WORT Local News

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 20, 2026:We join a crowded public meeting at Olbrich Gardens,Detail a major land conservation project that earned the county board's stamp of approval last week,Learn more about a billboard campaign that's urging active duty troops to refuse illegal orders,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, May 19, 2026:We explain how you can weigh in on the development future of downtown Madison,Hear the benefits of agroforestry,Check in with Law Forward after a recent win in Dane County court,Outline the latest dairy trends as American cheesemakers scramble to compete in a difficult international market,Dispel some myths about Midwestern cuisine,Explore how certain birds hijack nests and force adoptions of their young,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, May 18, 2026:We hear local advocates' pitch to strengthen police oversight efforts in the city of Madison,Share key takeaways from the Republican Party of Wisconsin's annual convention this weekend,Analyze a court decision last month that gutted the Voting Rights Act,Learn about one of the first Black lawmakers elected to Congress,Teach you how to mix up a "White Lady" cocktail,Review two new movies on the small screen,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 14, 2026:We break down last night's contentious vote in the state Legislature,Find out how private donors and the state can help WisconsinEye stay afloat,Celebrate traditional Ukrainian embroidery,Examine a recent legal case that had big implications for the separation of powers in Wisconsin,Chat with a group of historical fencing enthusiasts,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 13, 2026:We get a progress update on MMSD's long-term sustainability plan,Outline the benefits of strong energy codes,Hear how St. Mary's nurses are keeping their union campaign alive amid pressure from hospital management,Learn the story behind the "Pistachio Wars,"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 12, 2026:We get a progress update on Madison's highly-anticipated men's shelter,Learn how recent federal health care cuts could impact Wisconsin,Find out why the governor's $1.8 billion surplus deal is already drawing criticism from his own party,Examine the economic hurdles that farmers are facing at the start of a new growing season,Visit a decades-old staple in the Madison coffee scene,Share some fun facts about eastern bluebirds,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, May 11, 2026:We share a major update in the campaign for a unionized newsroom at the Cap Times,Examine the urban-rural gap in access to child care,Find out which priorities made the cut in the bipartisan spending deal Governor Evers announced Monday,Say goodbye to the UW Space Place,Commemorate the anniversary of the Million Mom March for gun control,Teach you how to mix up a simple French cocktail,Review a new movie and a new docuseries,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 7, 2026:We check out a new community space on Madison's south side,Learn more about the campaign for a unionized newsroom at the Cap Times,Discuss two recent court decisions involving DOJ records requests,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Reflect on Forward Madison FC's remarkable stretch away from home,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 6, 2026:We detail a proposed cell phone policy that garnered mixed responses at Monday's MMSD school board meeting,Examine a conservative ad campaign that's using bipartisan issues to prop up Assembly Republicans in competitive districts,Honor the legacy of Wisconsin's most celebrated and feared political reporter,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 5, 2026:We hear what's next for the Odana Hills Golf Course redesign,Find out why sustainable farmers want the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Monsanto's immunity bid,Learn how the legal back and forth over mifepristone, a widely-used abortion pill, could impact Wisconsinites,Rebroadcast The Milkweed's award-winning segment on stray voltage,Chat with the co-owner of Little Tibet Market and Cafe,Get a baby season update from the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, May 4, 2026:We find out why the Madison Police Department credits community partners for the city's declining crime rates,Head to downtown Madison for this year's May Day rally,Learn how Wisconsin teachers are picking up the slack amid funding and retention issues,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Celebrate the legacy of an anti-colonialist reporter,Review an international film and television series,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 30, 2026:We learn what's next, after an embattled testing facility agreed this week to sell most of its dogs to rescue groups,Find out why so many Wisconsin Republicans are announcing their retirement ahead of the midterms,Talk cultural experiences with a UW-Madison language lecturer,Debut our new feature on Wisconsin's most famous legal cases,Explore the idea of soft architecture,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 29, 2026:We detail a Regent Street development project that earned the Plan Commission's stamp of approval Monday,Talk climate change and storm-ready infrastructure,Check in with Law Forward after a panel dismissed their gerrymandering lawsuit,Break down how federal tax dollars are spent,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, April 28, 2026:We share an update on the fight to end salary compression at MMSD,Examine the widening funding gaps between Wisconsin K-12 school districts,Find out what's next, after Trump ended a twenty-year ban on mining near the Boundary Waters,Recap the Milkweed's award-winning segment on stray voltage,Explore Madison through the lens of beer and books,Learn about some tiny new patients at the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 27, 2026:We dig into the Public Service Commission's landmark ruling last week on data centers,Discuss the latest election-related news from around the state,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Mark the anniversary of the Birmingham Children's Crusade,Teach you how to mix up an “Ocean Breeze” cocktail,Review two more movies from the Wisconsin Film Festival,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 23, 2026:We find out why Madison schools are projected to see declining kindergarten enrollment,Detail an upcoming expansion to the UW System's Direct Admit program,Learn how competing interests on Regent Street were prioritized in a planned redesign of the thoroughfare,Explore the ins and outs of Wisconsin's open meetings law,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Check in with Forward Madison FC after a pair of tough matches,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 22, 2026:We detail what went down at Tuesday's tense city council meeting,Share key takeaways from a new report on Wisconsin's criminal justice system,Examine the latest change in leadership at UW-Madison,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 21, 2026:We attend the "Existence as Resistance" fashion show,Find out why more architects are using engineered wood,Detail the environmental benefits of passenger rail,Explore how immigration raids are impacting the American agricultural industry,Talk culinary perspectives with a food writer,Describe the diverse dietary needs of birds,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 20, 2026:We hear from protesters who joined the attempted raid this weekend of a Blue Mounds dog breeding and testing facility,Share key takeaways from a new report on climate change in Wisconsin,Find out why county leaders withdrew funding for Flock cameras,Celebrate the legacy of a trailblazing bluegrass musician,Review two documentaries featured in this year's Wisconsin Film Festival,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 16, 2026:We hear city staff's pitch to reduce speeding on major arterial roads,Discuss the power of nonviolence in violent times,Review three movies featured in this year's Wisconsin Film Festival,Explain why physical media still matters,Celebrate every color of the rainbow,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 15, 2026:We explain why the Department of Public Instruction's infamous Wisconsin Dells trip is once again under scrutiny,Explore the benefits of "right to charge" laws,Find out how many internal investigations at the Madison Police Department actually lead to discipline,Detail UW-Madison's efforts to meet new accessibility requirements,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 14, 2026:We detail the debate over plans to demolish a brutalist apartment building in downtown Madison,Explain why a special session to ban partisan gerrymandering is still open,Predict tough times ahead for American dairy farmers amid rising energy costs,Celebrate food media and friendship with the "Stomping Grounds" team,Get a baby season update from the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 13, 2026:We detail the public's top concerns about data centers, according to a new survey from Wisconsin Conservation Voters,Find out how a scam victim turned her experience into state legislation,Sit down with WisDems Chair Devin Remiker for a postmortem on the spring election,Weigh the likelihood of a long-lasting ceasefire in the Middle East,Commemorate the founding of a student-led civil rights group,Teach you how to mix up an "Old Pal" cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 9, 2026:We find out why the UW System's Board of Regents decided to fire President Jay Rothman,Detail state level efforts to legalize medical aid in dying,Hear Madison's updated plan for a more walkable city,Share some tips on how to submit a successful open records request,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Sit down with a Forward Madison FC goalkeeper who's on a hot streak,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 8, 2026:We hear how Democratic hopefuls for governor plan to fix Wisconsin's health care system,Break down the results of Tuesday's nonpartisan election with four local labor leaders,Take a closer look at the ouster of UW System President Jay Rothman,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, April 7, 2026:We share the latest on today's nonpartisan spring election,Find out what's next for prison reform advocates after Governor Evers moved to restore Wisconsin's commutations process,Predict how the war in Iran could unsettle the global agriculture industry,Talk cold brew with a Madison food industry veteran,Examine why males in many bird species are so colorful,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, April 6, 2026:We learn how a multi-city initiative is helping reduce climate emissions and renters' energy bills in one go,Check in on efforts to create an intergenerational space for children and seniors in Walworth County,Find out why more Wisconsin prisons and jails are offering opioid addiction medication,Examine Wisconsin's voting policy and trends ahead of tomorrow's election,Look back on the Red Scare-era exile of Charlie Chaplin,Review some new content available for streaming,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 1, 2026:We get a progress update on Madison's housing development goals,Detail a new landmark verdict that holds tech giants accountable for childhood social media addiction,Find out why student leaders are demanding democratic input over the UW System's financial assets,Examine the cost of college with a pair of UW-Madison student journalists,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Share a retrospective on Madison's only liberal mayor of the 1960s,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, March 31, 2026:We find out what's at stake in next week's Wisconsin Supreme Court election,Detail a grassroots effort to increase Latino voter access in the state,Meet a Dane County Circuit Court candidate who says she'd bring integrity and transparency to the bench,Examine the dangers of a widely-used herbicide,Sit down with a pair of Epic baristas,Describe the best — and safest — types of bird feed,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 30, 2026:We head to downtown Madison for this weekend's rally against the Trump regime,Talk judicial philosophy with an incumbent Dane County judge,Answer all of your burning questions about data centers,Commemorate the enactment of the Fifteenth Amendment,Teach you how to mix up a Negroni cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 26, 2026:We detail county supervisors' misgivings amid contract negotiations with FPC Live,Find out why rural organizers are speaking out against data center development and CAFOs,Meet an incumbent county supervisor who wants to expand housing options in her community,Shed light on some stand-out reporting from this year's Sunshine Week,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Hear how Forward Madison FC's 2026 season is shaping up so far,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 25, 2026:We head to Bascom Hill for a rally sounding the alarm on UWPD's new surveillance tech,Learn how many Wisconsinites identify with Christian nationalism,Meet an incumbent supervisor who says the county needs to prioritize core services in the budget,Examine the low engagement in UW-Madison's student government,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, March 24, 2026:We check in on the partisan tug of war over Wisconsin's school funding system,Meet a county board candidate who's pledged to protect farmland and prevent urban sprawl,Predict how the war in Iran could impact food prices,Visit a local business that's bringing the art of tortilla-making to the Midwest,Track down an escaped snake at the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 23, 2026:We find out why – and how – the city's independent police monitor used AI in their latest annual report,Meet a county board candidate who says infrastructure maintenance and emergency services should be first in line for funding,Continue our coverage of the "Embroidered with Pain" exhibit,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Teach you how to mix up a "Black and Tan,"And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 19, 2026:We explain what changes under Wisconsin's new breast cancer screening law,Meet an incumbent county supervisor who says local municipalities should have the final say on local issues,Hear the mission behind the "Embroidered with Pain" exhibit,Preview some upcoming events in the experimental music scene,Sit down with a bona fide world-builder,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 18, 2026:We hear how a cohort of city staff are advancing Madison's sustainability plan,Explain the mission behind the Educational Support Professionals Bill of Rights,Learn how data center developers are using NDAs and heavy redactions to keep Wisconsinites in the dark,Find out why the city of Madison and the UW Police Department are locked in a jurisdictional dispute,Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1961,And much more.

Here's your local news for Tuesday, March 17, 2026:We find out why concerned parents flooded the public comment session at Monday's Plan Commission meeting,Meet an incumbent supervisor who says Dane County should focus on internal hiring to save money,Explain what the war in the Middle East means for the average American farmer,Consider how wage disparities contribute to the affordability crisis,Share some fun facts about the common loon,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 16, 2026:We hear about some possible improvements coming soon to a west side golf course,Meet a county board candidate who says the Sheriff's Department should be first in line for funding,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Celebrate the contributions of Irish immigrants ahead of Saint Patrick's Day,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 12, 2026:We hear how Senator Baldwin is fighting to stop the war in Iran,Meet a candidate who says her experience as an education leader would be an asset on the county board,Preview the winners, and sole loser, of this year's open government awards,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Check in with Forward Madison FC ahead of their season kickoff this weekend,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 11, 2026:We find out why the Madison Common Council is looking inwards as it prepares for two decades of significant population growth in the city,Learn how ICE fears are disrupting Wisconsin's workplaces,Meet a county board candidate who says local property taxes have gotten out of hand,Celebrate a hundred years of dance at UW-Madison,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, March 10, 2026:We find out why fewer Wisconsin children are getting vaccinated on schedule,Meet a candidate who says she'd prioritize sustainable growth and water quality on the county board,Explain the beef over imported Argentinian beef,Dig into Madison's culinary scene with a local food and culture editor,Celebrate turkey vultures, nature's "garbage disposals,"And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 9, 2026:We hear how Dane County's new ballot printing vendor is speeding up election prep,Explain the debate over a bill that would codify a controversial definition of antisemitism into state law,Meet an incumbent supervisor who says Dane County has a spending problem,Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,Mark the anniversary of the 1952 coup in Cuba,Teach you how to mix up a Peach Bellini,Review two new movies on the small screen,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, March 5, 2026:We hear city staff's pitch to alleviate the traffic and pedestrian problems on Regent Street,Meet an incumbent supervisor who says the environment can't take a back seat as the county prepares for future growth,Get a calendar update from Friends of Ukraine-Madison,Celebrate the power of protest songs,Discuss the commodification of children's toys,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, March 4, 2026:We learn how MMSD is fine-tuning its support for students with IEPs,Explain what would change if Wisconsin legislators finally agree to pass Erin's Law,Meet a county board candidate who wants to lower child care costs for working families,Hear a UW-Madison political scientist's predictions for the 2026 midterms,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, March 3, 2026:We hear the governor's pitch to make fair voting maps permanent in Wisconsin,Learn how the rush to build hyperscale data centers could set back clean energy efforts,Meet a county board candidate who says she'd take a needs-based approach to the budget,Simplify the data on cheddar cheese pricing,Visit Wildwood Cafe in Stoughton,Explain how prey animals fight back against predation and competition in the wild,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, March 2, 2026:We get the scoop on a new lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's school funding system,Consider the political benefits of backing universal child care,Discuss the data center boom with a power plant operator who's running for the county board,Find out how a Wisconsin-based regional airline is collaborating with ICE,Mark the anniversary of a women-led strike in 1860,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, February 26, 2026:We find out why construction on the jail consolidation project is running behind schedule,Meet an incumbent county supervisor who says NIMBYism should have consequences,Run through some transparency bills that are stuck in legislative limbo,Tell you the best spots to cast your fishing line,Get an update on Forward Madison FC's roster rebuild,And much more.

Here's your local news for Wednesday, February 25, 2026:We detail Attorney General Kaul's clash this morning with the GOP legislators leading an investigation of his department,Meet a county board candidate who's touting his firsthand knowledge of rural and urban issues,Check in on UW-Madison's search for a new provost,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, February 24, 2026:We'll learn how to tell the difference between Madison police officers and ICE,Detail a new course at UW Law School that's blending legal theory with lived experience in the criminal justice system,Meet a county board candidate who wants to provide housing and workforce services at a "veterans village,"Talk butter price gouging,Sit down with the editor-in-chief of TASTE – a WORT alum,Get ready for baby season at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center,And much more.

Here's your local news for Monday, February 23, 2026:We join the Fire & Wonder Winter Gathering at San Damiano Park,Meet an incumbent supervisor who says the growing county needs more housing and better transit,Find out why rural Wisconsin is struggling to hire municipal clerks,Mark the anniversary of the 2018 West Virginia teachers strike,Teach you how to mix up a 'Singapore Sling' cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

Here's your local news for Thursday, February 19, 2026:We outline the Dane County Regional Airport's economic benefits and environmental drawbacks,Look forward to a software glow-up coming soon to the library system,Commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,Explore the complex politics of so-called "rare earth" elements,Meet a pair of artists that are using their craft to memorialize their friendship,And much more.