In a busy floor session last week, the state Senate passed several bills involving school security and juvenile mental health among other issues.

But Republican lawmakers stripped the measures of funding allocations – pointing to the risk of a line-item veto when the bills reach the governor’s desk. Democrats, meanwhile, accuse their colleagues across the aisle of creating government services on paper without providing the necessary funding.

Image courtesy: WORT News.

America and Russia have both seen conservative movements espousing the seemingly contradictory creed of “populist elitism.” Hofstra University Professor Alexandar Milhailovic discusses his new book “Illiberal Vanguard.” (Extended 26:52 edit)

This week on “Madison Mixology,” we fly out to Paris to learn about a sweet cocktail and a gin that reignited its fame.

Feature contributor Charlie Belawski teaches us how to make the Bee's Knees cocktail and its closest cousins.

Forecast from Monday, 6-23-25 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Every two years, Wisconsin goes through a grueling budget setting process. Last week, the GOP-led Joint Finance Committee cancelled their meeting despite the looming June 30 deadline for the next state budget. To make sense of the situation, host Douglas Haynes is joined by two veteran journalists, Jessie Opoien and JR Ross.

Featured image: photo of the Wisconsin state capital via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

America and Russia have both seen conservative movements espousing the seemingly contradictory creed of “populist elitism.” Hofstra University Professor Alexandar Milhailovic discusses his new book “Illiberal Vanguard.”

For the second year in a row, Madison’s Sequoyah Library hosts a summer poetry festival. Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Vice-President James Roberts and poet E. Hughes join us with some hot weather verse.

You heard Trace Johnson live on the Buzz a couple of weeks ago, as part of the Hunt Quartet. Now he has a new CD out: Trace Johnson: Works for Cello. Trace came back to the WORT studios with a sneak preview.

June 22, 1947 was the birthday of Octavia Butler, an African American science fiction author and feminist. Butler published several short stories, essays, and 14 novels, including the Patternist series and the Parable of the Sower. Harry Richardson has the story.

Image courtesy: NASA. Image is of the landing site of the Perseverance Rover’s landing site on Mars, called Octavia E. Butler Landing.

This week on Forward Lookout: Dane County will weigh approving a solar farm, City of Madison will begin interviewing candidates for top cop and debate changes to our transit system, and amendments to TIF districts. Plus if you've ever wondered what a TIF district is and were afraid to ask, hosts Brenda Konkel and Rebecca Kemble will walk you through all that and more on this week's Forward Lookout.