City Cast Madison

The whole City Cast Madison team is back in the saddle today. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz round up this week’s news, including a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on weed at traffic stops, the fight over paying for childcare, and Madison’s aim to be a sanctuary city for transgender and non-binary residents.  And it’s been a year since the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, which led to th...

The James Beard Awards are often called the Oscars of food. They’re a prestigious national recognition for restaurants that offer high quality food. If you think you have to travel to the coasts to try some of the nation’s best restaurants, you would be wrong. Here in Madison, we’ve got award-winners in our backyard.  Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, chefs and co-owners of Fairchild in Madison, ha...

We’re on a quest to help you make the most of your summer in Madison.  Brandon Rounds is the mastermind behind Live on Queen, a free outdoor drag show and dance party happening this Friday, June 23, in downtown Madison. It’s the latest installment of the Live on King street series of free concerts that take place on the 100 block of King Street in front of the Majestic Theatre. Catch Brandon perfo...

The Madison school district initially offered teachers a 3.5 percent pay bump but is now committed to doubling it to the highest raise allowed by state law. Teachers are applauding the move and say investing in educators is long overdue. However, what this means for the district’s financial health is far from clear because of a looming budget deficit. Nichelle Nichols, president of the Madison sch...

Bianca Martin and Dylan Brogan roundup the news this week with an update on Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ pledge to cut funding to the University of Wisconsin system over diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The governor is threatening to the entire state budget over the move. The Legislature is also primed to overhaul how taverns, distributors, and breweries are regulated. We also take a teeny...

Summer is a great time to enjoy fresh herbs — whether in salads, drinks or just to freshen up your backyard, patio, or balcony. Jane Hawley Stevens, owner of Four Elements Organic Herbals, has been growing herbs for decades on her farm in the Baraboo hills. Her herbal products are sold locally and around the country.  Lead producer Molly Stentz chats with Jane about this growing season and tips fo...

Happy Flag Day! The North American Vexillological Association studied 312 city flags and ranked Madison’s flag as one of the best in the nation. No wonder our city flag is increasing being flown all over town.  Ted Kaye, the nation’s foremost authority on flag design and author of the NAVA booklet “‘Good’ Flag, ‘Bad’ Flag,” talks with host Bianca Martin about what makes a well-designed flag, why M...

City Cast Madison continues our series on summer entertainment with The Pursuit of Happiness Sessions at McPike Park. The first round of The Sessions kicks off Friday night, June 16 and runs through Sunday, June 18. The festival features performers from around the globe and dozens of local acts, too.  Veteran Madison festival Bob Queen previews some of big acts coming to town with City Cast’s Dyla...

You’d think a record $7 billion surplus would ease the partisan tension between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers when crafting the next state budget. Nope! But Evers and the GOP-controlled Legislature have compromised on money for schools and local governments. However, funding for the University of Wisconsin system and who gets a tax cut might create another showdown between th...

Madison public school teachers and staff will get an 8% pay raise next year after tough negotiations with the school district. Meanwhile, the city has to figure out what to do about two failing housing developments that serve the formerly homeless.  And while you might’ve heard about dirt at the Supreme Court lately, we’re here to talk about actual dirt on our Dane County courthouse. Dylan Brogan...

Don’t blink or you’ll miss them! Strawberry season lasts for about three weeks in Madison - and it’s here. We’re heading to one of the oldest strawberry u-pick farms in the Madison area… which opens next week.  Dylan Brogan catches up Cory Secher, the second-generation owner and operator of Carandale Fruit Farm in Oregon, Wisconsin.  For daily updates on strawberry picking, check the Carandale web...

We wait patiently all year for summer in Madison — and when it comes, there’s an explosion of festivals, music, and art. We’re here to help you not miss a minute with our summer entertainment guides.  Starting Thursday, June 8th, there will be ELEVEN days of jazz happening all over Madison. From free shows at clubs across town to big acts at the Union Theater, you can hear classical vocalists, liv...

Madison’s eastside is known for many things: great food and restaurants, politically active neighborhoods, and lots of musicians. Each summer, these things combine to bring you five iconic free concerts in the parks and streets. The season kicks off this weekend with the Marquette Waterfront Festival. Local musician and festival volunteer Tony Castañeda gives us the insider’s take. This is the fir...

It’s been eight years since the death of local teen Tony Robinson sparked a wave of protests in Madison. There have been several high-profile - and fatal - police shootings of unarmed Madison residents since then. Citizens demanded change. Grieving family members brought federal civil rights lawsuits. The city hired a consultant to review the entire police department. A state law was changed to re...

It’s the Friday News Roundup and this week Molly Stentz and Dylan Brogan dig into problems behind the scenes at Madison schools after complaints come to light. Also, how Epic Systems' worker contracts affect our larger tech economy - and what the feds might do about it. And did you know we have our very own Australian Football League team right here in Madison? The Wisconsin Wombats are here and t...

Karben 4 Brewing, tucked away by the airport on Madison’s northside, is one of the largest craft brewers in the area. Earlier this spring, they began brewing Hopalicious, a beloved hoppy pale ale and summer staple in Madison, after Ale Asylum abruptly closed.  Now, they’re bringing back other classics. Ryan Koga, one of the founders of Karben 4 Brewing, fills us in on their plans. 🍺 Join us every...

Something as small as a lost parking ticket can set off a chain reaction. If you don’t pay it, your license could get suspended. Get pulled over while driving on a suspended license? Now you’re in legal trouble. If you lose your car, how do you get to work? Without a job, how do you pay the rent? LIFT Wisconsin saw that Madisonians needed an easier way to deal with legal problems that were hauntin...

Sam Li’s photographs are your best chance of feeling like a bird in Madison. His videos swoop across the lakes, circle the capitol, race along the bike path and generally take you for a joyride. They’re full of exuberance and awe — and he started out doing them out of sheer love for our city. Now, he’s making an official video for Madison and he wants YOU to be in it.  Bianca Martin catches up wit...

On this week’s roundup, workers at the former CUNA Mutual group (now called TruStage) launch the biggest strike Madison’s seen in a decade. St. Vinnie’s now offers more than just old couches; you can get a loan! And Madison’s restaurant community mourns one of their own, Hot Lunch co-owner Roger Barts.  Plus, the World Naked Bike Ride is headed our way soon. Now you know. Rounding up the news toda...

Each May, we Wisconsinites scour the woods for a seasonal delicacy: the morel mushroom. Discovering a flush of them can feel like finding hidden treasure. They can fetch $50 per pound at your local farmers’ market, but are free to pick in state parks and forests - if you can find them. So where do you look?  “Everywhere and nowhere,” according to Melissa Klotka, President of the Wisconsin Mycologi...

Starting June 11th, the Madison Metro bus system, as you know it, will change.  Metro bus routes, bus stops and bus numbers will be different. It’s all part of the plan to move people across town faster and make way for the new Bus Rapid Transit system. Madison hopes new express buses in dedicated lanes will make transit easier, faster, and more reliable. That’s coming next year. But first, they’r...

You may know Rev. Dr. Alex Gee as the pastor of Fountain of Life Church, the founder and CEO of Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, the host of the Black Like Me podcast, or as the author of the viral Justified Anger editorial taking Madison to task for failing its Black residents. And if you don’t know Alex Gee yet, you should. He’s a visionary force for change in Madison. His next...

Public schools are paid for by us, the public. And we the people are entitled to oversight.  But what happens when a public entity does not live up to the law? And leaves frustrated parents hanging, waiting months on end for basic info? When delays force citizens to sue to get answers? That’s what’s happening at the Madison Metropolitan School District. Public interest lawyers say it’s THE worst g...

The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news in our fair city. A new women’s pro soccer team could come to Madison, but they have a price. Parents of an autistic teenager fight a local healthcare co-op for treatment. And we chase the Wienermobile outta town after they rebrand it. First they closed the factory, now they take the Wienermobile away from us?! Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and...

Madison is known for the Dane County Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest and largest markets in the country.  But what if we told you… there was a farmers’ market somewhere in the Madison area every day of the week?! Markets that have what you need, minus all the tourists. Madison’s home to several neighborhood markets, which tend to be less crowded, more accessible, and have their own spirit.  Lin...