WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Wednesday 5-6-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Eight Assembly Republicans stood up to party leadership last session and finally got a pair of women’s health-focused bills across the finish line. That was their message in a February press conference – and one that’s featured prominently in a conservative ad campaign calling for their reelection in November. Brittany Carloni is a state government and politics reporter at Wisconsin Watch. She joi...

Madison schools have less than two months to implement a district-wide cell phone policy, under a new state law that earned Governor Evers’ signature last fall. But the proposal presented at Monday’s school board meeting garnered mixed responses, with community advocates saying it isn’t strict enough and some board members worrying that it would worsen racial disparities in discipline. Image court...

On today’s edition of “Ali’s Book Club” we celebrate the publication of Baker’s Dozen by Dasha Kelly, a book that grapples with mortality, grief, and desire. Kelly says that her characters, like the lead character named Shay in Baker’s Dozen, find her on purpose and then she “quilts” them into the story. Featured image of the cover of Baker’s Dozen.

The Office of the Independent Monitor was founded in 2020, but the 2025-2026 annual report released Tuesday was only the second to ever be released by the office. It was taken down just two days later, after it faced public criticism for its AI-generated cover image of the Madison skyline. With a nearly 6 year history marred by understaffing, high turnover and scarce funding, Interim Independent M...

The Odana Hills Golf Course could be getting a fresh design, Madison Parks officials announced Thursday. The news comes after the City of Madison Parks Division received a multi-million dollar donation from golf course developers and owners Michael and Jocelyn Keiser. The city could break ground on the project as early as this fall, pending the Board of Parks Commissioners’ approval of the project...

For now, telehealth providers can still prescribe the widely-used abortion pill mifepristone and send it through the mail. That’s after the U.S. Supreme Court paused last week’s federal decision requiring an in-person visit. But remote access to the abortion pill is still up in the air. Jenny Higgins is the director of the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity. She joined our News Producer Faye...

A popular golf course on Madison’s west side is slated to get a multimillion dollar makeover soon, with construction expected to break ground as early as this fall. City staff held a public information meeting last week to share a progress update – and request additional feedback before they present a draft plan to the Board of Park Commissioners later this month. Image courtesy: Golf Madison Park...

Interview with LGBTQ activist David Runyon.

This week on Stuff Yer Face, Emily Tucker visits Little Tibet Market and Cafe in Northgate Shopping Center to chat with founder and co-owner, Namgyal Ponsar. Namgyal and her brothers aren't just serving Tibetan food — they've built a bridge between the Himalayan Region and Madison. What started as a challenge of sourcing ingredients for their food truck and restaurant, grew to a space rooted in co...

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with April Kigeya and Linda Ketcham about their struggles doing anti-oppression work in majority white spaces. They focus on their work in the Madison chapter of the Rotary Club, an international service club, and the insidious forms of racism and sexism they faced there. Featured image via Pexels.

Jeff Oloizia new podcast Wisconsin's literary community, Writing Forward

A Madison resident and an important part of the Political Science Department at the UW-Madison for many years, Scott Straus was recommended by many to talk about the current situation in Africa – with the understanding that it would be impossible to cover the entire continent in one show. Professor Scott Straus is now a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Political Science at the Universi...

Forecast from Monday, 5-4-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Monday, 5-4-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Anti-immigrant Trump administration policies and brutal ICE raids across the US gave Madison’s annual Day Without Immigrants May Day rally an extra sense of urgency. Helena White has this report from last Friday’s protest. Full disclosure: Helena works at East High School and is a member of the Madison school staff union MTI.

There's no shortage of bad climate news: unprecedented heat, US cities running out of water, the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream, etc. The compounding effects of the climate crisis are leaving people overwhelmed and disempowered. But on today’s show host Douglas Haynes focuses on how to cope with climate anxiety. He’s joined by climate therapist, Leslie Davenport, who is a leader in the emer...

With the spring election mostly in the rearview mirror, things are returning to business as usual for the city of Madison and Dane County. Brenda Konkel has the rundown on this week’s meetings, in this edition of “Forward Lookout.”

The Monday Buzz’s roving reporter Nicole Gruter, returns with another installment of her linear travelogue along U.S. Highway 14. This time, Nicole reports from the Cemetery in Emerald Grove, Wisconsin.

Sadly, it turns out all those social media propaganda messages trying to get you not to vote actually work. UW Journalism professor Young Mie Kim has the evidence.

We look back at the career of Wisconsin journalist Daniel Bice, who died on April 21 at the age of 62. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Executive Editor Greg Borowski will join us.

Mandela Barnes is a candidate in the Democratic Primary for Wisconsin Governor to be held on August 11. The winner will face off the Republican nominee in the general election on November 3. Here, Barnes shares with Jan Miyasaki his family background, HBCU education, experiences in organizing, statewide campaigning, and coalition building.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Toxic fumes in Hegseth’s hair gel?; Another Fox “personality” for the cabinet; A return to Jim Crow; Putin dials back internet access for Russians; A long dry summer on the way for the Southwest; Standardized testing glitch in NY; From ticks to Nixon; And other random topics; Notice something missing? For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of...

Harrison Fangmann is a multidisciplinary artist making many things in a small space in Madison.

On today’s show, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with Jennifer Loewenstein who joins us from Beirut, Lebanon. She calls the city a mosaic of cultures, faiths, artistic pursuits, and political ideals. However, they’re facing serious threats as Israel encroaches further into the south of the country.  Featured image of the Beirut skyline via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).