8 O'Clock Buzz

WORT 89.9FM Madison · UW Nurses Vote To Strike

Ever since the 2011 Act 10 virtually eliminated public sector collective bargaining in Wisconsin, nurses at University of Wisconsin hospitals and clinics have tried to get their union back. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kahl recently opined that state law allows the University to voluntarily recognize the union. Nevertheless, the UW management continues to draw a hard line, refusing to recognize the union. On August 24th, UW nurses voted to strike for three days starting on September 13, demanding that the UW Health CEO Alan Kaplan recognize the nurse’s union. Jack Trudell works as a nurse caring for surgical patients at the UW East Madison Hospital. Jack has 28 years of nursing experience. Becky Schacter, a 24-year nursing veteran, works in the UW OB-GYN clinic.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Slavery And Gun Ownership Historically Linked

The United States has 5% of the world’s population, but has 45% of the world’s civilian-owned firearms.  U.S. residents are more likely to view guns as a way to keep themselves safe, while the rest of the world is more likely to view guns as a danger.  Where did these divergent attitudes come from?  A new study from the University of Wisconsin Department of Psychology suggests that these peculiar views on gun ownership originated in the post-Civil War south as a direct reaction to the abolition of slavery.  The more slaves a community had in the 1860’s, the more likely people in that community are to own guns.  Nick Butrick is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is the primary author of the study.

Nick Buttrick

Handgun photo: Joshuashearn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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There are many ways that your personal information, such as you address, can be searched for (and found) by a variety of searches on the internet. But what can you do to protect yourself if you or your child have been threatened? Get a legal fake address, of course — and the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s “Safe at Home” program will help you do just that: get an address not traceable, to let you vote, let your child register for school, and more. Legal Advocate Elsa Gumm talks about the program (which does not require police or court intervention).

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In their newly release book, “Our Veterans: Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs“, authors Steve Early, Suzanne Gordon, and Jasper Craven discuss many of the obstacles to veterans in the United States. Faced with efforts on both sides of the aisle to privatize military healthcare, bogus claims by pseudo-veteran-support groups funded by the Koch brothers to undermine the VA medical system, and a congress which pours money into funding the active military but leaves veterans to fight for pennies, the recruitment claims promising education and healthcare for returned military personnel are failing veterans.

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Today on the Tuesday 8 O’Clock Buzz, hosts Aaron Perry, Dr. Alvin Thomas and Dr. Logan Edwards speak with Troy M. Williams, Ph.D. He’s Chief Impact Officer at Greater Sacramento Urban League and joins us to talk about Black spaces in Madison, his story and the work he does.

About the guest: 

Troy M. Williams, Ph.D., is a community-based researcher and evaluator with over ten years of experience in entrepreneurship, community engagement, and public health. His professional experience – currently at the Greater Sacramento Urban League – centers identifying community needs, co-creating responses with community members, and evaluating programs. You can follow him online on Twitter or find more information on his website at troymwilliams.com. 

Photo provided by guest. 

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Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Aaron Perry, Dr. Alvin Thomas and Dr Logan Edwards, Mental health counselor and PhD student Eric Crawford joins us to talk Black fatherhood, mental health and the Black family, and all about his research at UW-Madison.

More information on Eric and his work: https://education.wisc.edu/staff/crawford-eric/

Find The Black Fatherhood Podcast wherever podcasts are found and https://thomaslab.humanecology.wisc.edu/podcast/ 

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 Miki Jourdan on Flickr

Eric Crawford is a clinical mental health counselor who counseling primarily African American males and families. Eric is also a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Department and graduate research assistant in the Thomas Youth Resilience Lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Little John’s Lunchbox Lets You Pay What You Can

Long-time activist and WORT reporter Lea Zeldin, who died in 2009, devoted herself to the idea that everyone, regardless of income, race or class, deserves healthy, tasty food. If Lea were alive today, she’d be delighted to learn of Little John’s Lunchbox, a new joint venture between Little John’s Kitchen and the Madison Children’s Museum. The new cafe, located in the foyer of the Children’s Museum, features a variety of pre-packaged gourmet meals, all with no posted price. Instead the Lunchbox Cafe invites customers to pay what they can – whether that be a $100 or nothing at all. Chef Dave Heide is the founder and head chef of Little John’s Kitchen, an nonprofit dedicated to expanding food access. Jonathan Zarov serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Madison Children’s Museum.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Stereotypes Stubbornly Resist Education

Many of us would like to believe that people who consistently stereotype others simply don’t know any better. Surely, if we just learned more about each other, we would learn that no-one perfectly fits the caricatures society has defined for us. New research from the University of Wisconsin, though, suggests that’s merely wishful thinking and in fact, stereotypes stubbornly persist in the human mind – even when presented with contrary evidence. Psychologist William L. Cox directs the Stereotype and Bias Research Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin.  William Cox joined the Monday Buzz on August 22, 2022.

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WORT 89.9FM Madison · Mark Pocan On The Inflation Reduction Act

After nearly two years of intra-party wrangling, the U.S. Congress finally passed major climate change, health care and tax reform legislation. Confusingly dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, the 730-page omnibus bill came to fruition only after Senators Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kristen Sinema from Arizona wrung major concessions from their Democratic colleagues. President Biden signed the bill into law on August 16. Congressman Mark Pocan has represented Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District since 2013, and served as the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2017 until 2021. Mark Pocan joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on August 22, 2022.

Photo of Andasol Solar Plant: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Mad Medusa, a local grassroots organization, works toward “supporting the rights of EVERYONE to own, honor, and have control over each of our respective bodies.” Activists Bria Servas and Lucas Ziegler talk about the recent formation of their group, their goals, and an upcoming fundraiser to support the Women’s Medical Fund taking place on Saturday, August 20th, 2022, at Bierock Brewery, from noon until 4:00 PM.

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