WORT 89.9FM Madison

Dozens of veterans protesting the Iran War were arrested in the U.S. Capitol last week. We’ll talk to one of those led away in handcuffs, Center on Conscience and War Executive Director Mike Prysner.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court takes another crack at a case about how much voter data can be released to the public. And no one seems to agree about what clerks should do with late-arriving ballots? Votebeat Wisconsin’s Alex Shur joins us once again with an election news update.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association has selected “The Milkweed” for an award this year. Ahead of the gala this weekend, Pete Hardin and Bert Zipperer recap their award-winning talk about stray voltages and the effects on livestock and humans. They’ll also discuss a case in the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether or not Bayer will be held responsible for the use of a likely carcinogen in Rou...

Use Your Brain, Human! by WORT 89.9FM Madison

2026 04 14 MCGS Interview by WORT 89.9FM Madison

The Northern Metal Fab plant in North Western Wisconsin abruptly closed on March 30 and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, giving no notice to the employees who work there. The employees, who are not unionized, have sued the owners. Labor Radio interviewed Nick Webber, an IBEW business agent with local 953 and president of the Greater West Central Area Labor Council who represents workers from many d...

On today’s show, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with Kathy Kelly about her experience working toward nonviolence in the Middle East. Kelly worked with Voices in the Wilderness in Iraq after the US’s “Shock and Awe” assault on the country. She says the main victims of violence and economic sanctions against Iraq were children, the elderly, and the poor. Kelly was disappointed by mainstream medi...

Roscoe Mitchell reflects on jazz innovation, artistic legacy, and his upcoming Madison performance.

Dana Pellebon discusses survivor support, outreach, and challenges facing sexual violence services.

The Lullaby Project uses songwriting to support parents, children, and family bonds.

On the Friday 8 O'Clock Buzz, Ankur Malhotra shares his picks for the best music events happening around Madison the next week.

Madison events spotlight trans belonging, creative action, and the role of artists in public life.

At a Madison School Board Meeting on Monday, the board continued to lay the groundwork for a planned redistricting project that will continue into 2027. As part of that project, the board received projected enrollment data to help guide them in drawing the maps. Image courtesy: CDC via Unsplash.

Regent Street is on track to get a major redesign, in a bid to alleviate the traffic and pedestrian problems that plague the near west side thoroughfare. Early plans currently making their way through the approval process include widening the sidewalks and reducing the roadway to two travel lanes. The subject of resident pushback: new bike lanes didn’t make the cut. To find out how they prioritize...

Wisconsin’s Open Meetings law includes certain exemptions that allow a government body to enter closed session to discuss certain topics, holding a meeting that the public cannot attend. This week on “Transparency Talk”, hosts Bill Lueders and Tom Kamenick discuss the laws surrounding closed sessions, the reasons a government body can enter closed session, and how some bodies try to abuse them. Bu...

The food system in the US is broken. And though the MAHA movement claims to be fixing it, the latest US dietary guidelines prioritize red meat and high-fat dairy products over real food. On today’s show, host Patty Peltekos speaks with Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters. It’s a revision of her 2006 book, What to Eat th...

Tyrone Creech, Jr. talks GSAFE's Celebration of Leadership and more... by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Wednesday 4-22-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Madison alders voted to delay action on an ordinance change that would further regulate the city’s independent police oversight bodies, in a marathon meeting Tuesday evening. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

In a newly published Wisconsin Policy Forum report, Wisconsin’s criminal justice system ranked 32nd in state local law enforcement spending, 35th in judicial and legal spending, and 12th in state corrections spending. The report delineated large racial disparities in arrests, an aging prison population, and a general decrease in most crime categories in the state. Joining WORT reporter Whittaker P...

On today’s show, host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with historian, Forest Isaac Jones, about the strong connections between the Black Civil Rights Movement in the US and the Catholic Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland. His new book, Good Trouble: The Selma, Alabama and Derry, Northern Ireland Connection 1963-1972 traces the influence of the Montgomery to Selma march of 1965 on the Belfast...

Tomorrow is Earth Day, a time to reflect on the environmental movement’s past achievements and goals for the future. And according to the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), a legal group based here in the Midwest, expanding the passenger rail system is key. Derrick James, senior policy advocate at ELPC, told our News Producer Faye Parks this afternoon that both the climate and consumers wou...

Self-expression and acceptance can be radical. That was the vision behind a multicultural fashion show that drew about a hundred people this Saturday to the Crossing event space on University Avenue. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

A century ago, 14% of agricultural land was owned by Black farmers, but now that’s down to less than 2%. On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke and Alex Lindenmeyer of Urban Triage about how their agriculture program is repairing people’s relationship with the land and supporting food security in Madison. Featured image of Alex Lindenmeyer, Dana Pelle...

On this week's edition of Stuff Yer Face, feature producer Emily Tucker talks with food writer, bread baker, and coffee professional, Jesse Raub about the many sides of food writing -- from product reviews to personal food memories that shape the way we think and eat.