City Cast Madison: Recent Episodes
City Cast
Join us every weekday morning for can’t-miss conversations about what’s happening in Madison, with a dose of local news to keep you up to speed. Host Bianca Martin collects people wherever she goes, like an endless conga line. On City Cast Madison, she peers into our city’s soul with a journalist’s skepticism and an optimist’s heart.
For the first time in 15 years, liberals have a majority on the officially non-partisan Wisconsin Supreme Court. But the court’s locked in a power struggle with the Republican-controlled state legislature. Assembly Majority Leader Robin Vos has threatened to impeach the newly-elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz and change the balance of power. Now, voters have sued, seeking to block any impeachment vote. Meanwhile, tensions are high between the justices on the court. We speak to Jack Kelly, statehouse reporter for Wisconsin Watch, for the latest on how the political divisiveness is playing out behind the scenes. Read more: ⚖️ Wisconsin Supreme Court emails detail chaotic first week of liberal control [Wisconsin Watch] 📧 Read the emails from the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s first week under liberal rule [Wisconsin Watch] Also mentioned on the show: 🐘 Road to the 2024 GOP Presidential Nomination [UW-Madison] 🫏 WisPolitics Luncheon with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin [The Madison Club]
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wisconsin has long had mixed feelings about America’s largest rodents. Beavers have been hunted, trapped, had their dams blown up, and were generally considered to be a nuisance by many of the state’s human residents. Once hunted for their fashionable pelts, they’re now removed by the thousands across the state for a variety of reasons. Madison Parks says beaver dams could cause flooding in nearby soccer fields, golf courses and parking lots; beavers also chew trees at their base, creating potential safety hazards in public areas. Beavers have also been blamed for making streams too warm for trout. Yet many other states welcome beavers, even importing them for their ecosystem benefits. Among other things, they create wetlands, which can act as fire breaks, reducing wildfire damage. They’re known as a keystone species, because they create habitat for many other animals. So why is Wisconsin an outlier? Susan Lampert Smith gives us the lay of the land (and water). She wrote about Wisconsin’s fight over beaver management for Isthmus. Read more: Leave it to the beavers [Isthmus] Also mentioned on the show: Madison Public Market Open House [City of Madison] DNR Looking to Buy Red Pine Cones [WI DNR]
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Voice-identification systems, like Siri and Alexa, are becoming common. But they do more than play music or give us directions, they’re now being used as a security measure, like a fingerprint. Banks are beginning to use them to grant us access to our bank accounts. The only problem? They can be fooled. And not just by generating a computer-generated deepfake. By speaking through a PVC plastic tube. We catch up with UW-Madison Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. students Shimaa Ahmed and Yash Wani, and assistant professor Kassem Fawaz to learn how. 🗣️ Read their research. 💻 See their presentation at the Usenix Security Symposium.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you have family or friends visiting for Labor Day weekend? Where do you take them to show off Madison? Or maybe you’re hoping to squeeze in a quick getaway this weekend and you’re looking for some ideas? We got you. We thought we’d wager a friendly bet with our friends at City Cast Chicago. We asked our friend, host Jacoby Cochran, to plan a perfect day in our fair city. And then, OF COURSE, we had to offer our ideas for an ideal day trip to Chicago. What do you think? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram. Also on the show: 🚨 Slate’s Political Gabfest is coming to Madison!! 📽️ See recently discovered footage of Thelonious Monk at MMOCA’s Rooftop Cinema Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Elephants are everywhere in Baraboo: painted on the highway overpass, displayed as public art in the park, depicted on murals.
But one place they’re not anymore: at Circus World.
Circus World was the original home to the Ringling Brothers Circus. For more than a hundred years, they’ve included elephants as part of their circus performances. Today, you can still see circus acts there; they’re now owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
But as of August 27th, there’s one mammoth change: no more performing circus elephants. Circus World’s last remaining elephants have retired and will now live at a sanctuary in Oklahoma.
So what it’s REALLY like working with elephants? We spoke with professional circus clown Karen DeSanto. Karen worked for both Ringling Bros. and Circus World.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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The Wisco Birder — aka Dexter Patterson — is back to explain how the roseate spoonbill, native to the gulf coast, found its way to Green Bay this summer. We also learn about what birds to look for heading into fall and some upcoming birding events. Mentioned on the show: 🪶 Swift Night Out Social 💧Charlies Berens and Dan Egan Panel on Phosphorus in Aquatic Ecosystems 🌳 Meet the Library Naturalist Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
City Cast Madison’s Bianca Martin and Dylan Brogan roundup the news this week, including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway defending Madison ahead of the GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee; A Republican bill that would ban “high-risk” research at UW-Madison; And how to send 103 year-old Wisconsin WWII Veteran Harry Baker a birthday card. Mentioned on the show: 📰 Bill would ban high-risk research in Wisconsin aimed at preparing for new pathogens (Wisconsin State Journal) 📚Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky 'gain of function' research (USA Today) 🥳 How to send a birthday card to Wisconsin Veteran Harry Baker 🎧 Things We Wish Someone Told Us About Living in Madison podcast (City Cast Madison) 🍦 Cast a vote for Madison’s Best Ice Cream (Madison Minutes)
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you’ve ever been to Osteria Papavero in downtown Madison, you know you’re in for quality handmade Italian dishes, with beloved classics and a constantly changing menu of seasonal local fare. Lasagna Alla Bolognese. Barese-style Focaccia. Budino di Caramello. Are you hungry yet?
Now you can learn to make them for yourself with Chef Francesco Mangano’s new cookbook, The Osteria Papavero Cookbook: Recipes from the Italian Shack and Beyond. Written with Lindsay Christians, it’s chock full of stories from Francesco’s childhood, family recipes and gorgeous photos.
We sat down with Francesco to learn what’s inside.
Also on the show: 🫠 Dane County Cooling Centers (free A/C) 🍦 Name Yer Own Ice Cream Flavor
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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If you’re new to Madison, welcome! We don’t have a cup of sugar for ya, but we do have some advice for living in Madtown that we’ve gleaned over the years. Some hot tips and general life hacks we think you’ll appreciate.
Some of us grew up here and some of us moved here, but there’s always those things about a city that you just find out the hard way. Some things take time to discover. We’re here to cut right to the chase and help you live better and more enjoyable lives in our fair city.
We brought the entire City Cast Madison team in for this one: host Bianca Martin, producers Molly Stentz and Dylan Brogan, and Madison Minutes editor Hayley Sperling.
Do you agree with us? Or do you wanna fight us? Did we hold back? We can take it. Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. You can also find us on Instagram.
Also mentioned on the show: 🫠 Dane County Cooling Centers (free A/C) 🗞️ Inside Waupun Correctional Institution’s ‘nightmare’ lockdown [Wisconsin Watch/New York Times]
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The Mariel Boatlift exodus has been called one of the U.S.’s most complex waves of immigration. It was named for the Cuban Port of Mariel, where more than 125,000 people emigrated from in 1980. You’ve likely heard about the large Cuban community that flourished in Miami. But did you know that nearly 15,000 Cuban refugees were sent to Fort McCoy, the U.S. Army base between Tomah and Sparta in southwest Wisconsin? Many settled in Madison. And many didn’t talk about their experience, until now.
Maureen McCollum and Omar Granados tell their stories – and more – in an eight-part podcast. It’s called WPR Reports: Uprooted.
You can find it wherever you get your podcasts (NPR link). All eight episodes are also on YouTube.
Also mentioned on the show: Madison Film Festival is August 26 Sponsored Interview: Scrum Day is Sept 14
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Blake Alvarenga calls himself a Madison liberal. He also owns many guns and he knows how to use them. That sets him apart from many others who he’s met in Madison. He regularly staffs a booth at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, where he talks to neighbors who bought guns for self-defense, and were surprised to learn that nothing comes next. No instructions, no training. So he stepped in to help.
He’s the president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Liberal Gun Club and he offers community classes on how to use guns.
📚 To learn more about Blake’s work, check out Joe Tarr’s story in Isthmus: Time to get a gun.
Also mentioned on the show: 📱 If someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 988 anytime 🩸 There’s a community blood drive on Tuesday, August 22 📰 Suicides rise in Wisconsin, led by more than 500 gun deaths in 2022 [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz remember Ada Deer, a Wisconsin trailblazer who died on August 15th, just days after celebrating her 88th birthday. We also discuss the comings and goings of Madison concert venues and debate our new friend, the 353 area code.
Mentioned on the show: 🎧 Listen to Chali Pittman’s full interview with Ada Deer [WORT FM] 📖 Read a brief history of the Menominee [Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin] 🎶 Tell us about YOUR favorite spot to catch a show in Madison [Madison Minutes]
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Landmark Creamery of Paoli makes some of the best cheeses in the world. You don’t have to take our word for it - that’s according to judges at the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and the World Championship Cheese Contest.
They make a variety of tasty handmade sheep-milk cheeses. And now, they’re making artisan butter down the street at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli.
Landmark Creamery Co-owner Anna Thomas Bates tells us why.
Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Also on the show: Rest in Power, Ada Deer
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Driving in Madison takes some know-how. Construction projects abound as the city grows. Plus, it’s that time of year when you see more people turning the wrong way down Madison’s one-way streets. They’re confusing for tourists, students, and newcomers alike. And of course, getting stuck behind a train is a classic problem on the isthmus.
We wanted to know the secrets of getting across town these days. So who better to ask that someone who drives for a living? Producer Dylan Brogan spoke to Adam Chern, a driver for Union Cab of Madison, for his best tips. Do you know about the optical illusion on O’Sheridan?
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Local radio is alive and well in Monona. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association named 98.7 FM WVMO — the “Voice of Monona” — the Best Radio Station in state in 2022. Not bad for a teeny 100-watt station with an antenna on the fire department’s hose-drying tower. WVMO is owned by the city of Monona, run primarily by volunteers, and airs local programs. You can hear a variety of Americana music, updates on city events, and even a quick hello from the Walsh family on Sullivan Street.
We speak with founder — and Wisconsin Broadcast Hall of Famer — Lindsay Wood Davis who says, “WVMO serves the community without boring it.” And we talk to one of the station’s youngest volunteers, Beatrix Pauli, host of Bea’s Buzz.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Mahanth Joishy became Madison’s Fleet Service Superintendent, the city had zero electric vehicles in its fleet. Now it has nearly a 100 and counting. Joishy is helping Madison reach its goal of running city operations on 100% renewable energy and with net zero carbon emissions, all by 2030. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin finds out how.
Also mentioned on the show: 🐔 Madison Children’s Museum Birthday Party and Coopwarming 🍻 Sips for Sustain Dane
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz recap the ongoing saga of state money for our fair city, ask a UW-Madison prof how admissions might change after the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, and ponder why local restaurants wanna break up with food delivery apps.
Mentioned on the show: 💰 What will Popple River, Wisconsin's second-smallest town, do with a 5,000% increase in state funding? (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
🦩 Was Madison Singled Out for Punishment in State Budget? (City Cast Madison)
🦡 The Supreme Court and Admissions (UW-Madison)
🍔 Culver's wants regulations for delivery services, but is considering delivery in its future (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A few times a year, there’s a special eggroll sale in Madison. The Hmong Institute takes orders of eggrolls by the dozen, perfect for stocking your freezer. The eggrolls are handmade by volunteers and the sales fund the non-profit’s work to preserve Hmong heritage and support Madison’s Hmong residents.
And friends, eggroll time is now!
Producer Molly Stentz caught up with Hmong Institute COO Mai Zong Vue to learn what goes into this labor of love.
The deadline to order eggrolls is Friday, August 11th. Pickup is at the Hmong Institute on August 23rd. How to Order.
🥡 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Also on the show: 🍲 Ahan is moving to Willy Street! 👩🏿🍳 Madison Black Restaurant Week is August 13 - 20 👩🏽💻 Sponsored interview: Scrum Day is September 14
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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PFAS chemicals show up in all kinds of things: non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, microwave popcorn bags, firefighting foam. They’ve been dubbed “forever” chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment, making them very hard to get rid of. And they’re showing up in our water.
Scientists are still discovering the health risks of PFAS, but research suggests that PFAS exposure increases the risk of kidney and testicular cancer. The CDC says most of us have been exposed to PFAS at some point.
The Madison Water Utility plans to install a PFAS-removing filter at one well that they shut down due to contamination. It’ll cost $6 million dollars. Producer Dylan Brogan caught up with Joe Grande, Water Quality Manager with the Madison Water Utility, to learn how it’ll work.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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John Yost has taught survival skills to people of all ages for more than 30 years. He can build impromptu shelters in all weather, start a fire without matches, and generally hunt, fish, trap or forage his next meal. And yes, he’s auditioned for Survivor and Alone. And no, he’s not preparing for the zombie apocalypse. He’s a Wisconsin farm kid who grew up outdoors with a love of nature. Mentioned on the show: 🔥 Yost Survival Skills 🐾 Dane County Humane Society 🐈 Acro-cats 💊 Addiction-treating drug still seldom prescribed in ERs, study finds (Cap Times)
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It wasn’t long ago that Wisconsin Supreme Court elections were snoozers with low voter turnout. After a raucous decade in Wisconsin politics, that era is over.
Judge Janet Protasiewicz won the statewide office this spring in the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.
With lawsuits about ballot drop boxes, the state’s political maps and abortion already winding through the courts, big questions over political power, voting rights and liberty are at stake. Now that Judge Janet is on the bench, what can we expect from the new court?
Dylan Brogan caught up with UW-Madison Political Science Professor Howard Schweber, who says that recent moves by the U.S. Supreme Court have made our state court even more important. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz recap Wisconsin’s role in the latest Trump indictment and ask why Madison apartment building names are just so… interesting. Plus, there were Nazis in Watertown last weekend. What is happening?
Mentioned on the show: 🏳️🌈 Unity Project of Watertown
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
D.B. Pedersen has been a chef in the Madison area for years. He’s worked at L’Etoile, Weary Traveler, the former Taqueria Gila Monster, and the Taliesin School of Architecture, to name a few. His latest venture? A soup delivery business called Soups! I Did It Again. Along with Bazile Booth, they cook up high-quality soups from scratch, using fresh local ingredients, from a kitchen in Spring Green. They deliver to Madison on Mondays. You can also find their soups at the Festival Foods on the isthmus and at Woodman’s West. Their plan is to supply local restaurants with fresh soup in a kaleidoscope of flavors. Dylan Brogan caught up with D.B. to learn what’s cooking.
🥣 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also on the show: 🚓 Madison approves body cams for police officers on the northside. Listen to our interview with Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Every Friday night in August, it feels like Madison throws a party for itself. The rooftop of the Monona Terrace becomes a dance floor, with live bands ranging from funk and soul to mambo and disco. There are also DJs and dance lessons… and you’ll find babies boogieing next to your neighbors.
And it’s all free. You don’t need a ticket. Just show up.
We speak with Al Cooper, president of Dane Dances, about this year’s lineup.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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There’s a giant among us and it lives at the Overture Center for the Arts. It’s a 30-ton pipe organ.
It cost more than two million dollars, contains more than 4,000 pipes and is used in performances ranging from Latin Jazz to Bach to collaborations with the UW-Madison Wind Ensemble.
The man who knows it best is Greg Zelek, the principal organist for the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He’s the curator of the Overture Concert Organ, and he oversees all of the orchestra’s organ programming. Host Bianca Martin sat down with Greg to learn all about why so he’s moved by organ music… and why he thinks you’ll be, too.
Learn about the upcoming season of organ concerts.
The next free farmers’ market concert is Saturday, August 19th.
Thanks to listener Dee for suggesting this episode.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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It’s been more than eight years since Tony Robinson died. The teenager was shot dead by a Madison police officer who responded to a 911 call to Tony’s apartment on Willy Street. The police department cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. The district attorney declined to prosecute. Tony’s mother, Andrea Irwin, settled a civil lawsuit against the city in 2017. Her attorneys called it the biggest settlement in Wisconsin history for a police shooting. But Tony's grandmother, Sharon Irwin-Henry, still wants her day in court. We sit down with Sharon to learn what’s next.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz are here to roundup the news of the week… including the state of Madison’s housing crisis and how our newish program to answer mental health crisis calls is working. Maybe that’s why everyone’s been at the movies with Barbie.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email us at madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on (the former) Twitter and Instagram!
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Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s a new restaurant open on Monroe Street, in the former Brasserie V space. It’s called One and Only, and they’re sporting seafood, seasonal salads, house-made ravioli, and of course, the legendary frites. Co-owner Stephani Dalbesio gives us the scoop.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While we don’t have hurricanes or a sinking oceanfront, Madison is not immune to our changing climate. It feels like when we’re not flooding, there’s a drought or a heatwave or smoky bad air from Canadian wildfires. Or all of the above. Is this the new normal?
We turned to our new state climatologist, Steve Vavrus, for an explanation.
Also on the show: Check your air quality Tips for spotting heat stroke and heat exhaustion
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email us at madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!
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Madison is said to have more bikes than cars. And with 200 miles of bike trails in the area, there’s a lot to explore. So we turned to biking aficionado Grant Foster of Madison Bikes for his favorite trips. He’s got tips for everyone from newbies to those ready to make a weekend out of it. Plus, basic bike maintenance.
Grant’s recommendations:
If you’ve got 30 minutes or less:
Downtown Loop along State Street and Capitol (2 miles)
Lake Mendota shorefront to Picnic Point (3 miles)
Wingra Lake Loop through the UW Arboretum (6 miles)
Lower Yahara River Trail (6 miles)
If you’ve got an hour or two:
Lake Monona Loop (12 miles)
Cap City Loop: Lake Farm Park to Seminole Hwy, through the Arboretum and back to Lake Farm via Wingra and Cap City paths (16 miles)
Day Trippin’
Badger State trail south to Paoli and back (17 miles round-trip)
Bike Camping
Military Ridge trail west to Blue Mounds State Park and back (46 miles round-trip)
Lake Farm Park south to Lake Kegonsa State Park and back (20 miles round-trip)
Lake Farm Park east to Sandhill Station State Campground and back (60 miles round-trip)
Also mentioned on today's show: 🦋 Blooming Butterflies at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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If you’ve been to a Wisconsin bar, you’ve likely seen a pull-tab machine. Pop in a buck and out comes a rectangle cardboard card that may get you a cash prize of up to $250. Tea Krulos got the bizarre backstory of this unofficial — yet legal — lottery. He joins City Cast Madison to explain how Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps (as they're officially known) became a thing. For more on Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps, read Krulos' article "The Unlikely Story Behind Pull-Tabs in Wisconsin" published by Milwaukee Magazine. Also mentioned on the show: 🎂 UW Madison’s 175th Birthday Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dylan Brogan, Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz are here to roundup the week’s news. Factory farms sue over pollution permits, west side neighbors rally to save a pet pig, and musicians get paid after local journalism intervenes.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Move over brewers, Madison distilleries are having a moment. And they’re making more than just brandy for your Old Fashioned. Fifteen years ago, Madison had exactly one distillery, and it was pretty new. Now, there’s at least ten in the area, if you count companies producing spirits for their own cocktails.
Our pal Lindsay Christians, food editor at The Cap Times, is here with the latest on local spirits.
🍸 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Distilleries and cocktail companies mentioned on today’s show: Imaginary Factory (Madison) Old Sugar Distillery (Madison) Plain Spoke Cocktail Company (Madison) State Line Distillery (Madison) Yahara Bay Distillers (Madison) Dancing Goat Distillery (Cambridge) Doundrins Distilling (Cottage Grove) J. Henry and Sons (Dane) Wollersheim (Prairie du Sac) Awildan Distilling (Sun Prairie)
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Looking for a good place to swim in the Madison area? Worried about blue-green algae in the lakes? Wondering what pools and beaches are open these days? Maybe you want some personal recs on the best spots to take the little ones.
Alisa Sleep, one of the founders of the Madison Mom parenting site, joins us to share her faves.
Here’s the Madison Mom guide to local pools, splash pads and beaches.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Madison’s professional men’s soccer team, officially called Madison Forward Football Club, is on a winning streak. They’re currently ranked second in their league, USL League One. What’s behind the flamingoes’ rally?
We catch up with captain Mitch Osmond about what’s going right this season. 🦩
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Next time you’re at Olin Turville Park, say hello to new park staffers Donna, Nancy, Emma, Janelle, Midnight and Dorito. Don’t be mad if they don’t talk back, though. They’re goats.
These goats are on assignment cleaning up brush and invasive species in many Madison parks. They belong to Greg Haak and Brooke Hushagen of HaakHagen Goat Grazing, who set the herd up inside a portable electric fence and let them graze. Goats are natural browsers, and the idea is that they’ll naturally eat their way through the park, cleaning up unwanted vegetation and reducing the need for herbicides.
Producer Molly Stentz tracked down the goat wranglers to learn how it’s working.
Mentioned in the episode: 🐐 Want to volunteer as a goat checker? 🎢 The Dane County Fair is this weekend
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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The City Cast team rounds up the week’s news, including the Madison City Council paving the way for more high-end apartments downtown, the ongoing renovations at Woodman’s on Milwaukee Street and Top Chef coming to Madison. Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz share your thoughts on our Tourist Trap week. And we announce some big media news with a special guest, our CEO David Plotz.
Did you miss our Tourist Trap Week? Check out our takes on Madison-area tourist attractions:
Taliesin 🎧
The House on the Rock 🎧
Cave of the Mounds 🎧
National Mustard Museum 🎧
And enjoy La Fête de Marquette this weekend! 🎡
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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In the heart of downtown Middleton lies the National Mustard Museum. They claim the world’s largest collection, with more than 6,000 bottles on display. The free museum is in the basement and the main floor is a gift shop with all kinds of mustard imaginable. There’s even a tasting bar.
Of course, the entire City Cast Team - Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz - had to check it out on our most excellent summer road trip of local tourist attractions.
Did we cut the mustard? What did we miss? Let ‘er rip…
Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. Check out photos and videos from our journey on Twitter and Instagram.
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It’s Day Three of our whirlwind adventure visiting some of Wisconsin’s most famous tourist attractions. Today, we head to Cave of the Mounds near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. It’s a privately owned cave that’s listed as a National Natural Landmark due to its educational and scientific value. For a fee, you can take a self-guided tour of the quarter-mile long limestone cave and see stalactites, stalagmites and fossils.
Did you go on a field trip here as a kid? Have another fun memory?
Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm and we might play it on the show. We’re also sharing our favorite photos and videos on Twitter and Instagram.
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Your City Cast Madison team - Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz - is on the road this week, taking in the Madison area’s most famous attractions. We’re asking the question… as a local, are these stops worth the hype?
It’s Day Two, and we’re headed to The House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Built by architect Alex Jordan to be a weekend retreat, it has since become one of the most hyped local attractions. The house itself still stands, but is surrounded by an entire complex, a museum of sorts, that you can explore on your own with the price of admission. It houses collections of self-playing musical instruments, a three-story whale and perhaps the largest carousel in the country.
Do you have a fun memory from the House on a Rock? We bet you do. Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm… and we might play it on the show. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram.
Also mentioned on the show: 🌌 Check on the Northern Lights on Thursday 🛠️ The Bodgery is accepting new members again
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City Cast Madison is on a full-on summer roadtrip this week.
We’re visiting some of the biggest tourist attractions that the Madison area has to offer…. and asking the question: As a local, should you go? Is it worth the hype?
The entire City Cast team - Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan, and Molly Stentz - is here to give you the low-down.
First stop… Taliesen in Spring Green. It was famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin home. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The City Cast team rounds up the week’s news, including the Gov. Evers budget veto that could last four hundred years and the drought hitting Dane County hard. Plus, the bird’s the word… the Cardinal Bar is back.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Willy Street, meet Sultan. Madison’s newest - and perhaps only - Pakistani restaurant is now open. It’s on the corner of Willy and Ingersoll, in the old Roman Candle Pizza spot.
Sultan serves tapas-style small plates, with South Asian flavors. Classic curries and biryanis, chais and naan, but with a modern twist.
Oh, and they don’t do tipping. They pay their staff a living wage.
We talk to owner and chef Sultan Ahmed about his vision for the restaurant.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Public Health Madison & Dane County has reported two overdose spikes in recent months.
Paramedics responded to nine overdoses at the end of May. Two people died. Paramedics also confirmed at least six overdoses in 24 hours in mid June. Another two people died.
What’s going on? We talk to Julia Olsen of Public Health Madison & Dane County about what’s happening.
Mentioned on the episode: Where to get free Narcan, fentanyl test strips and syringes
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Electric fire trucks are popping up across the country. Portland, Oregon just got one. Boulder, Colorado is buying one. St. Paul’s got one on order. And of course, Los Angeles got in early. But Madison was first, baby.
Madison was the first city in the nation to put an electric fire truck in service. The truck - which was designed in Wisconsin - saved 60,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in its first year of operation. And Madison firefighters are helping design the next generation of electric vehicles for the country, as cities look to transition their fleet away from diesel-guzzlers. We catch up with Scott Bavery, Dan Belovarac and Josh Balli from the Madison Fire Department to learn how they did it.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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The City Cast team rounds up the week’s news, including the unhealthy air from Canadian wildfire and the fight over Wisconsin’s top election official (again) — will lawmakers oust her ahead of the 2024 presidential election? Plus, the discovery that Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes has applied to be the top cop in Chicago. Mentioned on the episode:
Where to find a free N95 mask
UW Madison responds to the Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action
TODAY is the day! Procrastinators, your time is now. It’s the last day to vote for us as Best Local Podcast in the Best of Madison contest! You have until the end of Friday, June 30th. Click on Art and Entertainment, then Local Podcast. Here’s the link: tinyurl.com/BESTOFMADISON-CITYCASTMADISON.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s a new cookbook out that showcases the ingredients and flavors of Madison. And we’re gonna stop ya right there, it is WAY more than brats and cheese curds. It features recipes from the farmers, chefs and shoppers who frequent the Dane County Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest and largest in the country. With recipes for curtido to panzanella to ratatouille, and gorgeous photos of the food and the people behind them, it’s a celebration of all who call Madison home. We speak to author Terese Allen about what’s inside The Dane County Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Local Foods, Global Flavors. You can catch Terese Allen and her cookbooks at the Dane County Farmers’ Market on Saturday, July 8th from 9 to 11am. Note: The market will be at Breese Stevens Field due to Art Fair on the Square.
Also on the episode: 🎆 Where to watch the fireworks this weekend 🐕 Get dog training advice
Tomorrow, June 30th, is the last day to vote for your favorite local podcast in the Best of Madison contest. We're in the running! Do we have your vote? Vote here: https://tinyurl.com/BESTOFMADISON-CITYCASTMADISON Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You’ve surely seen his work. The photo of President Obama in the White House situation room. The iconic moment when a five-year-old child reached up and touched Obama’s hair, after asking if it was like his own. These photos are by White House photographer Pete Souza. Souza has since moved to Madison, where he freelances and occasionally pops off about current events online, when he’s not taking beautiful images of our fair city. We caught up with him to learn what it was like to be a witness to history during those years. And of course, how we can become better photographers. Pete Souza’s most recent book is called The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency.
Also on the show:
Beginner’s Photography Class from the Madison Photography Group
Mansion Hill West Historic Architecture Walking Tour from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation
And you have until Friday, June 30th to vote for your favorite local podcast in the Best of Madison contest. We're in the running! Vote here: https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/best-of-madison/best-of-madison-2023-vote-now/article_81bb44d4-9dae-11ed-8778-831b6146a870.html
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Madison trivia is back, baby. We’ve brought Smarter Than You trivia guru Paul Guse back to test our knowledge of all things Mad city. Buckle up and play along… Dylan Brogan and Bianca go head to head in this episode.
Catch Paul at the Harmony Bar every first and third Wednesday of the month. He’ll be there next week, July 5th.
And hey, we’re in the running for Best Local Podcast in the Madison Magazine Best of Madison contest! Do we have your vote? Here’s the link: https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/best-of-madison/best-of-madison-2023-vote-now/article_81bb44d4-9dae-11ed-8778-831b6146a870.html#//
We’re under “Arts and Entertainment.” Producer Dylan Brogan is also in the running for Best Columnist. And our friends at Madison Minutes are in the running for Best Local News Website.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Homes Jr. famously said, “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.” But who pays and how much has been debated ever thus.
When you buy anything from a cup of coffee to a car in Madison, you’re paying sales tax. That money is collected by local shops and sent to the state of Wisconsin. Every two years, the state decides how much of that money to share with the communities where it was collected. Same goes for the income tax you pay every year.
But cities say that state money is not keeping up with inflation. Costs are going up, but the money to pay for them isn’t. Madison’s got some unpopular choices: ask voters to pay higher property taxes or cut back city services. And when the state’s sitting on a surplus, it’s a hard pill to swallow.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway tells Dylan Brogan what’s ahead.
Also on the episode: 🏠 The new westside ReStore opens on Odana Road on Friday!
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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The whole City Cast Madison team is back in the saddle today. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz round up this week’s news, including a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on weed at traffic stops, the fight over paying for childcare, and Madison’s aim to be a sanctuary city for transgender and non-binary residents.
And it’s been a year since the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, which led to the criminalization of abortion in Wisconsin. There’s dueling abortion-related events at the State Capitol this weekend.
Mentioned on the episode:
Our interview with Ruth Schmidt about Wisconsin’s childcare crisis
The March for Life and a Pro-Choice Rally are both at the State Capitol on Saturday
💪🏾 Wanna flex your voting muscles? 🗳️ Vote for us as Best Local Podcast in the Best of Madison contest! 🦩 You have until Friday, June 30th. (Click on Art and Entertainment, then Local Podcast).
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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The James Beard Awards are often called the Oscars of food. They’re a prestigious national recognition for restaurants that offer high quality food. If you think you have to travel to the coasts to try some of the nation’s best restaurants, you would be wrong. Here in Madison, we’ve got award-winners in our backyard.
Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, chefs and co-owners of Fairchild in Madison, have been named the best chefs in the midwest by the James Beard Foundation.
Cap Times Food Editor Lindsay Christians joins us to talk about what this recognition means for our fair city.
Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Also mentioned on the episode: 🎵 Free concert with Madison Symphony Orchestra and Mt. Zion Gospel Choir at Penn Park this Saturday
🎸 Dirt Camp music festival in Sauk City on Saturday
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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We’re on a quest to help you make the most of your summer in Madison.
Brandon Rounds is the mastermind behind Live on Queen, a free outdoor drag show and dance party happening this Friday, June 23, in downtown Madison. It’s the latest installment of the Live on King street series of free concerts that take place on the 100 block of King Street in front of the Majestic Theatre. Catch Brandon performing as Bianca Lynn Breeze, Madison’s hardest working drag queen.
Dylan Brogan gets the dish on Madison’s drag scene and why, despite what you hear from haters, drag is perhaps the opposite of stripping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Madison school district initially offered teachers a 3.5 percent pay bump but is now committed to doubling it to the highest raise allowed by state law. Teachers are applauding the move and say investing in educators is long overdue. However, what this means for the district’s financial health is far from clear because of a looming budget deficit. Nichelle Nichols, president of the Madison school board, talks with Dylan Brogan about why the board is prioritizing teacher pay this year and the difficult decisions coming due in future budgets. We also get an update on the superintendent search and the district’s embattled spokesperson
Full list of Make Music Madison performances
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bianca Martin and Dylan Brogan roundup the news this week with an update on Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ pledge to cut funding to the University of Wisconsin system over diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The governor is threatening to the entire state budget over the move. The Legislature is also primed to overhaul how taverns, distributors, and breweries are regulated. We also take a teeny peak at a new art installation at Hilldale. More info!
“Gov. Tony Evers says he would veto state budget if Republicans advance $32 million cut to UW System” from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“Major overhaul for alcohol regulation in Wisconsin gets public hearing” from Wisconsin Public Radio.
“Midwest's first mouse-sized art installation squeaks into Hilldale” from Channel 3000.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Summer is a great time to enjoy fresh herbs — whether in salads, drinks or just to freshen up your backyard, patio, or balcony. Jane Hawley Stevens, owner of Four Elements Organic Herbals, has been growing herbs for decades on her farm in the Baraboo hills. Her herbal products are sold locally and around the country. Lead producer Molly Stentz chats with Jane about this growing season and tips for how to grow your own herb garden.
If you’d like to attend Four Elements’ open farm day on Saturday, June 17th, details are online and on Instagram.
To learn more about that UW-Madison cheese tester gig, here’s the application.
Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Happy Flag Day! The North American Vexillological Association studied 312 city flags and ranked Madison’s flag as one of the best in the nation. No wonder our city flag is increasing being flown all over town. Ted Kaye, the nation’s foremost authority on flag design and author of the NAVA booklet “‘Good’ Flag, ‘Bad’ Flag,” talks with host Bianca Martin about what makes a well-designed flag, why Madison’s flag is so strong but our state flag … not so much.
Check out NAVA’s survey results to see which flags got an A grade, and which ones got an F.
Here’s Roman Mars’ 2015 TED Talk about “why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed.”
And these apps will help you navigate the new Madison Metro bus network.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
City Cast Madison continues our series on summer entertainment with The Pursuit of Happiness Sessions at McPike Park. The first round of The Sessions kicks off Friday night, June 16 and runs through Sunday, June 18. The festival features performers from around the globe and dozens of local acts, too. Veteran Madison festival Bob Queen previews some of big acts coming to town with City Cast’s Dylan Brogan. Songs featured in this episode:
Memphis Rain by Aaron Lee Tasjan
Manisero by Xiomara Laugart
June 11th by Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few
Afterglow by Oshima Brothers
Event links:
Full lineup of The Sessions at McPike Park
Vote for City Cast Madison for Best Local Podcast
Juneteenth Opening Ceremony
Juneteenth in the Park
A conversation with saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin hosted by Bianca Martin
Juneteenth Celebration of Black Music hosted by Rob
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You’d think a record $7 billion surplus would ease the partisan tension between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers when crafting the next state budget. Nope! But Evers and the GOP-controlled Legislature have compromised on money for schools and local governments. However, funding for the University of Wisconsin system and who gets a tax cut might create another showdown between the governor and lawmakers. Dylan Brogan talks with WisPolitics Editor JR Ross about what deals have been hammered out with the state budget, what has yet to be worked out, and what this all means for Madison.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Madison public school teachers and staff will get an 8% pay raise next year after tough negotiations with the school district. Meanwhile, the city has to figure out what to do about two failing housing developments that serve the formerly homeless.
And while you might’ve heard about dirt at the Supreme Court lately, we’re here to talk about actual dirt on our Dane County courthouse. Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz round up this week’s news in Madison.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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Don’t blink or you’ll miss them! Strawberry season lasts for about three weeks in Madison - and it’s here. We’re heading to one of the oldest strawberry u-pick farms in the Madison area… which opens next week.
Dylan Brogan catches up Cory Secher, the second-generation owner and operator of Carandale Fruit Farm in Oregon, Wisconsin.
For daily updates on strawberry picking, check the Carandale website or find them on Facebook.
🍓 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
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We wait patiently all year for summer in Madison — and when it comes, there’s an explosion of festivals, music, and art. We’re here to help you not miss a minute with our summer entertainment guides.
Starting Thursday, June 8th, there will be ELEVEN days of jazz happening all over Madison. From free shows at clubs across town to big acts at the Union Theater, you can hear classical vocalists, lively saxophonists and trumpeters, latin jazz bands, and hip-hop inspired acts.
Dylan Brogan catches up with Madison Jazz Festival organizers Elizabeth Snodgrass from the Wisconsin Union Theater and Jolynne Roorda from Arts and Literature Laboratory.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s the Friday News Roundup and this week Molly Stentz and Dylan Brogan dig into problems behind the scenes at Madison schools after complaints come to light. Also, how Epic Systems' worker contracts affect our larger tech economy - and what the feds might do about it.
And did you know we have our very own Australian Football League team right here in Madison? The Wisconsin Wombats are here and they’re playing in Reindahl Park this weekend. And unlike the Brewers, the Packers, and Forward Madison FC, they’re not looking for stadium upgrades. Just don’t ask us how to play this soccer-hockey-rugby-frisbee mashup.
Also on the show:
🗣️ We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Madison an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.
Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s election season… again?! If you want to run for local office in Madison, the clock’s ticking. You’ve got this month to apply. We talk to Madison’s newest alder to learn what it takes to be part of City Hall. Sabrina Madison represents the far east side of Madison and was appointed in October. Want some more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
Madison is home to the first-ever electric fire truck in use in the United States. The truck has saved 60,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in its first year of operation. And Madison firefighters are helping design the next generation of electric vehicles for the country, as cities look to transition their fleet away from diesel-guzzlers. We catch up with Scott Bavery, Dan Belovarac and Josh Balli from the Madison Fire Department to learn how they did it. Want some more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!
Introducing City Cast Madison — your guide to Wisconsin’s quirkiest city. We’ll introduce you to some of our favorite people, places, and things— and talk about how we make this city better for everyone. Start your weekday with us… and come meet your neighbors. Beginning November 29th.