City Cast Madison

For the first time in the show’s history, Top Chef will feature an entire season based on Wisconsin food. The reality TV show brings working chefs from around the country to compete in a series of high-stakes competitions, and this season was filmed in Madison and Milwaukee. It launches next week on March 20. For Cap Times Food Editor Lindsay Christians, this is her Super Bowl. Bianca Martin talks to Lindsay about what a show like Top Chef can do for local restaurants, the Madisonians who appear on screen, and how this all came to be.   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 ads.

Our early spring weather may be welcome news for those who hate the cold. But for our state’s freshwater walleye fish, it’s a threat. A new study out of UW-Madison shows that the earlier ice thaw on our lakes is hurting survival for walleye babies who are not adapting fast enough. Martha Barta, the lead author on the study, joins host Bianca Martin to share the results of her and her team’s research. 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 ads.

Maybe you’ve heard of escape rooms, but have you heard of… rage rooms? Tucked away in Sauk City, about a half-hour from Madison, is the Disorderly Conduct Rage Room. It’s a space you can rent and smash things to your heart’s content. Break up with someone? Sure, you can get your feelings out with some old dishes. Bad day at work? Take it out on the stapler. Owner Amanda Chestnut saw a need to help more people process anger and other feelings in a safe and legal way. Bianca Martin sat down with her to learn how it all works.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 ads.

Several years and many lawsuits later, Wisconsin has new political maps in place. This November, many voters in the Madison area will see new names on our ballots. We might have new choices for state representative or state senator, because the districts we live in are different. The Madison area saw some of the biggest changes anywhere in the state. And this shake-up could tip the balance of power in Wisconsin. So what does it all mean? Why did Republican lawmakers agree to Governor Evers’ map? What changes might Gov. Evers’ map bring in November? Bianca Martin talks to the man who knows these maps very well. John Johnson is a Research Fellow in the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education at Marquette Law School.   Here’s John’s analysis of proposed Legislative redistricting plans submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and his analysis of the partisan implications of Gov. Evers’ proposed maps.For further reading: What do Wisconsin’s new maps mean for the Legislature’s balance of power? [WPR] Here's how the new Wisconsin legislative maps will impact voters in Dane County and the Madison area [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] 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 ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling, and Molly Stentz recap the Vice President’s visit to Madison, negotiations between the Madison Metropolitan School District and Madison Teachers Inc, and the unveiling of a new mural remembering Tony Robinson.Mentioned on the show:👷🏾 Vice President’s Visit Kamala Harris announces executive order on union apprenticeships in Wisconsin [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Harris touts apprenticeships and infrastructure in second Wisconsin visit this year [WisPolitics] ‘Born a Badger’: Secretary of Labor Julie Su’s Madison roots inspire federal worker advocacy [Badger Herald] 🚌 Madison School District proposes teacher wage freeze for 2024-25 school year [Wisconsin State Journal]🎨 “Remembering the Life of Tony Terrell Robinson Jr.” Mural dedication Wednesday at McPike Park marks 9th anniversary of Tony Robinson’s death [Madison 365]🎧 Why Tony Robinson's grandmother is still fighting [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 ads.

We’re calling it: Mermaid Kitchen is Madison’s best-kept secret for bagels. But why has it taken the city so long to get good bagels? Lisa Jacobson, owner of Mermaid Kitchen, joins host Bianca Martin to talk about this bagel resurgence, why bagels are her thing now, and what it actually takes to make a good bagel.You can order bagels via Mermaid Kitchen’s website.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 ads.

The Wisconsin Film Festival is April 4 through 11 at theaters across Madison. Bianca Martin catches up with Ben Reiser, Operations Director of the Wisconsin Film Festival to learn what’s changing in the wake of the AMC closing at Hilldale (RIP Sundance) and what surprises they’ve got in store. Wanna get the sneak peek of what’s at the festival? First Look at the Fest is tonight, March 6 at 7pm at Flix Brewhouse. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, March 9.  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 ads.

Russian cybercriminals hacked UW-Madison data in 2023. Personal info stolen, but public not notified. Student journalist investigates lack of transparency. Discussion on financial motives, risks of identity fraud, and delayed notification. Cybersecurity experts express concerns over data safety and crisis notifications. UW's response to interview requests and transparency concerns post data breach.

Leopold Elementary School in Madison. Leopold Residence Hall at UW-Madison. The Leopold Nature Center in Monona. Look around Madison and you can see any number of tributes to one of Wisconsin’s most influential residents, Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac.Carrying that legacy forward today is The Aldo Leopold Foundation of Baraboo, started by his family in 1982. Their goal? To inspire an ethical relationship between people and nature.This week, they’re hosting a series of free online talks from influential thinkers, writers and doers in scientific and conservation circles, from novelist Diane Wilson to science journalist Ed Yong.  Bianca Martin caught up with Buddy Huffaker, executive director of The Aldo Leopold Foundation, to learn what’s on tap this week.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 ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz recap the weird-ass weather, the precarious state of affordable housing in Madison, and the deal for our new Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent. Plus, meet Phil Surkis, our new producer!Mentioned on the show:🫠 What winter?Is Wisconsin's lost winter a harbinger of winters to come? [Wisconsin State Journal]Temperature swing in Madison sets new record [Badger Herald]😱 Madison HousingTime may run out for tenants at two Madison apartment buildings [Cap Times]Madison affordable housing projects face possible closure [Cap Times]2 biggest Madison homeless projects could close within months, leaving city scrambling [Wisconsin State Journal]What is Housing First? [National Alliance to End Homelessness]Heartland Alliance cuts 65 jobs, shuts affordable housing division [Chicago Sun Times]🚌 Madison SchoolsSee details of Madison schools superintendent Joe Gothard's contract [Wisconsin State Journal]Madison superintendent contract: $299,000, 87 sick days [Cap Times]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 ads.