8 O'Clock Buzz

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.

Airplanes around the U.S. are grounded as the government shutdown continues. UW Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering Laura Albert joins us to tell us about how this whole system is interconnected, and what to expect next. The post Staffing Shortages May Ground Air Travel Even Post-Shutdown appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Paul DeRienzo, an independent news podcaster, photographer, videographer, and former News Director at WBAI-FM in New York City, joins host Tony Castañeda on the Thursday edition of the 8 O'Clock Buzz to discuss the implications of Zohran Mamdani being elected Mayor of New York City. The post The Mark of Zohran appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, being seriously silly, talk about maintaining positivity and looking past the haters, what to do about federal, state and local budget issues, building personal and community wealth, and of course, Antoine's five heartbeat slide walk in song. The post Can't Throw a Rock at Every Barking Dog or You Won't Reach Your De... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Midwest Mujeres presents its annual storytelling motivational workshop, geared specifically to Black and Latina women. We'll hear from storytellers Jenise Judon and Francelia Lara. The post Midwest Mujeres Presents “Yo Quiero Dinero” Event appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Textile specialist Sophie Pittman teaches us how to find our own quilt, one of a pair of quilt-themed exhibits taking place on the UW campus. The post Find Your Quilt appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ever wonder what's going on under your own skin? “Bodypedia” author Adam Taor joins us for an alphabetical romp through the human body. The post Bodypedia: A Brief Compendium of Human Anatomical Curiosities appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Gustavo Arellano, a Mexican-American writer and columnist with the LA Times, joins Tony Castañeda to talk about his participation in the lecture series, Building Communities of Care and Resilience in Times of Crisis. The post Building Communities of Care and Resistance appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ale Guevara, Communications Director for Voces de la Frontera, speaks with host Tony Castañeda about recent tactics by ICE including the militarization of enforcement and grabbing people from their residences and vehicles, but also the grassroots community organization of resistance to these aggressive policies. The post Invasion of the Body Snatchers appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Jackie “Brodean” Morris, subbing for a sick Antoine, Boys and Girls Club CEO “Money Making” Michael Johnson joins us to talk about working in our community and raising up the community, helping others, navigating negativity, and making sure the community is fed (and just a little bit about Snoop Dogg and Master P on Verzuz.)  … and a last minute call-in from Aracel Esparza! The post Are You in It for the Money, or in It for Community? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Nicole Gruter brings us the latest installment of her travelogue “Finding Home on Highway 14.” But she joins us live from our Madison studio. Did her vehicle break down? Did she find a magical portal that warps time and space? Listen up and find out. The post Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode 3 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Author Katherine Stewart will tell us about her new book, “Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” The post Money, Lies & God appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission appeals a court ruling requiring citizenship checks for voters. And who would have guessed that Representative Scott Krug would become the voice of moderation in the State GOP? Votebeat Wisconsin's Alex Shur joins us with a state elections update. The post Wisconsin Elections Update appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

A study by Jared Abbott from Center for Working Class Politics shows Democrats history on free-trade and other have made the name "toxic" to rust-belt voters. The post How Can Democrats Repair a “Toxic” Brand Name? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Lindsay Koshgarian, Program Director of the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, discusses an October 7 article posted entitled “The Health Care Emergency Behind the Government Shutdown“. […] The post Dangers to Healthcare by the Federal Government Shutdown appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Lesley Johnson, from Madison Herb Society (no!  Not that herb!) joins to talk herbs and […] The post Legalize It? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ho Chunk Elder and storyteller Sherman Funmaker will give us a preview of his story workshop at Meadowridge Library. The post Growing Up Native in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Participating in birding, one of the most popular and fastest-growing outdoor activities in the country, shouldn't depend on being physically abled. Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance's Brenna Marcisek and Birdability's Cat Fribley talk to us about the upcoming Birdability Week. The post Birdability Makes Birding Accessible appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The federal government shutdown enters its fourth week with no end in sight. What's not getting done, and how is the shutdown affecting government workers? We'll talk with Nicole Cantello, EPA scientist and AFGE Local 704 President and with Aryn Melton Backus, a former CDC employee, Executive Director of National Public Health Information Coalition and a member of Fired but Fighting. The post Federal Workers Under Shutdown appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Jennifer Loewenstein, former Mideast lecturer, joins Tony Castañeda to talk about the implementation of a cease fire in Gaza as part of t'Rump's peace-meal plan, which was developed with zero imput from the community in Gaza. The post The Adventures of t'Rump and Bibi Beezelbub appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Sasha Rosser, founder of Cheshire Cat Comedy, talks about the upcoming “Wisconsin Science Festival edition of Words with Nerds“, a juxtapositional event of “scientists hankerin' to be silly”. The event […] The post Cheshire Cat Comedy: Researching the Silly Side of Science appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Sam Rosenthal, Political Director and Researcher at RootsAction, reported in Accuracy.org on a statement signed by 120 prominent Jewish Americans, stating, in part “We write, specifically, as Jewish Americans who […] The post U.S. Jews Oppose Trump's Targeting of Colleges and Students appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, talking about events going on, including Antoine's misunderstood and misinterpreted post over the weekend.  Plus, of course, promoting all the events going on around town! The post Forever Promoting Everywhere appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.