Wisconsin foster children lose out on at least three million dollars a year in federal benefits, according to state estimates. That’s thanks to a practice that diverts the money away from kids to cover state agencies’ foster care expenses.

Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ latest state budget proposal sought to end the practice, one of more than 600 provisions Republican leaders nixed early in budget negotiations this summer. But Wisconsin Republicans could change their tune, after a letter last week from the Trump administration urged 39 states, including Wisconsin, to stop the funding diversion.

The Wisconsin Examiner’s Deputy Editor Erik Gunn tells our News Producer Faye Parks that bipartisan cooperation on the issue is likely – but figuring out how to replace the revenue state agencies have relied on for more than a decade could be a challenge.

Image courtesy: Faye Parks / WORT News.

This week on “Madison Mixology,” feature contributor Charlie Belawski brings us part two of his report on “the Suffering Bastard.”

He’ll teach us how to blend rum into the cocktail – and tell us about its connection to Trader Vic’s and Tiki culture.

Photo coutesy of Tim Nusog and Liquor.com

This week on “Madison Mixology,” feature contributor Charlie Belawski is bringing us a new drink with two different recipes.

He’ll take us back to World War Two-era Egypt to learn how the “Suffering Bastard” got its start.

This week on “Madison Mixology,” feature host Charlie Belawski takes us to Boston, Massachusetts to learn about the Ward Eight.

He’ll teach us how to make the drink – and about its link to an election campaign in 1898.

As WORT celebrates its Birthday this year, we’ve been reflecting on what the last 50 have meant to our community. But on today’s show, host Douglas Haynes asks, what will the next 50 years look like? He’s joined by the next generation of radio leaders, Olivia O'Callaghan and Daniel Stein from WSUM and Ted Hyngstrom from the Daily Cardinal. They talk about how radio contributes to the media landscape and how the form is being embraced by college students.

Featured image of a soundboard at a college radio station via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Forecast from Monday, 12-15-25 by WORT 89.9FM Madison

Our own Nicholas Wootton previews his upcoming all-nude Access Hour.

Pulaski High School’s student paper has a reputation for top-notch journalism, serving as the local paper of record and producing Pulitzer-Prize winning alumni. We’ll talk with student journalist Madelyn Rybak, Pulitzer Prize winning Pulaski alum Jacqui Banaszynski and faculty advisor Bob Van Enkenvoort.

Your favorite car commute into downtown Madison is all ripped up, and your world is turned upside down. City of Madison engineers Aaron Canton and Tom Mohr tell us what’s happening with John Nolen Drive, how long construction will last, and what the roadway might look like when all the dust has settled.

World View recorded an interview with Professor Cathy Day last week about the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP30 held in Belém, Brazil last month. Cathy was actually a student here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is now teaching at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, with a few important stops along the way.

Cathy has a wealth of knowledge and experience in ecology and sustainable agriculture and the effects of climate change on life on earth.

After listening, you can watch her talk about measures we can take to manage and mitigate climate change and work to prevent it personally with some of her suggestions on her YouTube channel, Sowing Tomorrow at http://www.youtube.com/@SowingTomorrow/playlists?app=desktop&view=1&sort=dd&shelf_id=5

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay