8 O'Clock Buzz

With the scheduled release of the Select Committee’s report on the US Capitol insurrection due today, December 22, 2022, Norm Stockwell, Publisher of The Progressive magazine, and Matt Rothschild, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, join Thursday 8 O’clock Buzz host Tony Castañeda to discuss the probable findings. Both guests found the Panel’s hearings to be thorough, with the most compelling testimonies coming from White House insiders and State representatives who resisted efforts by the Trump campaign to overturn election results. The role played by Wisconsin’s slate of fake electors and the Republican officials who aided them was also discussed on today’s show, with both guests arguing that criminal charges against the fake electors are warranted.

Photo courtesy of Andy Felliciotti on UnSplash.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Railroad Workers Regroup After Feds Intervene

On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Senate invoked the 1926 Railway Labor Act by voting 80-15 to force a contract on railroad workers that the unions had rejected, averting a nationwide railway strike.  Earlier in the day, the Senate had voted 52-43 to amend the contract to add 7 days of paid sick leave, but that measure failed, because it’s the bizzarro world of the U.S. Senate where you need 60 votes to get anything done.  As a result, railroad workers – statistically one of the most dangerous jobs in America – still get no paid time off if they fall ill or are injured off the job.  J.P. Johnson is a 5th generation railroader, a member of the Sheet Metal and Rail Transportation, or SMART-TD, union and a member of the steering committee for Railroad Workers United.  He currently works as a locomotive fireman for Amtrak out of Milwaukee.  J.P. Johnson joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on December 19, 2022.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Wisconsin Gerrymandering Still Worst In Nation

In the wake of the 2022 elections, one thing became glaringly obvious:  the gerrymandering of Wisconsin’s legislative districts is more skewed than ever.  In a year when all statewide races were decided by a margin of 3% or less – including narrow Democratic wins for Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State, Republicans still ended up with a 64-35 majority in the state Assembly.  With the next redistricting cycle eight years away, any Democratic hopes for a more balanced legislature may depend on yet another election: the election for State Supreme Court taking place in April of 2023.  Matt DeFour has followed the aftermath of the 2022 elections for Wisconsin Watch. Matt joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on December 19, 2022.

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With the holidays right around the corner, we’re all in prep mode for those family get-togethers. And try as we might, it’s pretty hard to avoid butting heads with the people you love, but might not really like. On this edition of the Friday 8 O'Clock Buzz, chit chat specialists Mary Allgood and Anna Kotecki talk to producer Beatrice Lawrence about how to how to avoid any and all controversial conversations with family and keep your holidays argument-free.

When they’re not helping make the world a less uncomfortable place, Anna and Mary are a part of Girlfriend Material, a satire and comedy group run by women. They can be found on Instagram at @gfmaterial69.

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death are 18 intricately detailed dioramas depicting unfortunate dolls in various states of death, created by mother of forensic science Frances Glessner Lee in the 1930s and ‘40s to train crime scene investigators. Every tiny detail necessary to explain the mysterious circumstances of death are contained within the scenes–but, the solutions to these puzzles are kept under lock and key, only available to a select few. One of those lucky few is Bruce Goldfarb, who served as the curator of the Nutshell Studies and is now the official biographer of Frances Glessner Lee. On this episode of the Buzz, Bruce talks with producer Beatrice Lawrence about what makes the dioramas so unique, the genius of Frances Glessner Lee's meticulous work, and why the studies remain an integral teaching tool for crime scene investigators to this day.

Bruce Goldfarb served as curator for the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland, and is the official biographer of Frances Glessner Lee. He is the author of “18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics,” and “OCME: Life in America’s Top Forensic Medical Center.” He can be found at brucegoldfarb.com

Photo courtesy of Lorie Shaull via Wikimedia Commons

For years, Indigenous students at UW-Madison have been concerned about a plan that would demolish their home base in favor of a parking lot for the new Letters and Sciences building, called Levy Hall.

The block contains the center of Wunk Sheek, a UW-Madison student group that connects Native students. Student leaders say university’s plans could displace Wunk Sheek in addition to other student groups supporting traditionally underrepresented populations, according to a master plan from 2015.

But earlier this month, students packed a student council meeting to share their concerns about the plan. At that meeting, one university official denied that there was any plan to demolish the building.

Three leaders in the Wunk Sheek student group – president Yelih Rodriguez, social activism chair Kira Adkins, and environmental chair Sagen Quale – join us in the studio to tell us about their student group, share their concerns about a possible demolition, and give us an update on what they’ve been promised now.

Editor’s note: In this interview, our News Director mistakenly stated that Native American students make up 2% of the UW-Madison student population. The correct number is much smaller – Native American students in fact make up .2% of the student population, according to a recent report from The Daily Cardinal. She regrets the error. 

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Liz DiNovella talks with sportswriter Julie DiCaro, writer for deadspin.com and author of the book “Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America”, about recent sports stories — including Brittney Griner, the World Cup, FIFA, and the sorry state of the NFL.

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News and Politics Editor for Tone Madison, Christina Lieffring, talks about the newest branch of Tone Madison’s coverage of the city — News and Politics. With their goal: “To champion things we love, but we also ask annoying questions and throw the occasional brick,” Lieffring talks about her role in covering details that other media streams may overlook.

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Guest host Liz DiNovella talks with Daisy Pitkin, author of a memoir “A story of Class, Solidarity, and 2 Women’s Epic Fight to Build a Union”, a story of a union’s attempt to organize industrial laundries in Phoenix, starting in 2003. Pitkin was a union organizer with UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, and talks also in general about why people organize and different ways to build a union.

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Shauna Jungdahl, producer and founder of Madison Indie Comedy, joins the Thursday 8 O’Clock Buzz and host Eli Wilz to discuss some of the history of the production company, and their show scheduled for later this week. The Ha Ha Holiday Variety Hour is being put on at The Burr Oak on Sunday, December 18, which will be the company’s last show. Founded in the summer of 2021, one of the company’s goals was to get the Madison comedy scene back up and running like it was pre-pandemic. Productions put an emphasis on providing local performers the opportunity to exhibit their expertise which Shauna thinks is underappreciated with a great deal of local talent. The holiday show will feature artists from Madison and Milwaukee. Past productions have often combined improv, sketch comedy, music and burlesque and the final production will do the same.

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