Madison Recycling Coordinator Bryan Johnson shares the chaos, cleanup, and recycling challenges of Hippie Christmas.

Sauk County Historical Society’s Paul Wolter revisits the 1914 Taliesin tragedy, its scandal, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s enduring legacy.

On the Friday 8 O'Clock Buzz, Ankur Malhotra shares his picks for the best music events happening around Madison the next week.

David Maraniss previews the 2025 Cap Times Idea Fest, its lineup of thinkers, and the role of progressive journalism in shaping conversation and action.

After years of persistent traffic concerns on a near eastside thoroughfare, city leaders are exploring the possibility of reducing Willy Street to two lanes.

Image courtesy: Sam Marrese-Wheeler / WORT News.

It takes a lot of staff to keep the city running, but many of them work behind the scenes.

This week on “Get To Know Your Local Government,” WORT reporter Sutton Johnson returns to City Hall to meet Yang Tao, the director of Madison's Traffic Engineering Division. A city employee for twenty years, Tao has worked tirelessly to make our streets safer for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Tao explains his responsibilities - the meetings he attends, the people and agencies he works with, and the Vision Zero Initiative, a policy he spearheads that aims to eliminate traffic fatalities in our city.

Image Courtesy: Dylan Brogan.

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled against Fred Prehn late last month, deciding that the former chair of the state’s Natural Resources Board had withheld requested records for illegitimate reasons.

This week on “Transparency Talk”, hosts Bill Lueders and Tom Kamenick discuss the Prehn case, the court’s final ruling, and the impact it could have on future records cases.

But before we turn it over to Tom and Bill, our standard reminder that this conversation is not intended to be specific legal advice but rather a discussion of general legal issues. If you have a particular legal issue, please consult an attorney.

Tony talks with someone from Voces about ICE in Madison; important to understand this, they are detaining people, at appointments, in courts, in their homes.

That is the reality. Voces does not want to scare people but wants them to understand the reality-by helping each other. Are things going to be amping up?

Listen to what the administration is saying; they expect things to heat up in Milwaukee and Madison.

What should people do if they see ICE activity, or if they're concerned about friends and family being picked up? Awareness/anxiety, even fear triggers preparedness so immigrants who are afraid-they can join Voces in joining communities. There is a state wide organization-providing rights education/ empowerment workshops; being prepared makes a huge difference. Allies are encouraged to do the same thing- to become informed. They do have some presence in the courts. Alle aguaverda. 1800 427 0215 hotline for assistance.

Enrique Casiano, a nurse at Mercyhealth East Clinic in Janesville, joins Thursday Buzz host Tony Castañeda to talk about the ongoing healthcare workers' strike, now in its 6th week.

6 weeks after 130 healthcare workers walked off the job at Mercyhealth East Clinic in Janesville, they have leveraged their strike to bring Mercyhealth back to the negotiating table after a monthlong standstill.

Tony and Enrique are also joined by Joanna Frasch, vice president of AFSCME Local One.

There will be a fundraiser to support UAW 95, Friday, August 15 at the Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St. A potluck meal at will be held at 7:00; all are welcome to attend.

Photo courtesy of Maayan Nemanov on Unsplash.

Non-violent civil disobedience trainer Eileen Flanagan speaks with Zoe Sullivan about lessons the climate movement can offer those standing up for democracy.

Photo Credit: Chali Pittman, WORT News