8 O'Clock Buzz

When Amadeus Mozart premiered his opera, “The Marriage of Figaro,” it was banned in the city of Vienna; apparently themes of servants and nobility commingling were more than city officials would stand for. The opera is known to be both funny and moving, and it’s become a perfect gateway to the art form. It’s accessible even for people who haven’t been to the opera before, or for people who think it might be over their heads. Here on the Friday Buzz, Madison Opera General Manager Kathryn Smith joins host Andy Moore to bust the myth about opera being a high-class art form and talk about the the Madison Opera’s upcoming special performance of “The Marriage of Figaro.”

Kathryn Smith is the General Manager of the Madison Opera. “The Marriage of Figaro” runs Friday, April 28 and Sunday, April 30 at Overture Hall in Madison. Information and tickets can be found at www.overture.org/tickets-events/2…riage-of-figaro/

Photo: Public domain, accessed via Wikimedia Commons

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Earlier this month, disability rights activist Judy Heumann passed away at the age of 75. A quadriplegic since high school, in 1970 Heumann was denied a school teaching position in New York City because her mobility was dependent on a wheelchair. Heumann sued the city, the New York Times editorialized in her favor, and she was hired for the position. This was the start of her life-long mission to advance issues of equality for persons with disabilities. On this edition of the Friday Buzz, host Andy Moore is joined by Michael Mohr, an Access Consultant with the McBurney Disability Resource Center at UW-Madison, to look back at Heumann’s accomplishments and look ahead at the work that still needs to be done.

Michael Mohr is an Access Consultant with the McBurney Disability Resource Center at UW-Madison, his alma mater. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He also has a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Psychology.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State via Wikimedia Commons

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The cult of the strongman allowed Mussolini to lead the hyper-nationalistic, one-party state in Italy with the adoption of repressive and oppressive measures against perceived enemies of the state. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history and Italian studies at NYU, joins host Tony Castañeda and the Thursday morning 8 O’Clock Buzz, to discuss the roots of fascism and how Don Trump’s recent speech at the CPAC conference echoed the game plan carried out by Mussolini. Professor Ben-Ghiat points out that current strongmen types such as Putin, Berlusconi, Netanyahu, Bolsonaro and Trump are a real danger to democracy.

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George Bailey in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life knew the importance of having liquidity during potential runs on a bank. But the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in California once again has demonstrated how mismanagement in the banking industry can lead to disastrous results. Daryll Lund, Executive VP of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, joins host Tony Castañeda and the Thursday morning 8 O’Clock Buzz, to talk about specific issues with Silicon Valley Bank but also about the stability of banking in Wisconsin. Daryll points out that the California bank had grown very fast with an influx of venture capital funds, but then inexplicably invested the money in long-term financial products that left it vulnerable to penalties when bank deposits started to be withdrawn due to problems in the Tech industry.

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A major piece of the Inflation Reduction Act provides for negotiations for prescription drug prices for Medicare and out of pocket limits, which has the potential to save Medicare and recipients $29.5 billion per year. But which drugs will be price negotiated? Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at UC San Diego, Inma Hernandez, talks about her independent study into which drugs will be affected in her paper “Drugs Likely Subject to Medicare Negotiation, 2026-2028“.

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Jan Miyasaki talks with Melinda Brennan, Executive Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, about their many activities, including education, advocacy & lobbying, and impact litigation in their effort to be the nation’s guardian of individual rights and liberties. Some of their efforts include voter registration and education, watch guarding attacks on LGBT youth, and maintaining a legislative tracker of bills or proposals that infringe on individuals’ rights.

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The state of Black Entrepreneurship in Madison with Amul Harris

Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and 1neofmani (Breyon Sommerville), Amul Harris, owner of Serieux Clothing joins us to talk about what’s going on, the latest fashion trends, entrepreneurship, and what it’s like be a Black business owner in Madison for 13 years.

Visit Serieux Clothing at 3371 E Washington, or give a call at 608-575-6982 to make an appointment.  See more about Serieux Clothing on Facebook.

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

Photo by Breyon Sommerville

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Dane Arts Buy Local Teaches The Business Of Art

From March 30 to April 1, Dane Arts Buy Local will host its second “Business of Art” conference, helping local artists make a living from their work.  Mark Fraire is the director of Dane Arts, and he joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 13, 2023.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Twenty Fifth Wisconsin Film Festival Takes Shape

The Wisconsin Film Festival is two years older than the millennium and celebrates its 25th birthday this April with another slate of international, domestic and Wisconsin fiction, nonfiction and experimental cinema.  This year, venues include the former Sundance theater at Hilldale, and the Chazen Museum, Shannon Hall, Cinematheque and Union South on the University of Wisconsin Campus.  Artistic director Mike King and  “Wisconsin’s Own” programmer Ben Reiser joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 13, 2023.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Chicago And Atlanta Activists Fight Police Installations

Six years ago, former Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel proposed a ninety million dollar police academy in West Garfield Park, a majority African-American neighborhood.  The facility, also supported by current Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, would include a fake urban block for the Chicago Police Department to practice paramilitary maneuvers.  Meanwhile, in Atlanta, the Atlanta Police Foundation has leased 381 acres of the Weelaunee Forest to construct a corporate-funded police training facility, with military-grade shooting ranges.  Both construction projects have inspired fierce protests from police reform and police abolition activists.  Benji Hart has written for Time, Teen Vogue and In These Times on black radicalism, queer liberation and prison abolition.

Photo of Welaunee Forest by Crowina, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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