The UW Badgers face off against Michigan State in the 2026 homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 3. City Cast Madison Host Bianca Martin and Executive Producer Hayley Sperling break down all the homecoming events happening this year. Plus, local DJ Nick Nice explains how tailgating is for everyone, from Badger superfans to football newbies. 

Nick turns up the beats for home games at Fabiola’s tailgate party on Regent Street. 

The interview with DJ Nick Nice originally published on Sept. 10, 2024.

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How much money do you make? Is it enough for you to thrive in Madison? Cap Times reporter Ashley Rodriguez asked Madisonians to be transparent about their wages and experiences. She found that while the average salary here is higher than the state average, most respondents feel like they are just scraping by. Ashley joins City Cast Madison Host Bianca Martin to talk about the financial reality of living and working in our city and the power of salary transparency. 

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What’s a seemingly small project in Madison that’s made a big difference? In the Oregon suburb of Tualatin, a drinking water pipe has just been fitted with a seamless electrical turbine, so that an existing utility can now have a dual purpose. David is joined by Nic Westendorf, Tualatin’s deputy public works director, to talk about the power of thinking local, using existing tools, and looking ahead to a sustainable future to inform what we do today.

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This week, Madison Police Chief John Patterson gave his quarterly report to the Madison Common Council and announced a new quality assurance department. Madison 365 Executive editor Rob Chappell joins City Cast Madison Host Bianca Martin and Creative Producer Rob Thomas with the details. Plus, Chappell explains where the city stands on body cameras with the newly announced private funding from the Madison Community Foundation. 

The team also discusses the growing opposition to a proposed high-voltage transmission line across southern Wisconsin and celebrates Madison’s first new library in 26 years, Imagination Center at Reindahl Park. And in the Neighbors-only segment, what Madison sweet treats are tour-worthy?

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The restaurateur behind Sultan restaurant on Williamson Street has a new cookbook out. City Cast Madison Host Bianca Martin talks with Sultan Ahmed about “Zameen: Pakistani Roots, Wisconsin Soil,” which adapts his restaurant recipes for home cooks, emphasizes robust South Asian spice cookery, and centers seasonal Wisconsin sourcing while challenging colonial notions of “authenticity.” 

Then, Bianca talks with Madison brothers Michael and Jonathan Weerts about their interactive phone booth art installation at 209 Corry Street. It is a public tribute to their late brother Nick that plays randomized audio memories and invites community submissions.

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This week, the Cap Times is hosting its first Photojournalism Summit as part of its 10th annual Idea Fest. City Cast Host Bianca Martin is talking with the minds behind it, Cap Times photo director Ruthie Hauge and reporter Enjoyiana Nururdin. They dig into   the state of photojournalism and the importance of empowering Black journalists. You can still buy tickets.

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With six weeks left until the November 3rd election, it’s time to get in the know about the constitutional amendments you will be asked to vote on. City Cast Madison Host Bianca Martin tags City Cast Madison Creative Producer Jade Iseri-Ramos and  Starting Block Madison founder Scott Resnick to unpack what the amendments actually mean and who supports them. Plus, how worried should we be about the economic impact of low turnout at Badger football games? And meet Madison’s fantastic (and plastic) new IT girl: American Girl’s Daisy Davenport.

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We might be months away from Thanksgiving, but Madison’s turkeys are gobbling all around town. They’re snacking on fallen acorns and unsuspecting bird feeders. Host Bianca Martin chats with UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology Professor David Drake about why turkeys thrive in Madison these days and why that wasn’t always the case. 

This episode originally published on Nov. 21, 2023

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Would Madison be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime and depression recorded near newly transformed, “greened” neighborhood lots. But how did they do it? David talks with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri and special guest Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, about how Philly prioritized revitalizing its abandoned outdoor space, the ways that having a nonprofit partner has made all the difference, and what still needs to be done.

Mentioned on the show:

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Attorneys for the City of Madison are threatening to have the Social Justice Center declared a public nuisance in court. They say police have been called to the Willy Street location more than 300 times since January 2025. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin talks with creative producers Rob Thomas and Jade Iseri-Ramos about the nuanced situation. The team also talks about a proposal to increase the juror day-rate in Dane County and two new businesses coming to Monroe Street and Willy Street. Plus, in our Neighbor-exclusive segment,we get heated about local ice cream news. 

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