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In this inaugural episode of Legal Brief, WORT feature contributor Fiona Hatch takes a look at one of Wisconsin’s first cases, one that challenged the Fugitive Slave Act, state’s rights, and the supremacy of the federal government.

A controversial dog breeding and testing facility has agreed to sell the majority of its beagles to out of state animal refuge groups. The news comes less than two weeks after a crowd of protesters, fed up with waiting for the government to intervene, attempted to storm the facility and rescue the animals themselves. Image courtesy: Christine Driscoll / WORT News, at an April rally in the State Ca...

In just a few months’ time, Wisconsin voters will decide who holds the power in the State Capitol. And as Democrats make their pitch for retaking the legislature, it seems there’s a new retirement announcement across the aisle every week.  So what’s really going on? JR Ross, editor of multimedia news outlet WisPolitics, joined WORT reporter Maria Segura to share some theories. Image courtesy: Chal...

Maestro John DeMain interview: Voices Eternal, final subscription concert as MSO music director

On today’s show, host Allen Ruff is in conversation with scholar David McNally about his latest article, “US Imperialism: Projecting Strength to Cover Up Weakness.” McNally says that we need to grasp what is unique in this moment so that we can foster sustained anti-war mobilizing. Featured image of an Iranian oil field via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

In Total Harmony by WORT 89.9FM Madison

In Total Harmony by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Araceli Esparza - A little bit of Dairy, a Midwest heart, and a lot of Salsa by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Wednesday 4-29-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

A three-judge panel dismissed a lawsuit on Tuesday that claims Wisconsin’s congressional maps are an anti-competitive gerrymander. Law Forward, the Madison-based firm representing the plaintiffs, is already pursuing an appeal. Doug Poland, their director of litigation, joined WORT News Producer Faye Parks to explain what’s next – and why they believe the panel got it wrong. Image courtesy: Brian S...

A revised plan to build a six-story apartment building on Madison’s near west side earned the Plan Commission’s unanimous approval Monday evening, just two weeks after they sent the developer back to the drawing board. Image courtesy: Knothe & Bruce Architects.

In this episode – host Ankita Bharadwaj and guest and certified Yoga instructor Marc Milone talk about Yoga, the practice and the spirituality behind it, somatic healing that it brings with itself and how Yoga actually might be one of the most accessible form of physical, mental, emotional and intellectual exercise. Together they dissect how Yoga is seen and practiced in the East versus the West T...

Over 60 million households in the US use services like Amazon Echo, Google Nest, Ring, etc. Our devices routinely record our conversations and private activities. To talk about it means to let these “smart” devices into our private lives, host Ali Muldrow is joined today by legal scholar Andrew Guthrie Ferguson. His new book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveill...

President Trump lifted a twenty-year ban on mining near the Boundary Waters this week, just three years after the Biden Administration put it in place. The issue of mining in the region has been a political football for years, according to Minnesota Public Radio correspondent Dan Kraker. He told our News Producer Faye Parks this afternoon that the fight isn’t over – and there’s still room for a mo...

Madison schools’ most experienced educators aren’t receiving an equitable wage, after changes in the district’s compensation structure over the past two decades. The school board has signaled plans to fix the inequity in the next budget. But the teachers union argues there’s no need to wait, organizing a rally ahead of yesterday’s school board meeting to put on the pressure. Image courtesy: Faye P...

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with scholar Atinuke Adediran about her new book, Disclosureland: How Corporate Words Constrain Racial Progress. Professor Adediran studies the impact of corporations on social life, specifically how corporations apply the language of DEI. We saw a flurry of public statements from corporations following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. At t...

A conversation with children's book author Dean Robbins

Amarjit Singh (A.S.) Dulat was the head of the Indian government’s Research and Analysis Wing or RAW, the equivalent of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. He also served in the Indian Prime Minister’s Office in charge of peace efforts in Kashmir. What makes Mr. Dulat remarkable is that he is someone who has been part of the highest level of the Indian establishment and he is a persistent advoca...

This week on “Madison Mixology,” feature contributor Charlie Belawski brings in his friend Matt to talk about a cocktail of his own invention: “Matty P’s Ocean Breeze.” They’ll go into detail about the ingredients and the inspiration behind the cocktail, along with the taste and how to make it at home.

Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission is responsible for regulating the state’s utilities. And the single item on their agenda Friday drew more than 2,000 public comments: an application to establish new utility rates for data centers. Image courtesy: City of Port Washington, aerial rendering of planned data center campus.

Forecast from Monday, 4-27-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

This year’s cohort of college graduates will face fewer student loan forgiveness options than previous cohorts. That’s because there’s been a sea change in debt forgiveness under the latest Trump administration. On today’s show, host Douglas Haynes is in conversation with education reporter Nadra Nittle about the broken student loan system in the US and her recent article for The 19th. Featured im...

With two county meetings and just a handful scheduled for the city of Madison, it’s going to be a relatively light week in local government. Brenda Konkel and Rebecca Kemble have the rundown, in this edition of “Forward Lookout.”

Hale sits down with Attorney Emma Knatterud-Johnson to discuss current legal and legislative policy surrounding LGBTQIA+ workers' rights in Wisconsin and the United States. Topics covered:  - Bostock v. Clayton County (standing precedent)  - Trans workers' rights - Shifting Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance - Disability rights & accommodations - Education as Emma's focus to helps ot...

Linguist, filmmaker, world traveler, author and Irish nationalist Manchán Magan’s death at the age of 55 left a huge hole in Ireland’s heart. Magan’s friend and collaborator, anthropologist Wade Davis talks about Magan’s last book “Thirty Two Words for Field.”