8 O'Clock Buzz

Have you been wondering what’s in the water in your favorite swimming hole or walleye fishing spot?  Curious about whether things are getting better or worse over time?

The Wisconsin DNR has you covered with a new online tool, the Wisconsin Water Explorer (WEX).

Aaron Fisch is a water management specialist with the Milwaukee office of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who designed the new system.  Aaron came down to the WORT studio to tell Monday Buzz listeners about the tool and the data it presents.

Web posting by WORT producer Nicholas Wootton

The post Wisconsin DNR Releases Tool for Viewing Water Quality Data appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Many election observers, such as the Brennan Center for Justice and the League of Women Voters, agree that paper ballots offer the most reliable and secure means of recording votes.  But paper ballots take longer to count, and are often difficult for people with visual or fine-motor impairments to use.

So, it should be no surprise to anyone that Wisconsin state law requires all municipalities to have at least one accessible voting machine available for use by the disabled.   Despite this law, however, a recent memo from the U.S. Department of Justice accuses two northern Wisconsin towns of failing to provide adequate access for disabled voters.

VoteBeat Wisconsin reporter Alexander Shur joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing in the studio with the story.

Featured image by Kate Paape/WORT News

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton/WORT Producer

The post Voting Machines and Ballot Boxes Remain Subjects of Controversy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

There’s an art show taking place this weekend in Madison that promises to be an analog human experience to counteract the dopamine-driven digital consumption of stimuli so common in our lives today.  Baxter Montgomery, compositional physics teacher and founding member of In Real Life Manufacturing (IRLmfg) joins the Thursday 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about the art show taking place Friday, August 23rd, and Saturday, August 24th at 100 S. Baldwin Sreet from 6:00 to 10:00 pm each night.  There’ll be DJ’s, dance, video and sculpture performed by artists from all over the country.  So turn off those cell phones and immerse yourself in creative stimuli to interact with others in an attempt to build a better community experience.

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

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The WORT news team of Sara Gabler and Carlos Davalos reporting from the Democratic National Convention and joining the Thursday 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss events and happenings at the convention.  Besides the mainstream speeches and interviews at the United Center, Sara and Carlos recap some of the alternative demonstrations and meetings taking place in the Windy City including the Poor Peoples March, the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) conference, and the Chicago Latino Union.  Sound clips from US Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida speaking on climate change impacts in Florida, and Saru Jayaraman from One Fair Wage talking about the fight for a living wage for service workers are just two of the live segments presented.  We’re not worthy…Party on!

Photo by Fineas Anton on Unsplash

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Self-described as “Madison’s home for new, different, unusual, provocative, and professional musical theatre”, the Music Theatre of Madison presents “Next to Normal”, a musical drama of a family with a mother struggling with past issues. 19-year old cast member Nora Perugini talks about the play and her role — with the excitement of a young, first-time professional music theater cast member.

The post Music Theatre of Madison presents “Next to Normal” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

“ABC for Health”… a simple name to remember, but do you know what this group does? Their full name may explain more: “Advocacy & Benefits Counseling for Health, Inc”. They are there to help people navigate the confusing and ever-changing world of health coverage, and to advocate for increased coverage so that no one in Wisconsin is missed or denied their eligible coverage. Chief Operating Officer, Brynne McBride, explains.

The post ABC for Health = “Advocacy and Benefits Counseling” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

WORT News Director Chali Pittman calls in from Chicago to give an update on WORT’s coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

The post Wednesday Update on the 2024 DNC Coverage appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi featuring RR Moore and Lolo Lature, keeping it light with talk about what’s going on around town last weekend, this weekend, what’s coming up soon, what’s on TV, more black businesses and event space, and back to school time.

Check out the new EOTO Website:: https://culturallyrooted.org/ 

Stop by the Urban League Unity Picnic coming up on Saturday, 8/24: https://ulgm.org/events/black-business-hub-ribbon-cutting-and-10th-annual-unity-picnic/

More about back to school and labor day events coming next week!

Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

The post Rausea Don’t Play, OK appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Since 1996, David Rovics has written anti-war, pro-democracy and pro-labor songs to shame the powerful and rile up the proletariat. According to his Wikipedia page, Rovics “encourages the free distribution of his work by all non-profit means to promote his work and spread political messages, and speaks out against websites or programs like iTunes that charge money for downloading his songs.”

Rovics is currently on a Midwest “Ministry of Culture” tour with singer Kamala Emanuel.  On April 25, Rovics and Emmanuel will perform at the Madison Labor Temple, an event sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Campus Worker Coalition. David Rovics called in to the Eight o’Clock Buzz to talk about his tour with Buzz host Brian Standing.

Featured image courtesy of Housemans Booksellers. Web posting by Monday Buzz producer Nicholas Wootton.

The post Protest Singer David Rovics to Visit Madison on a Ministry of Culture ... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In October of 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Republican President Donald Trump declared a National School Lunch Week and initiated a USDA program to guarantee all schoolchildren, regardless of income, access to a free school lunch.

Since the pandemic has eased and the federal program expired, though, the issue of free lunch for school kids has fallen back into a more predictable partisan divide.  Despite this trend, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, now the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate,  championed the issue, expanding school lunch programs across the state.

Jennifer Gaddis, an Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies at the University of Wisconsin School of Human Ecology, studies school food politics. She is also the author of The Labor of Lunch, Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools, which was published by University of California Press in 2019.  Prof. Gaddis called in to the Monday Buzz to talk about her research.

Photo of Jennifer Gaddis courtesy of UW School of Human Ecology.

Book cover courtesy of University of California Press website.

Web posting by Monday Buzz producer Nicholas Wootton

The post Prof. Jennifer Gaddis Describes the Politics of School Lunch Programs appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.