Madison musician Josh Cohen is fighting a unique battle for the right to amplification. A City of Madison ordinance limits the use of amplification for musicians — but Cohen says that infringes on his right to express himself. Cohen sat down with Friday Buzz host Jonathan Zarov on January 31 to talk about his ongoing […]
Bassist Josh Cohen plays Bach live on WORT
On Tuesday, September 24th, Madison bassist Joshua Cohen joined WORT’s Peter Haney in Combo B to play his transcriptions of Bach live on “Back Porch Serenade.” If you frequent farmer’s markets in Madison, you have probably seen Cohen playing an eclectic array of music on a six-string electric bass. His two-handed “tapping” technique allows him […]
GOP Lawmaker Sues State Bar on Free Speech Claim
Two Wisconsin lawyers are suing the state bar, alleging that the dues they have to pay the organization violate their first amendment rights. The lawyers suing the State Bar of Wisconsin, Michael Dean of Waukesha and former State Representative Adam Jarchow of Clear Lake, are both members. The two lawyers say the group is advocating […]
Separation of Church & State in 2017
Madison-based Freedom from Religion Foundation calls itself North America’s largest organization of agnostics, atheists and freethinkers. Like many progressive organizations, FFRF has seen its membership spike after the election of Donald Trump, growing by 6,000 members after the 2016 elections. In an era of growing Christian influence in government, Freedom From Religion has had its […]
Free Speech Forum
This month the UW Board of Regents approved a resolution that allows UW students who have “dismiss[ed] the expressive rights of others” to be suspended after having done so twice, and expelled after having done so three times. And — today the white supremacist Richard Spencer is scheduled to speak on the University of Florida campus […]
The Criminalization of Survival Tactics
ACLU Wisconsin attorney Karyn Rotker joined 8 O’Clock Buzz host Brian Standing to talk about an ordinance that attempts to prohibit people from asking for change, a scourge it termed “aggressive panhandling.”
