WORT 89.9FM Madison

A brutalist apartment building in downtown Madison could become a city landmark…if a development that hinges on its demolition falls through. Image courtesy: Irina Hynes via Flickr.

Today Dana Pellebon is celebrating the life and legacy of Stuart Dymzarov, founder of Malcolm Shabazz High School. She is joined by former teacher Jeff Feinblatt, his former student teacher Laura Kain, as well as members of the community who called in to share memories of Stuart and their time at Shabazz High School.

Norman Stockwell, publisher of The Progressive Magazine came into the studio and Marc Becker, professor of Latin American history at Truman State University in Missouri, joined us by phone to review recent Latin American elections. They talked about last year’s and this year’s elections in South and Central American countries whose populations are looking for security amidst rising violence and cr...

While the percentage of people on probation or parole has declined nationally, most states are still putting huge numbers of their residents under supervision. And here in Wisconsin, nearly half of those who “exit” parole every year are sent back to prison, rather than completing their parole sentence. Wanda Bertram is the communications specialist at the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit nati...

Lisa Fishman on her debut novel Write Back Now! by WORT 89.9FM Madison

What will you do if the electrical grid or the cell phone network goes down? How will you communicate with family, friends or emergency responders? The Four Lakes Amateur Radio Club will join us to talk about MeshCore – a resilient, de-centralized texting platform.

Nicole Gruter returns with more tales from the road – U.S. Highway 14, to be precise. This time, Nicole brings us the story of accidental historic preservationist Lynn Magneson of Tracy, Minnesota.

President Trump backtracks on plans to create a 1.8 billion dollar slush fund to settle federal cases related to the January 6 insurrection. Brendan Ballou, CEO of the Public Integrity Project, which sued the Trump Administration on behalf of Capitol Police officers injured in the January 6 riots, joins the Monday Buzz.

The work continues for Dane County’s Advisory Committee on Data Centers, after a temporary moratorium earned the county board’s approval last week. And thanks to a slew of license renewals, the Madison Common Council’s agenda for Tuesday is nearly sixty pages long. Brenda Konkel has the details on the week ahead, in this edition of “Forward Lookout.”

Today host Douglas Haynes is joined by Kris Tazelaa of Second Harvest Food Bank, and Melissa Bublitz professor of human ecology at UW Madison.

Forecast from Monday, 6-8-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Once eradicated in 1966, the New World screwworm has returned to the United States. Discovered in Texas cattle earlier this month, the invasive fly larva burrows into soft tissue of livestock, horses, sheep and some birds. If not treated early, the larva infection can be fatal. In this edition of "The Milkweed," Pete Hardin joins Bert Zipperer to explain how the pest, and an outbreak of Foot-and-M...

BDDS Co-artistic director Stephanie Jutt speaks with Ava Borelli of WORT 89.9 FM

This week on Mel & Floyd: Pledge drive show on Esty’s Birthday; Professional headphone detangler sought; Esty, ‘Pants and Mel’s ages revealed!; Return of the screw worm; Studying Mars’ atmosphere [or lack thereof]; Andrew Jackson and banks; And other random topics; Notice something missing? For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-...

On today’s pledge drive edition of A Public Affair, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with former host, Zoltán Grossman about grassroots resistance to creeping dictatorship in the US and the resilience of Indigenous communities around the world. They dedicate the program to the memory of Dr. Al Geddicks, who Grossman calls “the quintessential scholar-activist.” He was the driving force behind the...

Whitney Mann discusses her new album Electric Heart, returning to music after raising a family, and performs “Nothing But Time” live on the Friday 8 O’Clock Buzz.

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

Rep. Mark Pocan joins the Friday 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss Iran, Ukraine, town hall concerns, the Apostle Islands proposal, and the state of Washington politics.

Carlos Davalos, journalist from Mexico City and doctoral candidate at the UW-Madison, has worked to expand Spanish-language programming at WORT, is an active member of the WORT volunteer community and a source for political and cultural information about Mexico. Since he maintains his connection to media and events in Mexico, we called on him to talk about the U.S.-Mexico relationship and recent n...

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unitarian Meeting House Marks 75th Anniversary by WORT 89.9FM Madison

EX-incarcerated People Organizing for Voting Rights & Re-Entry Housing by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Just months after Madison alders unanimously backed a temporary moratorium on new data center development, the city is making progress on a longer-term plan. Staff hosted a public information meeting Wednesday to explain what exactly the city can and can’t regulate, answer questions, and gauge community sentiments on where a data center would fit into the city. Image courtesy: college.library via...

Wisconsin’s open records and open meetings laws are very accessible and, when it comes to correcting government violations, ordinary citizens can be just as effective as lawyers. This week on “Transparency Talk,” hosts Tom Kamenick and Bill Lueders explain how a simple letter can resolve issues before they reach the courtroom. But before we turn it over to Tom and Bill, our standard reminder that...

Over 300 people filed their nomination papers to run for office in Wisconsin in the upcoming fall election. WORT reporter Maria Segura talks with Henry Redman, a staff reporter at the Wisconsin Examiner, for an in-depth look at those who made it to the ballot…and the unlucky few who did not.

From the first Piggly Wiggly to automated self-checkout machines, the supermarket is a microcosm of modern food systems, convenience, and labor. On today’s pledge drive edition of A Public Affair, host Bert Zipperer speaks with Ann Larson about her book that will be published next week, Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register. Feature...