Podcasts about wort fm

The wait is almost over – the much anticipated Madison Public Market is scheduled to open in Late Spring. To learn about what folks can expect from the new space and all the art and food vendors it will house, host Ali Muldrow is joined by Keisha Harrison. The Madison Public Market has been more than twenty years in the making. Harrison says it's a true community investment and her goal has been to make sure that it represents the diversity of Madison. It will serve as a third space and complement (not compete with) the Dane County Farmer's Market. Harrison discusses the balance of celebrating the local while welcoming new vendors and how the space will be transformed for private events and entertainment.  There are three outdoor murals that are currently visible, Issis Macias and Rodrigo Carapia's Axolotl & Alma, Tom Jones's Elizah Leonard, and a piece by La Follette High School and Middleton High School students called And Still, She Blossoms. Get ready for Madison's most Instagram-able location! Keisha Harrison is the CEO of the Madison Public Market Foundation, tasked with creating a vibrant, community-centered space that connects commerce and culture. Previously, she led the historic Indianapolis City Market and spent over two decades in public libraries, shaping her commitment to access, equity, and community-centered design. Featured image of the Madison Public Market. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Madison Public Market Will Celebrate the Local appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Not Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi, Jennie Mullins, Director of Arts Education, and Matthew Sanborn, Exhibitions Manager, from Arts for All Wisconsin join us in the studio to talk about what they do and who they serve. For more information on Arts for All Wisconsin and their programs statewide, visit their website: https://www.artsforallwi.org/. More information on the Creative Power exhibition at MyArts, including the opening reception on March 3rd and the celebration and jury awards on April 18th, see: https://www.artsforallwi.org/creative-power .  Watch for Creative Power on the road coming to a location near you! Follow Arts For All Wisconsin on Facebook and Instagram at @artsforallwi. For more on arts, check our interviews with LaShay the Artist from January: https://www.wortfm.org/color-wherever-you-are/ https://www.wortfm.org/the-more-i-want-to-be-myself/ Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting soon), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up March 19th!  Get on the list for more training to get in to the trades coming up soon! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/22028706/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post There Are Always Ways to Dance appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ahead of the Big Share next week, host Dana Pellebon speaks with Cheri Dubiel of Community Shares of Wisconsin and Alex Lindenmeyer of Urban Triage. Community Shares is a member-based fundraising organization that you might be familiar with from workplace giving campaigns or the CHIP program at Willy St. Coop. They focus on supporting social justice and environmental causes.  Urban Triage is a community organization that offers direct services like housing initiatives and urban agriculture. Their farm serves multi-generational Black and Brown folks, and the organic produce they grow is donated back to the community. Lindenmeyer describes Urban Triage's upcoming art exhibit, Seen and Unseen, that will open at the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 3. This immersive, outdoor installation is designed to deepen community understanding of homelessness and the real pathways to housing stability, representing crisis response, case management, and long-term housing solutions. They also discuss how federal funding cuts are affecting community organizations, especially those that are working to alleviate housing insecurity and follow housing-first principles. Youth are the largest group of folks at risk of becoming unhoused, and it's estimated that 1400 kids in MMSD will experience homelessness this year. Alex Lindenmeyer is a proud founding board member of Urban Triage and was just hired full-time this year as their Development Manager. Cheri Dubiel has served as Executive Director of Community Shares since January, 2017. She has worked at Community Shares of Wisconsin for a combined total of 17 years, being hired first as Development Director.  Featured image of artwork from the Seen and Unseen installation. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Seen and Unseen Installation Opens The Big Share appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

You've probably heard of a watershed or a foodshed, but have you heard of a fibershed? On today's show, host Douglas Haynes unpacks the growing movement of farmers and fiber artists rebuilding Wisconsin's wool and flax textile systems. He's joined by Leslie Schroeder of the Midwest Linen Revival, Jane Hansen, a sheep farmer and Board Member of the Three Rivers FIbershed, and WORT's Talk Producer, Sara Gabler, whose article about fibersheds is featured in this month's Isthmus magazine. Fibersheds focus on what can be readily grown within a particular bioregion. In the Upper Midwest, that's not cotton or indigo, but wool and flax. These grassroots organizations nurture place-based relationships–between sheep, the soil, water systems, and the farmers and laborers who grow and process the raw materials into the quality yarns that fiber artists love.  Going local is a choice that supports the environment and local farmers at a time when small family farms need as much backing and better crop opportunities as they can get. Hansen and Schroeder recommend mending the clothes that you already own and avoiding buying synthetic fabrics that shed microplastics. Schroeder says to start small, make one garment from locally sourced materials and it will become something you always cherish. Hansen describes the work that goes into raising healthy sheep, including her pasture management practices and the process of prepping fleece to go to the fiber mill. She gets support from her fibershed and uses her farm to educate the public about the importance of locally grown textiles.  Though there are several cottage mills in the state, Wisconsin lacks the infrastructure that would make it possible for sheep farmers to produce wool at a commercial scale. We don't have any infrastructure for producing linen, the fiber that is derived from the flax plant. There's a healthy demand for locally grown linen, says Schroeder, but you'd have to grow and prepare it yourself at the moment. Schroeder hopes to change that with her grant-funded work to source high-quality domestic seeds, purchase and import harvesting equipment, and site a multi-million dollar mill.  You can learn more about wool and fibersheds by reading one of Schroeder's recommended books (Vanishing Fleece, Women's Work, or Fibershed) and find your local organization here. Jane Hansen raises Coopworth sheep in Ogema, WI. She is a board member of the Three Rivers Fibershed, Northern Pines fibershed and Embrace (a domestic and sexual violence advocacy service provider in a 4 county region of Northern WI). She is also an active member of Wisconsin Farmers Union and host of a monthly Fiber Fun on the Farm event at her own farm. Leslie Schroeder is the co-founder of Midwest Linen Revival, an organization dedicated to laying the groundwork for establishing flax for fiber as an agricultural crop in our region. She is co-curator of the Field to Frock festival, co-creator of two teenaged daughters, and sleeps outside whenever she can. Featured image of the stages of flax production. Courtesy of Sara Gabler/WORT. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Local Fiber Movement Is Re-Stitching the Social Fabric appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Lead Between the Rhymes: 50 Years of Hip Hop Think of vibrant hiphop scenes, and major metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Detroit come immediately to mind.  But hiphop's cultural influence has permeated throughout the U.S., including Wisconsin.  Through the month of February, the Wisconsin Historical Society features the exhibit “Lead Between the Rhymes: Celebrating Over 50 Years of Hip Hop Culture in Wisconsin,” part of a documentary project by Pyramidal Productions.  Curators Menkhu Ara Maat and Greg Doby joined the Monday Buzz on February 23, 2026. Menkhu Ara Maat(photo courtesy Pyramidal Productions) Greg “G!Nx” Doby(photo courtesy Pyramidal Productions) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Lead Between the Rhymes: 50 Years of Hip Hop in Wisconsin appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · A Good Clerk is Hard to Find Alex Shur (photo by Nicholas Wootton) Between April, 2025 and February, 2026, thirteen towns, villages and cities in Wausau County, Wisconsin lost their municipal clerks due to retirement, only to have the new replacements resign within a few months.  That kind of turnover wreaks havoc on all kinds of functions for small communities, ranging from issuing dog licenses to running local, state and federal elections.  Votebeat Wisconsin's Alex Shur has dug into why nobody wants to be the town clerk anymore, and he joined the Monday Buzz on February 23, 2026. Photo of Wausau Town Hall (Wikideas1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post A Good Clerk is Hard to Find appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · UW African American Studies Student Symposium 2026 On February 27th from 8:00 am to 4:00 PM the University of Wisconsin Madison, Department of African American Studies will hold its 2026 student symposium. It’s an all-day affair taking place at the UW Madison Memorial Union’s Tripp Commons. Professor Max Felker-Kantor and undergraduate students Heaven Williams and Sophia Grigsby joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 23, 2026. Heaven Williams(photo courtesy Hope Kelham) Sophia Grigsby(photo courtesy University of Wisconsin-Madison) Max Felker-Kantor(photo courtesy University of Wisconsin-Madison) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post UW African-American Studies Student Symposium 2026 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Smarty Pants longs for the comforts (?) of Siberia; Mel's problem with curling; A look at the study of history; Critiquing the Supreme Court; Robin Vos' attempts to stifle parental leave; Some countries apparently hold Epstein cronies accountable; Alabama attempts to regulate chemtrails; Zuckerberg boosting pro-data center candidates; A solution for Floyd's mouse problem; Japan's wooden satelite; And other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy Marcus Reubenstein on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post You Don't Want to Tick Off Costco appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with Kieran Knutson and Coleen Rowley about the ongoing presence of ICE and other federal agents in the Twin Cities. Knutson says that the assault on the people of Minneapolis and surrounding areas isn’t over even though some ICE activity has diminished following the announcement by border czar Tom Homan that Operation Metro Surge has concluded. He also discusses the vast network of rapid response groups, daily protests, mutual aid, and a new tenant’s union and other labor organizing that has galvanized the population. Knutson says that labor unions like his are helping their members find ways to participate in local organizing. Rowley says that she's optimistic about the role of US attorneys' offices in standing up for the Constitution. She sees this as proof of how unlawful ICE and Homeland Security's actions are. They also discuss the connection between what's happening in the Twin Cities and Palestine, US empire and counter insurgency operations, how people build bridges to work in solidarity against ICE, how local law enforcement has provided cover for federal agents, and how industries where immigrants are employed are feeling real strain. Kieran F. Knutson is the President of Communication Workers of America Local 7250. CWA Local 7250 is a non-profit membership labor union representing workers at AT&T mobility retail stores in Minnesota, and AT&T Legacy T in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North & South Dakota. Coleen Rowley is a retired FBI agent who served as Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel for the latter 13 years of her career, teaching constitutional law (i.e. criminal procedure) to FBI agents and other law enforcement. She disclosed some of the FBI’s pre 9-11 failures as part of the Joint Intelligence Committee Inquiry, then testified later to the Senate Judiciary Committee and as part of the lengthy, detailed Department of Justice Inspector General’s investigation of these same matters. She also publicly warned FBI Director Mueller in Feb 2003 that his wrongful support for President Bush’s illegal war on Iraq would prove counterproductive. Rowley was one of three whistleblowers selected as TIME Magazine’s 2002 Persons of the Year. Featured image of law enforcement officers at the site of Renée Good's murder via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Minneapolis Stays Vigilant Against ICE appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 chemically similar, heavy metals, that are used for many high-tech and sustainable energy applications.  Despite what their name would suggest, they are relatively abundant.  But refining the minerals from disperse ore deposits takes large amounts of energy and produces large quantities of sometimes hazardous waste.  Julie Klinger, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at UW-Madison, joins the Thursday edition of the 8 O'Clock Buzz to talk about the present status of rare earth mineral mining, and the possibility of reclaiming the minerals from existing mine tailings in the U.S. Photo by USGS on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Not-So-Rare Earth Minerals appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Dwight Hayes, serial entrepreneur, proud father and husband, and 2026 City of Madison Black History Month Honoree joins us to talk about his businesses and being a Black entrepreneur in Madison, eating right and being healthy, fatherhood, coaching basketball, horoscopes, and much more! Information on Dwight's honor from the city: https://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district17/blog/2026-02-15/celebrating-february-2026-as-black-history-month-in-the-city-of Information on his newest endeavor, House of Healing Health and Wellness: https://www.h3w.store/ Information on Hayes Place and event space: https://hayesplace.net/  Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up March 19th!  Get on the list for more training to get in to the trades coming up soon! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21993181/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Going Hard Against the Narratives appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan. A former lawyer turned content creator and award-winning author with over 6 million followers, Molinaro sends a message of optimism and strategy that helps her followers feel like they can engage in informed political conversations. Molinaro says that she's followed her talents, using her power as a storyteller to make an impact in the world. She started The Korean Vegan in 2016 as a hobby but eventually left her law firm to become a full-time influencer. She's a master of the bait and switch, melding videos about food with captions about what it's like to be an immigrant in the US. In addition to recipes, Muldrow and Molinaro discuss the echo chamber of social media, what her family thinks about her storytelling, and who she would and wouldn't make dinner for (she'd cook JD Vance japchae). Molinaro says that we need to invest in institutions that aren't online, like dinner parties, book clubs, picnics, etc. Joanne Molinaro has over 6 million fans spread across her social media platforms. She is a New York Times best-selling author and James Beard Award winner. Her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others. Molinaro is a Korean American woman, born in Chicago, Illinois. After a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea. Featured image of the cover of The Korean Vegan Cookbook. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post News Served with a Side of Glass Noodles appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Director Ilesa Duncan and cast of cullud wattah,  Jnae Thompson (Ainee), J'Nya Smith (Reesee), Jayda Smith (Plum), and Faerie Afi Mlatawou (Reese/Plum understudy). It is 2016 and it has been 936 days and counting since Flint, Michigan, has had clean water. Third-generation General Motors employee Marion finds herself on the cusp of a promotion until her sister begins participating in protests accusing the company of poisoning the water. Forced to confront their past and weigh their limited options for the future, the family of Black women finds their tight-knit unit threatened by more than just the toxicity of the water. Written by UW-Madison and First Wave alumna Erika Dickerson-Despenza, this powerful play deconstructs the linear passage of time to ponder the choices we make for the sake of our survival.  They discuss the ongoing Flint water crisis and break down a key refrain from the play, “there's money in war, and there's war in money.” They also talk about the actors’ relationship to their characters, their favorite moments in the play, and what it's like to perform with an all-Black and femme-identified cast.  cullud wattah is showing later this month at the UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre. Tickets are available here.  Featured image of J'Nya Smith, Jayda Smith, Dana Pellebon, Faerie Afi Mlatawou, Ilesa Duncan, and Jnae Thompson. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post A Roundtable with the Cast and Director of cullud wattah appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In recognition of the urgency of the climate crisis, groups of young people around the country are taking their concerns to court. In places like Montana and Hawaiʻi, they're winning lawsuits and forcing states to address greenhouse gas emissions and more. In late August, fifteen youth in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and the state legislature. To talk about their lawsuit and others like it, host Douglas Haynes is joined by two lawyers helping the youth bring their case to court, Tony Wilkin Gibart of Midwest Environmental Advocates and Joanna Zeigler of Our Children's Trust.  The youth plaintiffs are claiming their constitutional right to live in a world with a stable climate system and that climate change is threatening their rights to life, liberty, and happiness. They've been successful in Montana where the state constitution provides a right to health and safety. And in Hawaiʻi, the state has committed to decarbonizing transportation by 2045. In Wisconsin, the youth plaintiffs are claiming that the state is both supporting and fueling the climate crisis by approving fossil fuel power plants and preventing renewable energy projects. They say these actions by the state are infringing on their constitutional rights and the state is failing to preserve and protect the right to use and enjoy the waters of the state.  Gibart tells the story of some of these plaintiffs, like Kaarina Dunn who experienced the major floods in the Driftless region a few years ago and Lucy Wright who grew up cross country skiing, but has seen the seasons cut short. Zeigler says that youth have a strong, intuitive moral compass and since they're the ones who will be disproportionately impacted by climate change, it's important to hear their voices.  Tony Wilkin Gibart has led Midwest Environmental Advocates since 2019, guiding the organization's legal, policy, and community-focused work to protect Wisconsin's natural resources and strengthen environmental rights. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and one of the attorneys representing the young plaintiffs in Dunn v WI PSC. Joanna Zeigler joined Our Children's Trust as a staff attorney in 2022. She primarily works on state cases filed by Our Children's Trust, including Sagoonick v. State of Alaska II and Dunn v. Wisconsin Public Service Commission and is working to develop new cases in other states. Joanna is also working with the State of Hawaiʻi to implement the historic settlement agreement reached in Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Dept. of Transportation. Prior to joining Our Children's Trust, Joanna worked at a Honolulu law firm as a litigation associate for over five years and she earned her JD with a certificate in environmental law from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi. Featured image of skiers in the American Birkebeiner, which has been cancelled several times in recent years due to warm weather, via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).  Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Young Wisconsinites Claim Constitutional Right to Clean Environment appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · New Madison City Clerk Has Hands Full with Election Prep Lydia McComas, Madison's new City Clerk has only been on the job for seven months, but she already has her hands full.  McComas' predecessor, Maribeth Witzel-Behl, resigned in April of 2025 amid investigations into 193 misplaced and uncounted absentee ballots in the November, 2024 elections.  Since then, Witzel-Behl and the City of Madison, in response to a lawsuit by disenfranchised voters, have made the novel argument that absentee voting is a privilege, not a right.  Meanwhile, on February 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE Act, which, if approved by the U.S. Senate, would require proof of U.S. citizenship before registering to vote.  To top it all off, President Trump has spoken of trying to nationalize the election process in states like Wisconsin and has threatened to send Department of Homeland Security agents to the polls, allegedly to conduct sweeps for undocumented immigrants.  So, with all that background, we thought we'd check in with Lydia McComas, and see how the city's getting ready for what promises to be a rollercoaster of an election season.  Lydia McComas spoke with Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 16, 2026. Madison City Clerk Lydia McComas(Photo courtesy Lydia McComas) City of Madison polling place (photo by Chali Pittman / WORT News) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post New Madison City Clerk has Hands Full with Election Prep appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode 5 Madison's Nicole Gruter has been travelling the historic U.S. Highway 14, bringing us the stories of those who live along the iconic road.  This time around, she brings us a report from Mankato, Minnesota, where we meet the generous chef and punk rocker “Dagger Chuck.” Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode 5 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Reports from Palestine’s West Bank While the world has focused on Israel's invasion and occupation of the Gaza Strip, other disputed territories on Israel's borders have started heating up.  Last week, the Israeli government approved a land registration system to facilitate new settlements in the West Bank.  The Palestinian Authority decried the move, calling it a de-facto annexation of the disputed territory and a violation of international law.  For its part, Israeli authorities state the registration system is an administrative measure of little consequence.   A delegation of West Bank observers, Brenna Cussen Anglada, co-founder St. Isidore Catholic Worker Farm, Eli Newell, Field Organizer with IfNotNow and Ziv Scher, activist and native of East Jerusalem, joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 16, 2026. Map of West Bank in Palestine (Image by TUBS, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Reports from Palestine’s West Bank appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Mel's Invisible Mime Box Thing; The grift behind the Gordie Howe bridge delay; Ongoing backlash to racist White House post; Does trump have friends?; Accelerated evolution in Ukraine war zone; Radioactive pig-boar hybrids in Fukushima; World climate approaching point of no return; A return of nuclear testing?; No flood relief for Wisconsin; A new low on global corruption index; and other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy Raghav Modi on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post “T” Equals Epstein Scared appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with Killian Clarke about his new book, Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed. He researches moments of democratic liberation brought about by mass struggle and why some succeed and others fail. Though he did not write about the US, he's seen his research become surprising and tragically poignant in the second Trump presidency. Clarke says that democratic backsliding like we're seeing in the US, has happened in other democracies around the world. But elected leaders who systematically dismantle institutions of democracy and then install an authoritarian regime is far more common in young democracies than in places like the US. It's shocking how quickly Trump and his team are succeeding. There are resonances between tyrants everywhere in how they cement their rule and gain popularity. They also discuss comparisons between Trump and Hitler's rise to power, political polarization in the US, Clarke's research on Egypt, and the vulnerability of other unarmed revolutions. Clarke says that there are downsides to the prevalence of technology in today's social movements and says that grassroots organizing is needed to sustain a movement. He recommends Zeynep Tufekci's book, Twitter and Tear Gas and says it's possible to pressure the Democratic Party to stand for something, like was done during the Civil Rights Movement.  Killian Clarke is an Assistant Professor in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, affiliated with the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. His research examines revolution, protest, democratization, and authoritarianism with a regional focus on the Middle East. He is the author of Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed (Cambridge University Press, 2025), as well as peer-reviewed articles in the American Political Science Review, Annual Review of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, and World Politics. Featured image of the cover of Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed, available from Cambridge University Press. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post How to Make Tyrants and Cement Power appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

As the Justice Department releases new documents from the Epstein files, more and more high-profile and powerful men are being exposed as having ties to the financier, child sex offender, serial rapist, and sex trafficker. There are also serious concerns about how the files are being released and what information is or isn't being redacted for the safety of the survivors. Today, host Ali Muldrow tackles this challenging topic with two guests, Prenicia Clifton, a Madison-based child advocate and founder of Seein’ is Believin’, and Grace Panetta, a journalist with The 19th. Panetta joins us from Capitol Hill where Attorney General Pam Bondi is testifying about the Justice Department's release of the Epstein files and where survivors are gathering to demand accountability. Panetta says that Democratic lawmakers are pressing Bondi about why survivors' information wasn't properly redacted and why some perpetrators’ names were.  Clifton describes several problems with how the Epstein files are being handled. First, is the adultification and therefore re-victimization of the survivors when officials and the press fail to treat them as children, as minors, who cannot consent to their abuse. Another problem is that white supremacy and wealth underpin our justice system such that when Epstein was first convicted in 2009, he received a short sentence and after that his powerful allies maintained their ties. Abuse happens when people have access, privacy, and control of others, says Clifton. She advises parents to have conversations with their children about consent and to know who their kids spend time with, including online.  They also discuss the “tough on crime” rhetoric of the Trump administration in comparison to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwells' crimes, the power dynamics between adults and children, and prioritizing abuse prevention in our communities by observing, interrupting, and creating policies to hold people accountable.  Prenicia Clifton is the founder of Seein’ is Believin’ where she works to address the needs of youth, including mental health, life readiness, and suicide prevention. Her goal is to make a difference in the lives of 1 million kids through culturally infused programming, policy creation, and community advocacy. She is a certified Praesidium Youth Protection Guardian and a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid trainer. Grace Panetta is a Washington, DC-based politics reporter at The 19th, a nonprofit independent newsroom covering the intersection of gender, politics and policy. Featured image of Jeffrey Epstein's private island via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The World Won't Crumble If We Hold Abusers Accountable appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Jackie Brodean joins us in studio, dressed to the nines, to announce his upcoming birthday celebration and to talk Black History Month, Black Love, and much more on this Valentines Day Buzz! Catch special guest Oran Juice Jones and more at Jackie's “Grown and Sexy” birthday bash at Hayes Place on February 21st! Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check out working in the trades with Foundations for For The Trades info sessions (8 training course) on Wednesday (2/11) at 10AM and 3PM at Urban League on Park St: https://ulgm.org/events/foundations-for-the-trades-information-session-no-appointment-needed/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up in March! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21957743/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Can We Add More Black History? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Douglas Haynes is in conversation with Chris Purdy, the Founder and CEO of the Chamberlain Network, an organization dedicated to mobilizing veterans to protect democratic values and institutions. They discuss the changing civilian-military relations in the second Trump presidency, the tradition of the military as an apolitical institution, and the militarization of ICE. Purdy is himself a veteran and says his story is an American one: his family migrated to the US due to violence in Belfast and he joined the army to serve his country. He's noticed that after their service ends, veterans often “don't feel comfortable in their veteran-ness.” So he founded his organization with the goal of creating a non-partisan but political space for veterans to work for their communities. Purdy is concerned about the misuse of active duty forces through the Insurrection Act and he breaks down what the law says about when the military can be used for law enforcement.  He says that because veterans are often credible members of their communities, they can be champions of democracy. Contrary to the way the Trump administration is “laundering military credibility for their agenda” The Chamberlain Network is organizing retired veterans, business and church leaders, and others to help their communities feel safe to vote during elections. They also discuss Trump's restructuring of military leadership, Purdy's article about the misuse of the National Guard, how ICE is acting recklessly by enforcing a political agenda, and the longstanding practice of ICE and other law enforcement recruiting from the military and the “warrior class.” Purdy insists that active duty service members and veterans aren't ICE, DHS, or other federal law enforcement agencies.  Chris Purdy is the Founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, an organization dedicated to mobilizing veterans to protect democratic values and institutions. A former Combat Engineer in the Army National Guard and an Iraq War veteran, Chris also has extensive experience supporting immigrant communities, having previously led veterans' initiatives at an international human rights organization. He also has a background in education, serving as a Special Education teacher and school administrator. Featured image: photo of Chris Purdy courtesy of The Chamberlain Network. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post How Veterans Can Reduce Polarization appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Magdalena Coline: A Life Beyond Slavery Daniel Lord Smail(photo courtesy Princeton University Press) Although the concept of slavery has existed, to some extent, throughout recorded history, the institution took on new dimensions in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, when it was transplanted to the Americas. Slavery in the United States of America marked the first time, slavery became institutionalized as an immutable condition of race, slaves were reduced to mere property, with no inherent rights at all, and with no chance of emancipation.   In medieval Europe, whether or not someone could be considered a slave was far more nuanced than commonly thought.   In his new book, Magdalena Coline: A Life Beyond Mediterranean Slavery, Harvard University historian Daniel Smail digs deep into the peculiar history of a captured Berber woman living in Marseille in the 1300s who successfully sued her former slaveowner in court.  Daniel Smail joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 9, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Magdalena Coline: A Life Beyond Slavery appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · WI Democracy Campaign on Protecting 2026 Elections Nick Ramos(photo courtesy wisdc.org) Last week, President Donald Trump continued to throw shade at election officials in traditionally Democratic states. On Monday, February 2nd, Trump told former FBI director turned podcaster Dan Bongino that “Republicans should take over the voting in at least 15 places.” Two days later, Trump told NBC news reporter Tom Llamas that he would accept the results of the midterm elections “only if they're honest,” and renewed calls for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Integrity or SAVE Act, currently pending in Congress. In other comments, Trump has threatened to send I.C.E agents to polling places, ostensibly to make sure non-citizens do not vote. While the Constitution grants states the right to manage elections, Trump's rhetoric has many on edge. Is Wisconsin ready for whatever the federal government does this November?  Nick Ramos, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign joined the Monday Buzz on February 9, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post WI Democracy Campaign on Protecting 2026 Elections appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Combo Noir Says “To Hell With Love” Saint Valentine, the patron saint of epileptics and beekeepers, was beheaded at the hands of Roman Centurions on February 14, 225.  For reasons no-one really understands – maybe because birds were once thought to pair up in mid-February – or perhaps because modern greeting card companies needed to make money – St. Valentine's feast day has become associated with romance and love.  Madison's slinky blues/soul outfit Combo Noir isn't buying the whole Valentine's Day nonsense.  They're presenting “To Hell With Love” at the North Street Cabaret on February 14th.  Lead singer Anna Purnell joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 9, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Combo Noir Says, “To Hell with Love” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Investing in Prussian war bonds; Remembering The Addams Family & other vintage TV shows; Voter fraud uncovered! [the Melania movie might actually be even worse];  trump posts racist meme [in other news, water is wet]; Melania jokes on theater marquees;  And other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy Robert Sciberras on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Time to Yank the Rug Out appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is joined by friend of the program, Norman Solomon, to discuss the status of the Democratic Party. His new book is The Blue Road to Trump Hell: How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way for Autocracy and it is available for free online. Solomon says we need a stronger Democratic Party–a progressive Democratic Party–to stop fascism and prevent a Vance presidency. It's not feasible to stop xenophobia and misogyny with neoliberal centrism, as with Biden and Harris's campaigns, says Solomon. At the top, the Democratic Party is pro-military, pro-corporations. Too often, centrist Democrats work against progressives, as with NAFTA and the Crime Bill that  accelerated mass incarceration. Though Biden did some good work while in office, he ultimately folded when it came to the Build Back Better Act. Instead, we need strong Democratic leadership “that fights like hell for working people, children, the elderly, and the infirm.” They also discuss how corporate paywalls keep information inaccessible to regular people, how RFK is “viciously anti-Palestinian” and anti-democratic, Bernie Sander's success in calling out plutocracy and corporate greed, Mamdani's success in New York City, and the status of the DHS budget. Norman Solomon is a journalist, media critic, author and activist. He's the National Director of RootsAction and the Executive Director of the Institute for Public Accuracy.  His book War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine was published in 2023. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called the book “a powerful, necessary indictment of efforts to disguise the human toll of American foreign policy.” Norman's dozen other books include War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. Featured image of the cover of Norman Solomon's most recent book, The Blue Road to Trump Hell: How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way for Autocracy. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Why We Need to Complain About Democrats appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Allen Ruff is joined by friend of the program, John Nichols, who is on the ground reporting from Minneapolis. He says that ICE is sowing a great deal of chaos; restaurants are empty and the atmosphere is tense. However, thousands are showing up to daily demonstrations creating a remarkable moment of dissent.  They discuss Nichol's latest article, co-written with Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel, “The ‘Donroe’ Doctrine: Trump Unleashes the Dogs of War.” Nichols says that our contemporary struggles have deep roots in earlier moments of US imperialism. He calls the US's aggression in Venezuela an act of war, not simply a police action as it has been described. The fact that Congress has not been given a say in these actions, effectively makes Trump a king. Unlike Trump's first term in office, this time around he's very focused on international affairs, from kidnapping foreign leaders to threatening to bomb nations and more, says Nichols.  From Venezuela to Minneapolis, we're seeing invasion abroad and at home, says Nichols. He sees hope in the number of folks, especially young people, who are talking about and engaging in general strikes. More and more people are dissatisfied with the Democratic Party and are looking for ways to counter a political system that is infused with money. They also discuss war tax resistance, mutual aid groups, and the role of religious leaders in political movements. John Nichols is the executive editor of The Nation, and previously the magazine’s long-time national affairs correspondent. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than a dozen books on media, democracy, and American political history. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism. Featured image of an anti-ICE protest sign from a January 2026 protest in Minneapolis via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post On the Ground in Minneapolis with John Nichols appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Living at 10,000 feet elevation in bitterly cold weather can have its challenges.  Christine Verdico, Electronics Engineering Technician at UW-Madison, joins host Eli Wilz to talk about her participation in a research project in Antarctica, from where she recently returned.  Christine lived for over two months at the Amundson-Scott South Pole Station where the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is located which was developed by the UW-Madison, Physical Science Lab.  The project searches for subatomic particles called neutrinos which provide information to probe astrophysical sources like exploding stars and phenomena involving black holes. Image by Michele Pitzel from Pixabay Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post In From The Cold appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

David Crowley, the current Milwaukee County Executive, joins host Eli Wilz to discuss his candidacy for the Democratic gubernatorial primary to be held in August of this year.  David was previously elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature and served for three years before winning the County Executive race in Milwaukee.  In his interview on the 8 O'Clock Buzz, Crowley emphasized that affordable housing, health, safety and concern for the environment would be key issues that he would address if elected governor.  Photo by Connor Betts on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Governor’s Race – David Crowley appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean to find an Edenic scene that has since been mythologized. Today on A Public Affair, host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Tao Leigh Goffe who charts this mythology in her new book, Dark Laboratory: On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis. She writes about the legacy of slavery, indentured labor, and the forced toil of Chinese and enslaved Black people who mined the Caribbean islands for the benefit of European powers at the expense of the islands' sacred ecologies.  Goffe bridges climate justice and racial justice in order to meet the demands of the present, from the pandemic and the Global Black Lives Matter movement to celebrity environmentalists buying private islands and the everyday complicity of owning an iPhone. She interrogates the colonial imagination that leads people to fantasize about island spaces as secretive, private, or grounds for experimentation. And she wants to turn away from notions of property and ownership, making the main characters in her book the Caribbean islands themselves, marijuana buds, mongooses, rocks, and more.  They also talk about who experiences the burden of climate change versus who is presented as environmental saviors, having reverence for land, plants, and animals, and the legacy of Toni Morrison's Playing in the Dark. Goffe's next project picks up with the theme of maternity and breastfeeding in the context of resource extraction and racialization.  Tao Leigh Goffe is a London-born, Black British award-winning writer, theorist, and interdisciplinary artist who grew up between the UK and New York. Her research explores Black diasporic intellectual histories, political, and ecological life. She studied English literature at Princeton University before pursuing a PhD at Yale University. She lives and works in Manhattan where she is currently an Associate Professor at Hunter College, CUNY. Dr. Goffe has held academic positions and fellowships at Leiden University in the Netherlands and Princeton University in New Jersey. She is the author of Dark Laboratory: On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis. Featured image of the cover of Dark Laboratory, available from Vintage. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Music of Caribbean Witness appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi, talking about beautiful alchemy, taking adversity and doing good with it.  In the first half, Dr Kim Whitmore joins us to talk about the pain of losing a child and her work channeling that pain into helping others.  In the second half, Dee Star from OuttaDeeBox Podcast joins us to talk about his honor today from the city of Sun Prairie, joined by Kingston Robertson from Holy Godz Clothing to talk about coming from incarceration to business and giving back to the community, plus a quick call from Jackie Brodean! More information about the 7th annual Alana Rose Foundation Butterfly Ball coming up on February 22nd at Monona Terrace: https://www.alanarose.org/annual-butterfly-ball  More information about Dee Star, and to listen and Subscribe to OuttaDeeBox Podcast: https://outtadeeboxpodcast.buzzsprout.com/  To learn more about Kingston and Holy Godz Clothing: https://www.holygodz.store/  Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you're a Black entrepreneur in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/  Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (starting in February!), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, and much more!  Watch for a new Fatherhood Unfiltered coming up in March! Music from today's show: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/21922107/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz  Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Beautiful Alchemy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with SkyeGia Garcia and DaMontae January who work for OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center. They discuss their work and the larger issue of housing in Dane County, especially for disenfranchised youth.  OutReach works for the equity and quality of life for all LGBTQ+ people through community building, health and human services, and economic, social, and racial justice advocacy. Garcia and January work for the program, Everstrong, that provides resources for 17-24 year olds who are at risk of experiencing homelessness. January says that the program empowers young folks to find stable housing and jobs, sign up for insurance, and take on other adult responsibilities with confidence. Young people in the program should be given a second chance and they just want to be heard, says January. In addition to the Everstrong program, they talk about OutReach's food pantry, meditation sessions, and anti-colonial yoga classes where folks can “get back in touch with their sovereignty and autonomy,” says Garcia. She says that the LGBTQ+ community has a strong culture of taking care of people and has consistently led with compassion, empathy, and support.  SkyeGia Garcia has been a community organizer since 2016. Her work has focused on anti-colonial awareness that connects to Indigenous struggles and liberation. SkyeGia currently works at OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center for a project that focuses on youth empowerment and housing justice. DaMontae January comes from a background of social work and counseling and has been working for housing justice since 2020. Currently January works as Program Director for EverStrong at OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center and has been there since 2023. Featured image: of DaMonte January, Dana Pellebon, and SkyeGia Garcia. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Everstrong Housing Program Sets Up Youth for Success appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Douglas Haynes is in conversation with Jacob Hundt of Thoreau College in Viroqua and Grace Greenwald of the Springboard Foundation. They explore how the growing microcollege movement is becoming the antidote to the crisis in higher education. Contrary to the transactional, consumer-oriented nature of traditional education, microcolleges are place-based with small student bodies where students' education includes manual labor and community building.  Founded in 2015, Thoreau College offers immersive gap year programs, internships, and short courses for young adults that integrate academic studies, hands-on manual work, wilderness expeditions, arts and crafts, and engaged community life. Thoreau College is Wisconsin's only microcollege, but there is a growing interest in this phenomena in the state. The school offers semester-length programs and admits around 8-15 students with several interns learning about teaching. It's broad, holistic, and immersive, says Hundt. Microcolleges offer accessible entry into higher education for students, says Greenwald. She's seen the movement growing in two ways: there's a growing interest in founding microcolleges around the country, particularly in rural areas and existing colleges are increasingly connecting with each other on issues like decision making.  More and more, students are choosing not to go to college because they don't see college as offering a path to a purposeful life. Greenwald says that microcolleges are great at engaging students in resilient relationships and offering them real opportunities to be responsible to each other and their communities. Students work on self-governance and communal living and conflict is a feature, not a bug, says Hundt. Grace Greenwald is the Director of Research for the Springboard Foundation, which helps support the movement of microcolleges. She served on the early team building Outer Coast, a microcollege in the rural island community of Sitka, Alaska.  Jacob Hundt is Executive Director of Thoreau College, a microcollege located in Viroqua, Wisconsin. In addition to his teaching and leadership roles, he is the host of the Microcollege Podcast, a key platform for documenting this growing movement. He lives on a 10 acre farm with his wife and 4 children. Featured image of farmland in the Driftless region of Wisconsin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Microcolleges Build Resilient and Responsible Students appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · Historical Perspective on National Guard and Federal Agents Historian John W. Hall(photo courtesy wisc.edu) On Saturday, January 24th, U.S. Border Patrol agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Guttierez shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti dead in the streets of the Whittier Neighborhood of South Minneapolis.  The shooting marked the 9th person who has died at the hands of ICE or CPB agents, or in ICE custody so far, nationwide, this year.  In response to the Pretti shooting,  Governor Tim Walz has deployed 1,500 Minnesota National Guard troops to the Twin Cities.  The state has deployed Guard troops to federal buildings.  So far, the Guard troops have tried to distinguish themselves from federal DHS agents by wearing high-visibility vests and providing coffee and donuts to protestors.  Nonetheless, the presence of Minnesota armed troops and heavily armed federal officers raises fears of conflict between the two.  John W. Hall is the Ambrose-Hesseltine Professor of Military History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on February 2, 2026 to give us a historical perspective of the relationship between state troops and the federal government. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Historical Perspective on National Guard and Federal Agents appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · Yid Vicious Celebrates 30 Years: Live on the Monday Buzz On Friday, February 2, 1996, – Groundhog Day – Madison found itself in the grip of an Arctic outbreak that saw 10 inches of snow falling and record low temperatures across Wisconsin.  In the tiny Mother Fool's Coffee House on Williamson Street, a fledgling local klezmer band decided not to cancel their debut concert, despite the raging blizzard outside.  Thus was born Yid Vicious, who thirty years later, have become a musical staple of the Madison scene and international stars on the world klezmer circuit.  Yid Vicious will celebrate their 30th Anniversary Kleztacular at the Harmony Bar on Saturday, February 7th.  But first, they joined the Monday Buzz for a live performance in the WORT studios. Yid Vicious live in the WORT studios. From L to R: Greg Smith – clarinet, Anna Purnell – trumpet, Kia Karlen – French horn, David Spies – tuba, Daithi Wolfe – violin, Geoff Brady – tambourine.(Photo by Nicholas Wootton) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Yid Vicious Celebrates 30 Years: Live on the Monday Buzz appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · MN Immigrant Rights Activists at Center of Resistance to ICE Uff Da sign: Protest against I.C.E., downtown Minneapolis 1/23/2026.(Photo by Fibonacci Blue, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) In a recent visit to Minneapolis, U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance expressed surprise at the level of what he called “chaos” in the Twin Cities, compared with other Department of Homeland Security actions in Los Angeles and Chicago.  Minnesota's stiff community resistance to the invasion of their neighborhoods by heavily armed federal agents comes after years of preparation.  Monday Buzz host Brian Standing spoke with Erika Zurawski, co-founder of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition, about why Minnesotans were ready for this moment. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post MN Immigrant Rights Activists at Center of Resistance to I.C.E. appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on Mel & Floyd:  Reliving the Fugitive Slave Act; 600+ lawsuits against trump regime; Irrationality is the name of the game; trump’s inability to stay on script and ever more limited vocabulary; A new mascot for coal – your tax dollars at work!; And other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy 1.33X MotionPicture on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Cherry on Top of the Poop Sundae appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On the day of a national anti-ICE general strike, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with writer Sophie Lewis about her book, Enemy Feminisms: TERFs, Policewomen, and Girlbosses Against Liberation.  Lewis reckons with the white supremacy of bourgeois feminism but refuses to “be evicted from the house of feminism” because she doesn't want to cede ground to TERFS, femonationalists, and other enemy feminisms. Meanwhile, Lewis wants to recover histories of anti-fascist, anti-colonial, insurgent, and undercommons feminism. Dinur points to women like Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Caroline Levitt, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, and even Kamala Harris who have supported wars all over the world, and wonders, “are these the women I've fought for?” Lewis also discusses the right to pleasure within the gender liberation struggle, the mythology of feminist figures like Mary Wollstonecraft and May French Sheldon, “feminist misogyny,” and family liberation. Sophie Lewis is a self described ex-academic, writer, left activist and adoptive Philadelphian (transplanted from Europe). She is the author of several books, including Full Surrogacy Now, Abolish the Family, Enemy Feminisms, and the forthcoming essay collection FEMMEPHILIA. Sophie’s essays also appear everywhere from the New York Times to n+1 and the London Review of Books. She teaches short courses on social philosophy and theory online at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, and you can find her newsletter at patreon.com/reproutopia or browse her archive at lasophielle.org/. Sophie is currently working on a book for Penguin, The Liberation of Children (2027). Featured image of the cover of Enemy Feminisms, available from Haymarket Books.  Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Refusing Eviction from the House of Feminism appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Marking the first anniversary of Trump's presidency, the White House released a statement, “365 Wins in 365 Days,” celebrating the success and prosperity that Donald Trump has brought to the nation. To reflect on Trump's first year back in the White House, host Allen Ruff is joined by journalist Chris Walker, who says that the President has certainly transformed things but for the worse. Walker says that he's most concerned about the rising authoritarianism of the administration and how Republicans in Congress seem to be OK with this. We have limited checks in terms of the judiciary, and no checks in the legislature, says Walker. Additionally, Trump is increasingly transparent about his intentions of being a dictator and desire to cancel the midterm elections. They also talk about the terror that ICE is bringing to Minneapolis, the general strike called by Rep. Jaime Raskin of Maryland, the resurgence of measles outbreaks under RFK, and Trump's use of the term “environmental insurrectionists.” While it has been common in the past for elected officials to defend law enforcement, Walker notes that now ICE's victims are being cast as “domestic terrorists” and described as “readying for a massacre” against DHS without any proof. Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on people. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker. Featured image of Donald Trump via Picryl. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The General Rubric of Idiocy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

 On this show, we've been reflecting on the last year of the Trump regime's attacks on immigrants. Today, we're focusing on how activists are protecting their communities and taking care of themselves. Host Ali Muldrow is joined by two disability activists, Dr. Sami Schalk and Martha Siravo, who discuss how they balance art with activism and how they maintain joy as we're bombarded with tremendous tragedy around the country. Siravo talks about her experiences in the adaptive arts space where she uses her wheelchair for adaptive ballet. Last fall, her aerial dance performance of “Defying Gravity” went viral on Tik Tok.  Dr. Schalk says that she's approaching activism differently since the police violently assaulted her while she was supporting UW Madison students protesting the genocide in Gaza. She says there are many ways she can use her resources and visibility without putting her body on the line. Right now is the time to prepare and care and bedazzle gifts for friends, she says. They also talk about how to challenge assumptions about disabled peoples' sexuality, how to create accessible spaces, and how they negotiate wanting to be joyous and find pleasure while also feeling overwhelmed by the injustice in the world. Dr. Schalk says that pleasure is a daily practice that happens alongside resistance and activism. Dr. Sami Schalk is a full professor in the Department of Gender & Women's Studies at UW-Madison. She is the author of many books, and her research focuses on disability, race, and gender in contemporary American literature and culture. She is also a working artist and has had her art displayed at the Ford Foundation Gallery in New York City and at Art + Literature Laboratory in Madison.  Martha Siravo is a disability rights advocate and founder of Madtown Mamas and Disability Advocates. She's a single mother, whose daughter is in the sixth grade. Featured image of a bedazzled rose via Rawpixel. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Finding Joy Even When the World Demands Outrage appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Dana Pellebon is joined by Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, author of the new book, How I Know White People are Crazy and Other Stories: Notes from a Frustrated Black Psychologist. Dr. Lassiter works in private psychotherapy practice and provides culturally relevant care for marginalized professionals. He is part of the mere 1% of Black male psychologists in the country. His memoir makes the case for better cultural representation in the therapy field and defines the theory of the “whiteness mindset.”  Dr. Lassiter says that he's always been curious about why people do the things they do, and this led him to pursue a career in education followed by a psychotherapy practice. He describes his upbringing and the isolation and microaggressions he experienced in his graduate studies and clinical settings. He noticed that though the clinics he worked in were serving Black and Latinx clients, the vast majority of the therapists were white. And while working in the VA hospital in Indianapolis, he was the only Black male therapist. At that time, he read Toni Morrison's Playing in the Dark: Whiteness in the Literary Imagination and went on to write a corollary essay, “Whiteness in the Psychological Imagination,” that became the seed of his current book.  In How I Know White People are Crazy and Other Stories, Dr. Lassiter uses diagnostic criteria to define “the whiteness mindset” as a way of thinking and being that values materialism, competition, and individualism, which all promote oppression. It's a “distress producing phenomena” that hurts everyone and is making white people sick, he says. They also discuss other concepts in psychology, like “post traumatic slave syndrome” and “black fatigue,” and how Christianity becomes a weapon, especially when it comes to sexuality. Dr. Lassiter says he wants marginalized people, the global majority, to understand that they're not the problem. His future work will focus on the Afro-centric and Indigenous psychologies as pathways to better, more healthy futures. Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City specializing in culturally informed mental health care for Black, POC, and LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. With a passion to use his Ph.D.for the culture, he serves as a therapist, scientist, educator, author, mental health columnist, on-air mental health expert, and international public speaker. Dr. Lassiter has appeared in such outlets as NBC, PBS, Forbes, Huff Post, Radio NewZealand, SiriusXM, iHeart Radio, and more. Follow Dr. Lassiter on all social media platforms at @lassiterhealth. Featured image of the cover of How I Know White People are Crazy and Other Stories: Notes from a Frustrated Black Psychologist.  Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Dr. Jonathan Lassiter Defines the Whiteness Mindset appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Douglas Haynes is joined in the studio by three representatives of Isthmus –Judith Davidoff, Linda Falkenstein, and Dean Robbins–who share their stories about Isthmus's history and its arts and news coverage as the newspaper celebrates 50 years in the community. Davidoff describes how Isthmus was founded back in 1976 covering the local arts scene before it expanded to become a local news outlet. Robbins says that the newspaper became a home for alternative voices, the quirky, the artsy, and the hard news that didn't find a home elsewhere in Madison. In those years, Isthmus was the only outlet working consistently with freelance writers, and it quickly became known for its award-winning arts writing, says Davidoff. Over the years, Davidoff says they've maintained their commitment to highlighting local voices, local events and news, and high-quality writing and editing. Their coverage of the Act 10 protests was a highlight of Robbins' time at the magazine. Falkenstein says that when the magazine was located at 101 King St., the office had a “vitality” and energy that can't be matched.  They also discuss the current journalism landscape and how they choose to cover protests and breaking news with a limited staff. We also hear from callers who share their memories of reading Isthmus over the years. Judith Davidoff is the editor and president of Isthmus Community Media. She led the transition of the paper to a nonprofit in 2021 and its relaunch as a print monthly.  Linda Falkenstein is the associate editor at Isthmus. She started at Isthmus in 1999 as special sections editor. Dean Robbins is a children’s book author and journalist who started as a freelance writer at Isthmus in 1983 and worked as the editor from 2009-2014.  Featured image of Dean Robbins, Linda Falkenstein, Judith Davidoff, and Douglas Haynes courtesy of Sara Gabler/WORT.  Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Reflecting on 50 Years of Publishing Isthmus Newspaper appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Mel & ‘Pants brave the elements to deliver the goods while it's warmer on Mars!; Board of Peace or Legion of Doom?; Greenland or Iceland?; Study finds Americans pay 96% of tariff cost; in other news, water is wet; And other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy Mark Chan on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Nanny Car appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today, host Esty Dinur is joined by Jennifer Loewenstein to debrief about the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestine. They discuss what's happening in Gaza and the status of the ceasefire and Gaza “Board of Peace.” Loewenstein says that nothing has changed in Gaza since the ceasefire except the intensity of bombing, which has decreased, but not ceased. She describes the partitioning of Gaza into green and red “zones” and the “yellow line” that marks the line of Israeli occupation. Over two million Palestinians have been pushed into the “red zone” along the coast where they are living in non-winterized tents in conditions that Loewenstein calls “abject misery.” Meanwhile the Rafa crossing remains closed and Israel is planning concentration camps for Palestinians. Loewenstein says that the ceasefire and the creation of the “Board of Peace” have been successful in keeping what's happening in Gaza out of the news. She says that “it's scandalous that no Palestinians are on the Board and after two years of genocide that what's happening is a deeper entrenchment of the occupation.” They also discuss the role of gangs in the “red zone,” the deliberate targeting of journalists, and the wiping out UNRWA. Loewenstein says that what's happening in Gaza is an expression of Western imperialism and the expansion of Israeli hegemony around the Middle East. Jennifer Loewenstein is an American activist, journalist, and founder of the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project. Her work has appeared in academic journals such as The Journal of Palestine Studies, and she is a regular contributor to the CounterPunch magazine. Featured image of an aerial view of Israel's destruction of Rafa via UNRWA on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post It's Still A Nightmare In Gaza appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Though Wisconsin hasn't been faced with the major ICE raids as we've seen in LA, Chicago, and Minneapolis, there is growing concern that ICE will arrive in Wisconsin. Governor Evers said this week that the state is preparing for this inevitability. To talk about ICE raids and the larger context of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, host Allen Ruff is joined by Armando Ibarra.  Ibarra works with Voces de la Frontera, an organization with deep roots in Wisconsin. Founded in 1994, the organization responded to the displacement of people from NAFTA. Over the years Voces has helped more than 16,500 families create “family disruption plans” and has held “know your rights” sessions for more than 30,000 people across Wisconsin. Voces de la Frontera will be holding its annual assembly this weekend. Ibarra also discusses the US as a land of immigrants in a land of anti-immigrants, from colonization,  Westward expansion, and the Chinese Exclusion Act, to the present. Ibarra says that the US is no longer pretending not to be an empire, as we've seen with the Trump  administration's aggression in Latin America.  They also discuss the Supreme Court ruling that legitimizes racial profiling, the reframing of protest as “domestic terrorism,” the rise of state-sanctioned violence against immigrants, and the 287(g) programs that deputize local law enforcement to act as immigration agents. Voces organizes a 24-7 emergency ICE hotline at 1-800-427-0213. Armando Ibarra is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the School for Workers. He's the co-author of the award winning book, The Latino Question: Politics, Labouring Classes and the Next Left. Featured image of the mural “Labor Solidarity has no Borders” (1992) by Mike Alewitz via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post A Land of Immigrants or a Land of Anti-Immigrants? appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. In the past year, we've watched as Trump delivered on his campaign promises of “mass deportation now” with violent assaults on immigrant communities, most recently in our neighboring state of Minnesota. On today's show, host Ali Muldrow is joined by scholar Sara McKinnon to talk about what has been predictable and surprising about the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.  McKinnon says that the scale and speed of what has been put in place is unprecedented, from deportation flights, detention, to ICE raids. We've seen that ICE activity in city centers has become more visible, public, and long lasting, with sometimes months-long occupations and tactics that challenge what is lawful. The rhetoric that justifies mass deportation relies on a message of crime and criminality that has been popular with Christian nationalists. On Trump's first day in office, he limited the Refugee Resettlement Program from 125,000 recipients to 7,500, which will be available to white South Africans. They also discuss the power and authority of ICE to kill at will, as with the killing of Renee Good earlier this month, the exponential growth of ICE forces and detention centers, and the racially motivated fear of immigrants that the Right cultivates. Sara McKinnon is Professor of Rhetoric, Politics & Culture in the Department of Communication Arts, and Faculty Director of Latin American, Caribbean & Iberian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. McKinnon has published three books, including Gendered Asylum: Race and Violence in U.S. Law and Politics (University of Illinois Press, 2016), which examines the gender discourse that emerged in U.S. immigration and refugee law between the 1980 Refugee Act and 2014. Her current research explores the dynamics of human migration in Latin America and analyzes foreign policy relations and rhetoric in a transnational context. Additionally, she leads a collaborative project aimed at expanding legal information about US immigration and refugee programs, as well as legal counsel available to migrants across the Americas, helping them to explore options for safe migration and residence. Featured image via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post One Year of Immigration Enforcement on Steroids appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This Thursday, January 22, is the 53rd anniversary of the passing of Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022. On today's show, host Dana Pellebon discusses abortion rights with two representatives from Free & Just, Veronica Ingham and Laurel Marcinkus. Free & Just is an organization working nationally to amplify the stories of everyday people and demonstrate the devastating consequences of abortion bans across the country. Free & Just was founded after the Dobbs decision as more and more people across the country started telling their abortion stories. Ingham says that storytelling is the most effective way to build support for reproductive rights, as she saw in her work in Ohio where the majority of people voted to protect reproductive rights. Now, there are over 300 abortion storytellers across 49 states, including 30 in Wisconsin. Marcinkus is one of those Wisconsin abortion storytellers. She shares her story of needing emergency medical care when she was pregnant with her daughter. Though her doctors recommended life-saving care, she had to wait hours before she could be induced. She lost her daughter and the situation further endangered her health.  Marcinkus's story is representative of what happens to pregnant people in the absence of Roe v. Wade. And there are more and more pregnant people dying who can't get the care they need, as a recent ProPublica article exposes. In Wisconsin, there are two “medical waste” bills moving through the legislature that would criminalize people who miscarry and do not “catch” their miscarriage and return it to a physician. Nationally, there are similar bills being proposed. They also discuss how the anti-abortion movement arose in response to the Civil Rights movement, how the Trump administration has effectively defunded Planned Parenthood through Medicaid cuts, and the misinformation about medical induced abortion. Even though there may be barriers to sharing abortion stories publicly, people can still find community by bravely sharing their experiences.  Veronica Ingham is the Managing Director for Free & Just, overseeing the team focused on protecting and expanding reproductive freedom and rights nationwide. Before joining Free & Just, Veronica most recently led the historic abortion referendum in Ohio as campaign manager, where Ohioans voted overwhelmingly to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution. Laurel Marcinkus is a Free & Just storyteller and advocate for reproductive freedom from Kenosha, WI. She’s a mom who was forced to wait hours for lifesaving medical care here in Wisconsin and now tells her story to spotlight the dangers of anti-abortion laws. Featured image of stencil reading “Defend Roe v. Wade” via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Abortion Stories Behind Every Anti-Abortion Law appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Pants returns from his trip to … Stoughton?; A visit from “She who must be obeyed”; WORT needs new fund raising director; How to buy a Nobel Prize; All about Vidkun Quisling; A review of “Heated Rivalry”; Red hat stealing crows are murdering it; And other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy Jamie Haughton on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Primates Are Doing It appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is joined by Alfred W. McCoy to talk about his latest book, Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage, available from Haymarket Books. His book offers an intimate portrait of both covert operatives and antiwar activists, thus humanizing a history often told in impersonal terms of nuclear arsenals or diplomatic ententes. Turning away from the usual focus of the Moscow-Washington stalemate, McCoy looks at the regions of the world where the Cold War was actually fought, arguing that Southeast Asia experienced the worst of Cold War violence. From South Vietnam to the Middle East, to Africa and Latin America the major world powers fought surrogate wars amounting to 20 million deaths.  McCoy describes how the US spread its military around the world and operated covertly in Afghanistan, Angola, and elsewhere. He says that the first success of “the man on the spot,” Kermit Roosevelt Jr., was in Iran where he helped to install the Shah in “a spectacularly successful exhibit of regime change.” McCoy says that we're currently seeing a “radical shift in US geopolitical posture” moving away from “an international system of law and commerce to becoming a regional hegemony” as seen in what McCoy calls Trump's “tri-continental strategy.” Trump has decided to concentrate US power in the Americas, from Canada to Greenland and Venezuela. He says that Trump views oil and power as synonymous, but this is a miscalculation on Trump's part. McCoy sees the era of oil as over and the next horizon is in renewables and will be dominated by China.  Alfred W. McCoy holds the Harrington chair in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since earning a history doctorate in 1977, his teaching and writing have focused on Southeast Asian history, modern empires, and the covert netherworld of syndicate crime and state security. Featured image of the cover of Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage, available from Haymarket Books. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post From the Cold War to the Trump Regime's Geopolitics with Alfred McCo... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.