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WisconsinEye, or WisEye for short, is the state’s first and only independent state Capitol broadcast network. Their small team has been providing live, unedited coverage of political proceedings since 2007 – from legislative hearings, to press conferences, to oral arguments in the state Supreme Court. But the network is running low on funds and in danger of shutting down this summer. Co-founder Jon Henkes joined our News Producer Faye Parks to explain how state lawmakers and private donors can help them stay afloat. Image courtesy: Chali Pittman / WORT News.

A compromise plan to spend Wisconsin’s projected surplus died in the Senate last night, despite bipartisan support in the state Assembly. The plan, brought forward by Governor Evers and Republican legislative leaders, would have spent nearly two billion dollars on school funding and lower taxes. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

Last week, The Center for Black Excellence and Culture held its grand opening, and a crowd of around 1,500 people showed up to tour the space and celebrate. On today’s show, host Enjoyiana Nururdin speaks with Ms. Lilada Gee, the co-founder of the Center about the planning, implementation, and legacy of this space that is “for and by the Black community.” Featured image of the exterior of The Center for Black Excellence and culture courtesy of Brian Standing/WORT.

Ya Got Trouble by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Intergenerational Pride Dinner: Exchanging lessons from the past and the challenges of today by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Wednesday 5-13-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Nurses at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison are alleging widespread union busting activity in the workplace, just days after they filed paperwork to hold a union election. A total of 870 nurses signed on, fed up with staffing and retention issues at the hospital. Annie Klauer and Sable Dobbie, two nurses at St. Mary’s, joined our News Producer Faye Parks this afternoon to share their stories – and explain how they’re keeping the campaign alive despite the pressure. Image courtesy: SEIU Wisconsin via Facebook.

Remembering the life and legacy of Joanne Bland, civil rights icon by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Young people are too often victims of our broken criminal justice system. 1 in 14 US children either has or has had a parent behind bars. Our friends at the PATHfinders and POPS Club are doing the vital work of supporting these youth, including publishing their poetry. Today host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Victor Trillo Jr., Amy Friedman, and one of the youth poets, Darrione, about their 11th anthology, A Secret Chord: Poetry, Stories & Art. Featured image of the cover of A Secret Chord: Poetry, Stories & Art.

The Madison Metropolitan School District hopes to achieve a 100 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across the district by 2045. District staff joined the school board on Monday to share a progress update and highlight recent successes.

Welcome to the pilot episode of FREE SEEDS, a new show bringing you thought provoking conversation and vital information about gardening and our diverse farming community. Today, host Brian Emerson is in conversation with Howard Hayes about the importance of bringing youth into our local food system and the wealth of lessons that gardens and outdoor spaces have to teach. Featured image of hands holding seeds via Upsplash.

To tell the story of an historic win for truth and justice for labor against corporate complicity and the 1970s military dictatorship in Argentina, Karen Robert follows 24 auto workers from the Ford Argentina factory in her book, Driving Terror. In the book, Robert, a history professor at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada explores issues of labor repression and the collusion of enormously powerful forces against workers in a battle for profit and control. As her story chronicles working class activism and the demand for human rights, she provides a detailed narrative of Argentine labor history from the 1970s to 2010s. Professor Robert spoke with Gil Halsted and Amitabh Pal about various issues covered in the book as well as leaving listeners with a mystery as to what role the Ford Falcon played in the story. Driving Terror by Karen Robert www.simonandschuster.com/books/Driving-Terror/Karen-Robert/Dialogos-Series/9780826367600 Published by the University of New Mexico, distributed by Simon and Schuster

Part of Wisconsin’s projected surplus would be spent on additional school funding and income tax rebates, in a bipartisan deal Governor Evers announced Monday after months of negotiations with GOP legislative leaders. But their proposal still has to clear a vote in both chambers of the state Legislature and not everyone is on board, with Democrats like state Senator Kelda Roys emerging as early critics. Also a candidate running for governor, Senator Roys told our News Producer Faye Parks yesterday that the deal is an election year gimmick that would put the state’s finances at risk. Image courtesy: Senator Kelda Roys.

filmmaker Nathan Deming 5-7-26 buzz by WORT 89.9FM Madison

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Araceli Esparza about her new book, Healing from Racial Discrimination! ¿Ahora Que? Now, What? Esparza says that freeing your voice is an action, but it takes healing to get there. She offers advice on how to address discrimination in the workplace when EEOC and HR offices too often protect the company instead of the vulnerable employee. Featured image of the cover of Healing from Racial Discrimination! ¿Ahora Que? Now, What?

Sahar Mustafah on The Slightest Green by WORT 89.9FM Madison

After months of negotiations, Governor Evers and GOP legislative leaders have reached a deal on how to spend the state’s projected budget surplus. But their proposal still has to clear a vote in both chambers of the state Legislature – and not everyone is on board. For a closer look, our News Producer Faye Parks sat down with Jessie Opoien, a state politics reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Image courtesy: Chali Pittman / WORT News.

Forecast from Monday, 5-11-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Madison’s beloved Olbrich Botanical Gardens welcomed almost 400,000 visitors last year. However, it was designed to handle less than half of that amount. This year, the Gardens with the partnership of Madison’s Parks Division embarked on a master planning process to ensure the future of the Gardens including expanding its physical space as well as services. To talk about this process, Douglas Haynes hosts a roundtable discussion with Hilary Gerstein, Eric Knepp, and Tanya Zastrow. Featured image of the Bolz Conservatory at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens via Wikimedia Commons.

The Past Isn’t Past recalls the the Million Mom March, May 14th, 2000 (Mother's Day that year), a protest against lax gun laws that endangered and still endanger children and adults alike. 750,000 attended the DC rally, plus thousands in over 77 communities across the country. Image courtesy: David on Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/65193799@N00/35728102

Milwaukee based artist Susan Simensky Bietila has spent a lifetime in protest and activism. She’ll join us to talk about her new memoir.

The UW Space Place closes its doors, the victim of federal budget cuts. Director Jim Lattis joins us with a farewell.

It’s planting season! Pete and Bert take a look at the challenges that the American small farms are facing. Besides Mother Nature, economics and man-made events are making a mess of things during planting season. Many farmers are pledging all their assets to secure loans to buy what they need for this planting season. Photo by Steven Weeks on Unsplash

This week on Mel & Floyd: The latest on “Don Snore-leone”; Problems with Canvas educational software; Mel is back on his bike!; Chief Justice Roberts laments correct public perception; War crimes prosecution as a growth industry; $850 Million tax dollars to cancel wind power projects; Cheetah poplation increases in Iran; 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 OGenius Aficionados on Unsplash

Though Operation Metro Surge has officially ended, the Trump administration continues to abduct people from the Twin Cities. Three people were also taken from Madison this week, and Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, was detained on April 3 and remains in ICE detention. In response, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with two organizers with Workers’ Solidary Circle–Kip Hedges and Cal Robinette–about the lessons other communities can learn from ICE resistance in the Twin Cities.   Featured image from an anti-ice protest from January 2026 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

Queery - 30th Anniversary Show - LIVE REMOTE by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Reporters at the Cap Times have unionized and are seeking voluntary recognition from newspaper management. All eligible editorial staff signed authorization cards, affirming that they want to join the newly-formed Cap Times News Guild. To learn more about the campaign and their vision for a unionized newsroom, our News Producer Faye Parks sat down with reporters Ashley Rodriguez and Will Briggs. Image courtesy: NewsGuild-CWA via their website.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the state’s transparency laws, yet it rarely follows its own advice. This week on “Transparency Talk”, hosts Bill Lueders and Tom Kamenick discuss two recent court decisions involving records requests from the DOJ, and how these decisions could leave a positive impact on government transparency in Wisconsin. But before we turn it over to Tom and Bill, our standard reminder that this conversation is not intended to be specific legal advice but rather a discussion of general legal issues. If you have a particular legal issue, please consult an attorney.

The Madison Police Department released their annual report for 2025 which showed a significant decrease in crime. Kate Paape spoke with Public Information Officer Stephanie Fryer to find out why. Photo Courtesy of Albert Herring of Wikimedia Commons

The grand opening of the Center for Black Excellence and Culture drew hundreds to Madison’s south side Wednesday afternoon. The brainchild of Reverend Dr. Alex Gee, the center aims to cultivate Black excellence in business, leadership, education, the arts, and more. Photo Courtesy of Brian Standing

For decades the Christian Right has worked to “Christianize” the federal government, arm Israel, eliminate reproductive and civil rights, and they seem to be succeeding. On today’s show, Sara Gabler speaks with journalist Josiah Hesse about what it’s like to grow up inside a white Evangelical world and then leave it. Hesse writes about his experience in his new book, On Fire for God: Fear, Shame, Poverty, and the Making of the Christian Right - a Personal History. Featured image of the cover of On Fire for God.

Interview by Peter Haney with Victor Gorodinsky about the UW-Madison Russian folk Orchestra's Spring 2026 concert

Forecast from Wednesday 5-6-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Eight Assembly Republicans stood up to party leadership last session and finally got a pair of women’s health-focused bills across the finish line. That was their message in a February press conference – and one that’s featured prominently in a conservative ad campaign calling for their reelection in November. Brittany Carloni is a state government and politics reporter at Wisconsin Watch. She joined our News Producer Faye Parks this afternoon to explain why some Wisconsin Republicans are leaning on bipartisan issues to hold onto their seats. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

Madison schools have less than two months to implement a district-wide cell phone policy, under a new state law that earned Governor Evers’ signature last fall. But the proposal presented at Monday’s school board meeting garnered mixed responses, with community advocates saying it isn’t strict enough and some board members worrying that it would worsen racial disparities in discipline. Image courtesy: Chali Pittman / WORT News.

On today’s edition of “Ali’s Book Club” we celebrate the publication of Baker’s Dozen by Dasha Kelly, a book that grapples with mortality, grief, and desire. Kelly says that her characters, like the lead character named Shay in Baker’s Dozen, find her on purpose and then she “quilts” them into the story. Featured image of the cover of Baker’s Dozen.

The Office of the Independent Monitor was founded in 2020, but the 2025-2026 annual report released Tuesday was only the second to ever be released by the office. It was taken down just two days later, after it faced public criticism for its AI-generated cover image of the Madison skyline. With a nearly 6 year history marred by understaffing, high turnover and scarce funding, Interim Independent Monitor Aeiramique Glass faced an uphill battle when she assumed the role late last year.

The Odana Hills Golf Course could be getting a fresh design, Madison Parks officials announced Thursday. The news comes after the City of Madison Parks Division received a multi-million dollar donation from golf course developers and owners Michael and Jocelyn Keiser. The city could break ground on the project as early as this fall, pending the Board of Parks Commissioners’ approval of the project.

For now, telehealth providers can still prescribe the widely-used abortion pill mifepristone and send it through the mail. That’s after the U.S. Supreme Court paused last week’s federal decision requiring an in-person visit. But remote access to the abortion pill is still up in the air. Jenny Higgins is the director of the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity. She joined our News Producer Faye Parks to explain how the legal back and forth could impact Wisconsin. Image courtesy: DANCO via their website.

A popular golf course on Madison’s west side is slated to get a multimillion dollar makeover soon, with construction expected to break ground as early as this fall. City staff held a public information meeting last week to share a progress update – and request additional feedback before they present a draft plan to the Board of Park Commissioners later this month. Image courtesy: Golf Madison Parks via Facebook.

Interview with LGBTQ activist David Runyon.

This week on Stuff Yer Face, Emily Tucker visits Little Tibet Market and Cafe in Northgate Shopping Center to chat with founder and co-owner, Namgyal Ponsar. Namgyal and her brothers aren't just serving Tibetan food — they've built a bridge between the Himalayan Region and Madison. What started as a challenge of sourcing ingredients for their food truck and restaurant, grew to a space rooted in community, care, and Namgyal's trust in the interconnectedness of all things.

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with April Kigeya and Linda Ketcham about their struggles doing anti-oppression work in majority white spaces. They focus on their work in the Madison chapter of the Rotary Club, an international service club, and the insidious forms of racism and sexism they faced there. Featured image via Pexels.

Jeff Oloizia new podcast Wisconsin's literary community, Writing Forward

A Madison resident and an important part of the Political Science Department at the UW-Madison for many years, Scott Straus was recommended by many to talk about the current situation in Africa – with the understanding that it would be impossible to cover the entire continent in one show. Professor Scott Straus is now a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of California Berkeley. He’s also the 2023 Mahatma M.K. Gandhi Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science and has been honored with many professional awards for his scholarship. Straus studies political violence, genocide, human rights and post-conflict politics with an empirical focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and is the author or editor of nine books, including Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership, and Genocide in Modern Africa and The Order of Genocide: Race, Power, and War. His articles also appear in a number of national and international journals. Prior to his academic career, Scott Straus was a freelance journalist based in Nairobi; he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his 1996 coverage of the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Scott Straus at UC Berkeley http://polisci.berkeley.edu/people/person/scott-straus Map courtesy of The Library of Congress

Forecast from Monday, 5-4-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Monday, 5-4-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Anti-immigrant Trump administration policies and brutal ICE raids across the US gave Madison’s annual Day Without Immigrants May Day rally an extra sense of urgency. Helena White has this report from last Friday’s protest. Full disclosure: Helena works at East High School and is a member of the Madison school staff union MTI.

There's no shortage of bad climate news: unprecedented heat, US cities running out of water, the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream, etc. The compounding effects of the climate crisis are leaving people overwhelmed and disempowered. But on today’s show host Douglas Haynes focuses on how to cope with climate anxiety. He’s joined by climate therapist, Leslie Davenport, who is a leader in the emerging field of climate-aware therapy.  Featured image via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).

With the spring election mostly in the rearview mirror, things are returning to business as usual for the city of Madison and Dane County. Brenda Konkel has the rundown on this week’s meetings, in this edition of “Forward Lookout.”