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Remembering the life and legacy of Joanne Bland, civil rights icon by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Young people are too often victims of our broken criminal justice system. 1 in 14 US children either has or has had a parent behind bars. Our friends at the PATHfinders and POPS Club are doing the vital work of supporting these youth, including publishing their poetry. Today host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Victor Trillo Jr., Amy Friedman, and one of the youth poets, Darrione, about their...

The Madison Metropolitan School District hopes to achieve a 100 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across the district by 2045. District staff joined the school board on Monday to share a progress update and highlight recent successes.

Welcome to the pilot episode of FREE SEEDS, a new show bringing you thought provoking conversation and vital information about gardening and our diverse farming community. Today, host Brian Emerson is in conversation with Howard Hayes about the importance of bringing youth into our local food system and the wealth of lessons that gardens and outdoor spaces have to teach. Featured image of hands ho...

To tell the story of an historic win for truth and justice for labor against corporate complicity and the 1970s military dictatorship in Argentina, Karen Robert follows 24 auto workers from the Ford Argentina factory in her book, Driving Terror. In the book, Robert, a history professor at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada explores issues of labor repression and the collusion of enormo...

Part of Wisconsin’s projected surplus would be spent on additional school funding and income tax rebates, in a bipartisan deal Governor Evers announced Monday after months of negotiations with GOP legislative leaders. But their proposal still has to clear a vote in both chambers of the state Legislature and not everyone is on board, with Democrats like state Senator Kelda Roys emerging as early cr...

filmmaker Nathan Deming 5-7-26 buzz by WORT 89.9FM Madison

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Araceli Esparza about her new book, Healing from Racial Discrimination! ¿Ahora Que? Now, What? Esparza says that freeing your voice is an action, but it takes healing to get there. She offers advice on how to address discrimination in the workplace when EEOC and HR offices too often protect the company instead of the vulnerable employee....

Sahar Mustafah on The Slightest Green by WORT 89.9FM Madison

After months of negotiations, Governor Evers and GOP legislative leaders have reached a deal on how to spend the state’s projected budget surplus. But their proposal still has to clear a vote in both chambers of the state Legislature – and not everyone is on board. For a closer look, our News Producer Faye Parks sat down with Jessie Opoien, a state politics reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentin...

Forecast from Monday, 5-11-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Madison’s beloved Olbrich Botanical Gardens welcomed almost 400,000 visitors last year. However, it was designed to handle less than half of that amount. This year, the Gardens with the partnership of Madison’s Parks Division embarked on a master planning process to ensure the future of the Gardens including expanding its physical space as well as services. To talk about this process, Douglas Hayn...

The Past Isn’t Past recalls the the Million Mom March, May 14th, 2000 (Mother's Day that year), a protest against lax gun laws that endangered and still endanger children and adults alike. 750,000 attended the DC rally, plus thousands in over 77 communities across the country. Image courtesy: David on Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/65193799@N00/35728102

Milwaukee based artist Susan Simensky Bietila has spent a lifetime in protest and activism. She’ll join us to talk about her new memoir.

The UW Space Place closes its doors, the victim of federal budget cuts. Director Jim Lattis joins us with a farewell.

It’s planting season! Pete and Bert take a look at the challenges that the American small farms are facing. Besides Mother Nature, economics and man-made events are making a mess of things during planting season. Many farmers are pledging all their assets to secure loans to buy what they need for this planting season. Photo by Steven Weeks on Unsplash

This week on Mel & Floyd: The latest on “Don Snore-leone”; Problems with Canvas educational software; Mel is back on his bike!; Chief Justice Roberts laments correct public perception; War crimes prosecution as a growth industry; $850 Million tax dollars to cancel wind power projects; Cheetah poplation increases in Iran; And other random topics; Notice something missing? For the complete Mel and F...

Though Operation Metro Surge has officially ended, the Trump administration continues to abduct people from the Twin Cities. Three people were also taken from Madison this week, and Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, was detained on April 3 and remains in ICE detention. In response, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with two organizers with Workers’ Solidary Circle–Kip He...

Queery - 30th Anniversary Show - LIVE REMOTE by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Reporters at the Cap Times have unionized and are seeking voluntary recognition from newspaper management. All eligible editorial staff signed authorization cards, affirming that they want to join the newly-formed Cap Times News Guild. To learn more about the campaign and their vision for a unionized newsroom, our News Producer Faye Parks sat down with reporters Ashley Rodriguez and Will Briggs. I...

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the state’s transparency laws, yet it rarely follows its own advice. This week on “Transparency Talk”, hosts Bill Lueders and Tom Kamenick discuss two recent court decisions involving records requests from the DOJ, and how these decisions could leave a positive impact on government transparency in Wisconsin. But befo...

The Madison Police Department released their annual report for 2025 which showed a significant decrease in crime. Kate Paape spoke with Public Information Officer Stephanie Fryer to find out why. Photo Courtesy of Albert Herring of Wikimedia Commons

The grand opening of the Center for Black Excellence and Culture drew hundreds to Madison’s south side Wednesday afternoon. The brainchild of Reverend Dr. Alex Gee, the center aims to cultivate Black excellence in business, leadership, education, the arts, and more. Photo Courtesy of Brian Standing

For decades the Christian Right has worked to “Christianize” the federal government, arm Israel, eliminate reproductive and civil rights, and they seem to be succeeding. On today’s show, Sara Gabler speaks with journalist Josiah Hesse about what it’s like to grow up inside a white Evangelical world and then leave it. Hesse writes about his experience in his new book, On Fire for God: Fear, Shame,...

Interview by Peter Haney with Victor Gorodinsky about the UW-Madison Russian folk Orchestra's Spring 2026 concert