WORT Local News

Breaking news and feature stories straight from the WORT News team’s underground lair in Madison, Wisconsin. New episodes every Monday through Thursday at 7:30 PM. Also available live on 89.9 FM from 6:00-7:00 PM and online anytime at WORTFM.org.

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"That’s bare minimum that we’re guaranteed no police brutality for the next 24 hours:" On the solidarity encampment's fourth day, student demonstrators got a small reprieve - after a meeting with Chancellor Mnookin

Here's your local news for Thursday, May 2, 2024:We share an update on the "liberated zone" at UW-Madison,Hear from some high schoolers who participated in today's May Day protest,Check in with the UW faculty members speaking out in support of student demonstrators,Discover the power of storytelling and solidarity,Peruse the wide world of countertops,Investigate the science of bowling,And much more.

05-03
47:38

"And the police just came in here with riot gear and they started just going at the crowd:" UW students have reconstructed their solidarity encampment - after they clashed with a wave of police early this morning

Here's your local news for Wednesday, May 1, 2024:We check in on the Gaza solidarity encampment at UW-Madison - after today's violent clash with law enforcement,Hear from a professor who was on the front lines and detained by police,Get the latest on today's active shooter threat in Mt. Horeb,Share more insight into life as a music therapist,Broadcast the most in-depth weather report on the airwaves,Tell the true story of the first Mifflin Street Block Party,And much more.

05-02
50:53

“The only difficulty was the cops. We were well-supported by our community:" The Gaza solidarity encampment at UW-Madison has weathered its first night

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 30, 2024:We get the latest on the UW students demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza,Learn why one third of Americans have considered cutting down their meat consumption,Hear how city officials plan to communicate Madison's budget woes to residents,Share the latest from UW-Madison's student government, Get the details on a lawsuit seeking more accessible voting,Take a look at a rare type of warbler,And much more.

05-01
44:47

"Disclose! Divest! We will not stop, we will not rest!:" This morning, UW-Madison students set up camp on Library Mall in solidarity with Gaza

Here's your local news for Monday, April 29, 2024:We visit the student encampment on UW-Madison's Library Mall,Attend this weekend's Great Midwest Alpaca Fest,Hear how a local project is advocating for incarcerated women,Mark the anniversary of the Bunker Hill bombing,Take a closer look at a popular cocktail,Review two movies now streaming on the small screen,And much more.

04-30
46:00

"It’s a very dangerous industry:" Construction workers honored their fallen colleagues in a downtown procession this afternoon

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 25, 2024:We attend the 8th Annual Construction Workers' Memorial procession,Find out if the city is prepared for the Mifflin Street Block Party,Flock to State Street - with 600 volunteer painters,Learn how the EPA's new pollution safeguards could improve public health,Take a closer look at open records law,Broadcast the latest fishing report,Share an update from Madison's Flamingos,And much more.

04-26
46:31

"A resignation goes a long way to show people that this person is listening:" A coalition of 25 elected officials and community leaders in Dane County issued a joint statement today calling for a Madison alder to step down

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 24, 2024:We learn why 25 elected officials and community leaders are calling for a Madison alder's resignation,Find out who's paying the price when state lawmakers cut higher education funding,Get more insight from the former curator at MMoCA,Broadcast the most in-depth weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1967,And much more.

04-25
49:46

"It is my belief that it persists today because the people that it impacts are not even seen as human in the first place:" Activists held an event at the State Capitol today calling for the abolition of solitary confinement

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 23, 2024:We hear from activists at the Capitol calling for the abolition of solitary confinement,Get the details on the Children's Museum's new, climate-focused exhibit,Learn what horse girl memes, volleyball nets, and orange silicon all have in common,Examine the deal between the state legislature and the UW system on DEI initiatives,Chat with the manager of the Turn Key Supper Club,Describe all the ways that ducklings can get into trouble,And much more.

04-24
46:14

"We're making a difference:" During his last Earth month as Dane County Executive, Joe Parisi has announced new and updated programming to protect the environment

Here's your local news for Monday, April 22, 2024:We get an update on the Hands Up Act,Get the details on the latest environmental protection efforts in Dane County,Learn what individuals can do to fight for the natural world,Hear from volunteers cleaning up Madison's parks,Check in with some local activists after this weekend's Labor Notes conference,Take a closer look at a popular cocktail,And much more.

04-23
46:31

"Courts nationwide have been unanimous in rejecting these powers:" The state Supreme Court heard a case yesterday that could strip veto power from the legislature's budget-writing committee

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 18, 2024:We get the scoop on yesterday's oral arguments before the state Supreme Court,Check in with a local taproom owner - after false reports that there's a warrant out for his arrest,Get the county clerk's take on election conspiracy post-2020,Review "ready to assemble" cabinets,Learn the backstory behind America's first Hip Hop Week,Take a closer look at works by "the Goddess of Willy Street,"And much more.

04-19
48:43

"Seeing the other sponsors, I cannot in good faith want to be a part of that list:" In a tense meeting last night, Madison alders struggled to follow procedure on a resolution affirming support for domestic violence survivors

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 17, 2024:We get the details on last night's tense Common Council meeting,Hear how Wisconsin's finances are looking,Check in on child labor laws - after a recent attempt to thwart them,Learn about life as a Music Therapist,Broadcast the most in-depth weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1964,And much more.

04-18
47:39

"Hey hey, ho ho, 0% has got to go!:" Madison educators rallied for cost of living wage increases outside yesterday's school board meeting

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 16, 2024:We talk to educators at yesterday's rally,Learn how Madison parks are getting cleaned up ahead of Earth Day,Ask a local nonprofit how they used a city grant to support undocumented immigrants during the pandemic,Take a closer look at Indigenous Law studies at UW-Madison,Preview the Wisconsin Birdathon,Continue to celebrate baby animal season,And much more.

04-17
46:23

"[It's] going to have a significant impact on how schools are staffed going into next year:" The union is pushing back, after MMSD proposes a 0% raise for teachers next year

Here's your local news for Monday, April 15, 2024:We get the latest on MMSD's budget struggles, Learn the story behind a new statue headed for the state Capitol's grounds,Hear from a Madison-based zine editor who's up for a prestigious award,Commemorate the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,Take a closer look at a popular cocktail,Review two apocalyptic movies,And much more.

04-16
47:28

"The biggest predictor of violence is a preceding case of violence:" Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes is calling for domestic violence awareness - after yesterday's deadly shooting

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 11, 2024:We get the latest information on last night's deadly shooting,Hear incoming superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard's priorities for MMSD,Look back on Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's career - after her announcement that she's not running for re-election in 2025,Talk government transparency,Broadcast the most up-to-date fishing report,Catch up with the Madison Flamingos,And much more.

04-12
47:41

"It's kind of uncharted waters for us:" Wisconsin clerks are waiting for guidance - after voters approved two constitutional amendments last Tuesday

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 10, 2024:We take a look at the new federal standards for PFAS contamination in drinking water,Learn how federal funding is advancing clean energy construction in Wisconsin,Hear how UW-Madison is reckoning with its history,Ask election clerks how last week's approved referendums could impact their jobs,Get some insight from a former art curator at MMoCA,Travel back in time to 1962,And much more.

04-11
48:45

"It's been 279 days:" Today, Governor Evers renewed his call for Republican state lawmakers to release $125 million in PFAS remediation funding

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 9, 2024:We share an update on the months-long tug of war over PFAS funding,Get the details on Madison's lesser-known draft area plan,Take a closer look at the spring election results on UW-Madison's campus,Debut our new food feature,Look ahead to baby animal season,And much more.

04-10
46:09

"This would be life-changing:" President Biden visited Madison again today - and announced his new plan to provide student debt relief

Here's your local news for Monday, April 8, 2024:We join the solar eclipse fervor on UW-Madison's campus,Get an update on a controversial oil pipeline in the Great Lakes region,Hear what's behind President Biden's new student debt relief plan - which he announced today while visiting Madison,Follow up with Wisconsin's "Uninstructed Campaign,"Mark the anniversary of the Colfax Massacre,Review two movies,And much more.

04-09
47:59

"Six dollars are saved in disaster recovery for every one dollar invested in disaster prevention and mitigation:" Governor Evers signed a bill into law yesterday that seeks to help Wisconsin communities study and prepare for future floods

Here's your local news for Thursday, April 4, 2024:We get the backstory behind Wisconsin's new "pre-disaster flood resilience" grant program,Hear what advocates are saying during this year's Autism Acceptance Month,Share some safety tips - ahead of Monday's partial solar eclipse,Broadcast a Milwaukee rapper's backstory,Explain some house-hunting red flags,Interview a director ahead of the Wisconsin Film Festival,And much more.

04-05
46:02

"[It] was probably a miscommunication....But it was a problem nonetheless:" Yesterday, one campus polling place stayed open past the usual voting deadline - after some voters were told it wasn't in operation

Here's your local news for Wednesday, April 3, 2024:We recap yesterday's spring election - when voters approved referendums, the "uninstructed option" made a showing, Dane County incumbents protected their seats, and a campus polling place hit a snag,Investigate a lesser-known immigration policy that deports "documented dreamers" at age 21,Hear more about life as a middle school teacher,Broadcast the most in-depth weather report on the airwaves,Travel back in time to 1968,And much more.

04-04
46:12

"It's Election Day:" While Wisconsinites head to the polls, Governor Tony Evers is urging the state Supreme Court to reverse the ban on ballot drop boxes

Here's your local news for Tuesday, April 2, 2024:We get an update on the legal back and forth over ballot drop boxes,Speak with the Vice President of the Marquette Neighborhood Association - as Madison prepares for a population boom,Preview an event series starting tonight at the Wisconsin Historical Society,Share a conservationist's perspective on out of state meddling,Meet our wildlife friends: the Eastern Gray Squirrel,And much more.

04-03
46:07

"It was a very traumatic and terrifying experience:" A proposed amendment to city ordinance is looking to prevent repeat dog attacks

Here's your local news for Monday, April 1, 2024:We get the details on an ordinance change that would give the Board of Health more options after a dog attack,Learn how a new federal program will help feed school kids in need during the summer months,Get an expert's perspective on this year's ongoing FAFSA delays,Share the government's calendar for the week ahead,Mark the anniversary of a "boss-napping,"Take a closer look at a popular cocktail,Review two new movies,And much more.

04-02
47:01
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