Madsplainers

The protest movement sparked by the death of George Floyd has led to increasing scrutiny of police. But, as Cap Times investigative reporter Katelyn Ferral reports in her latest cover story, there’s been comparatively little attention to prosecutors, who play an outsize role in the legal system. In Dane County, District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who's running for reelection unopposed, has long talked of addressing racial disparities, but critics say his office has only exacerbated the county's persistent inequalities. This week on the podcast, Katelyn explains the case against Ozanne, what he says in his defense, and why prosecutors might be a key lever in the movement against systemic racism.

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Jane Belmore retired in 2005 after nearly three decades as a Madison teacher and principal. But, it turned out, that wasn't the end of her career with the Madison Metropolitan School District: She's since been asked twice to lead when the district has found itself between superintendents, and both turned out to be pivotal moments for the district. Cap Times K-12 education reporter Scott Girard got an exclusive interview with Belmore just as she was wrapping up her most recent year as interim superintendent. Today on the podcast, he talks about the expected and unexpected challenges this year brought, and why Belmore was willing to take them on. 

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COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in Wisconsin weddings. This summer, brides and grooms mask up, move outside and juggle dates while vendors struggle to survive. This week on the podcast, we hear from Lindsay Christians, Cap Times' food editor and arts writer, who talked to couples who have postponed and downsized their celebrations, venue owners adapting big spaces for microweddings, and photographers who must weigh making a living with their own safety. 

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The police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are only the more recent high-profile examples of a long history of Black American death and mistreatment at the hands of police. Their deaths and others set off a protest movement across the country, and right here in Madison, with activists taking to the streets daily to call for an overhaul of policing and an end to persistent racial disparities. Seeking to capture the motivations, fears and hopes powering the local movement, the Cap Times spoke to nine activists. This week on the podcast, we hear from six of them. 

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The coronavirus pandemic has triggered record unemployment and financial strain, and with those challenges comes hunger. Across the country, Americans who've never visited food pantries are seeking help. Here in Dane County, food banks and pantries faced a spike in demand just as grocery shortages made many basics hard to come by. On today's show, we talk to the Cap Times' David Maraniss Fellow Emily Shetler, who spent months visiting food distribution sites to understand how the pandemic has reshaped hunger in Dane County and how these agencies are teaming up with restaurants and farmers to ensure no one goes without. 

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On Friday, the Madison Metropolitan School District announced that the school year would begin with only virtual instruction ﹘ a decision that eased some worries and prompted others. Scott Girard, the Cap Times K-12 education reporter and a Madsplainers regular, noticed that another Madsplainers regular, local epidemiologist Malia Jones, once again had a Facebook post that had gone viral, this time about what she thought schools should do. In this episode, he takes over as Madsplainers host, talking with Malia about her perspective as both a scientist and a parent.

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Back in March, colleges and universities across the country uniformly decided to shutdown in-person instruction. But as the fall semester approaches and coronavirus case counts rise in much of the U.S., there's been far less agreement about what higher education should look like in this phase of the pandemic. This week on the podcast, Cap Times higher education reporter Yvonne Kim explains what the University of Wisconsin-Madison has planned, what's still unknown, and why this semester is guaranteed to be a very unusual UW experience.

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In the Madison area, state legislators regularly hold onto their jobs for a decade or more, so having four seats on the ballot this year is an anomaly. This week on the podcast, Cap Times state government reporter Briana Reilly explains how these openings could further diversify the statehouse and how the Cap Times is working with the public to determine how we report on these races. Help us build our People's Agenda by telling us what you'd like the candidates to talk about, and check our homepage for details on Wednesday night's Senate District 16 debate between Andrew McKinney and Melissa Sargent.

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Parenting is never easy, but parenting from behind bars is tough in a way all its own. Cap Times local government reporter Abigail Becker breaks down her latest cover story, exploring how two programs at the Dane County Jail are trying out new ways to support incarcerated dads and, in turn, their kids. Also, we get the 411 on the vending machine where kids visiting parents can get books to read together. 

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Because of the novel coronavirus, Madison's high school seniors will celebrate their graduation this year not with applause and the rogue air horn in the packed Kohl Center, but by watching a a televised ceremony from their couches. It's just one of the many ways the pandemic has reshaped the end of their high school careers, and Cap Times K-12 education reporter Scott Girard spoke with about a dozen Madison seniors about what that change has been like. On this week's show, he shares what he heard, including what these seniors miss most, what they're looking forward to and how they think they'll remember this time. 

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