WORT Local News - podcast cover

WORT Local News

WORT News and Public Affairs
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.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

City transportation leaders weigh traffic safety measures on Willy Street

Here's your local news for Thursday, August 14, 2025: We find out why reducing Willy Street to two lanes could improve traffic safety on the troubled thoroughfare, Meet Yang Tao, director of Madison's Traffic Engineering Division, Consider how Fred Prehn's recent loss in appeals court could impact future open records cases, Tell you where the fish are biting, Check in on Madison's Flamingos, And much more.

Aug 15, 202549 min

Construction breaks ground on Triangle housing redevelopment

Here's your local news for Wednesday, August 13, 2025: We head to the Triangle in downtown Madison for a groundbreaking ceremony, Find out why voting rights advocates are calling the governor's veto on Friday a win for democracy, Share pro-democracy lessons from the climate movement, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1967, And much more.

Aug 14, 202549 min

Madison school board debates raises and benefits

Here's your local news for Tuesday, August 12, 2025: We find out why Madison's Plan Commission delayed action yesterday on an ordinance that would strengthen tree protections, Learn how much Madison school board members are compensated compared to other local electeds, Outline the promising signs and ongoing challenges in Madison's housing market, Discuss the unexpected agricultural benefits of sauerkraut juice, Meet a local spice blender, Share some fun facts about chimney swifts, And much more...

Aug 13, 202550 min

Fake Bakery fosters creativity at Madison Public Library

Here's your local news for Monday, August 11, 2025: We head to Central Library to make a fake cake, Get the details on the long history of personnel issues in Madison's Department of Civil Rights, Sit down with a state lawmaker who wants Wisconsin to investigate the epidemic of violence against Black women, Share the true story behind a deadly cholera outbreak in 1832 Philadelphia, Taste-test another cocktail, Review two new features, And much more....

Aug 12, 202548 min

Dane County reschedules outdoor warning siren test after yesterday’s failure

Here's your local news for Thursday, August 7, 2025: We get the details on yesterday's failed outdoor warning siren test, Meet Madison's new Director of Transportation Christof Spieler, Sit down with the conductor of UW-Madison's Russian Folk Orchestra, Consider the potential pitfalls of AI interpreters in the courtroom, Discuss the art of mending textiles, And much more.

Aug 08, 202547 min

Madison alders approve new crisis prevention priorities

Here's your local news for Wednesday, August 6, 2025: We find how out the city's Community Development Division wants to invest in crisis prevention services in 2026, Meet three artists participating in this year's Land Art Installation in Verona, Learn how community-building can stop the spread of disinformation, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1965, And much more.

Aug 07, 202547 min

State health officials urge Wisconsinites to get vaccinated

Here's your local news for Tuesday, August 5, 2025: We get the details on Wisconsin's first confirmed measles cases of the year, Gear up for student move-out week with some advice from Madison's recycling coordinator, Find out why a federal appeals court ruled against UW-Madison in a social media standards lawsuit, Outline the hidden costs of manure digesters, Learn how a local business is bringing the art of tortilla-making to the Midwest, Explain why opossums can be especially tricky patients,...

Aug 06, 202546 min

Madison leaders to consider stronger tree protections

Here's your local news for Monday, August 4, 2025: We find out what Governor Evers has to say about partisan redistricting ahead of the midterms, Outline a proposed ordinance that seeks to strengthen Madison's tree protections, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Commemorate a recent labor organizing victory in Washington state, Taste-test another popular cocktail, Review two features, And much more.

Aug 05, 202550 min

Common Cause weighs in on national “gerrymandering wildfire”

Here's your local news for Thursday, July 31, 2025: We hear a pro-democracy watchdog's solution for partisan gerrymandering, Find out why many university faculty in Wisconsin are avoiding politically contentious topics, Meet Matt Mikolajewski, director of Madison's Economic Development Division, Prepare for a change in leadership at the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, Share advice on where to cast your fishing line this weekend, Check in on Madison's Flamingos, And much more....

Aug 01, 202548 min

Madison's CARES hits 10,000 call milestone

Here's your local news for Wednesday, July 30, 2025: We'll find out why DoorDash and Uber are lobbying in favor of a bill headed to Governor Evers' desk, Get the latest news from Madison's CARES program, Learn how Madison area colleges support students who are struggling to afford basic necessities, Share lessons in solidarity from the Act Up movement, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1969, And much more....

Jul 31, 202549 min

ACLU of Wisconsin raises alarm on ICE detention in county jails

Here's your local news for Tuesday, July 29, 2025: We get the details on Madison's mid-year budget outlook, Outline some of the city's latest planning decisions, Find out how some Wisconsin county sheriffs are participating in federal immigration enforcement, Explain how Trump's tariff plan could affect your grocery bill, Offer some ideas about how to cook when you're on vacation, Share some heartwarming reunion stories from the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, And mu...

Jul 30, 202549 min

Wisconsin lawmaker renews push to address violence against Black women

Here's your local news for Monday, July 28, 2025: We share an update on Rep. Shelia Stubbs' fight to establish a statewide task force on missing and murdered Black women, Find out why Wisconsin's new budget could lead to a financial gap in 2027, Learn more about what went wrong at the Madison Clerk's Office last fall, Commemorate the first recorded strike in North America, Teach you how to make a popular cocktail, Review two movies, And much more....

Jul 29, 202550 min

Governor Tony Evers not seeking re-election in 2026

Here's your local news for Thursday, July 24, 2025: We share a big update on the 2026 gubernatorial race, Get the details on Marquette Law School's latest national poll, Hear state Democrats' plan to prevent partisan spending of taxpayer dollars, Uncover the world of Soviet-era samizdat with a UW-Madison alum, Outline the pros and cons of solar power, Head to the Amish Quilt and Consignment Auction, And much more.

Jul 25, 202551 min

Senator Tammy Baldwin introduces legislation to lower household costs

Here's your local news for Wednesday, July 23, 2025: We hear Senator Baldwin's plan to lower the cost of housing, child care, and household goods, Explain how you can weigh in on phase one of the Madison LakeWay project, Hear Dr. Donald Wuebbles' climate change predictions for the Great Lakes region, Discuss the power of interfaith activism, Travel back in time to 1962, Get the scoop on the 2025 Lumberjack World Championships, And much more....

Jul 24, 202551 min

"20 is Plenty" officially launches in Madison

Here's your local news for Tuesday, July 22, 2025: We detail the city's latest "Vision Zero" rollout, Learn how Madison is using neighborhood-specific data to identify areas of need, Outline the dairy industry's reliance on immigrant labor, Meet the minds behind a local, vegan donut business, Explore the many forms of bird migration, And much more.

Jul 23, 202547 min

Former Madison clerk broke election laws, Wisconsin Elections Commission finds

Here's your local news for Monday, July 21, 2025: We find out how state election officials are responding to the "confluence of errors" at the Madison Clerk's Office that left 193 absentee ballots uncounted last November, Consider the use of AI in the newsroom after a recent snafu at the Wisconsin State Journal, Dig into an unusual, election-related request from the U.S. Department of Justice, Commemorate the day that a whistleblower exposed the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Taste-test another shot, ...

Jul 22, 202549 min

Wisconsin Republicans spend millions on legal battles with the governor

Here's your local news for Thursday, July 17, 2025: We learn how much private attorneys are paid in the Legislature's partisan battles with the governor, Detail a habitat restoration effort that's improving critical wetlands in Green Bay, Meet Madison City Assessor Michelle Drea, Tackle some especially tricky questions about Wisconsin's open government laws, Share advice on where to cast your fishing line this weekend, Celebrate Forward Madison's recent hometown victory, And much more....

Jul 18, 202547 min

Madison alders exempt first phase of LakeWay project from referendum

Here's your local news for Wednesday, July 16, 2025: We detail the history behind a controversial proposal that dominated yesterday's city council meeting, Get some safety recommendations from local public health officials, following the recent spike in drug overdoses, Investigate online rental scams, Learn how an independent journalist is covering immigration issues in Baltimore, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1969, And much more....

Jul 17, 202546 min

Three finalists in the running for Madison Police Chief

Here's your local news for Tuesday, July 15, 2025: We share an update on the search for the next chief of the Madison Police Department, Learn how a local nonprofit is fighting to preserve and improve the Yahara River watershed, Explore the complexities of national milk pricing, Sit down with Madison Sourdough's bread manager, Celebrate a big milestone at the Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, And much more....

Jul 16, 202548 min

'Mother and Child' sculpture unveiled on Madison's east side

Here's your local news for Monday, July 14, 2025: We consider the community-building power of public art, Learn how federal Medicaid cuts could impact a Wisconsin nonprofit that serves people with disabilities, Detail Wisconsin high schoolers' rising participation in dual enrollment programs, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Celebrate George McGovern's birthday, Taste-test a Jelly Donut shot, Review two new features, And much more....

Jul 15, 202550 min

UW Board of Regents unanimously approves tuition increase

Here's your local news for Thursday, July 10, 2025: We find out why the Sierra Club of Wisconsin is collecting thousands of origami fish, Learn about Big Tobacco's connection to a new state statute restricting the sale of e-cigarettes, Debut our new feature "Global Currents, Local Ripples," Hear criticism of the state budget from a leftist perspective, Meet an artist who carves love and loss into stone, And much more.

Jul 11, 202550 min

Housing package advances to full city council

Here's your local news for Wednesday, July 9, 2025: We share the latest on a housing package that's headed to the full city council next week, Honor the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday, Find out why environmental advocates are celebrating yesterday's ruling in the state Supreme Court, Learn how a stand-up comic is using laughter to defend democracy, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1964, And much more....

Jul 10, 202549 min

Public weighs in on long-delayed parole program

Here's your local news for Tuesday, July 8, 2025: We check the progress on a parole program that's taken the Department of Corrections eleven years - and counting - to implement, Learn how today's decision from the state Supreme Court secures Wisconsin's ban on conversion therapy, Look at a legal fight over a dairy farmer who refuses to own a gun, Find out how some new signs in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore reflect the Trump administration's attempts to rewrite history, Describe what it...

Jul 09, 202548 min

State budget gets mixed reviews from child care advocates

Here's your local news for Monday, July 7, 2025: We put Wisconsin's new budget under the microscope, with help from WisPolitics editor JR Ross and two child care advocates, Take a look at the University of Wisconsin's military spending, Remember the 1834 abolitionist riot in New York City, Teach you how to make a popular cocktail, Review two new movies, And much more.

Jul 08, 202550 min

Governor Evers signs next state budget

Here's your local news for Thursday, July 3, 2025: We explain why the governor rushed to sign Wisconsin's next budget, Outline an amendment that's heading back to Madison's Police Civilian Oversight Board for the sixth time, Meet Madison Public Library Director Tana Elias, Discuss some recent changes to Wisconsin's Public Records Guide, Share the best spots to cast your fishing line this holiday weekend, Celebrate the Flamingos' long-awaited victory, And much more....

Jul 04, 202548 min

Wisconsin Senate battles over UW System budget

Here's your local news for Wednesday, July 2, 2025: We outline some state budget amendments rejected in the Senate's marathon floor session today, Find out how UW Health nurses are continuing their fight for collective bargaining rights, Check in with Planned Parenthood after today’s victory in the state Supreme Court, Consider journalism's role in democracy, Travel back in time to 1968, And much more.

Jul 03, 202548 min

Wisconsin lawmakers make progress on state budget

Here's your local news for Tuesday, July 1, 2025: We outline the latest partisan debate over the state budget, Consider the future of communications at the Dane County jail, Share some dairy industry updates, Meet a local ice cream maker, Celebrate one of nature's tiniest travelers, And much more.

Jul 02, 202547 min

Madison Queer Liberation March brings politics back to Pride

Here's your local news for Monday, June 30, 2025: We find out why victim service providers are sounding the alarm on the Legislature's proposed state budget, Join this weekend's Queer Liberation March, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Hear a radical historian's take on Independence Day, Review two movies, And much more.

Jul 01, 202548 min

City budget engagement session centers affordable, safe housing

Here's your local news for Thursday, June 26, 2025: We attend a city budget engagement session at the Black Business Hub, Hear the details on a health care bill that got unanimous support in both chambers of the state Legislature, Meet city of Madison Human Resources Director Erin Hillson, Find out why police oversight advocates are sounding the alarm on a proposal headed to the city council, Explain why you need building permits, Watch a face take shape in clay, And much more....

Jun 27, 202550 min

Housing development near Beltline clears first hurdle

Here's your local news for Wednesday, June 25, 2025: We get the details on a bid to revitalize the western corner of Capitol Square, Hear the pros and cons of a proposed low-income housing development on Verona Road, Brave the heat to participate in a flax processing demonstration, Share lessons in solidarity from the Act Up movement, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1966, And much more....

Jun 26, 202548 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android