The federal government shutdown enters its fourth week with no end in sight. What’s not getting done, and how is the shutdown affecting government workers? We’ll talk with Nicole Cantello, EPA scientist and AFGE Local 704 President and with Aryn Melton Backus, a former CDC employee, Executive Director of National Public Health Information Coalition and a member of Fired but Fighting.

October 22 is the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the Service, Office and Retail Clerks Union of Canada. (SORWUC). This feminist-led, women-oriented democratic organization was founded on October 22, 1972 at a time when options for women were limited and women’s wages were often below social assistance levels, and existing unions “hadn’t done much about it.” Harry Richardson has the story.

Image Courtesy: WORT photo archive

The difficult and low pay work of taking care of elders in assisted living and skilled nursing care facilities in the United States is often done by immigrants. Labor Radio reporter Jeannine Ramsey spoke with a resident of a Madison retirement community about what the future might hold if immigrants are no longer there to do this work.

This week on Mel & Floyd: Reevaluating Nixon; The upcoming No Kings rally and the many reasons for it; Not even Newsmax or Fox “News” will sign the new Pentagon restrictions; Clean energy gaining ground despite right wing’s best efforts; Choosing ignorance; The trouble with corn dogs; And other random topics; Notice something missing? For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast! Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time.

Photo courtesy James Wainscoat on Unsplash

Today,Host Esty Dinur speaks with cultural anthropologist and professor Greta Uehling about her book Decolonizing Ukraine: the Indigenous People of Crimea and Pathways to Freedom.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Novelist Helen Winslow Black discusses how each person’s experience of domestic violence is unique.

Image courtesy of Helen Winslow Black

Rita Adair joins The Friday 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss Bernell’s, Madison’s first bar dedicated to women’s sports, opening soon on Sieferth Road.

Attorney Aissa Olivarez joins The Friday 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss the rise in ICE arrests across Wisconsin and how communities can support immigrant families facing detention.

Congressman Mark Pocan joins The Friday 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss threats to free speech, the ongoing government shutdown, health care access, and ICE activity in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s teacher turnover rate is on the slow path to recovery after the state saw a record number of educators leave their jobs in 2023.

That’s according to a new report from Wisconsin Policy Forum, which emphasizes that the state’s teacher turnover rate is still higher than ideal.

Mark Sommerhauser, the Policy Forum’s communications director, joined our News Producer Faye Parks to outline the trends.

Image courtesy: CDC via Unsplash.