are about to get new names. The rebrand is part of a larger shift from the American Ornithological Society which is planning to rename 70-80 English-named birds in North America to address past wrongs and make the names more scientifically accurate. We get the bird word with Dexter Patterson, the WiscoBirde...

The UW System Board of Regents flip-flopped on a major state deal that would require the UW to cut down on diversity-related positions in exchange for around $800 million for staff raises and building projects. Three regents changed their tune on the controversial proposal just days after voting no on the exact same offer. So what changed? Kelly Meyerhofer higher education reporter for the Milwauk...

A proposed contract between Dane County Regional Airport and the Air National Guard would exempt the military from liability for toxic PFAS chemical pollution at the airport. This has Dane County supervisor Yogesh Chawla’s eyebrows going up. He and his colleagues at the Dane County Board of Supervisors want changes to the contract to ensure the safety of Dane County’s drinking water. Bianca Martin...

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin and Hayley Sperling discuss the potential for new Amtrak train routes across Wisconsin, including service from Madison to Milwaukee. Also, it’s been a week of surprising votes from the UW Board of Regents, as they nix an deal with the legislature over diversity programs and funding for the state university system... and the...

It’s absolutely the season to curl up in a cozy coffee shop with a hot cup of joe. And Madison is rife with options. But which ones go above and beyond when it comes to quality coffee and top notch atmosphere? Bianca Martin speaks with Ashley Rodriguez, writer of the Boss Barista newsletter.  Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and...

You can already hear the twinkling of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, can’t you? The Nutcracker opens at the Overture Center this Friday, December 15th and runs through Christmas Eve. Bianca Martin speaks with the new Madison Ballet Artistic Director, Ja’ Malik, about what’s in store. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re als...

Waxxy Poodle is believed to be the first vinyl record pressing plant in Wisconsin in nearly a hundred years. And it was born out of a serious need. Owner Dave Eck, who’s spent his career mastering audio, saw that the handful of pressing plants in the U.S. couldn’t keep up with the demand of the vinyl resurgence boom. So he took matters into his own hands. Eck and his wife Jennifer Jurgensen now ow...

For the past decade, Wisconsin teachers and most other public employees have only been able to bargain with their employers over inflationary raises. That’s due to Act 10, a controversial Wisconsin law passed back in 2011, which curtailed their rights. The law has been challenged numerous times over the years, but now several unions have filed a new lawsuit seeking to toss the law as unconstitutio...

The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news of the week. Host Bianca Martin and Madison Minutes newsletter editor Hayley Sperling discuss the latest in the Wisconsin fake electors case, after the electors settle in court and admit that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Plus, Madison raises some of its off-street parking rates and a cadre of inflatable Santa Clauses pop up on Monroe Stre...

'Tis the season to be baking and cooking so maybe it’s time to crack open that cookbook you’ve been neglecting all year. If you’re looking for culinary inspiration or the perfect gift for a home chef in your life, Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians is here with a bounty of cookbook recommendations, local and beyond. Christians joins host Bianca Martin and executive producer Molly Stentz to r...

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 host Bianca Martin to explain how Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps (as they're officially known) became a thing. For more on...

Mama Digdown’s Brass Band is perhaps the longest gigging band in Madison. For 30 years, the eight-piece brass band has been bringing the sound of New Orleans to Wisconsin. Ahead of their 30th birthday celebration, saxophone player Christopher 'Roc' Ohly and sousaphone player Erik Jacobson sit down with City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin to talk jazz, how the music scene has changed over the deca...

Have you noticed the ketamine clinics popping up around the city? While ketamine has been used as an anesthetic in the medical field for decades, its use as a treatment for depression, PTSD, and chronic pain has been gaining popularity in recent years. So what exactly is a trip like to one of Madison’s clinics? Host Bianca Martin is joined by Brian Czapko, co-founder of Forward Ketamine, to chat a...

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz discuss where the UW System might be headed, after the president mentioned cutting back liberal arts programs on some campuses in an email. Plus, state lawmakers are calling for libraries to contact parents about the books kids borrow, and an elk visits McFarland in search of… love? Mention...

In light of the news about the historic Silver Dollar Tavern closing soon, the City Cast Madison team is rounding up the best dive bars in Madison. Executive producer Molly Stentz, producer Dylan Brogan, and newsletter editor Hayley Sperling talk about what exactly makes a dive bar a dive bar, the future of dive bars in Madison, and of course, dish on their favorite spots. 🍺 Join us every Thursda...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Madison is BUSY this December. From holiday markets to The Nutcracker, the City Cast Madison team has you covered with events you can’t miss this month.  Our picks: 🎁 Find local gifts  New Glarus Christkindli Market - December 1 - 3 Eastside Winter Market - December 9 - 10 🍸 Relax downtown Miracle on King Street - Through December 30 The Nutcracker at Th...

Kwik Trip recently confirmed it experienced a cybersecurity incident that impacted its internal communication, production facilities, and customer loyalty program. And it’s not the only business in town that’s been hit in the last couple months. So what can businesses do to guard against ransomware and other types of cybersecurity breaches? And how do these attacks affect customers? Producer Dylan...

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, maybe you’re looking for festive things to do with the kiddos in your life? Local dad Aaron Seligman with his website, Macaroni KID Madison, has you covered. From the best ice skating in town to giving the gift of experiences, host Bianca Martin rounds up the options with Aaron. Aaron’s full experience gift guide here for MacaroniKID!  A list of local...

We’re in a brave new world of college sports. One of the biggest revolutions in college sports came when the NCAA allowed college student athletes to get paid. Where previously some athletes might have received scholarships to play, now they can also get branding deals worth millions. Some UW students have reportedly signed contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But how does it all work...

Madison is a good place to be a wild turkey. But while there’s no shortage of turkeys strutting the streets of Madison these days, this wasn’t always the case. Wild turkeys were nearly hunted to extinction in Wisconsin in the late 19th century. In the 1970s, a concerted effort by conservationists brought them back.  Bianca Martin asks UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology Professor David Drake why turkeys a...

Facing threats from election deniers, potential Russian operatives and flooding, Dane County officials are looking to beef up local election safeguards. They’re buying the former Ale Asylum brewery by the airport and retrofitting it to house the county’s election infrastructure. Producer Dylan Brogan sat down with Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell to learn what keeps him up at night. Wanna talk to...

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz talk about why Starbucks went on strike this week, the fight between wedding barns and the state’s liquor lobby, and the push to expand the UW-Madison Engineering School.  Mentioned on the show: 🚩 Madison Starbucks workers plan to walk out for company’s Red Cup Day [Isthmus] ☕ Looking for...

Thanksgiving means food. It’s typically the busiest holiday of the year for grocery stores. But if you aren’t cooking a big meal this holiday, or you need a little extra help, you have options. Several Madison restaurants are offering take-out meals and several are open on Thanksgiving. Cap Times Food Editor Lindsay Christians joins Bianca Martin with some ideas for you. 🦃 Join us every Thursday...