8 O'Clock Buzz

With $8 million per day of U. S. military aid to Israel, Israelis have regularly bulldozed homes and gardens, and stolen livestock and homes of Palestinians in Gaza at gunpoint for over 50 years. The Madison/Rafah Sister City Project was founded in 2003 to increase public awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to influence U.S. public policy to benefit both peoples. One of the projects has been to support planting olive trees by Palestinian settlers to support farmers. Cassandra Dixon says the celebration continues this year, despite the conflict, on Sunday, October 15, 2023, from 2-4pm in the Tenney Park Shelter.

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

In his latest blog, scientist and activist Professor Mazim Qumsiyeh, founder and Director at the Palestine Museum of Natural History and author of numerous books including Popular resistance in Palestine : a history of hope and empowerment explains the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict thusly: “It is really very simple: we have 15 million native Palestinians, 8 million of us are refugees or displaced people (2/3rd of Gaza’s 2.2 million are refugees). Israel cannot be allowed to get away with stealing lands and resources and setting up a racist apartheid regime. Even besieged, starving, blockaded people in Gaza manage to break through their prison walls.”

He talks with Jan Miyasaki about the current situation in Gaza.

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike directed against major Hollywood studios has ended successfully for the union membership.  The agreement has meaningful gains and protections for the writers including length of employment, size of writing teams, better streaming residuals, and establishing the terms for artificial intelligence.  Bri LeRose, an LA-based comedy writer/director, and the main go-to for WORTfm information on WGA activities joins the Thursday edition of the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss the agreement and to share hope on a successful conclusion of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) on-going negotiations.

Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is celebrating its 50th year of ultra-conservative efforts, behind closed doors, to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights in favor of their views. The Center for Media and Democracy has been tracking these efforts in the website “ALEC Exposed“, and highlights 50 years of harm, including:

— Undermining Workers’ Rights and Worker Organizing

— Voter Suppression, Gerrymandering, and Other Anti-Democratic Activism

— Pushing for a Radical Rewrite of the U.S. Constitution

— Crushing Local Democracy

— Extending a Lifeline to Big Polluters

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

Michael Li, Senior Counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, gives an update on some of the twelve ongoing litigations for voting district reforms in the country: Alabama’s refusal to comply with the U. S. Supreme Court ruling to add another Black-predominant district, Michigan’s reformed map following the 2016 election, South Carolina’s case of racial gerrymandering (due for SCOTUS review in October 11), and more.

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

Sasha Rosser, founder of Cheshire Cat Comedy, is on hand with the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about the upcoming show, Good Vibes, at the Cardinal Bar.  This is scheduled to happen this Saturday, October 6, starting at 7:00 pm and will feature David Schendlinger who has been plying his trade for over forty years.

The promotional material for this show states that he has performed at clubs, colleges, and long-term care facilities all over North America, and he’s still not famous.  This could be your last chance to see him before he becomes so famous, you’ll not be able to score a ticket.

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

Richard Vargas and Carlos Cumpián, self-described Chicano poets, join the Thursday edition of the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about their upcoming appearance at the Mystery to Me bookstore on Wednesday, October 11, starting at 6:00 pm.  This event will also be live streaming on Crowdcast.

They will be reading from and discussing their poetry and talking about their craft as a discrete life force, and how audience and reader interaction is their main reward for their work.

Image by …♡… from Pixabay

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and RR Moore, it’s a pledge drive special!  Catching up on the weeks events and an interview with interdisciplinary performance artist and Founder and Artistic Director of the Black Arts Matter Festival, Shasparay Irvin about her story, and playing Glenda the Good Witch in the upcoming CTM production of The Wiz.

Give a donation at wortfm.org/donate/ to support this programming!

For more information and tickets for The Wiz, showing October 7-22 at The Playhouse in Overture, see: https://ctmtheater.org/see-a-show/the-wiz-2023 

More information on Black Arts Matter Festival and  coming up November 8-12 at Wisconsin Union: https://www.blackartsmatterfestival.org/ 

More information and to apply for the Young, Gifted and Black Talent Competition November 12th at MYArts, see: https://www.blackartsmatterfestival.org/general-9 

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

Music Playlist: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/17928297/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz 

The Wiz Logo courtesy CTM.

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

The current strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) is important not just for those working in the auto industry, but for workers all over the country.

That’s the opinion of Jonathan Melrod, author and labor activist, who joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss the recent history of labor activism in Wisconsin and the increased interest in unions throughout the country.

Jon recounts the days of union activities in Kenosha at American Motors when the struggle for workers rights included combatting racism and misogyny in the work place, and the increased awareness of young people today about the importance of effective activism.

Jon has authored the book, Fighting Times – Organizing on the Front Lines of the Class War, which goes into much more detail on these topics.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

October is domestic abuse awareness month, and the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) is organizing a rally at the State Capitol on Sunday, October 1 to commence events for the month.  Three members of DAIS, Ayden Romer, Lyndsey Winchel, and Kelly Kleven join the Thursday 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about the on-going crisis of domestic abuse in the Dane County area, and the services available to the community including legal advocacy, case management and sheltering, programming for youths, support groups and a 24-hour help line.

Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here