WORT Local News

Here's your local news for Monday, June 2, 2025:We cover the conclusion of the nurses strike at Meriter hospital,Hear what Wisconsin's Congressional Democrats had to say today after they toured an ICE detention facility in Dodge County,Share the local government's busy calendar for the week ahead,Celebrate a media reformer's birthday,Teach you how to make a popular cocktail,Review an Academy Award-winning documentary,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 29, 2025:We outline the spate of proposals in the 2025 Equality Agenda,Learn how to participate in Dane County's new food scraps program,Get the details on MMSD's 2026 budget proposal,Hear how a local nonprofit is faring after the loss of AmeriCorps funding,Share deck safety advice,Dig for historical treasure,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 28, 2025:We hear the potential, local impacts of the Republican budget bill making its way through Congress,Get to know Matt Tucker, director of Madison's Building Inspection Division,Learn how a grassroots movement is working to halt US support of Israel,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1968,And much more.

In this episode:The nurses begin their planned strike at Meriter HospitalDemocratic legislators lay out their budget prioritiesWe hear from Andrew Bahl about his new piece in the Capital Times about AI court interpreters.Activist Bill Hogseth lays out his idea for how to maintain democratic participation.The Milkweed discusses the pitfalls of almost-cheese,And Wildlife Weekly is awash in ducks

Here's your local news for Monday, May 26, 2025:We head downtown for a Memorial Day rally and community gathering,Check in on Madison's Office of the Independent Monitor following their public presentation this weekend,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Mark the anniversary of an uprising in Wales,Teach you how to make a popular cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 22, 2025:We hear state Democrats' proposal to preserve Child Care Counts,Check in on the Pierce County residents challenging a dairy farm's mega-expansion,Meet a candidate running for the vacant seat on the county board,Explain a loophole in Wisconsin's open records law,Prepare for Memorial Day weekend fishing,Get the latest updates from Madison's Flamingos,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 21, 2025:We get the details on Madison's new property tax base report, as city leaders gear up for the next budget process,Meet a candidate running for the vacant seat on the county board,Reflect on the importance of DEI with a national leader in education,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1966,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, May 20, 2025:We head to the Capitol for a press conference demanding action on gun violence,Share the details on a bill that seeks to incentivize film production in Wisconsin,Get the latest updates on sustainability efforts in Dane County,Investigate the "cheese" in Kraft Mac-N-Cheese,Explore how food tours can give local businesses a boost,Share some advice on how to protect bird nests from predators,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, May 19, 2025:We find out how Madison Public Library is celebrating a big anniversary,Hear what rural leaders had to say at a summit this month in Iowa,Get an inside look into the Republican Party of Wisconsin's annual convention this weekend,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Mark the anniversary of a teachers strike in Mexico,Teach you how to make a Prohibition-era cocktail,Review two new features,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 15, 2025:We share an update on a bid to lower the voting age in local school district elections,Learn the long history behind a bill that got bipartisan support this week in the state Legislature,Outline the pros and cons of vinyl siding,Celebrate Madison's newest mural,Get nostalgic with outgoing News Director Chali Pittman,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 14, 2025:We outline the flurry of labor activity in the local healthcare industry,Explore the patchwork of cell phone policies in K-12 schools across the state,Get a live report from a rally at the state Capitol,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1966,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, May 13, 2025:We head downtown to speak with the child care advocates rallying outside the state Capitol,Find out why a local group wants Madison to eliminate parking mandates,Take a look at how federal funding cuts to WIC, SNAP, and other essential programs affect vulnerable people,Debut a new feature that explores how to stand up for democracy,Explain why birds get more aggressive and territorial in the springtime,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, May 12, 2025:We get the details on three criminal justice bills making their way through the state Legislature,Check in with a pair of immigration attorneys three months after President Trump's return to the Oval Office,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Celebrate Stevie Wonder's birthday,Teach you how to make a popular cocktail,Review a new movie,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 8, 2025:We share an inside look into this afternoon's state budget meeting,Outline what happened at yesterday's chaotic public hearing in the Assembly Committee on Judiciary,Hear how a state Democrat is renewing the push for a task force combating violence against Black women,Discuss the ongoing struggle to acquire investigation records from the police,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Check in on Madison's Flamingos,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 7, 2025:We hear how UW-Madison student activists are faring, one year after the Gaza solidarity encampment occupied Library Mall,Learn how the state's budget process works...and get some predictions for the most contentious items this go-around,Discuss an exhibition celebrating Hmong history and resilience,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1969,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, May 6, 2025:We visit a Willy Street business just days after a vehicle collided with their storefront,Learn how a statewide program helps landowners save money and protect the environment,Ask a retired municipal judge for his take on Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest,Share a slew of updates in dairy industry news,Talk meal-planning,Explain how to protect mallard ducks during nesting season,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, May 5, 2025:We head to downtown Madison for this year's Day Without Immigrants march,Learn how the Children's Theater of Madison is taking adults to task in their latest show,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Consider the impacts of a New Deal-era program,Teach you how to make a popular, new age cocktail,Review two movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 1—Local utilities are requesting rate increases, A donation helps Wisconsin Humanities stay afloat, While Dairy Drive is headed for closure this fall due to insufficient funding. Plus, it's May Day, the international celebration of workers, with protests in both Madison and Milwaukee. And our features talk hiring bias, the pros and cons of heat pump water heaters, and dancing around the Maypole.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 30, 2025:We get the details on a proposal responding to the recent rash of attacks on Madison bus drivers,Hear what legal experts have to say about Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest,Discuss the benefits of youth apprenticeships,Explore shifting protest strategies at UW-Madison,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Celebrate the birthday of Madison's longest-serving mayor,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 29, 2025:We outline the findings in an internal investigation of Madison's uncounted absentee ballots last fall,Hear what labor organizers had to say during yesterday's Workers Memorial Day celebration,Get the details on a petition urging the governor to appoint pro-labor representatives to the UW System's Board of Regents,Share the rundown on this year's Cheese Makers convention,Recount the rise and fall of Michael Gableman,Get a springtime status update from the Dane County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 28, 2025:We catch you up on what's happened since Judge Hannah Dugan's high profile arrest on Friday,Find out why Wisconsin joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's anti-DEI orders,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Learn how a secret collective provided reproductive care pre-Roe v. Wade,Teach you how to make a popular cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 24, 2025:We find out why the Beacon unexpectedly closed all day yesterday,Detail a new report that found a rising number of unhoused students in Wisconsin public schools,Hear the mission behind UNA-USA Dane County's second annual "Women's Summit,"Learn about a state office that answers the public's open records questions,Look forward to opening day of the regular fishing season,Get the scoop on the Flamingos' new uniforms,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 23, 2025:We speak with lobbyists who want state lawmakers to repeal Wisconsin's anti-boycott law,Attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Wisconsin History Center,Find out how Madison's Social Security office is faring, amid understaffing and a controversial policy change,Recap why UW-Madison staff rallied last week,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Celebrate the birthday of Madison's longest-serving mayor,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 22, 2025:We find out how a new coalition is fostering conversations about climate change,Get the details on a report examining Wisconsin industry pre- and post-tariffs,Discuss state and national labor issues with a local attorney,Explain why Madison is a dairy marketing hub,Take a field trip to Troy Farm,Gear up for the Dane County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center's busiest season,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 21, 2025:We outline the decision in a case challenging the governor's headline-grabbing partial veto,Head downtown for this weekend's buy-in event at the Dane County Farmers Market,Examine the background and politics of SCOTUS' longest-serving justice,Celebrate Belle Case La Follette's birthday,Review two new features,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 17, 2025:We head to Library Mall for a rally pressuring UW higher-ups to resist the Trump administration,Highlight Black maternal health disparities and the community-based efforts working towards a solution,Find out how yesterday's announcement fast-tracking the Enbridge 5 pipeline could affect ongoing litigation against the Canadian oil company,Sit down with a self-described "recovering" Wall Street recruiter,Prepare our basements for spring flooding,Explore the many lives of objects,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 16, 2025:We take a closer look at the U.S. Save Act,Learn how Sun Prairie's council voted last night on a police tech budget request,Check in with the RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center ahead of their move next month,Discuss the making of the Daily Cardinal's special issue on immigration,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1967,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 15, 2025:We head to the state Capitol for a Tax Day sit-in,Check in with a now-former Dane County supervisor who was priced out of her district in downtown Madison,Dissect a high-profile newspaper ad defending Roundup's corporate manufacturers,Take stock of Wisconsin's roughly 4,000 dams,Explore how dead and fallen trees can serve as crucial nesting locations,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 14, 2025:We hear prison reform advocates' key goals for this spring,Get the details on a bill that would bring the question of campaign spending directly to Wisconsin voters,Find out why a measure that would make gun safes tax-free is getting bipartisan support,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Remember one of the most violent strikes of the early twentieth century,Review a new series and an old classic,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 10, 2025:We get the answer to another lingering question from last week's local election,Hear the details on a new investigation that tracked the exploding use of bail jumping charges in Wisconsin,Respond to some open records FAQs,Hear what's biting in the Madison area,Check in on the Mingos' rollercoaster of a season,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 9, 2025:We check in on statewide and local food programs as they navigate federal funding cuts,Preview what's on the docket for Wisconsin's highest court,Learn about an immigrant rights group on the UW-Madison campus,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1964,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 8, 2025:We get the answer to a lingering question from last Tuesday's local election,Check in with Wisconsin nonprofits following the latest round of federal funding cuts,Hear how the former ambassador to the United Nations responded last week to protesters at a UW-Madison event,Explain how falling dairy prices are leading to losses for Wisconsin farmers,Talk mocktails at Madison's Blind Shot Social Club,Share a springtime update from the Dane County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 7, 2025:We head to downtown Madison for this Saturday's "Hands Off!" protest,Outline the results from a new, statewide survey on big money in politics,Hear how a state Democrat wants to fix Wisconsin's affordable housing crisis,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Commemorate the National Day for Immigrant Justice in 2006,Close out our shots special,Review two new features,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 3, 2025:We meet the newcomer elected to Madison's school board on Tuesday,Check in with Metro Transit's general manager after yesterday's announcement that he's leaving the job,Look forward to the Wisconsin Film Festival - and this weekend's screening of “Art Speigelman: Disaster is My Muse!”,Sit down with an alder who wants safer streets in Madison,Share a story of redemption,Talk countertop options,Remember the Long Hot Summer of 1967,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 2, 2025:We have the results from yesterday's election, which include a drubbing for Republicans and some upsets on the city council,Measure student sentiment toward high profile political races,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1965,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 1, 2025:We follow the money in this spring's race for city council,Hear Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan's take on the work ahead,Investigate some so-called "mozzarella sticks,"Get a federal funding update from Wisconsin's DATCP secretary,Learn how wildlife rehabilitators reunited a little owlet with its parents,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 31, 2025:We hear advocates' wish list for the next biennial budget,Share our investigative report into the contaminated drinking water at Waupun prison,Outline the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Explore big spending and political polarization in the state Supreme Court,Taste-test some more shots,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 27, 2025:We learn how Madison's new lobbyist plans to advance the city's interests in the state Capitol,Meet an incumbent alder who says students need a voice in city politics,Share some recommendations to make Wisconsin's open records law stronger,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Sit down with a 'Mingos midfielder,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 26, 2025:We look forward to Trans Day of Visibility,Sit down with an incumbent alder who wants to advance violence prevention efforts in the city,Dissect a conservative commentator's remarks at a recent UW-Madison event,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1963,And much more.

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 20 on Madison's southwest side.Alder Harrington-McKinney first joined the city council in 2015 and faces a familiar opponent this spring in Sammy Khilji.Southwest side voters will select their next alder on April 1st.We sat down with alder Barbara Harrington-McKinney and Sammy Khilji to discuss their top issues, their vision for the city of Madison, and how they plan to communicate with their constituents.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, March 25, 2025:We check in on the race for Dane County Executive ahead of Election Day,Share an update on the long fight for a passenger rail connection between Madison and Milwaukee,Meet an alder candidate who wants to fix traffic on Madison's southwest side,Describe a mysterious cream crisis,Talk food waste and "ugly" produce,Celebrate some interesting adaptations in the local wildlife,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 24, 2025:We look ahead to the April 1st election, which will set up a new schedule for the length of alder terms,Follow up on reports that ICE officials were in Madison late last week,Meet an incumbent alder who says Madison needs to preserve equitable access to city services,Outline the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Share the story of "Typhoid Mary,"Taste-test some more shots,Review two new movies,And much more.

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 17 on Madison's north side.Incumbent alder Sabrina Madison has held the seat since 2022 and faces one challenger in Sean Burke.North side voters will select their next alder on April 1st.We sat down with alder Sabrina Madison and Sean Burke to discuss their top issues, their vision for the city of Madison, and how they plan to communicate with their constituents.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 20, 2025:We find out what the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services means for Madison,Explore Wisconsin's recent surge in international migration,Meet an alder candidate who wants to consolidate city and county housing services,Share a story of redemption,Outline some house-hunting red flags,Get nostalgic with "Radio Chipstone,"And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 19, 2025:We find out why clean energy sources could be the best way to meet rising demand for electricity,Meet an incumbent alder who takes a data-oriented approach to leadership,Get more details on last week's protest on Library Mall,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1969,And much more.

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 19 on Madison's west side.Incumbent alder John Guequierre has held the seat since 2024, unanimously elected by his peers after the previous alder Kristen Slack resigned from office.He faces one challenger this spring in former council member Anthony Nino Amato.West side voters will select their next alder on April 1st.We sat down with alder John Guequierre and Anthony Nino Amato to discuss their top issues, their vision for the city of Madison, and how they plan to communicate with their constituents.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, March 18, 2025:We get the details on a new study examining the homicide rates for Indigenous women and girls,Meet a self-described "policy wonk" who's running for city council,Examine the economic pain looming for the dairy industry,Check in with a local Farm to School program,Outline the challenges of treating animals that are bonded for life,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 17, 2025:We hear from opponents and supporters of the constitutional amendment on next month's ballot,Head to a union demonstration on the UW-Madison campus,Meet an incumbent alder who's affirming his commitment to community engagement,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Celebrate St. Paddy's Day with a story of international solidarity,Taste-test some more shots,Review a new documentary and a cult classic from 1999,And much more.

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 16 on Madison's far east side.Current alder Jael Currie isn't running for another term and two candidates are vying for her seat: Kim Richman and Sean O'Brien.East side voters will select their next alder on April 1st.We sat down with Kim Richman and Sean O'Brien to discuss their top issues, their vision for the city of Madison, and how they plan to communicate with their constituents.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 13, 2025:We learn how a new book is introducing the next generation to a Wisconsin trailblazer,Meet an alder candidate who says Madison's growth is an opportunity,Recap this year's Openness in Government Awards,Prepare for warm-weather fishing,Check in with Madison's Flamingos ahead of their season kick off,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 12, 2025:We sit down with Madison's interim city clerk, appointed to the job just three weeks before Election Day,Meet an alder candidate who says the city needs a stronger lobby in the state Legislature,Learn how UW-Madison leaders are preparing for federal cost-cutting measures,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1967,And much more.