WORT 89.9FM Madison

In June 2024, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction updated their testing standards for K-12 schools. But the conference held to determine these updates was subject to unusual levels of secrecy, and its results have raised concerns from both sides of the aisle. This week on “Transparency Talk”, hosts Tom Kamenick and Bill Lueders discuss the DPI conference, its controversies, and Tom’s on...

Wisconsinites are set to feel the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as insurance costs are rising, rural clinics are closing, and patients are losing access. In a panel hosted by the Defend America Action advocacy group, community organization representatives explained today how these federal laws have begun to dismantle Wisconsin’s healthcare system. WORT Reporter Whittaker Peters has the...

June is a high milk production month called “the flush” by dairy farmers. On today’s pre-recorded show, hosts Bert Zipperer and Pete Hardin of The Milkweed highlight the Dairy Month. They break down cheese consumption trends, the history of the dairy industry in the state, and hear from two Wisconsin dairy farmers, Jan Shepel and Adam Faust. Featured image of dairy cows in Vernon County, Wisconsin...

BDDS 2026 Sykes Week 2 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Queery History - The AIDS Years in Wisconsin, Part 1 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Fran Dunaway, Co-Founder of TomboyX by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Wednesday 6-17-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Healthy Climate Wisconsin: Climate Change Is a Public Health Emergency by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Military Housing Allowances Driving Up Hawaii Rents, Displacing Locals by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Historic Montello Theatre Revives Live Performances After a Century by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Madison police caused Richard Lee Johnson’s death in 2024, not a drug overdose as the county medical examiner concluded at the time. That’s according to a bombshell report this week from the city’s independent police watchdog. Interim Independent Monitor Aeiramique Glass joined our News Producer Faye Parks this afternoon for a closer look at their findings – and the systemic changes she’s recommen...

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for Wisconsin children and teens. For the fourth year in a row, Wisconsin Democrats have put up a display in the Capitol rotunda that aims to humanize the statistics – and pressure their colleagues across the aisle to consider gun control legislation. Image courtesy: Senator Chris Larson via Bluesky.

If you have ever been asked “What’s your sign?” you have Linda Goodman to thank—or blame. She was America’s first New Age Celebrity, and today host Ali Muldrow is joined by her biographer, Courtney Ann LaFaive, to talk about her legacy. They discuss LaFaive’s new book, Follow the Signs: Searching for Linda Goodman, America's Forgotten Astrology Queen. Featured image of the cover of Follow the Sign...

According to the group Citizen Action, there are 800,000 Wisconsin workers who make less than $20 an hour. That’s a third of all workers, and yet in every area of Wisconsin the living wage, the amount needed to afford the basics of life, has been estimated to be over $21 an hour for a single person. Yet parents with dependent children make up about a quarter of those workers earning minimum wage....

A roadmap guiding the future of Madison’s southwest side is heading to a vote in the city council next week. Among other long term goals, the draft area plan aims to encourage more walkable neighborhoods and improve access to public green space. Ben Zellers is a planner with the city of Madison and one of the co-project managers for the Southwest Area Plan. He joined our News Producer Faye Parks t...

The Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus hosted their annual celebration this afternoon in the Capitol rotunda.

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari about her new memoir, Labor: One Woman's Work. Dr. Afsari is a child of Iranian immigrants, a working mother, and the founder of a mobile health clinic, bringing reproductive healthcare to rural patients in the Pacific Northwest. Featured image of the cover of Labor: One Woman's Work.

The annual picnic put on by the quintessential Madison organization Open Doors for Refugees is at the Elver Park Pavilion on Sunday, June 21st from noon to 3:00 PM. All are invited to come for all kinds of food, music, games and fun, no matter who you are or where you come from. OPEN DOORS FOR REFUGEES ANNUAL PICNIC Sunday, June 21, 2026 Noon to 3:00 PM Elver Park Pavilion, 1259 McKenna Boulevard...

Madison’s Office of Independent Monitor released Monday their investigative report into a death that occurred in police custody in 2024. The report suggests that Richard Lee Johnson died due to restraint-related cardiac arrest, and recommends changes to how Madison police handle medical assistance after physical incidents. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

In late March, a team of federal immigration agents detained Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian immigrant and president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. He’s spent the last two months at an ICE-contracting facility in Indiana. Led by a coalition of Jewish midwesterners, over 150 people gathered outside the Clay County Jail this weekend for an interfaith vigil demanding his freedom. Rachel Ida Buff,...

June is National Dairy Month – a particularly special time of year for Wisconsin cheeseheads. Pete Hardin and Bert Zipperer explain how our state earned its reputation as America’s Dairyland, in this edition of “The Milkweed.”

Last night Russia killed 11 civilians and attacked a historic cathedral in Kiev. On today’s show, guest host Yuri Rashkin is in conversation with journalists Zarina Zabrisky and Jason Jay Smart, as well as politician Lev Parnas to talk about Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine and the status of support for Ukraine in the US. Featured image of a street in Kherson destroyed in a Russian attack in 2024 v...

Forecast from Monday, 6-15-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Neta Elkayam interview by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Ethics training continues for many of Dane County’s committees and commissions, while a State Street nightclub could have its entertainment license revoked over noise complaints. Brenda Konkel and Rebecca Kemble detail the week of meetings ahead, in this edition of “Forward Lookout.”