8 O'Clock Buzz

Today on the Not Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi, Jennie Mullins, Director of Arts Education, and Matthew Sanborn, Exhibitions Manager, from Arts for All Wisconsin join us in the studio to talk about what they do and who they serve. For more information on Arts for All Wisconsin and their programs statewide, visit their website: https://www.artsforallwi.org/. More information on the Creative Power exhibition at MyArts, including the opening reception on March 3rd and the celebration and jury awards on April 18th, see: https://www.artsforallwi.org/creative-power .  Watch for Creative Power on the road coming to a location near you! Follow Arts For All Wisconsin on Facebook and Instagram at @artsforallwi. For more on arts, check our interviews with LaShay the Artist from January: https://www.wortfm.org/color-wherever-you-are/ https://www.wortfm.org/the-more-i-want-to-be-myself/ Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting soon), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up March 19th!  Get on the list for more training to get in to the trades coming up soon! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/22028706/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post There Are Always Ways to Dance appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Lead Between the Rhymes: 50 Years of Hip Hop Think of vibrant hiphop scenes, and major metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Detroit come immediately to mind.  But hiphop's cultural influence has permeated throughout the U.S., including Wisconsin.  Through the month of February, the Wisconsin Historical Society features the exhibit “Lead Between the Rhymes: Celebrating Over 50 Years of Hip Hop Culture in Wisconsin,” part of a documentary project by Pyramidal Productions.  Curators Menkhu Ara Maat and Greg Doby joined the Monday Buzz on February 23, 2026. Menkhu Ara Maat(photo courtesy Pyramidal Productions) Greg “G!Nx” Doby(photo courtesy Pyramidal Productions) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Lead Between the Rhymes: 50 Years of Hip Hop in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · UW African American Studies Student Symposium 2026 On February 27th from 8:00 am to 4:00 PM the University of Wisconsin Madison, Department of African American Studies will hold its 2026 student symposium. It’s an all-day affair taking place at the UW Madison Memorial Union’s Tripp Commons. Professor Max Felker-Kantor and undergraduate students Heaven Williams and Sophia Grigsby joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 23, 2026. Heaven Williams(photo courtesy Hope Kelham) Sophia Grigsby(photo courtesy University of Wisconsin-Madison) Max Felker-Kantor(photo courtesy University of Wisconsin-Madison) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post UW African-American Studies Student Symposium 2026 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · A Good Clerk is Hard to Find Alex Shur (photo by Nicholas Wootton) Between April, 2025 and February, 2026, thirteen towns, villages and cities in Wausau County, Wisconsin lost their municipal clerks due to retirement, only to have the new replacements resign within a few months.  That kind of turnover wreaks havoc on all kinds of functions for small communities, ranging from issuing dog licenses to running local, state and federal elections.  Votebeat Wisconsin's Alex Shur has dug into why nobody wants to be the town clerk anymore, and he joined the Monday Buzz on February 23, 2026. Photo of Wausau Town Hall (Wikideas1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post A Good Clerk is Hard to Find appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 chemically similar, heavy metals, that are used for many high-tech and sustainable energy applications.  Despite what their name would suggest, they are relatively abundant.  But refining the minerals from disperse ore deposits takes large amounts of energy and produces large quantities of sometimes hazardous waste.  Julie Klinger, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at UW-Madison, joins the Thursday edition of the 8 O'Clock Buzz to talk about the present status of rare earth mineral mining, and the possibility of reclaiming the minerals from existing mine tailings in the U.S. Photo by USGS on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Not-So-Rare Earth Minerals appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Dwight Hayes, serial entrepreneur, proud father and husband, and 2026 City of Madison Black History Month Honoree joins us to talk about his businesses and being a Black entrepreneur in Madison, eating right and being healthy, fatherhood, coaching basketball, horoscopes, and much more! Information on Dwight's honor from the city: https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district17/blog/2026-02-15/celebrating-february-2026-as-black-history-month-in-the-city-of Information on his newest endeavor, House of Healing Health and Wellness: https://www.h3w.store/ Information on Hayes Place and event space: https://hayesplace.net/  Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up March 19th!  Get on the list for more training to get in to the trades coming up soon! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21993181/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Going Hard Against the Narratives appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Reports from Palestine’s West Bank While the world has focused on Israel's invasion and occupation of the Gaza Strip, other disputed territories on Israel's borders have started heating up.  Last week, the Israeli government approved a land registration system to facilitate new settlements in the West Bank.  The Palestinian Authority decried the move, calling it a de-facto annexation of the disputed territory and a violation of international law.  For its part, Israeli authorities state the registration system is an administrative measure of little consequence.   A delegation of West Bank observers, Brenna Cussen Anglada, co-founder St. Isidore Catholic Worker Farm, Eli Newell, Field Organizer with IfNotNow and Ziv Scher, activist and native of East Jerusalem, joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 16, 2026. Map of West Bank in Palestine (Image by TUBS, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Reports from Palestine’s West Bank appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode 5 Madison's Nicole Gruter has been travelling the historic U.S. Highway 14, bringing us the stories of those who live along the iconic road.  This time around, she brings us a report from Mankato, Minnesota, where we meet the generous chef and punk rocker “Dagger Chuck.” Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode 5 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · New Madison City Clerk Has Hands Full with Election Prep Lydia McComas, Madison's new City Clerk has only been on the job for seven months, but she already has her hands full.  McComas' predecessor, Maribeth Witzel-Behl, resigned in April of 2025 amid investigations into 193 misplaced and uncounted absentee ballots in the November, 2024 elections.  Since then, Witzel-Behl and the City of Madison, in response to a lawsuit by disenfranchised voters, have made the novel argument that absentee voting is a privilege, not a right.  Meanwhile, on February 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE Act, which, if approved by the U.S. Senate, would require proof of U.S. citizenship before registering to vote.  To top it all off, President Trump has spoken of trying to nationalize the election process in states like Wisconsin and has threatened to send Department of Homeland Security agents to the polls, allegedly to conduct sweeps for undocumented immigrants.  So, with all that background, we thought we'd check in with Lydia McComas, and see how the city's getting ready for what promises to be a rollercoaster of an election season.  Lydia McComas spoke with Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 16, 2026. Madison City Clerk Lydia McComas(Photo courtesy Lydia McComas) City of Madison polling place (photo by Chali Pittman / WORT News) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post New Madison City Clerk has Hands Full with Election Prep appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Jackie Brodean joins us in studio, dressed to the nines, to announce his upcoming birthday celebration and to talk Black History Month, Black Love, and much more on this Valentines Day Buzz! Catch special guest Oran Juice Jones and more at Jackie's “Grown and Sexy” birthday bash at Hayes Place on February 21st! Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check out working in the trades with Foundations for For The Trades info sessions (8 training course) on Wednesday (2/11) at 10AM and 3PM at Urban League on Park St: https://ulgm.org/events/foundations-for-the-trades-information-session-no-appointment-needed/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up in March! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21957743/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Can We Add More Black History? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Combo Noir Says “To Hell With Love” Saint Valentine, the patron saint of epileptics and beekeepers, was beheaded at the hands of Roman Centurions on February 14, 225.  For reasons no-one really understands – maybe because birds were once thought to pair up in mid-February – or perhaps because modern greeting card companies needed to make money – St. Valentine's feast day has become associated with romance and love.  Madison's slinky blues/soul outfit Combo Noir isn't buying the whole Valentine's Day nonsense.  They're presenting “To Hell With Love” at the North Street Cabaret on February 14th.  Lead singer Anna Purnell joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 9, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Combo Noir Says, “To Hell with Love” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Magdalena Coline: A Life Beyond Slavery Daniel Lord Smail(photo courtesy Princeton University Press) Although the concept of slavery has existed, to some extent, throughout recorded history, the institution took on new dimensions in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, when it was transplanted to the Americas. Slavery in the United States of America marked the first time, slavery became institutionalized as an immutable condition of race, slaves were reduced to mere property, with no inherent rights at all, and with no chance of emancipation.   In medieval Europe, whether or not someone could be considered a slave was far more nuanced than commonly thought.   In his new book, Magdalena Coline: A Life Beyond Mediterranean Slavery, Harvard University historian Daniel Smail digs deep into the peculiar history of a captured Berber woman living in Marseille in the 1300s who successfully sued her former slaveowner in court.  Daniel Smail joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 9, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Magdalena Coline: A Life Beyond Slavery appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · WI Democracy Campaign on Protecting 2026 Elections Nick Ramos(photo courtesy wisdc.org) Last week, President Donald Trump continued to throw shade at election officials in traditionally Democratic states. On Monday, February 2nd, Trump told former FBI director turned podcaster Dan Bongino that “Republicans should take over the voting in at least 15 places.” Two days later, Trump told NBC news reporter Tom Llamas that he would accept the results of the midterm elections “only if they're honest,” and renewed calls for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Integrity or SAVE Act, currently pending in Congress. In other comments, Trump has threatened to send I.C.E agents to polling places, ostensibly to make sure non-citizens do not vote. While the Constitution grants states the right to manage elections, Trump's rhetoric has many on edge. Is Wisconsin ready for whatever the federal government does this November?  Nick Ramos, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign joined the Monday Buzz on February 9, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post WI Democracy Campaign on Protecting 2026 Elections appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

David Crowley, the current Milwaukee County Executive, joins host Eli Wilz to discuss his candidacy for the Democratic gubernatorial primary to be held in August of this year.  David was previously elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature and served for three years before winning the County Executive race in Milwaukee.  In his interview on the 8 O'Clock Buzz, Crowley emphasized that affordable housing, health, safety and concern for the environment would be key issues that he would address if elected governor.  Photo by Connor Betts on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Governor’s Race – David Crowley appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Living at 10,000 feet elevation in bitterly cold weather can have its challenges.  Christine Verdico, Electronics Engineering Technician at UW-Madison, joins host Eli Wilz to talk about her participation in a research project in Antarctica, from where she recently returned.  Christine lived for over two months at the Amundson-Scott South Pole Station where the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is located which was developed by the UW-Madison, Physical Science Lab.  The project searches for subatomic particles called neutrinos which provide information to probe astrophysical sources like exploding stars and phenomena involving black holes. Image by Michele Pitzel from Pixabay Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post In From The Cold appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi, talking about beautiful alchemy, taking adversity and doing good with it.  In the first half, Dr Kim Whitmore joins us to talk about the pain of losing a child and her work channeling that pain into helping others.  In the second half, Dee Star from OuttaDeeBox Podcast joins us to talk about his honor today from the city of Sun Prairie, joined by Kingston Robertson from Holy Godz Clothing to talk about coming from incarceration to business and giving back to the community, plus a quick call from Jackie Brodean! More information about the 7th annual Alana Rose Foundation Butterfly Ball coming up on February 22nd at Monona Terrace: https://www.alanarose.org/annual-butterfly-ball  More information about Dee Star, and to listen and Subscribe to OuttaDeeBox Podcast: https://outtadeeboxpodcast.buzzsprout.com/  To learn more about Kingston and Holy Godz Clothing: https://www.holygodz.store/  Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (starting in February!), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up in March! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21922107/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Beautiful Alchemy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · Yid Vicious Celebrates 30 Years: Live on the Monday Buzz On Friday, February 2, 1996, – Groundhog Day – Madison found itself in the grip of an Arctic outbreak that saw 10 inches of snow falling and record low temperatures across Wisconsin.  In the tiny Mother Fool's Coffee House on Williamson Street, a fledgling local klezmer band decided not to cancel their debut concert, despite the raging blizzard outside.  Thus was born Yid Vicious, who thirty years later, have become a musical staple of the Madison scene and international stars on the world klezmer circuit.  Yid Vicious will celebrate their 30th Anniversary Kleztacular at the Harmony Bar on Saturday, February 7th.  But first, they joined the Monday Buzz for a live performance in the WORT studios. Yid Vicious live in the WORT studios. From L to R: Greg Smith – clarinet, Anna Purnell – trumpet, Kia Karlen – French horn, David Spies – tuba, Daithi Wolfe – violin, Geoff Brady – tambourine.(Photo by Nicholas Wootton) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Yid Vicious Celebrates 30 Years: Live on the Monday Buzz appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · Historical Perspective on National Guard and Federal Agents Historian John W. Hall(photo courtesy wisc.edu) On Saturday, January 24th, U.S. Border Patrol agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Guttierez shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti dead in the streets of the Whittier Neighborhood of South Minneapolis.  The shooting marked the 9th person who has died at the hands of ICE or CPB agents, or in ICE custody so far, nationwide, this year.  In response to the Pretti shooting,  Governor Tim Walz has deployed 1,500 Minnesota National Guard troops to the Twin Cities.  The state has deployed Guard troops to federal buildings.  So far, the Guard troops have tried to distinguish themselves from federal DHS agents by wearing high-visibility vests and providing coffee and donuts to protestors.  Nonetheless, the presence of Minnesota armed troops and heavily armed federal officers raises fears of conflict between the two.  John W. Hall is the Ambrose-Hesseltine Professor of Military History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 2, 2026 to give us a historical perspective of the relationship between state troops and the federal government. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Historical Perspective on National Guard and Federal Agents appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · MN Immigrant Rights Activists at Center of Resistance to ICE Uff Da sign: Protest against I.C.E., downtown Minneapolis 1/23/2026.(Photo by Fibonacci Blue, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) In a recent visit to Minneapolis, U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance expressed surprise at the level of what he called “chaos” in the Twin Cities, compared with other Department of Homeland Security actions in Los Angeles and Chicago.  Minnesota's stiff community resistance to the invasion of their neighborhoods by heavily armed federal agents comes after years of preparation.  Monday Buzz host Brian Standing spoke with Erika Zurawski, co-founder of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition, about why Minnesotans were ready for this moment. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post MN Immigrant Rights Activists at Center of Resistance to I.C.E. appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Cheshire Cat Comedy Sends Out 2025 With a Laugh Well, 2025 has been, to put it mildly, quite a year.  With everything that has gone on since January, many of us could use a decent laugh.  Madison troupe Cheshire Cat Comedy has just the medicine you need with two upcoming shows: “Year in Review” on Boxing Day, December 26 at the Forward Club at Breese Stevens Field and an “Ugly Sweater Party,” the following day on December 27th at the Hotel Indigo.  Cheshire Cat Comedy impresario Sasha Rogers joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on December 22, 2025. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Cheshire Cat Comedy Closes Out 2025 with a Laugh appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · The Absence of Reality E. Hughes(photo courtesy ehughesbooks.com) At the end of  Lewis Carroll's 1871 children's novel, “Through the Looking Glass,” Carroll's heroine, Alice, asks her cat, Kitty, an important question about her recent escapade across a giant chessboard: “Now, Kitty, let’s consider who it was that dreamed it all. …You see, Kitty, it must have been either me or the Red King. He was part of my dream, of course — but then I was part of his dream, too! was it the Red King, Kitty?”  The idea that we are all living in a dream, known as the “simulation hypothesis,” dates back to ancient Chinese, Indian, Greek and Aztec philosophy, but received new life in 2003 when Nick Bostrom argued that we were all living in a giant computer simulation.  E. Hughes has built a career not only as a poet and science fiction author, but also as a philosopher of metaphysics.  Her new book “The Absence of Reality: Aphorisms and Observations on the Nature of Reality and Existence” explores this idea.  E. Hughes joined the Monday Buzz on December 22, 2025. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post “The Absence of Reality” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Wisconsin DHS Breaks Ranks with CDC on Hepatitis Vaccine Dr. Ryan Westergaard(Photo courtesy University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine) Back in June, U.S. Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy, Junior abruptly dismissed all of the members of the Center for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, and installed a new panel of vaccine skeptics.  The medical community responded with dismay, warning that the new appointees could upend decades of scientific consensus about vaccinations.  Those warnings were proven justified on December 5, when the reconstituted ACIP voted 8-3 to end the CDC's 30-year old recommendation that all infants receive the Hepatitis B vaccine.  Here in Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services has broken ranks with the CDC and continues to recommend the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.  Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing to explain the decision. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Wisconsin DHS Breaks Ranks with CDC on Hepatitis Vaccine appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Antoine McNeail flying solo, no guest means a grab bag show, caller shout-outs and talk about parenting and watching kids fly off on their own! More information on Black Men Coalition's “Revitalize Gala” on December 19th at Edgewater: https://www.bmcdc.org/local-community-events  Catch Antoine headlining “‘'Twas the Vibe Before Christmas” at Forward Club December 20th, more information at https://cheshirecatcomedy.com/  Check out Heart Healing Art on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Heart-Healing-Art-61550543187291/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/ for info on computer skills training for adults (classes starting December 19th!), resume and job seeking workshops, information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, home ownership clinics, marketplace every Saturday at The Hub, and much more!  Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21684796/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Let Your Kids Go Where They Want to Go appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Learn about a Wisconsin organic farm that embodies the spirit of getting back to nature completely, by farming in the nude. For this portion of the Dec. 15 Access Hour, host Nicholas Wootton replays a report he recorded for the Friday Eight o’Clock Buzz in 2007. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Access Hour: Nude Organic Farming appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On the Access Hour, host Nicholas Wootton presents a 20-minute sound collage feature recordings of the ride along with portions of interviews with people who do the ride and have felt empowered by the experience. All photos courtesy Windmiller Media. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Access Hour: The World Naked Bike Ride appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Nicholas Wootton Previews His All Nude Access Hour Lacking fur or feathers, yet having migrated to places like – say Wisconsin, where the windchill has sat at 15 below zero Fahrenheit the last few days – humans have developed a habit peculiar in the animal kingdom: the practice of wearing clothes.  Since at least the 1700s, some thinkers and activists have rebelled against the taboo against public nudity, creating nudist or naturalist colonies, practices and events.  Monday Buzz producer Nicholas Wootton hosts an Access Hour looking at the current practice of nudism, on December 15, 2025, right here on WORT at 7:00 p.m.  Nicholas joined the Monday Buzz on the mike on the morning of December 15. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Nudism in the Twenty First Century appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Pulaski High School Journalists Cover the Local Beat Named after Revolutionary War General and founder of the U.S. Cavalry Casimir Pulaski, the Village of Pulaski sits 20 miles northeast of Green Bay.  Known for its annual Polka Days festival, the village of 3700 people has lacked a commercial newspaper since the Tri-County News folded in the 1930s.  To fill the gap, Pulaski High School students began publishing the Pulaski News in 1942.  Ever since then, the paper, now the oldest student-run community paper in the nation, serves as the Pulaski area's official paper of record, and continues to serve as a training ground for professional journalists.  Madelyn Rybak, Pulaski high school senior and student journalist, Bob Van Enkenvoort, faculty advisor to the Pulaski News and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former Pulaski High student, Jacqui Banaszynski all joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on December 15, 2025. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Pulaski High School Students Cover the Local Beat appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Building a Better John Nolen Drive If you're thinking of travelling on Madison's John Nolen Drive lately, well… don't.  The City of Madison has just started a nine month long project to renovate its iconic – some might say notorious – urban highway along the shore of Lake Monona.  The roadway is down to one lane in each direction.  What can Madisonians expect with the completion of the project?  On the 12/15/2025 Buzz, we had Aaron Canton of the City of Madison Engineering Department and Tom Mohr of the City of Madison Traffic Engineering to tell us more. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Building a Better John Nolen Drive appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

If that is the question, definitely tuba.  Dave Spies and members of the TubaChristmas orchestra join host Tony Castañeda and the Thursday 8 O'Clock Buzz, live at the WORT studio, to talk about the free brass performance coming to town.  It doesn't matter if you're naughty or nice, you can attend this event which is in its 25th year for the capital city.  The concert will take place Saturday, December 13, in the Capitol Rotunda.  Tuba and euphonium players are once again invited to participate in this year's concert, with expected participation between 250 and 300 players.  Registration is from noon until 1:00 PM at First Methodist Church on Wisconsin Ave., rehearsal is from 1:00 until 2:00 PM, and the performance will take place after that at 2:30 PM in the capitol.  They'll be making a list and checking it twice, so if you are a non-valved, brass instrument musician, or you just want to hear some holiday music, plan tuba there. Photo by Brian Matangelo on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Tuba, or Not Tuba appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Whale Species Spotted for First Time You might think that human beings have explored every inch of the planet earth, and that few mysteries remain.  Yet, the earth, especially its oceans, are almost unimaginably vast and continue to yield surprises.  In 2024, a joint research expedition involving Oregon State University and the U.S. Navy witnessed a species of beaked whale never before seen by humans in the wild.  Dead Ginkgo-Toothed Beaked Whales had occasionally washed up on Pacific shores, but until last year, no one had ever seen one alive.  Elizabeth Henderson is a bioacoustic scientist with the U.S. Naval Information Warfare Center, was onboard the research vessel “Pacific Storm” for the discovery, and is the lead author of the research article published in the journal “Marine Mammal Science.”  Elizabeth Henderson joined the Monday Buzz on December 8, 2025. A young adult male ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (#2b, lower left) swims along with the same adult male (#2a, upper right) from Figures 3 and 4. The erupted tooth of the younger individual is just visible (arrow, inset), and it does not have white scar tissue around it or bruising, presumably because it has not been fighting with other males yet; the lips on the lower jaw are just starting to turn white. (Photo by C. Hayslip.) Locations of confirmed stranded or fishery-caught ginkgo-toothed beaked whales in the North Pacific Ocean (in purple triangles; from Bachara et al. 2023; Marine Mammals Database ;Bradford 2018; Dalebout et al. 2008, 2014; Moore and Gilmore 1965), acoustic-only detections of BW43 echolocation pulses (in blue; from Barlow et al. 2022; Baumann-Pickering et al. 2014; Fregosi et al. 2020; Simonis et al. 2020; Henderson et al. 2022, 2024), and the acoustic detections and sightings from this study (in red). Note that the two strandings in the Galapagos Islands in green squares have been published (Palacios 1996; Palacios et al. 2004) but are not genetically confirmed. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Whale Species Spotted in Wild for First Time appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · Wisconsin Congressional Maps Go to Court Shawn Johnson in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio) In December of 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that state legislature district maps adopted in 2022 violated the state constitution.  That decision led to a compromise between the GOP-led state legislature and Democratic Governor Tony Evers on new maps, which took effect for the 2024 legislative elections.  At the time, the court left alone Wisconsin's district maps for the U.S. House of Representatives, which favors Republicans over Democrats by a margin of 6 to 2. Now, however, a second lawsuit challenging the state's congressional maps has made it to the state supreme court.   On November 25, the Supreme Court appointed two panels, consisting of three county judges apiece, to review the state's congressional district boundaries.  Wisconsin Public Radio's Capitol Bureau Chief, Shawn Johnson, joined Monday 8 O’Clock Buzz host Brian Standing on December 8, 2025. Wisconsin Congressional districts, 118th U.S. Congress.(image Twotwofourtysix, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Wisconsin Congressional Maps Go to Court appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Host Tony Castañeda speaks with some of the original staff and volunteers who worked at WORT at the dawn of its existence.  Mike DeMark, former audio engineer, Glenn Silber, film producer instrumental in getting WORT started, and Kevin “Peach” Dunleavy, one of the original DJs, talk about their experiences with WORT fifty years ago.  Time has flown by for all of them but they have fond memories of the people and events that provided the foundation for our community radio station. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post WORT OG 1975 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT's journey into a half a century on the radio hasn't been without some bumps along the road. The station continues to face new challenges as it prepares for its next 50 years. WORT Board of Directors President Grant Foster joins us for an explanation of where WORT is headed in its immediate future. The post WORT's Present and Future with Board President Grant Foster appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT's radio bubble at 89 megahertz has now traveled 50 light years from earth. That means that denizens of the Eyeball Planet are just now hearing WORT's inaugural broadcast from December First, 1975. Astronomer Charles Cadieux tells us where exoplanet 1140b got its nickname, and what kind of critters our newest extraterrestrial listeners might be. The post WORT Greets Denizens of “the Eyeball Planet” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Fifty years ago, WORT hit the airwaves for the first time. Engineer and editor John Wilson takes us on a tour of some of the wild and wooly highlights of our first half-century. The post Fifty Years of WORT Weirdness appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, on Tara's birthday-eve, some serious talk about dealing with the season, and talking about what we've got to be thankful for! The post Champagne Problems appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Performance artist and roving reporter Nicole Gruter joins us again with more tales from the road. The post Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode Four appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

While the state legislature continues to dither on renewing the state stewardship fund, the Cherish Fund tries to plug the gap for conservation. We'll talk with the Natural Resources Foundation's Shelly Torkelson and the DNR's Krista Lutzke. The post Cherish Fund Seeks to Fill Gaps in State Conservation appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

A month ago, Votebeat reporter Alex Shur told us how GOP rep Scott Krug was the voice of moderation in the state legislature. Well now, the right wing of the state Republicans are balking at Krug's moderate election reforms. Alex Shur joins us with an update. The post State GOP Balks at Election Reforms appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Wisconsin State legislators have recently passed a bill that would mandate a wolf hunt with a hard cap goal regardless of science, pack health or ecological conditions. Melissa Smith, founding member of Friends for the Wisconsin Wolf speaks with host Tony Castañeda to urge people to get in touch with government officials to put a stop to these senseless proposals. The post Crying Wolf appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Governor House, A/K/A DJ G Money joins us to tell his story, talk business, shout people out, and of course have a few laughs! The post Here's a Shout Out! appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The Madison Public Library is three times as old as WORT, and it's celebrating its 150th anniversary with the art exhibit to end all art exhibits, featuring 150 artists. We'll talk with Bubbler maestros Trent Miller and Carlee Latimer. The post 150 Years X 150 Artists at Madison Public Library appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Iguanas on a Mexican island get a reprieve from extermination. Turns out they're not invasive after all. Organismal biologist Daniel Mulcahy tells us how he saved the day. The post Mexican Island Iguanas Not So Invasive After All appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Wisconsin voters will elect a new governor in 2026, and the race is already on. The Monday Buzz kicks off WORT's election coverage with an interview of Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez. The post Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez has Gubernatorial Aspirations appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Michael O'Meara has written a poignant memoir, The Long Return, about his experiences as a young draftee in the Vietnam War, and the reception he received on his return back home.  The post Staying Alive appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

With a tentative cease-fire, contaminate water and soil, and unexploded bombs scattered throughout Gaza, the Palestinians are struggling to recover. It is estimated that 1.9 million people were displaced by […] The post Event on 11/13 Supports the Middle East Children's Alliance appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

James Crall, Assistant Professor of Entomology at UW-Madison, talks about some of his studies on “Bee Health and Behavior Under Anthropogenic Stressors”. So while past agricultural insecticides, like DDT, effects […] The post Investigating Bee Health and Behavior Affected by Agricultural Chemica... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Global warming, lost habitat, and environmental toxins are just some of the assaults on animal, bird, and insect species around the world. Drs. Paul Sondel and Ann Behrmann from Physicians […] The post Remembrance of Lost Species — PSR Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Founder and CEO of FOSTER of Dane County, and mother to the community, Jackie Hunt joins us to talk about helping each other and keeping the community together, persevering through adversity, her new book, cuffing season, and more! The post Take Your Mess and Turn It Into a Message appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

A new book, The Wisconsin Whey, explores the world of artisan cheesemaking in the Driftless Zone. Author Kristin Mitchell joins us with more. The post The Wisconsin Whey: Cheesemaking in the Driftless appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The Wisconsin DNR is trying to count all the black bear dens in the state, and they need your help. We'll talk with research scientist Erin Morrison. The post Tracking Bears in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.