There a few state wide referendums that are the spring ballot: two that would amend the state constitution and another that would gauge popular opinion. We cover them all in today’s program. In the first half Dustin Brown from the UW Law School breaks down the two constitutional amendment referendums. The questions on the ballot […] […]

Early voting in Wisconsin begins today, Tuesday March 21st. For Madison residents, early voting locations can be found here. For voters with an absentee ballot, they can deliver their ballots in person to these locations. Other cities, towns, and villages may vary on times availability. Joining us to talk about early voting, the integrity of […] […]

In a piece for The Progressive, Sage Lenier wrote: “Gen Z isn’t getting the education we need to survive and adapt to a climate-changed world.” She joins us to discuss the current education around climate change, the impact it has on mental health, and how we might do better. Sage Lenier is the founder of Sustainable […] […]

On Monday, March 13th, the Biden administration approved the new enormous Willow oil drilling project in Arctic Alaska. This was despite Biden’s campaign promises to halt drilling on federal lands and despite the opposition of environmentalist and local indigenous groups. Opponents are raising concerns about the disruption in the arctic, including huge increases emissions, an […] […]

Twenty years ago today, on March 16, 2003, word came to us that our daughter Rachel had been killed in Gaza. She had been run over by an Israeli military-operated and U.S. made and funded Caterpillar D9R bulldozer, as she stood to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family’s home in Rafah. Members of the […] […]

Along side the Wisconsin Supreme Court, mayoral, and alder elections on the spring ballot are state-wide republican supported referendums. One is a non-binding referendum about welfare requirements while the other would directly amend the constitution regarding pre-trail defendants. We dig into the latter today. The cash bail constitutional amendment referendum reads as follows: “Shall section […] […]

On Tuesday, April 4th, Wisconsin voters will elect a new supreme court justice, setting the tone of the court for the next 10 years. This Wisconsin supreme court will likely determine the fate of abortion access and partisan gerrymandering in the state. Joining us to talk about what is at stake is Megin McDonell from […] […]

Since 2010, Madison Area farmers have been growing their farm businesses at the Linda and Gene Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability. The center supports aspiring farmers with land, tools, education, and marketing assistance. The collaborative farm is home to dozen farm businesses operated by immigrants and entrepreneurs from here and around the world. […] […]

A UW-Green Bay professor argues that linking education to economic well-being was not politically inevitable. Jon Shelton joins us on A Public Affair to discus his forth coming book The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy. He talks with substitute host Nada Elmikashfi about the myth, American Democracy, and human capitol. Jon Shelton is […] […]

Madison Magazine just name Sean Pharr the 2023 chef of the year. Sean is the co-owner and chef at two Madison businesses: Mint Mark and The Muskellounge. He joins us in on A Public Affair to talk about food, making it through the height pandemic, and the Mint Mark’s upcoming move.  We also have A […] […]

Earlier this year Madison Ballet announced that Artistic Director Ja’ Malik would step up as the company’s interim Executive Director. Ja’ Malik joins us in the studio to talk about his new role, his vision for Madison Ballet, and the career that led him to Madison. Ja’ Malik is Madison Ballet’s Artistic Director and Interim […] […]

If you  live downtown, you might have heard cheers erupting from Breese Stevens Field on the occasional weekend night. That might be due to the incredible community that’s been built by Forward Madison FC, Madison’s own professional soccer club. Adopting as a mascot of a flamingo, Madison’s official bird, Forward Madison FC describes itself as […] […]

Blood Plasma extraction is a multi-billion dollar industry in the US. Americans are the source of a majority of the extracted plasma, with most people selling the blood component to make supplemental income. A new book out this week unpacks the history of plasma and tell the stories of the people supplying what is vital […] […]

Historian Adam Hochschild joins us to talk about his latest book: American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis. He shares stories from a deeply fragmented America in the 4 years after the U.S. entered the First World War.  American Midnight was named a best book of the year by the […] […]

Do you know what 7 words you can’t say on the radio? We said them all on today’s show. Dennis Barron joined us on the program to talk about free speech and how the first amendment isn’t always applicable. Dennis’s latest book You Can’t Always Say What You Want: The Paradox of Free Speech  puts […] […]

On the final day of Black History Month, and the second day of the WORT Winter Pledge Drive, we talk with Michael Jeffries about the struggles, the joys, and the mundane experienced by Black Queer college students. In his forthcoming book Black and Queer on Campus, Michael P. Jeffries reveals the complicated everyday realities of […] […]

Last year a study from Harvard found that natural gas used in appliances such as gas stoves and furnaces contains varying levels of dangerous chemicals. When these toxic chemicals are leaked and enter our homes, they are known to have negative health impacts, to be linked to cancer, and they can form secondary pollutants. Dr. […] […]

More than 47 thousand people have died in the earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria earlier this month. Zahra Albarazi joins us from Turkey where she was during the February 6 earthquake. Zahra is the Research Director for Syrian Legal Development Programme. She tells us about the days right after the earthquake, the […] […]

Earlier this month, a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The incident has drawn criticism across the board. Concerns have been raised from rail workers, environmental advocates, and people living on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The real impact on human and environmental health may not be known for years, but Emily Jeffers joins […] […]

“The things that are worth writing poems about are the things that we have the hardest time speaking of in other language. And those tend to be the things that matter most to most people, or maybe even all people.” -Nicholas Gulig on A Public Affair On today’s show we talk with the newly appointed […] […]

Degrowth is a movement and set of theories in which production and consumption is reduced within an economy with the goal of conserving natural resources. The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to a World beyond Capitalism co-author Aaron Vansintjan joins us to image a world that valued the environment and an equitable quality of life over economic […] […]

In his forth coming book, Injustice, Inc.: How America’s Justice System Commodifies Children and the Poor, Daniel Hatcher exposes how the systems that proport to care for poor children and families are actually making massive amounts of money off of them. Daniel joins A Public Affair to expose the hidden revenue schemes and the systemic racialized […] […]

There was this influx of investors who had come to me chomping at the bit, salivating, saying, “it feels like the early days of the internet.” [They were] just so excited to be able to get in and be able to see the profit that they could get in a three to five year timeline. […] […]

A proposed ordinance change would alter the definition of a “family” renting a house zoned as a single family home. The current ordinance defines a family as no more than 2 unrelated people. The proposal–which passed unanimously in the plan commission earlier this week–would allow up to 5 unrelated people to rent a single family […] […]

“There are peaks and valleys, and that’s where some of the connection and communication and the problem solving can happen is when when you’re going through those peaks and valleys. For me, it’s also knowing when I’m able to have a compassionate conversation, and when I’m not.”    –Angela Russell on A Pubic Affair On […] […]

Last year, US Immigration arrested more than 2 million migrants at the southern border–a historic spike. The Biden Administration has since announced it will make seeking asylum more difficult and other central American countries have tighten their migration policies. Joining us on A Public Affair to talk about the impact of these polices are Astrid […] […]

The US shot down a Chinese balloon last Saturday off the coast of South Carolina, saying it was a surveillance device. The Chinese maintain it was a weather-related airship. Since then, secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his trip to China and the Chinese reportedly refused to take a call from the US, all bringing […] […]

We are continuing our coverage ahead of the Spring Primary on Tuesday, February 21st. First we talk with Judge Janet Protasiewicz. Protasiewicz currently is a Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge and previousl served more than 25 years as Assistant District Attorney. You can learn more about her campaign here: janetforjustice.com Then, Judge Daniel Kelly joins […] […]

“The small group of investors who backed the Population Council’s drive to manufacture and distribute the drug since its earliest days have made a lot of money on the mifepristone business—tens of millions of dollars, according to court filings… As states have imposed ever-stricter limits on abortion access, their investments have generated hefty returns.” –The […] […]

In November, UW System President Jay Rothman announced that the Richland Center satellite campus of UW-Platteville will be shutting down this summer. Joining us to talk about the closure are three community members with a long history with the campus. Dorothy Thompson was formerly the Public Relations Director for the Richland Center campus. Dion Kempthorne […] […]

As we see coups across the world, and as we watch the leaders like Putin, Bolsonaro, and Meloni, we wonder why is this happening? How did we get here? How do we stop the rise of fascism? On today’s A Public Affair, we ask Ruth Ben-Ghiat to help us answer these questions. Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a […] […]

Last week, UW-Madison announced a permanent center to expand on the work of the Public History Project. Joining us to talk about the expansion, their recent exhibit Sifting and Reckoning, and the role of public history is Project Director Kacie Lucchini Butcher.   […]

For the first half of the show, we talk with Cap Times Capitol bureau chief Jessie Opoien and Marquette University Political Science Professor Philip Rocco as we await the governor’s 2023-2025 proposed budget. We discuss school funding, flat tax, and the year of mental health. Image by David Mark from Pixabay Then we begin our coverage […] […]

The remains of more than 100 thousand ancestors of indigenous people are currently being kept in US Museums and Universities. In 1990, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act called for all remains to be returned to descendants or tribal nations. However, in the more than 30 years since the passage of that law, […] […]

Continuing our coverage on climate change, we are joined by 350 Wisconsin‘s John Greenler and Emily Park. John is the Executive Director at 350 Wisconsin. Emily is the Communication Action Team representative on the Coordinating Council and also is a Fossil Free Fed Campaign Organizer with 350 US.  They join us to talk about climate activism […] […]

In their new book, Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics, Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese imagine a utopian future and offer a plan to get there. They suggest that humans cannot control or fully understand the earth. However, by planning new energy and food systems, and enacting large-scale rewilding efforts, […] […]

Continuing our election coverage, Madison Mayor Candidate Gloria Reyes joins us in the studio to talk about her campaign and goals for the city if elected. Gloria Reyes is the first Latina to run for Mayor in the City of Madison. Gloria is a former law enforcement officer for the City of Madison Police Department. She also […] […]

Artificial Intelligence has been slowly been making it’s way into our homes and work places over the last serval decades, but recently questions have been raised about AI stealing and replicating art, and a new AI system, ChatGPT, is being banned in schools. Joining us to discuss the moral panic (and the hype) around these bots […] […]

In September, residents from 48 townhouses in the Bayview Community along West Washington Avenue moved into 48 new apartments. This was the first phase of the Bayview Foundation‘s comprehensive re envisioning of the community which was built in 1971. Joining us to talk about the move and Bayview’s work is Executive Director Alexis London and […] […]

Under the Trump Era “Zero-Tolerance” Immigration Policy, thousands of children were separated from their parents by ICE agents. As a human rights lawyer in Southern Texas, Efrén C. Olivares represented hundreds of theses families. He has now written a memoir that intertwines the stories of the people he has fought for with his own immigration […] […]

“There is a particular attraction in the MAGA block to the most right wing governments around the world: Trump, Netanyahu, Modi in India, Duterte and now Marcos in the Philippines, and Putin, who [has] become a hero of the right as this defender of white Christian civilization, homophobia, anti gay, all that kind of thing. […] […]

For today’s show, we continue our candidate interviews ahead of the spring 2023 election. On Tuesday April 4th, Monona residents will be voting for Mayor, City Council, and School Board. Incumbent Mary O’Connor joins us to talk about her 6 years as mayor and why she is running for another term. Mary O’Connor was first […] […]

For today’s show, we continue our candidate interviews ahead of the spring 2023 election. On Tuesday April 4th, Monona residents will be voting for Mayor, City Council, and School Board. Kristie Goforth joins the program to tell us about her campaign and what she hopes to accomplish if elected mayor. Kristie Goforth is the executive […] […]

This week students at East High School were going to hold a drag show, but when right-wing social media accounts caught wind of the event, it was postponed for safety. Today on the show we have drag performers Anya Knees Thundercat and Bianca Lynn Breeze. We also talk with East High School Parent Pam Brandt and […] […]

Over the river, and through the wood, To Grandfather’s house we go; the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow. Many of us are familiar with the poem “Over the River and Through the Woods” (also called “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day”),  but you probably don’t […] […]

“I’ve always loved Madison… and I strive to make the city a better place from all the positions I’ve had in the city.” Today on the show,  we speak with  one of the three candidates for Madison Mayor this spring: Scott Kerr. Kerr is a longtime employee for the City of  Madison, working for the […] […]

“I’m fascinated with these shows that try to gamify and codify things that in our actual social lives are much more fluid and unobserved. They kind of turn the human experience into a sport. I don’t think watching ‘The Bachelor’ is that far removed from watching people fight in a gladiatorial arena. I think that […] […]

The farm house and barn are still standing on the the Voit Farm on Madison’s eastside, but the development company working on the project is hoping to replace them with 1500 housing units and public park access. Today we are digging into those plans more with three stakeholders in the community. We start the program by […] […]

January 6th, 2021 a massive violent mob invaded congress, erected a gallows, stole objects from elected officials’ offices, all with very little visible response by law enforcement. In the two years since there has been an investigation by a House Committee, nearly a thousands arrests of insurrectionists, and Trump has announced he will run again. […] […]

2022 witnessed yet another spate of mass shootings. In 2022, students and teachers lost their lives in Uvalde, shoppers in Buffalo fell victim of a shooter, and patrons and bartenders of an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs were the target of a lone shooter. These were just a few of the more than 600 mass […] […]

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway joins us on A Public Affair to discuss her first term as Mayor and what she hopes to accomplish if reelected. She talks about housing access, transit issues, and equity, among other topics. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway was first elected in April 2019 as Madison’s 58th Mayor, the city’s second female mayor and […] […]

How vacuums of misinformation lead to book bans, and how do those book bans limit access to reproductive health information? Barbara Alvarez recently published a piece with The Progressive Magazine titled Libraries: Where Abortion Access and Book Bans Collide. Barbara Alvarez is a former public librarian in Wisconsin. She is currently a PhD student at […] […]

To kick off the New Year, Ron Rindo joined us to talk about his new novel Breathing Lake Superior. The book tells the story of grief and healing on the shore of Lake Superior. Ron Rindo is writer and a professor of literature and creative writing at the University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh. His previous books include Love […] […]

Last month, Doug La Follette narrowly won his bid for an unprecedented 12th term as Wisconsin’s Secretary of State. That makes him the longest serving, non-federal, elected official in the US. He was first elected to the position in 1974 and was reelected in 1982. He has held the position ever since. La Follette joins […] […]

 WORT 89.9FM Madison · The state of Mexican journalism with author Katherine Corcoran Regina Martinez spent two decades breaking stories for for the Mexican magazine Proceso. She uncovered the corruption and abuse underlying Mexican politics. In 2012, shortly after Proceso published an article on corruption in Veracruz, Martinez was found murdered. Katherine Corcoran, author […] […]

On today’s show, guest host Karma Chávez is joined by Yasmin Nair to talk about the exploitation of trauma in feminist spaces and publishing. Yasmin’s recent Current Affairs piece dives deep in to problematic nature of forcing trauma narratives on women of color. Yasmin Nair is a writer, activist, and academic.  She is the co-founder […] […]

Two weeks ago, voters in Georgia went back to the polls for a run election. With less than a 100 thousand votes incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock beat his challenger Herschel Walker for the U.S. Senate seat. The youth vote in Georgia skyrocketed during the 2022 election season. Joining us to talk about the runoff election […] […]

As we come to the end of 2022, we are joined by co-owner of A Room on One’s Own, Gretchen Treu to look back at some of our favorite books. We talk about the store’s first full year in the new location and what it is like to run an independent book store. Books mentioned […] […]

On December 7, Peru’s president Pedro Castillo announced that he had dissolved congress by presidential decree. Almost immediately, Congress declared this a coup and deposed him. He was then arrested, and his first vice president Dina Boluarte was declared president. Protests have erupted in many parts of the country with at least seven dead and […] […]

Following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Iranian morality police, women in Iran have been leading the demand for change. Joining us today is Catherine Sameh. She lays out the history of the fight for equality in Iran and shines light on what the current moment could mean for the future […] […]

Last month, Senate Democrats unanimously voted Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) to serve as the Senate Democratic Leader. Senator Agard says “Senate Democrats may hold the minority of seats in the statehouse, but we hold the majority of hearts and minds of the people of Wisconsin.” Senator Agard joined us on the program to talk about […] […]

“Living in disconnection is hard: like everyone is against you, and that you don’t have the support that you need, and that you’re never gonna have enough. All of the sort of really stifling mindsets and dynamics that we’re already living in are really difficult, really painful, we’re really unhappy. That’s evident all over the […] […]

Leaders from around the world continue to meet in Montreal Canada this week for the UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP-15). They are discussing solutions to end biodiversity loss. Joining us to talk about COP-15 and biodiversity more generally is Research Geographer Dr. Marla Emery and Campaign Coordinator with The Sierra Club’s Wisconsin Chapter Jadine Sonoda. […] […]

Today, our guest host Yuri Rashkin answers your questions about what is happening with the War in Ukraine. He answers question about Brittney Griner, misinformation, and the relationship between Trump and Putin. Yuri Rashkin is the host and creator of the Rashkin Report with videos on Youtube and TikTok. (A playlist of English videos can […] […]

Madison’s largest stretch of public Lake Monona access runs from Olin park to Willy St. The future of the 1.7 miles long waterfront is now being discussed by an ad hoc committee. The design has been narrowed down to 3 proposed master plans.  Joining us on the program today is Friends of Nolan Waterfront Vice […] […]

“It’s like men are people and women are a temptation. We punish men for what they’ve done. We punish women for what they might do to white men. So there are so many women in this history when I look at this prison who were incarcerated for things like having gonorrhea… These people did nothing […] […]

In Orchid Muse, Erica Hannickel lays out a history of orchids and their growers. Plus, she offers tips to cultivate thriving plants. Erica joins us on A Public Affair to explain why orchids are so special and to read from her forth-coming book. The release of Orchid Muse has been pushed back to December 20th, but […] […]

This past Tuesday was the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People. On today’s Birthday Boost show, we talk about the big picture for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, the killings of Palestinian children, and clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli army. We also unpack what is happening politically in Israel.  Joining us […] […]

A new WPR podcast spotlights some of the nearly 15000 Cuban immigrants who were sent to Fort McCoy in Sparta, Wisconsin as part of the Mariel Boatlift. Uprooted tells stories of boat journeys, life at Fort McCoy, and a longing to return to Cuba 40 years later. The show is hosted by Wisconsin Life’s Maureen McCollum […] […]

Click above to hear a special edition of On The Horizon with host Helena White as WORT celebrates First Nations and Indigenous peoples with unique programming during Native American Heritage Month. On Sunday, Nov. 13 Helena featured artists such as native, innovative Minneapolis musician Joe Rainey (who recently performed at Arts + Literature Laboratory) playing […] […]

Here to cut through all the noise, guest host Nada Elmikashfi welcomes two Wisconsin investigative journalists. For the first half hour, David Armiak talks about the value of watchdog reporting and how to sift through the news. Then Dan Shafer joins with his opposition reporting and a take on the Senate debate. David Armiak is […] […]

The Pan Africa radio show has entered its next generation with an expanded group of six hosts who are natives of five countries. We recently gathered for a quick photo shoot in front of the station. In alphabetical order, meet the hosts of the Pan Africa collective: Esty Dinur grew up in Israel, a small […] […]