8 O'Clock Buzz

Nurses at Meriter Hospital are set to commence a 5 day strike starting Tuesday, May 27, 2025, following a breakdown in contract negotiations with hospital management.

Tony’s guest on this week’s Thursday 8 O’Clock buzz is one of those nurses, and Kelsey is here this morning to explain how current staffing ratios and stronger security are just a couple of the issues that have yet to be adequately addressed, despite negotiations that have been underway since January of this year.

Represented by SEIU Wisconsin, Meriter’s 950 nurses hope that you’ll get involved by joining the strike line (May 27-May 31 from 6:30am-6:30pm), and donating to the Strike Hardship Fund.

Photo courtesy of SEIU Wisconsin.

The post Meriter Nurses Launch 5 Day Strike Over Staffing & Security Conce... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Up Close and Personal program seeks to get classical music in the ears of elementary school students and others who rarely get a chance to see live classical music.  On May 19, 2025, the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Hunt Quartet joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing for a live musical broadcast and interview from WORT’s famed record library studio.

Live sound engineering: Aaron Scholz and John Wilson

The post Hunt Quartet Live in the WORT Studios appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On May 19, 1925, Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska.  After joining the Nation of Islam while in prison in 1946, Malcolm changed his name to Malcolm X and became one of the most renowned speakers in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  The Monday Buzz took a look back at Malcolm X’s legacy on what would have been his 100th birthday, with excerpts from two of his speeches:

Photo of Malcolm X (1964) by Marion S. Trikosko, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Audio courtesy Internet Archive (archive.org).

The post Malcolm X on his 100th Birthday appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Scott Ross, former director of One Wisconsin Now and political analyst, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss the dire state of affairs with the national Democratic leadership.  Scott makes a point that this isn’t the case with the State Democratic leadership who are doing a great job, but mainly with older politicians like Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin who are clinging on to power while allowing the Republican agenda to be forced on the American public.  Scott says it’s time for a change.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The post What’s Wrong With the Democrats appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORTstock, of couse.  Fred Swanson, Madison Homebrewers and Tasting Guild, talks with host Tony Castañeda about the “No Crap on Tap” offerings at the upcoming festival on Sunday, May 18.  They also discuss the state of craft beer consumption and how the industry will respond to the many challenges in today’s marketplace.

Photo by Michele McEwen on Unsplash

The post On Tap This Week appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The bartender groans audibly, “These guys are real pests”.  Adam Benedetto, poet and political raconteur, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about his new book, Love. Flies. The World., which is an ode to American violence.  As noted in the promotional material, this is a surreal and funny book of poems in which the main characters are flies or people portraying tensions in America.  Adam will be giving readings around Madison area over the next week.

Photo by Aditya Shetty on Unsplash

The post Two Flies Walk Into a Bar appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

If the concept of a “one-man band” makes you think of someone with cymbals strapped to their kneess performing at a kids party, Jeremy Jacobsen wants to aim a little higher.  Performing as “The Lonesome Organist,” Jacobsen has performed worldwide, including David Bowie’s Meltdown festival in 2002 and has recorded with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Man or Astro Man.  On Thursday, May 15, The Lonesome Organist brings his unique act to Madison’s Arts and Literature Laboratory, along with Dr. Nick Zoulek.

The post “Lonesome Organist” Performs at ArtLitLab appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

On June 14, eight young people will hop on their bicycles in Madison, Wisconsin and begin the 945-mile trek to Montgomery, Alabama.  Along the way, they’ll stop at historic sites and have conversations about racial equity.   The Riders 4 Racial Amity is a program of the nonprofit Copper to Gold’s efforts to promote sustainable social change.  Kate Vestlie and Miguel Rivera are two of the organizers of the event, and they joined the Monday Buzz on May 12, 2025.

The post “Riders 4 Race Amity” Bike to Montgomery appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Festival season is upon us and with that in mind, Tony’s guest on the Thursday 8 O’Clock Buzz is WORT business development director extraordinaire Doug Holtz. Doug wears a lot of hats at the station, but “WORTstock wrangler” – staying on top of many of the moving parts it takes to pull off Madison’s first official festival of the season – might be one of the most demanding jobs he does for the station.

Now in its 28th year, WORTstock, formerly known as the WORT Block Party, gets the 2025 festival season rolling on Sunday, May 18 at Warner Park with a great music line up:

12:00 Annie & the Oakies (bluegrass)

Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild will host the 21st annual No Crap on Tap, with beverage selections from more than 20 local brewers. Beer, seltzers, ciders and more!

There’s a pre-WORTstock party this Saturday (May 10) at the Malt House from 2:30-6:00 which will feature live music, DJ Brian Hirsch of Green Morning Radio, and your first chance to buy WORTstock raffle tickets. Stock up!

Photo courtesy of WORT.

The post Taking Stock of WORTstock appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Ava Borelli, host of WORT’s Old World Sunrise and Classical Jukebox every Thursday morning from 5-8, joins Thursday Buzz host Tony Castañeda to edify listeners on the conclave currently underway in Rome to determine the successor to the late Pope Francis.

Ava, whose ancestors hail from Italy, shares the mic today with another Thursday morning regular, Captain Zero, and together they help clear the smoke surrounding the conclave-a secretive process in which a group of very serious people in very fancy robes lock themselves in a room to decide who best to represent the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Since the airing of this show, the conclave has elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the US to be the 267th pope. Hailing from Chicago, Prevost, 69, spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru before becoming a cardinal in 2023. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

Photo courtesy of MicheleDiniK on Pixabay.

The post The Dope on the (New) Pope! appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.