WORT 89.9FM Madison

Bo Owens and Sanders Weinberg’s are co-creators of the Fat Clothing Swap, which takes place twice a year in Madison. In our last episode, we discussed why it’s important to call a thing a thing. In this episode of Radio Chipstone, Sanders, Bo, and contributor Gianofer (JON nah fer) Fields discuss what happens after the swap is over and the complexities of donating, thrifting, and upcycling garments we no longer fancy.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi featuring Jackie Brodean and LaVerne Buchannon, talking about candidates, elections and plans for the future with special guest appearances by Miss Jackie Hunt and Alder Carmella Glenn! In the second half, author and more Larry J. L. Buckley joins us to talk about his story, digging deeper as a community, and his upcoming book, “They All Must Die” available Friday on electronic platforms! Just a sampling Meeka Glass and coverage of the Office of the Independent Police Monitor on WORT, yesterday on the 8:00 Buzz: https://www.wortfm.org/madison-independent-police-monitor-speaks-out/ and on the Tuesday Buzz way back in July https://www.wortfm.org/oh-no-checks-and-balances/ Catch up with Jackie and celebrate her getting the inaugural James Hawk award for courage, resilience and commitment from happy hour to late night (6-midnight) for Old School Fridays at Juicy Organics on the Capitol Square downtown: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19S1uvb4W1/ Keep up Larry J. L. Buckley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567688903693 and get his book at all the major online sellers. Get out for some R&B: - TK late night DJs at 11 every Friday and Saturday: https://www.tavernakaya.com/tkevents - R&B Thursdays at Buraka featuring DJ Money - R&B Tuesday at Fya Syde every-other week: https://fyasydekitchen.com/events - DJ Andre Friday at Merchant: https://www.merchantmadison.com/ - DJs 10-1 on Fridays at Madison’s: https://www.madisonsdowntown.com/event-list - DJs Friday and Saturday late night at Cafe CODA: https://www.cafecoda.club/ Catch jazz all week and coming up next weekend at Cafe Coda, renowned jazz from around the nation at the annual Coda Fest! Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org. Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

Madison alders rejected a last-minute budget amendment in 2025 that would have paid to outfit patrol officers with body-worn cameras. The issue is back in the news, after Madison police shot and killed Corey Ruiz in late July. Released last week, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s 2027 Executive Budget includes a plan to spend nearly 415,000 dollars over the next three years to deploy the cameras citywide. Madison Police Chief John Patterson joined the Finance Committee Monday to explain what the rollout would look like – and why they want to kick things off next year with a more limited scope. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

The federal government–from the Justice Department to the FDA–is spending a lot of money on banning gender affirming care for trans youth. And though there is no state mandated ban, providers have stopped offering gender affirming care in Wisconsin. At the same time, Republican leaders like Pete Hegeseth are pro-hormone therapy when it comes to giving cisgender people hormones. On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon takes on the state of hormone therapy with journalist Orion Rummler and two local advocates, Skye-Gia and Venus of OutReach. Featured image of a hypodermic needle.

Raisa Wickrematunge is the senior editor of the esteemed publication Himal Southasian Magazine and an accomplished journalist. The magazine is known and respected for its independent, non-nationalist, pan-Subcontinental coverage of the entire subregion by experienced and knowledgeable journalists in a truly accessible online format. Ms. Wickrematunge spoke to interviewers Gil Halsted and Amitabh Pal extensively about the political situation in Sri Lanka from Sri Lanka, answering all their questions with clarity and insight. Himal Southasian Magazine http://www.himalmag.com/ Himal’s Southasia Weekly by Raisa Wickrematunge: http://www.himalmag.com/nepal-floods-sri-lanka-corruption-southasia-weekly/ Photo courtesy of Amitabh Pal

A proposed transmission project needs additional review and expanded opportunities for public input, according to a resolution the Dane County Board of Supervisors approved Thursday. The Board called on the Public Service Commission to hold off on approving the project until its impacts can be better understood. Image courtesy: Midcontinent Grid Solutions.

If you have ever found it difficult to find clothing in your size, it’s not because there is anything wrong with you; the problem is the lack of availability in stores and sometimes, your community. Bo Owen and Sanders Weinberg are co-founders of the Fat Clothing Swap. A twice-a-year event that grew from being held in Bo’s backyard to Wirth Park on Madison’s Near East Side. In this edition of Radio Chipstone, contributor Gianofer (JON nah fer) Fields, Saunders, and Bo discuss why it is very important to call a thing a thing and why they started the Fat Clothing Swap in the first place.

This week on “Madison Mixology,” feature contributor Charlie Belawski flies us out to Cuba to check out the origins of a drink we’ve all had before. We’ll learn about the “Cuba Libre,” and its century-long journey from Cuba, to America, and the rest of the world.

Though there are term limits on the President of the United States, why aren’t similar conditions placed on Congress? On today’s show, guest host Douglas Alexander has a friendly debate about the likelihood and efficacy of congressional term limits with scholar Anthony Fowler. Featured image of the House of Congress chamber from 2011 via Flickr.

Forecast from Monday, 9-14-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

September 19, 1969, Angela Davis was fired by the Board of Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles, for membership in the Communist Party. Her firing was overturned by a judge the following month, and the following year the Board of Regents fired her again, this time for “inflammatory language,” and in August 1970 she was charged with kidnapping and murder, of which she was ultimately found not guilty. Harry Richardson has the story. Image shows Angela Davis at a rally celebrating her acquittal in Madison Square Garden, New York City. Photos by Bill Andrews. Jun 29, 1972 Image courtesy: New York University Libraries. https://hdl.handle.net/2333.1/dz08m32n

Director of UW’s Tandem Press Katie Geha and sculptor Christina West joins us to talk about their new exhibit inspired by iconoclastic filmmaker David Lynch.

Artist Julia Blair wants to teach students about Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic with her puppet drama “The Lonely Marsh.”

While the City of Madison Police Department runs amok, the one entity that could rein them in finds itself fighting for its life. The Monday 8 O'Clock Buzz talks with Madison Independent Police Monitor Aeriamique Glass.

A conversation with playwright Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff about her provocative new play mining the life and poetry of Walt Whitman before, during and after the Civil War.

Playwright Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff by WORT 89.9FM Madison

WORT's Perpetual Notion Machine learns about the Wolf Run Trail and conservation on Black Earth Creek with Fred Wolf and Tom Wolf.

Wisconsin has been one of the biggest butter and cream exporters to Canada, with 60 percent of dairy products going to our neighbors to the north in 2024. Two years later, Wisconsin farmers and dairy processors are caught in the middle of new tariffs on both sides of the border. Pete Hardin and Bert Zipperer explain what the trade war with Canada means for American farmers, in this edition of “The Milkweed.”

This week on Mel & Floyd: A book of photos of people reading [next project: action shots of paint drying]; The trouble with pedestrian crossings; Putin sends bone fragments to the Ukraine front; Eating the “true cross”; Delusional 9/11 claim from the Dear Leader; Exhorting his followers to cheat in the midterms; A visit from Saga; Mercury is shrinking; 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 Anton Kotlovskii on Unsplash

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. On the show, Norman Stockwell of The Progressive remembers September 11, 2001 by discussing how WORT covered the breaking news on the day of and in the weeks following the attacks. Featured image of a view of lower Manhattan a month before 9/11 via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Wow, Andy goes all the way to the West Coast and can't be troubled to pick up the phone to call The Guy? More like The Guy Who Feels Like Chopped Liver... Guy Who Can’t Say Goodbye is played by music producer and promoter Benjamin Van Howe. Photo by Paulina Milde-Jachowska on Unsplash

Rooted's Erika Krug on the Farm to School Aid and how school gardens are teaching Madison kids where food comes from.

Wow, Andy goes all the way to the West Coast and can't be troubled to pick up the phone to call The Guy? More like The Guy Who Feels Like Chopped Liver... Guy Who Can’t Say Goodbye is played by music producer and promoter Benjamin Van Howe. Photo by Paulina Milde-Jachowska on Unsplash

Washington Post reporter Patrick Marley on the legal fight over mail-in voting and what it means for Wisconsin's midterms.

Washington Post reporter Patrick Marley on the legal fight over mail-in voting and what it means for Wisconsin's midterms.

Andy "Ironman" Moore dreams of becoming the peak human specimen...

A new face has joined the Madison city council, after alders unanimously backed Devine Nzegwu’s appointment Tuesday to represent the far west side. Six candidates interviewed for the seat, which opened up when District 1’s former alder John Duncan resigned earlier this summer. Nzegwu, a credit analyst at John Deere Financial, has been tapped to serve the remaining eight months of his term. She joined our News Producer Faye Parks this afternoon to introduce herself to District 1 constituents and the city of Madison at large. Image courtesy: In Business Madison.

Hundreds of nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital voted to unionize in June, fed up with staffing and retention issues at the hospital. Months later, they’re still waiting for management to come to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract. The nurses argue in a new complaint with the National Labor Relations Board that the long delay, combined with alleged union busting activity at the hospital, is a violation of federal labor law. Image courtesy: Maria Segura / WORT News.

Many people make use of Wisconsin Circuit Court Access to acquire information on court cases. But to actually see the paperwork for a case, you’ll have to stop by the clerk of circuit courts office in the county courthouse. And if you want to take any records with you when you leave, you’ll have to pay $1.25 per page for copies. Many just take pictures on their phone to avoid the fee, but according to the clerk’s office, this isn’t and has never been allowed. This week on “Transparency Talk”, hosts Chali Pittman and Bill Lueders voice their confusion about the rule, and Bill’s belief that it makes things more difficult for everyone in the long run. But before we turn it over to Bill and Chali, 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.

On today’s show producer Sara Gabler gets personal about white Christian womanhood with scholar Kristin Kobes Du Mez. Her new book, Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made will be published next week. Featured image of the cover of Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made.

Award-Winning Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Forecast from Wednesday 9-9-26 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

In December of 2025, property tax levies across Wisconsin collectively went up 5.8 percent – the largest increase in nearly two decades. But the statewide property tax rate declined for the twelfth year in a row, according to the findings from Wisconsin Policy Forum’s 2026 Property Values and Taxes DataTool. Mark Sommerhauser, communications director and researcher at the Policy Forum, joined our News Producer Faye Parks to go over the latest trends and what they mean for the average taxpayer. Image courtesy: Chali Pittman / WORT News.

Willy Street businesses seeking financial relief from the city were disappointed Tuesday night, when the Common Council voted against allocating funds to help those that were most impacted by the Corey Ruiz memorial encampment. The resolution’s narrow defeat was followed by a rejection of additional funding for the Office of the Independent Police Monitor. Image courtesy: Chali Pittman / WORT News.

On today’s show, host Ali Muldrow speaks with Karin Wolf about the power of local art and how the city of Madison has responded to police violence with public art projects. Featured image of the George Floyed mural displayed at the intersection of Willy and Baldwin Streets courtesy of Sara Gabler/WORT.

Just one vote away from passing a discharge petition on the American Dream and Promise Act, Maria Mitri, Migration and Policy Administrative Associate at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, talks about this bipartisan act and how it could provide a path for citizenship for DACA and Temporary Protections Status refugees in the U.S.

On hand to talk about their community service activities with Jan Miyasaki for Wednesday's 8 O'clock Buzz were three of the 2026 Community Shares of Wisconsin Changemaker Award winners: Sandra Rivera, nominated by Nuestro Mundo, Inc., Winner of the Sally Sunde Family Advocate Award; Mikayla Sandin, nominated by RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center, Winner of the Linda Sundberg Civil Rights Defender Award; and Monique Minkens, nominated by End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, Winner of the Liesl Blockstein Community Leadership Award. They, and others, will be celebrated at the annual CSW Changemakers award ceremony at the East Side Club on Thursday, September 17th.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi featuring Jackie Brodean, another packed day! Filmmaker Rafael Raglan joins us to tell his story and talk about his latest project, Where Scriptures Breathe, showing September 26th at Madison Central Library. Intermixed around and in between, Greg Hampton joins to talk about taking care of kids and his new business, Hampton Boats; Tyrone Austin of TY Cooks talks food; and Gabriel Taylor from Cafe CODA joins to talk about the upcoming CODA Fest and keep us up to date on everything else happening there! Keep up with our guests: - Keep up with Rafael on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rafael.ragland and So Grateful Films: https://sogratefulfilms.com/ - Check out Greg’s new company, Hampton Boats: https://hamptonboating.com/ - Keep up with what TY’s cooking on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyrone.austin.170823 - Keep up with all the events at Cafe CODA including CODA Fest coming 9/23-26: https://www.cafecoda.club/events-1 Get out for some R&B: - TK late night DJs at 11 every Friday and Saturday: https://www.tavernakaya.com/tkevents - R&B Thursdays at Buraka featuring DJ Money - R&B Tuesday at Fya Syde every-other week: https://fyasydekitchen.com/events - DJ Andre Fridays at Merchant: https://www.merchantmadison.com/ - DJs 10-1 on Fridays at Madison’s: https://www.madisonsdowntown.com/event-list - DJs Friday and Saturday late night at Cafe CODA: https://www.cafecoda.club/ Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org. Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

Wisconsin's state government is moving to sell off a significant portion of the land it owns in downtown Madison, as it plans on increasing the number of state employees who live and work outside the city. A recent example: the Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee approved the sale last week of two downtown office buildings to a private developer, freeing up the 2.5 acre site for redevelopment. State Senator Kelda Roys, who represents the area, was the lone vote against the sale. She joined WORT News Producer Faye Parks to discuss her misgivings. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Dane County has reached a 17-year high, according to data collected in January of this year. Image courtesy: Brian Standing / WORT News.

On this week's edition of Stuff Yer Face, host Emily Tucker visits begonia., the newly opened modern Latin restaurant on Monroe Street. Chef Christopher Lund and his mother-in-law Sara Anderson co-own the restaurant, with Chris running the kitchen and Sara leading the front of house. Scratch made dishes, sauces, cocktail ingredients, and desserts—as well as personal touches throughout the space—make begonia. a friend among neighbors in the Monroe Street food corridor.

On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon tackles the criminal legal system with scholar Jim Greiner, whose lab recently released a study of Dane County’s bail risk assessment tool. Featured image of the Dane County Courthouse via Brian Standing/WORT.

Gil Halsted and Amitabh Pal talked with Maung Zarni who has shared his work and his thoughts with World View often in the past. Zarni is foremost a peace activist and educator although he also holds a number of academic degrees including a Ph.D. from the School of Education at the UW-Madison. Zarni has talked about peace in various troubled places but today we specifically asked him to tell us about chances for peace in his homeland, Myanmar. He discussed his own plan and proposal for peace and how he looked for a partner to work with him. While business and trade flourish and the “civilian” government has been somewhat successful, Myanmar is still mired in war and animosity. At least a million Rohingya languish in camps in Bangladesh and hundreds of thousands more make their way with scant resources in other countries in the region. There is no safety in Myanmar even if they could find their way home. Previous conversations with Maung Zarni: Can We All Get Along? December 2024 http://www.wortfm.org/can-we-all-get-along/ Zooming with Zarni October 2025 http://www.wortfm.org/zooming-with-zarni/ Zarni on the Myanmar Elections January 2026 http://www.wortfm.org/zarni-on-the-myanmar-elections/

Chloe Benjamin on writing into the unknown by WORT 89.9FM Madison

September 7th Forecast audio by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Wisconsin has long been a hotbed of labor organizing, and you can explore that history through downtown Madison with the Wisconsin at Work Walking Tour. We’ll talk with tour guide and Wisconsin Historical Society Public Programs Manager Jenny Pederson.

How do children cope with the challenges of migration, including threats of deportation? Harvard Associate Professor of Education Gabrielle Oliveira joins us to talk about her new book, “Now We Are Here: Family Migration, Children’s Education and Dreams for a Better Life.”

Wage theft is a serious crime in Wisconsin. Maybe it should be treated as one. So says Robert Christl of Worker Justice Wisconsin, who will join us to talk about their new campaign to reform Wisconsin’s broken wage theft law.

The US beef and dairy herd is the lowest it has been in 75 years, and consumers are paying dearly at the supermarket as a result. To provide some relief, the White House has hatched a plan to import 300,000 metric tons of beef, equal to 660 million pounds. After meeting with the president, JBS – a questionable Brazilian slaughterhouse – will be supplying the beef without tariffs. Costco has decided not to sell this imported beef, but American farmers are already seeing the value of their cattle suffer. Pete Hardin and Bert Zipperer discuss how the courts could intervene, in this edition of “The Milkweed.”

The US beef and dairy herd is the lowest it has been in 75 years. The White House has decided to import 3000 metric tons, equal to 660 million tons of beef. After meeting with the President, JBS, a questionable Brazilian slaughterhouse, will be supplying the beef - without tariffs. The American farmer is already seeing the value of his cattle suffer. Costco has decided not to sell this imported beef. Bert and Pete discuss a plan to walk this back.