8 O'Clock Buzz

8 O’Clock Buzz listeners will remember cellist Trace Johnson from his appearance on this show in May, as part of a live performance by the Hunt Quartet.  The Wisconsin-born cello virtuoso has his own album coming out soon from Albany Records, titled simply: “Trace Johnson: Works for Cello.”  The album features works from 21st and 20th century composers from America and Europe.  Trace Johnson returned to the WORT studios on June 23, 2025.

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For the second year in a row, the Sequoyah Branch of the Madison Public Library and the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets seek to beat the heat with a Summer Poetry Festival.  On June 28, the library will host a dozen poets from around the state reading from their work.  James Roberts is the Vice President of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets.  E. Hughes is a polymath author of several philosophical treatises about the nature of time and space, a science fiction novel “Sixth Iteration,” and her latest work, a poetry chapbook, “Space, Time and Loneliness.”

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The peculiarly friendly relationship between the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has not escaped the notice of graffiti artists across the globe, who have portrayed the pair in a variety of lurid images.  Less well understood, however, are the many roots and shared philosophies between American and Russian far-right political movements.  Both espouse the seemingly contradictory concept of populist elitism and both express a disdain for science and democracy in favor of myth and authoritarianism.  Alexandar Mihailovic is a professor emeritus of comparative literature and Russian at Hofstra University and visiting professor of Russian at Middlebury College.  His new book, “Illiberal Vanguard: Populist Elitism in the United States and Russia” is out now from the University of Wisconsin Press.  Alexandar Mihailovic joined the Monday Buzz on June 23, 2025.

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June 19, 2025 marks the 160th anniversary of emancipation, and signifies the date that Texas finally got around to enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of the American Civil War.

Tony’s guest this morning on the Thursday Buzz is Dr. Fabu Carter, known to many as Madison’s first African American Poet Laureate. She shares with Tony a bit of history of Juneteenth along with information about a full day of Juneteenth events this Saturday, June 21, beginning with a historical Juneteenth Freedom parade. The parade departs at 11:00 a.m. from the Madison Labor Temple grounds and ends at Penn Park.

Following the parade, folks can spend the afternoon at Penn Park enjoying entertainment, kids’ activities, vendors and exhibits, food and conversation until 6:00 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Khena22 on Pixabay.

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In a matter of weeks, much of Israel’s attention has shifted from Gaza (though not all; people are still being killed while queuing for food) to its next nemesis, Iran.

8 O’Clock Buzz host Tony Castañeda is joined by mideast commentator and activist Jennifer Loewenstein who explains the scope of Israeli’s unprovoked military strikes to date, and why the US holds the key – a bunker buster bomb – to Israel’s goal of regime change in Iran.

As president of the only country in possession of the only weapon capable of reaching the heart of Tehran’s nuclear program,  Trump is, at least publicly, on the fence about using the bomb, saying this week, “I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Photo courtesy of mana5280 on Unsplash.

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“We all desire peace and happiness” — this is the central teaching of Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, author, mentor, teacher, scholar, and Buddhist leader on the path to enlightenment. Rinpoche discusses the road to understanding and appreciating the heart of kindness found in all creatures.

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With a mission “to build resilient food communities by investing in farmers and empowering eaters”, FairShare CSA supports eaters and farmers. Communications and Development Manager, Tess Romanski, talks about some of the organic vegetable farm manager apprenticeship programs, peer-to-peer labor management training programs, and networking opportunities both regionally and nationally. Their September fundraising “Bike the Barns” or “Bus the Barns” give people the opportunities to visit nearby farms and visit with farmers. Pre-registration is required.

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Today on the too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi, Comedian, Poet, Entrepreneur and More, Antoine McNeail is back in the studio turning the show up to 11.  From relationships to Fat Albert to Facebook inboxes to Madison hip hop, nothing is out of bounds.

Vote for Best of Madison, but we can’t say who to vote for: https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/best-of-madison/

Follow Antoine’s Comedy and Poetry Jam on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ComedyAndPoetryJam/

More on comedy in Madison and Antoine from Channel 3000: https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/whats-so-funny/article_0431cccc-ced0-11ef-ac45-97b5b898236e.html

More information about the Wisconsin Hip-Hop Cultural Museum exhibit at US Bank on the square through September: https://www.pyramidalproductions.com/ 

More information on the Urban League Job Seekers Toolkit: https://ulgm.org/events/job-seekers-toolkit/

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

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Many new parents expect sleepless nights, diaper changes and other life changes resulting from having a child.  What comes as a shock to many, though, is the high cost of child care.  According to the advocacy group Kids Forward, a Wisconsin family with one infant and one toddler can expect to pay over two thousand dollars a month for care.  With Wisconsin already lagging other states in public spending on child care, and with federal Head Start programs on the chopping block, a coalition of child advocates has proposed the state include $480 million for child care support in the 2025-2027 biennial budget.  On June 11, in advance of Father’s Day, Kids Forward sponsored a “Dads Care for Child Care” listening session at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Featured image: Panelists (from left to right) Evan Dannells, Peng Her and Alex Joers. (Photo by Brian Standing)

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A couple of years ago, the Monday 8 O’Clock Buzz brought you the story of Leslie Schroeder’s efforts to bring back flax, an environmentally-friendly plant that historically produced much of the world’s textiles.  Well, in the last two years, the flax linen movement has grown.  What was once the Wisconsin Linen Revival has now become the Midwest Linen Revival, and from June 20 through June 22, they’ll be bringing the first ever “Field to Frock” Festival to Madison.  Leslie Schroeder, also known as “the Flax Ma’am,” is the founder of Midwest Linen Revival.  Jessica Becker is the Director of Communications for the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Leslie and Jessica joined the Monday Buzz on June 16, 2025.

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