City Cast Madison

We’ve made it through another week, which means it’s time for the Friday news roundup! This week, the whole City Cast Madison team is here to dish on Madison’s top stories. Newsletter editor Rob Thomas talks about the massive fundraiser Culver’s held for the Abundant Life Christian School community following a deadly school shooting in December. Host Bianca Martin gives more context to the impending closure of Short Stack Eatery. And executive producer Hayley Sperling has the details on what to expect in the upcoming City Council election. Plus, you’ll meet our newest team member!Mentioned on the show:Abundant Life Christian School Emergency Recovery Fund“Where are my tips going?”: Former employees from Short Stack Eatery talk about their experience while on the job [Channel 3000] McDonalds F*cked Us [Short Stack Eatery] The Madison Stories We’ll be Watching in 2025 [City Cast Madison 🎧]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 10th episode here: Joey's Song Orthodontic Experts

When January comes around, many folks opt to lose the booze for the month. In a place with a big drinking culture like Wisconsin, though, that can be tough. But for the bartenders at popular downtown establishments Lucille and Merchant, making non-alcoholic cocktails that are just as buzzworthy as their boozy counterparts is a challenge they embrace with open arms. On today’s show, host Bianca Martin speaks with Jaiden Desens, a bar manager at Merchant, and Erika Yanke, a lead bartender at Lucille and Merchant, to get their takes on NA trends and get tips on how to keep Dry January interesting. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 9th episode here: Joey's Song Orthodontic Experts

Inauguration Day is coming up fast, and nobody knows just how crazy this election was in Wisconsin like Capital Times photo director Ruthie Hauge and state government reporter Erin McGroarty. Ruthie and Erin documented many rallies, campaign events, and the RNC while both candidates spent colossal amounts of time and money trying to win our votes in Wisconsin. Recently, Ruthie and Erin were invited by the Carl-Schurz-Haus German American Institute in Freiburg, Germany to exhibit their work. They sit down with host Bianca Martin to share how our sister city is reacting to the recent presidential election.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 8th episode here: Joey's Song Orthodontic Experts

In 2010, Mike Gomoll lost his four-year-old son Joey to epilepsy. That same year, Mike channeled his grief into action by creating Joey’s Song, a one-night-only benefit concert in Madison to raise money for epilepsy research. Since then the show has continued to grow and this year, Joey’s Song has become Freezing Man, a four-day music festival this week featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy winners, and music superstars. Host Bianca Martin caught up with Mike ahead of the festival to get the scoop on this year’s shows, hear stories from backstage, and learn more about how the funds they’ve raised are helping families impacted by epilepsy.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 7th episode here: Joey's Song Orthodontic Experts

Winter has arrived and while most of us are sleeping, plow drivers across the city are at work. Like choreographed dancers, they all set about their routes, often working up to 16-hour days in some of the worst conditions, all to clear the way for the rest of us to live our lives.As the first female snow plow driver for the City of Madison, Margaret Kraege knows that dance well. Margaret worked for the city for more than 40 years and back in 2023, she shared some of her favorite memories of the roads, as well as her tips for sharing the roads with snow plows.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 6th episode here: Joey's Song Orthodontic Experts

For our first Friday news roundup of 2025, we’re doing something special by taking a look at the stories we’ll be watching this year. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling, and Rob Thomas talk about some exciting openings we’re looking forward to, like the long-awaited Madison Public Market and Center for Black Excellence. We also take a look at the elections on deck this spring, including an open seat on Wisconsin Supreme Court and  every single seat on the Madison City Council. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 3rd episode here:Joey's Song

Happy new year, Madison! 2025 is officially here and we’re ready to start the year off right by bringing you a hot and fresh guide on how to make the most of January in our city. From getting outside and taking in all that nature has to offer to checking out some quirky local festivals (juggling, anyone?) and of course honoring MLK Day, there’s a lot to get excited about this month. If you’re new around here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Madison community.  🥾 Outdoor recs Ice Age Trail Rent snowshoes at the Wisconsin Union City of Madison rents out snowshoesskiing and tubing at Tyrol BasinThe cross-country trails Blackhawk Ski Club and CXC Outdoor CenterMadison Public Library check out birding backpacks🥳 Indoor eventsFreezing Man FestivalWisconsin Drag AwardsGrown Up Book FairMadFest Juggling ExtravaganzaWisconsin Funk FestWisconsin Punk Fest🤎 MLK Celebrations40th Annual Madison and Dane County Martin Luther King Day Observance I Am A Man exhibit at Goodman South Madison Library  2025 MLK SymposiumWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 2nd episode here:Joey's Song

There is a Madisonian whose name you might not know, but you’ve certainly seen his work. He is the photojournalist behind the photo of President Obama in the White House situation room during the Bin Laden raid. He captured the iconic moment when a five-year-old child reached up and touched Obama’s hair, after asking if it was like his own. White House photographer Pete Souza captured history as it was happening, and then when he was done with his work at the White House, he moved here to Madison, Wisconsin. He currently freelances and occasionally pops off about current events online, when he’s not taking beautiful images of our fair city. We caught up with him last year to learn what it was like to be a witness to history during those years. And of course, how we can become better photographers. Pete Souza’s most recent book is called The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency. Also on the show:  Beginner’s Photography Class from the Madison Photography Group Mansion Hill West Historic Architecture Walking Tour from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation This episode originally aired June 28, 2023.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Lindsay Christians, food editor at the Cap Times, shares her insights on Madison’s culinary scene and essential cookbooks. She highlights the charm of printed cookbooks in a digital age, encouraging home cooking as a New Year's resolution. Lindsay discusses local favorites like the "Dane County Farmers Market Cookbook" and seasonal Midwest cookbooks, emphasizing the joy of baking and vegetarian cooking. Listeners will be inspired to dive into their own cooking adventures with expert recommendations that celebrate the richness of Madison's food culture.

Ketamine clinics have been popping up around Madison for some time now. While ketamine has been used in the medical field as an anesthetic for decades, its use as a treatment for PTSD, depression and chronic pain has been growing in popularity in recent years. So what is a trip to one of Madison’s clinics really like? We’re revisiting Host Bianca Martin’s conversation with Brian Czapko, co-founder of Forward Ketamine, about how ketamine therapy works and what the future of this industry and treatment could look like. This episode originally aired December 4, 2023. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 23th episode here:Jones Dairy FarmMadison Symphony OrchestraWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.