8 O'Clock Buzz

WORT 89.9FM Madison · Wisconsin Linen Revival Promotes Local Textiles

If you look at the label of the shirt you are wearing right now, chances are it’s made out of cotton and/or polyester.  Cotton, of course, is grown exclusively in warm climates and aside from its historic connections to slavery, is a petrochemical intensive crop.  Polyester is a synthetic made from fossil fuels.  Neither is particularly friendly to the environment or the atmosphere.  One group in Wisconsin is trying to revive a very old textile, made from a plant that readily grows in northern climates, needs little in the way of fertilizer and produces a durable, comfortable cloth that has useful moisture wicking properties.  We’re talking about flax, and its cloth product, linen.  Leslie Schroeder and Karen Kendrick-Hands are the co-founders of the Wisconsin Linen Revival,

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · SCFL Labor Update

The past few weeks has seen a variety of news on the labor front: several Wisconsin unions have filed a lawsuit in state supreme court seeking to restore collective bargaining rights for public sector workers; several strikes still continue around the state; and labor organizations speak out against neo-Nazis marching on the Capitol.  Here with an update is Kevin Gundlach, President of the South Central Federation of Labor.

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Mosab Abu Toha, is a Palestinian poet, short story author, and essayist from Gaza who was recently detained by Israeli security, separated from his family, and had all his identification documents confiscated when he attempted to leave Gaza for the U.S.

 Norm Stockwell, Editor of the Progressive Magazine, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss the poetry of Mosab Abu Toha that is included in the most recent edition of the magazine, and which is up on their website.

Norm explains that Mosab has a standing job offer from Syracuse University, where he had previously studied while getting a graduate degree, but for which he is unable to travel due to his present situation.

Image by hosny salah from Pixabay

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What could an economics professor from the University of Houston and the mascot of the UW-Madison sports teams have in common?  Well, not a whole lot, except for the use of the name Bucky.  Ed Hirs is the professor in question and he claims that he’s being badgered by the UW’s retail licensing partner over the use of his coined economic terms, buckynomics and buckymarkets for which he has applied for licensing trademarks.  Ed joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to explain that his use of “bucky” comes from his analogy of the inter-dependence of energy markets to the molecular shape of Buckminsterfullerenes which are carbon allotropes with a spherical shape somewhat similar to a geodesic dome invented by the architect Buckminster Fuller.  If you squint very hard the molecules have a football shaped appearance that may make for interesting legal discussion in the dispute.

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay

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Annik Dupaty, visual arts programming director for the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about their upcoming 2023 Black Art Expo, but also to provide an update on efforts to get their plans for a new cultural space constructed.  The center is destined to be a landmark in the region with its cultural and wellness impact as well as its physical imprint.  The Expo will be held at the Fountain of Life Church on West Badger Road this Saturday, December 2nd, and will run from noon to 5:00 pm.  The Expo will include exhibiting artists, authors, speakers, and performers, along with vendors displaying hand-crafted items.

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For the sixth year in a row, the Pentagon has failed to account for almost half of the over $800 billion allotted to the Defense Department. In fact, it took almost 20 years for the Pentagon to even attempt to comply with audit requirements in the 1990’s, according to Lindsay Koshgarian, Program Director at the National Priorities Project, in her recent article “Pentagon Fails in Its Sixth Audit“.

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With a temporary cease-fire delicately in place in Gaza, Hassan El-Tayyab, Legislative Director for Middle East Policy at Friends Committee on National Legislation, says it’s more important than ever to work for a permanent ceasefire. He talks about his experience with the Ramallah Friends School, and stresses that there is no military solution to the conflict. You can take action and contact your Congressional representatives to urge a peaceful outcome.

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Joseph Nunn, Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, talks about his recent article “Trump Wants to Use the Military Against His Domestic Enemies. Congress Must Act.” with concerns about the limitless power the Insurrection Act gives the President (not only Trump, but any President). Nunn says the Act must be reformed to prevent abuse.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Art Lit Lab Features Works By Taj Mutumbi And Eliizabeth Sheeler

Bridge Work is a collaborative showcase of midwestern artists, uniting the strengths of art organizations in Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa.  On December 2, Madison’s Arts and Literature Laboratory will host an opening reception for this year’s Bridge Work artists.  Artists Taj Matumbi and Elizabeth Sheeler joined the Buzz on Monday, November 27, 2023.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Wisconsin Newspaper Association Seeks Youth Cartoonists And Colunmnists

Political cartooning and editorial opinion columns have been some of the most visible and hallowed forms of expression protected by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.  But, with many papers dropping cartoons and cutting editorial staff, where will the next generation of brave lampooners and commenters come from?  For three years now, the Wisconsin Newspapers Association has challenged middle and high school students to submit original political cartoons and op/ed columns in its Wisconsin Civics Games contest.  Eve Galanter is a member of the board of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and the creator of the Editorial writing and cartoon contest.

 

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