A Public Affair

Grant Foster and Tom Lynch take a deep dive into Madison transportation policies like Vision Zero, the history of Madison's transportation department, and what could come next for the BRT line. The post The Past and Future of Madison Transportation appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, guest host Jonathan Pollack speaks with local non-profit leaders, Michelle Orge of Second Harvest, Jackie Anderson of Feeding Wisconsin, and Ellen Carlson of WayForward Resources about growing food insecurity in Southwest Wisconsin. The post Hunger Makes Everything Harder appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, journalist Isabeau Doucet shares how one state made an investment in universal childcare and changed its entire economy. The post A Proven Model of Universal Childcare Exists appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Esty Dinur speaks with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson about the decline of the American empire. Wilkerson says that on both the global and domestic fronts, the nation is doing very badly.  The post Trading Civil Liberties for Fascism appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Allen Ruff speaks with longtime friend of the show Matt Rothschild who has been sounding the alarm about Trump since his first term as president. The post Surprised by the Speed of Trumpism appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ali Muldrow is joined by State Representative Francesca Hong and Angela Lang to break down how the state and federal budgets will impact Wisconsinites. The post State and Federal Budget Debrief with Rep. Hong and Angela Lang appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

To talk about spiking demand for gun ownership and gun education, especially among queer-centered self-defense organizations, guest host Matvei Mozhaev is joined by Youtuber, Tacticool Girlfriend. The post Beyond Firearms: Reimagining the Defense of Marginalized Communities appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Guest John Sanbonmatsu says that there's a better way to be on this planet than approaching animals with dominion and violence. The post You Can't Have Your Meat and Your Conscience Too appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Norman Stockwell sits in for Allen Ruff today to debrief with Annelle Sheline of the Quincy Institute. They talk about Trump's decision to bomb Iran and the history of the US's intervention in the Middle East that got us here today.  The post Middle East Expert puts US Bombing of Iran in Perspective appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

To talk about the status of reproductive rights, host Ali Muldrow is joined by Analiese Eicher of Planned Parenthood, Wisconsin.  The post A Win for Reproductive Freedom in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Christina Lieffring speaks with Clay Risen about his new book, Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, in which he shows that the movement was much bigger than one industry or one man. The post When progressive ideas about government became anti-American appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

To talk about the ways that climate change is affecting rural communities in Alaska, host Douglas Haynes is joined by ProPublica and KYUK journalist, Emily Schwing. The post Rural Communities in Alaska Face Down Climate Change appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Often we're presented with a very top-down picture of civic infrastructure, but Danny Parker reports from the front lines and focuses on the lived realities of the most vulnerable in our communities. The post Addressing Housing from the Ground Up appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Zoltán Grossman reminds listeners that 1953 was the beginning of the antagonism between the US and Iran and that the oil industry has always driven the US's involvement in the Middle East. The post This War is about Oil appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

To talk about the experiences of youth impacted by the justice system, host Ali Muldrow welcomes back to the show Victor Trillo Jr. and Amy Friedman, to talk about the collection, Home and Away. The post Lessons from Youth Poets appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Sara Gabler speaks with Stephen Zunes and Negin Owliaei about the rapidly developing situation in Iran. The post The Ongoing Violence of US Empire appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

To make sense of the state budget process, host Douglas Haynes is joined by two veteran journalists, Jessie Opoien and JR Ross. The post State Budget Roundtable with Jessie Opoien and JR Ross appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur speaks with two guests--Elizabeth Minnich and Sam Husseini--about Israel's actions against Palestinians and now Iran. The post How Banality Enables Evil appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Schuyler Mitchell breaks down the recent events in LA, from the growing impunity of ICE and the National Guard to the increasing authoritarianism of the Trump administration. The post Analyzing the LA protests with Truthout reporter Schuyler Mitchell appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ali Muldrow celebrates Pride month with two guests in the studio: Alder Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford and Alder Sean O'Brian, who both serve Madison's east side. The post Adding Tears to the Sparkle of Pride appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Sabrina Madison speaks with two local leaders, Justice Castañeda and Rosa Thompson, about an issue that many folks overlook: the lack of teen-centered spaces in Dane County, especially for Black youth. The post Youth-Centered Spaces Are Missing in Madison appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Host Douglas Haynes speaks with three organizers of the Nourishing Minds, Sustaining Futures Summit about the event's speakers, workshops, and the importance of environmental education.  The post Fostering Food Justice and Outdoor Education appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Bill Gallegos and Aquilina Soriano Versoza highlight the work of immigrant rights activists in light of the ongoing ICE raids in Los Angeles. The post LA Stands Up for Immigrants' Rights appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Allen Ruff speaks with friend of the show, Mouin Rabbani, about Yasser Abu Shabab, the continuing genocide in Gaza, the chaos created by US-backed aid organizations, and more. The post How Aid is Being Weaponized in Gaza appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Matvei Mozhaev speaks with Maria Foscarinis, a principal architect of the 1987 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the first major piece of federal legislation to address homelessness. The post A Safe, Decent, Affordable Home for Everyone appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Greg Michaud interviews Joe Grande, the Water Resources Manager at Madison Water Utility. They discuss what's in Madison's drinking water and how consumers can have confidence in their tap water. The post What's in Madison's Water? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Douglas Haynes unpacks the future of AI in the state of Wisconsin with Brett Korte and Lorena Jaume-Palasí. The post AI Data Centers are Coming to Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Economist Richard D. Wolff joins host Esty Dinur to talk about the state of the American empire and the state of independent media. The post Media in the time of the American Empire's Decline appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today Allen Ruff sits in the guest seat and is interviewed by Bert Zipperer about his life and the history of WORT. The post True Community is a Subversive Thing appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Yuri Rashkin is joined by independent journalist Jonathan Fink to break down the recent development in the war in Ukraine. The post Life Lived on the Edge of Freedom appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Sara Gabler speaks with sociologist Dr. Ruth Braunstein about money and morality and how people invest a lot of symbolic value (in addition to material value) in the act of tax paying. The post On the Morality of Taxpaying appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Journalist Bennet Goldstein discusses the ways that people are living with beavers and learning how to mitigate floods and drought from them. The post Building Symbiotic Relationships with Beavers appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is joined by two representatives from Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) to talk about the Point Beach Nuclear Reactor in Two Rivers, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. The post Resisting Nuclear Energy in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Allen Ruff speaks with three solidarity activists who recently returned from Cuba as part of a delegation to Santiago de Cuba called Levantate por Cuba. The post An Update from Cuba appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

As the average price of a home soars to ~$500K, the number of kids experiencing homelessness in Madison is growing. Today we're picking up that theme with Karla Thennes of Porchlight and Jen Ripp of Briarpatch Youth Services. The post Focus on Housing with Briarpatch Youth Services and Porchlight appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Richelle Wilson is joined by journalist Amy Larocca to talk about the world of wellness and her new book, How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time. The post How Health Became a Luxury Product appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Douglas Haynes is joined by journalist Molly Parker to talk about the erosion of educational access in rural areas and the value of regional universities. The post The Crises of Regional Colleges and Universities appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is joined by two legal experts from Earthjustice–Andre Segura and Stefanie Tsosie–to talk about the Trump administration's attacks on the environment.  The post “You can't put the oil back in the pipeline” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Social critic Henry Giroux discusses what he calls the “politics of cleansing,” the multi-pronged offensive currently being waged against civil liberties, dissent, and ultimately democracy by “American-style fascism.” The post How to Build Civic Courage with Henry Giroux appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Continuing the show's focus on the arts as an antidote in times of political turmoil, today Ali Muldrow joined by local poet Nate Marshall to talk about his most recent collection, Finna. The post The role of the artist is to sing appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show we're rebroadcasting an interview from 2019 in which outgoing News Director Chali Pittman interviewed Ada Deer, the late Native American social worker, activist, professor, lobbyist, and author. The post Rebroadcast of a Conversation with Ada Deer appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Douglas Haynes speaks with Dr. Michelle Robinson about the Madison Forward Fund 2.0, the guaranteed income program that will focus on maternal-child health and support 42 families. The post Guaranteed Income Helps People Put One Foot Forward appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Esty Dinur speaks with three panelists taking part in a program next week to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity. They discuss seed sovereignty, wild rice, and the legacies of colonialism. The post A Conversation on Seeds, Stories, and Solidarity appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Allen Ruff speaks with Nancy J. Altman about the status of Social Security under the Trump administration. The post Social Security Is Affordable and Popular appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

To talk about Madison's housing situation and what local and state governments can do about it, host Ali Muldrow is joined by Senator Kelda Roys. The post We've Got To Live Together appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Alder Isadore Knox Jr. hosts a roundtable discussion on Black political leadership in Madison with Richard V. Brown Sr., Sheri Carter, and Amani Latimer Burris. The post Roundtable on Black Leadership in Madison appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Host Douglas Haynes is joined by Corrine Hendrickson and Ruth Schmidt, two child care professionals and advocates, to talk about how Wisconsin needs to invest in child care. The post Rebroadcast: Status of Childcare in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Journalist Adam Federman joins us to unpack the long history of the US expansionist desire to buy Greenland. The post Why Is Trump Still So Interested in Greenland? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

David McNally reflects on Donald Trump's first 100-ish days in office, from attacks on immigrants, trade, DEI, and more. The post Neoliberalism on Steroids appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ali Muldrow speaks with Dr. Eve L. Ewing, who argues that instead of creating equal opportunities, the American education system perpetuates inequality. The post What are schools for? A Conversation with Eve L. Ewing appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Host Sara Gabler speaks with author, scholar, and prominent TikToker Dan McClellan about his new book, The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) about Scripture's Most Controversial Issues. The post How to put data over dogma appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.