Live from Cap Times Idea Fest

Cap Times Investigative Reporter Katelyn Ferral sat down with three journalism leaders and researchers to discuss what news outlets should do stay credible in an age of “alternative facts.” Support the show.

In 1979, The Progressive magazine gained national attention as the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. government seeking to prevent the magazine from publishing the “secret” of the hydrogen bomb, though all the information was already publicly available. Bill Lueders, editor of The Progressive, spoke with key people involved in the article about the lessons to be learned from their experience. Support the show.

This year's Cap Times Idea Fest included a meditation on the state of the union -- not with a speech delivered by the president, but with a conversation among an all-star roster of Washington Post journalists. Support the show.

Seattle, while booming, has also become a cautionary tale for cities like Madison: Even as its economy thrives, it's suffering from rocketing housing prices and rates of homelessness. Support the show.

What happens when predominantly white, non-disabled theater companies try to diversify the stories they tell and artists they work with? What are the considerations for directors and actors? What are the challenges, rewards and potential pitfalls when theaters make deliberate moves to tell a wider range of stories? Support the show.

Conventional wisdom has it that American politics is increasingly driven by extremists on either end of the spectrum. But is that true? Support the show.

John Nichols talks with two federal judges about their perspective on what decarceration could look like in Wisconsin. Support the show.

Thanks to companies like Epic Systems and a bevy of other startups, Madison is gaining a reputation as a hub of health care information technology. Support the show.

In 2017, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson visited the first-ever Cap Times Idea Fest in 2017 for a one-on-one that heavily focused on foreign affairs and immigration policy. In 2019, Johnson made his return to the fest for round two. Support the show.

Enacted in 2018, Act 185 forces the eventual closure of Wisconsin’s troubled Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons, to be replaced by smaller county-run facilities to promote a closer-to-home model. On this episode, a talk on that transformation with youth justice advocates. Support the show.

Election Day 2020 is still over a year away, but the buzz about how it could play out already seems to be at fever pitch. That's why at this year's Cap Times Idea Fest, Cap Times Opinion Editor Jessie Opoien sat down with a group of political observers and operatives to have a talk about the outlook for the year ahead. Support the show.

Should legal marijuana come to Wisconsin? by Live from Cap Times Idea Fest Support the show.

Chloe Benjamin says she first realized her career as a writer was undergoing a profound change when she was able to quit her day job after selling her second novel to a publisher. It wasn't until the book came out that she realized just how drastic that change would be: "The Immortalists" was an instant hit, earning her late-night television appearances and a spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. Benjamin, a Madison resident, spoke with Cap Times editor Chris Murphy about her writing for this year's Idea Fest. In their conversation, they talk about the research she does for her novels, the influence Wisconsin has had on her writing, how she feels about TV and movie adaptations of books, and her recent fascination with revisiting young adult novels. Support the show.

David Maraniss talks with Julian and Joaquin Castro about their childhood in Texas, their history in city and federal politics, their takes on the Democratic primaries, and the current landscape of politics in their home state. Support the show.

It's time for another season of Live from Cap Times Idea Fest Support the show.

Dane County has been grappling with findings published in the Race to Equity report about profound levels of racial disparities in the area. At one Idea Fest panel, the question at hand was, what can the private sector do to help? Support the show.

Wisconsin is a state proud of its natural resources, but the way that its residents access and engage with the environment changes is by no means equal. Support the show.

The CEO of Exact Sciences talks with biotech journalist Luke Timmerman about his own journey from electrical engineering into the life sciences, the ups and downs of his company, and the current state of cancer research and detection. Support the show.

2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the breakthrough research on stem cells by researchers led by James Thomson at UW-Madison. In this conversation, stem cell experts discuss how the “stem cell revolution” have played out. Support the show.

Especially in the wake of the election of Donald Trump, the trustworthiness and reliability of the news media has emerged as a focal point of political dialogue in the U.S. In an age of "fake news," declining revenues for legacy outlets and a new digital media landscape, it raises the question: what media should I trust? Support the show.

At the Cap Times Idea Fest, Millennials who have found success as entrepreneurs, consultants and business leaders gathered to talk about what they think the city and the state is doing right, and what it needs to do differently, to retain and attract younger demographics. Support the show.

A former community leader reflects on his eight years at the helm of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. Support the show.

Cap Times reporter Abby Becker leads a talk with two analysts and the head of the statewide firefighters union about the roles firefighters play today in Wisconsin communities. Support the show.

News editor Jason Joyce leads a panel about youth incarceration, restorative justice, and how juvenile justice is handled as a political issue in Wisconsin. Support the show.

Washington Post associate editor David Maraniss sits down with Jim Doyle, Wisconsin's former governor and attorney general, for a conversation on gun control, criminal justice and state elections. Support the show.

Three former student athletes grapple with the role of athletes in a multi-billion dollar college sports industry. Support the show.

Marquette University Law School pollster Charles Franklin breaks down the latest numbers on midterm elections, approval ratings and more. Support the show.

Three Wisconsin mayors talk about what it means to them to lead locally. Support the show.

David Axelrod, Barbara Lawton, Dan Balz and David Maraniss talk about midterm elections, Supreme Court nomination proceedings, and the role of money in politics in 2018. Support the show.

Cap Times editors John Nichols and Dave Zweifel look back at the legacies of William T. Evjue and Ed Garvey. Support the show.

Wisconsin's longest-serving governor shares stories from his political career. Support the show.

Deb Carey talks about how New Glarus Brewing has evolved into a Wisconsin cultural institution. Support the show.

In today's episode of the podcast, five women talk about the fear and struggle that's lined their road to success. Support the show.

Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison executive director Dan Brown talks about his nation's efforts to preserve its heritage. Support the show.

In this episode, Sen. Amy Klobuchar talks about what it's like to have a former Saturday Night Live cast member as your counterpart in public office. Support the show.

The renowned educational scholar Gloria Ladon-Billings talks about how schools can better serve students of color. Support the show.

Five panelists weigh in on the best case for Wisconsin's future economy. Support the show.

In today's episode of the podcast, Tammy Baldwin talks about how her childhood shaped her politics. Support the show.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson spoke on issues from climate change to Ken Burns documentaries in this Cap Times Idea Fest interview. Support the show.

Washington Post editor Marty Baron talks with Washington Post associate editor David Maraniss on the state of journalism. Support the show.

Washington Post writer Amy Goldstein discusses how the closure of a GM automotive plant in Janesville in 2008 shook the city to its core. Support the show.

Barry Alvarez, the former head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers football team and the current UW-Madison athletics director, talks with Sports Illustrated editor Chris Stone about his time developing the football program and current challenges facing the game. Support the show.

Coming soon: Live from Cap Times idea Fest. Support the show.