WORT Local News

Here's your local news for Wednesday, November 19, 2025:We head to a public hearing on the Dane County Regional Airport's latest efforts in F-35 noise mitigation,Consider Wisconsin's retention and workforce challenges this Education-Support Professionals Day,Hear the research goals driving the Nelson Institute's new partnership with QTS Data Centers,Learn how students at UW-Madison fared during the SNAP benefits chaos,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, November 18, 2025:We hear what party leaders had to say ahead of today's floor session in the state Senate,Learn how some entrepreneurs in Madison and Chicago are redefining vending machines,Consider the pros and potential pitfalls of a bipartisan bill that would legalize online sports betting in Wisconsin,Explain what's behind some recent ag industry happenings,Taste what's on the menu at Sultan,Take a closer look at one of the most common birds of prey,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, November 17, 2025:We get to know the three finalists vying for an interim leadership role in Madison's Office of the Independent Monitor,Find out why a proposal mandating teaching hours for UW System faculty could raise constitutional concerns,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Learn the story behind Transgender Day of Remembrance,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, November 13, 2025:We hear Senator Baldwin's plan to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, a measure excluded from the budget bill Trump signed into law Wednesday,Detail the economic benefits of agrivoltaics,Talk election security and accuracy with the new Madison city clerk,Share some upcoming events celebrating eastern European culture,Hear the story behind a new local music space on Madison's east side,Consider the community-building potential of quilts,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, November 12, 2025:We'll get the details on a last-minute amendment that dominated budget deliberations yesterday in the Madison Common Council,Find out why a pro-democracy advocate is sounding the alarm on a handful of election bills in the state Assembly,Share some key takeaways in the Daily Cardinal's new "AI Issue,"Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1962,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, November 11, 2025:We explain why Verona city leaders decided to cut ties with a third-party surveillance contractor,Get the details on a bill that would put a cap on Wisconsinites' utility rates,Hear what climate advocates have to say about Alliant Energy's new rate case settlement,Unscramble the recent chaos around SNAP benefits,Indulge in a Tex-Mex feast,Describe what it takes to treat eye injuries in birds,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, November 10, 2025:We'll share the mission behind a 1,500-ribbon display in downtown Madison,Hear how a delay in federal funding is impacting the Menominee Indian School District,Find out what's at stake if online publication Tone Madison can't reach their winter fundraising goal,Explain why air traffic has ground to a halt,Share lessons from New York City's 1933 mayoral election,Teach you how to make a tea-based cocktail,Review two new offerings available for streaming,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, November 6, 2025:We detail the debate ahead of yesterday's budget vote in the Dane County Board of Supervisors,Hear what a former drum corps instructor's accusers have to say about his recent return to the public eye,Discuss how open government cases can often be solved with a warning rather than a lawsuit,Celebrate the Madison Public Library's 150th anniversary - no invitation needed,Look ahead to Forward Madison FC's next chapter,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, November 5, 2025:We hear the pros and cons of data centers, according to stakeholders who joined an informational meeting today in the state Capitol,Find out who's paying for Jack Daly's services, just months after the "Scam PAC" fundraiser emerged from federal custody,Learn how the Badgers' faltering football team could add red ink to local and state business ledgers,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, November 4, 2025:We hear Superintendent Jill Underly's pitch to address teacher sexual misconduct and grooming of students,Check in on Dane County's 2026 proposed budget ahead of tomorrow's deliberations,Discuss the long fight to shut down Ridglan Farms with a local animal rights activist,Consider a pressing business dilemma for American dairy farmers,Meet a local hot sauce connoisseur,Celebrate Animal Shelter Appreciation Week,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, November 3, 2025:We check in with Dane County food pantries amid the federal chaos,Hear locals' concerns about a proposal to expand a commercial dairy operation in Door County,Find out why environmental advocates are sounding the alarm on Line 5's newly-issued federal permits,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Remember an abolitionist who was murdered protecting his printing press,Teach you how to make a tropical cocktail,Review a new movie and a new season of television,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, October 30, 2025:We'll outline what's at stake locally as federal lawmakers weigh cuts to AmeriCorps Seniors funding,Discuss the potential flaws in the Madison Police Department's body-cam pilot study,Learn more about UW-Madison's Russian Flagship Program,Sit down with Chicago-based musician Winefred RT,Share the joy that comes from a used sewing machine,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, October 29, 2025:We get the details on two much-debated items that earned unanimous approval in last night's Common Council meeting,Discuss the road to 2026 with WisDems Chair Devin Remiker,Learn how UW-Madison researchers are partnering with local farmers,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1969,And much more.

In this show:The Building Commission approves the funds for planning a rework for correctional facilities across the stateA local activist explains the importance of civilian oversight of the Madison police'How to Stand up for Democracy' links the degradation of free speech to the rise of anti-semitismSoybean farmers are looking into novel ways to use their cropAnd we hear how local mammals fare during the winter

In today's episode:Wisconsin Dems draw attention to an upcoming spike in health insurance costsWisconsin Policy Forum releases a deep dive on the city budgetElection clerks are scrambling to meet new citizenship standardsand more

Here's your local news for Thursday, October 23, 2025:We join a public feedback session on Madison's Southeast Area development plan,Outline the fundraising goal to support the city's new men's shelter,Share an inside look into today's combative legislative hearing on teacher misconduct and grooming in Wisconsin schools,Consider the often-exorbitant fees records custodians are allowed to charge,Share the best spots for fall-weather fishing,Check in on Forward Madison FC ahead of their last match of the season,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, October 22, 2025:We hear from the supporters and opponents of a bill that would codify the IHRA's definition of antisemitism in state law,Find out what's at stake if independent broadcast network WisconsinEye can't reach their urgent fundraising goal,Get more details on a city proposal that could eliminate UW students' input on alcohol policy,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, October 21, 2025:We hear local nonprofits' warning to the county board as they weigh proposed funding cuts in next year's budget,Consider strategies to combat the rise of white Christian nationalism,Detail the gaps in the system that make it difficult to track educators accused of sexual misconduct and grooming,Survey the trade war's impact on American soybean farmers,Celebrate the history of Madison's Mediterranean Cafe,Explain why bird banding is a valuable tool for researchers and rehabilitators,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, October 20, 2025:We head to downtown Madison for this Saturday's nationwide protest against the Trump regime,Outline city leaders' recent examination of the Urban Design Commission and its role in development oversight,Find out why a city committee voted last week to preserve student input on alcohol licenses and policies,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Commemorate the 1972 founding of the Service, Office and Retail Workers Union of Canada,Review two movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, October 16, 2025:We hear how the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is faring during the government shutdown,Outline the state's teacher turnover trends over the last decade,Uncover the world of Soviet-era samizdat,Get the latest numbers on the nation's wealth gap,Meet one of the artists who's helping the Madison Public Library celebrate 150 years of service,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, October 15, 2025:We outline today's debate over a Republican bill that would put a cap on UW's annual tuition increases,Hear what GHC members had to say in a special meeting with the cooperative's Board of Directors,Learn why election reform advocates are calling for Final Five voting in Wisconsin,Find out if UW-Madison's ethnic studies requirement is actually at risk,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1960,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, October 14, 2025:We hear from party leaders on both sides of the aisle ahead of the state Senate's long-awaited floor session,Find out why an update to Madison school facilities is expected to cost taxpayers less than originally projected,Discuss the video game industry's rising reliance on artificial intelligence,Consider why more Wisconsin dairy farmers may be looking to cash out,Celebrate community-making with sourdough bread,Check in with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center as they prepare for colder weather and new patients,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, October 13, 2025:We find out why the state Assembly is centering environmental protections this Indigenous Peoples' Day,Outline the back and forth this morning in the state Supreme Court over tribal sovereign immunity,Meet the city of Madison's new Director of Transportation,Brush up on immigration law amid the unprecedented federal crackdown,Remember a trailblazing fighter pilot,Learn how to mix up a Sea Breeze cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, October 9, 2025:We outline what to expect when construction begins next week on one of Madison's busiest thoroughfares,Consider the gray areas in Wisconsin's regulation of THC,Explain when and how public bodies can enter closed session,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Celebrate Forward Madison FC's recent back-to-back wins,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, October 8, 2025:We hear what's at stake if Congress fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,Outline city leaders' debate over a proposed drive-thru coffee shop at West Towne Mall,Find out why MMSD is pitching its recent 4K expansion as a win-win,Discuss the risks of private equity in 401(k) retirement plans,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1968,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, October 7, 2025:We outline some of the funding priorities in Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway's $452.5 million operating budget proposal,Find out why state Democrats want to require health insurers to include fertility services in their coverage,Consider what's at stake if a loophole in Wisconsin's campaign finance law is replicated on the federal level,Share some bad butter pricing news,Visit a beloved State Street eatery,Follow the migrating blackpoll warbler,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, October 6, 2025:We head to Monona Terrace for a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, where local leaders emphasized the importance of community,Get the latest data on alcohol-induced deaths in Wisconsin,Consider what's at stake after a Georgia-based journalist was deported on Friday,Celebrate the birthday of a renowned peace activist and journalist,Teach you how to make a Lynchburg Lemonade,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, October 2, 2025:We'll outline some of the cost-saving measures in County Executive Agard's spending plan for next year,Mark the end of a Biden-era climate initiative,Find out how PFAS chemicals from Truax Field end up in nearby waterways like Starkweather Creek,Learn what it takes to achieve fluency in Russian,Talk songwriting with a Milwaukee-based musician,Dissect the scholarly lessons in Scooby Doo,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, October 1, 2025:We head to Madison's Rennebohm Park for a press conference opposing the Line 5 reroute,Get the details on a new antibody treatment that aims to provide seasonal protection from Lyme disease,Find out how state Democrats are working to fill the gap as Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin pauses abortion services,Learn the history behind a trailblazing department at UW-Madison,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1962,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, September 30, 2025:We hear Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway's latest preview of her 2026 operating budget proposal,Outline some budget amendments Madison's Board of Education took up yesterday,Check in with the owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports after the announcement that he's closing up shop at the end of this year,Look forward to this week's packed schedule of dairy trade shows,Consider strategies to make our electoral system more inclusive,Explain why Wisconsin law bans rehabilitation of skunks,And much more.

In this show:Madison Metro Area tries to go carlessA small-town police station partners with ICEA UW professor reviews where we stand vis-a-vis free speechAnd we review two bookends to Robert Redford's career.

Here's your local news for Thursday, September 25, 2025:We find out how Dairy Drive residents and members of the community are preparing for the campground's imminent closure,Meet a performer in Madison's burlesque scene,Talk open records fees,Break down where the fish are biting,Check in on the Flamingos' playoff push,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, September 24, 2025:We check in on the race for Wisconsin governor...and the ever-expanding field of candidates,Find out why a UW-Madison professor is urging Congress to support fusion energy research,Consider the declining health of American children,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1968,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, September 23, 2025:We hear Wisconsin Republicans' pitch to make homeownership more affordable,Consider the cost of nitrate contamination in drinking water,Take on the shocking topic of stray voltage and how it affects the health of dairy cattle,Meet the manager of FEED Kitchens,Untangle a "squirrel king" at the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, September 22, 2025:We hear Mayor Rhodes-Conway's early pitch to expand Madison's investment in homeless services,Consider the next steps for a lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's new vape law after a federal judge denied the plaintiffs' request to delay enforcement,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Mark the anniversary of the Chicago garment workers strike,Teach you how to make a popular cocktail,Review a new film and a '90s-era cult classic,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, September 18, 2025:We head to Rep. Francesca Hong's campaign launch party to find out what inspired her to run for governor,Consider the truth behind the old adage "it takes a village,"Get the details on the Room Tax Commission's looming structural deficit,Share a crash course on the U.S. Supreme Court's so-called "shadow docket,"Debut our new feature celebrating Madison's music scene,Explain why the art of sewing is always cool (not just when the New York Times says it is),And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, September 17, 2025:We head to Jefferson County for this year's Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival,Dissect the unsuccessful campaign to ban physical mail at the Dane County jail,Learn how a group of underclassmen brought a humorous internet trend to UW-Madison's Library Mall,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1963,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, September 16, 2025:We detail last night's debate over a proposal that would raise health care costs for Dane County employees,Hear what Wisconsin scholars and industry leaders have to say about Trump's tariff plan,Find out why the legal dispute over Wisconsin's administrative rulemaking process is far from over,Explain how the dairy industry is adapting to rising butterfat content in the milk supply,Wrap up our three-part series on fluoride in drinking water,Celebrate the unlikely survival of sandhill cranes,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, September 15, 2025:We find out how the county is preparing for a projected $31 million budget deficit,Learn how advocates and state lawmakers are working to spread awareness about cryptocurrency ATM scams,Meet Matt Wachter, Madison's Director of Planning, Community, and Economic Development,Consider the environmental impacts of data centers,Look back on the Irish Postal Workers Strike of 1922,Revisit two cinema classics,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, September 11, 2025:We'll outline Wisconsin Democrats' education agenda,Untangle Line 5's complicated legal history and find out what's next in the fight to stop Enbridge's proposed reroute of the pipeline,Delve into some of the Wisconsin Transparency Project's most recent cases,Break down where the fish are biting,Reflect on Forward Madison's frustrating (but still hopeful) season,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, September 10, 2025:We detail Madison leaders' latest proposal to promote more housing in the city,Learn how white nationalist groups are using so-called 'Active Clubs' to covertly spread their ideology,Outline the research that has a range of experts sounding the alarm on a ubiquitous insecticide,Welcome "Cardinal Call" back from summer break,Find out why containing wildfires is easier said than done,Travel back in time to 1965,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, September 9, 2025:We find out why a contingent of high school athletes showed up at yesterday's Board of Education meeting,Outline Wisconsin Republicans' education priorities,Hear the mission behind Wisconsin Public Education Network's transparency project,Explain the bovine breeding and nutrition practices behind a recent boom in cream production,Sit down with a local food photographer,Mark the start of the fall season at the Dane County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, September 8, 2025:We head to a protest outside the Odana Road Social Security office,Consider the consequences of an increasingly corporatized and tech-focused higher education system,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Celebrate the birthday of "a lion in literature's forest,"Discuss some of the best snacks to eat with your evening cocktail,Review two new offerings on the small screen,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, September 4, 2025:We get the details on a package of bills that seeks to strengthen protections for the state's workforce,Find out who qualifies for backpay, after a discriminatory law blocked disabled Wisconsinites from collecting unemployment for over a decade,Learn more about Madison's Russian Folk Orchestra,Walk you through replacing a light fixture,Discuss the joys and dangers of being a collector,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, September 3, 2025:We get the details on a proposal that seeks to delay demolition of Madison's first city-sanctioned homeless encampment,Hear about Isthmus newspaper's open records request that, months later, is still waiting for a response from the city's independent police monitor,Learn how to approach solidarity work with self-care,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, September 2, 2025:We hear the mayor's capital spending priorities for next year,Outline what's on the Wisconsin Supreme Court's docket this week,Get the details on a bill that seeks to uncover the hidden cost of tariffs,Examine the science behind a recent drop in butter prices,Visit a homestyle Mexican restaurant on Madison's north side,Consider the ethics of rehabilitating invasive birds,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, August 28, 2025:We share an update on Bus Rapid Transit, nearly a year after the city launched its first route,Outline the long-term health consequences of tooth decay,Hear how the Wisconsin Transparency Project got started and where it's headed,Tell you the best fishing spots this Labor Day weekend,Learn how Forward Madison FC is fostering young talent,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, August 27, 2025:We'll outline the next steps for a proposal that seeks to strengthen Madison's tree protections,Find out why Madison finance leaders expect the city's operating expenses to go up nearly $24 million next year,Meet Michael Haas, Madison's City Attorney and interim City Clerk,Discuss how labor unions can push back on Trump's authoritarian power grab,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1963,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, August 26, 2025:We get the details on MMSD's performance objectives for the next academic year,Find out how a new bill would preserve funding for Wisconsin's decades-old conservation program,Consider the potential consequences of USDA's new "reorganization plan,"Examine a recent drop in cheddar prices,Sit down with the owner of Kia's Kitchen,Learn how wildlife rehabilitators take care of injured raptors,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, August 25, 2025:We find out why prison reform advocates say there's still time for Governor Evers to follow through on his campaign promises,Get the details on a new lawsuit that's fighting to secure Wisconsin youth's "right to a stable climate,"Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Remember one of the youngest peace ambassadors in American history,Discuss some popular hangover cures,Review two films about the past,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, August 21, 2025:We find out why the Trump regime's order extending the life of a Michigan coal plant could have financial and environmental costs here in Wisconsin,Meet the city of Madison's Sustainability and Resilience Manager,Share sounds and stories from last Sunday's Ukrainian Fest,Hear the mission behind tomorrow's tech recycling event at Warner Park,Explore the joys and trials of caregiving,And much more.