
City Cast Madison
Join us every weekday morning for can’t-miss conversations about what’s happening in Madison, with a dose of local news to keep you up to speed. Host Bianca Martin collects people wherever she goes, like an endless conga line. On City Cast Madison, she peers into our city’s soul with a journalist’s skepticism and an optimist’s heart.
Latest episodes

Jun 18, 2025 • 29min
What to Know About Protesting in Madison
An estimated 15,000 people flooded the streets of Madison in the “No Kings” protest last weekend, pushing back against the Trump administration. But as tensions between law enforcement and demonstrators continue to escalate across the country, it’s more important than ever to know your rights — and how to stay safe while making your voice heard. City Cast Madison executive producer Hayley Sperling talked with Ryan Cox, Legal Director for the ACLU of Wisconsin, about the DOs and DON’Ts of protesting. From knowing what to bring to understanding your legal protections, we’ve got you covered.
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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 18th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Wisco Home Goods
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 17, 2025 • 30min
Can Madison Ditch Fast Fashion?
Have you ever looked at the tag on your shirt and stopped to wonder who grew your clothes? In a world where roughly 30% of the microplastics in our oceans come from synthetic clothing material, it’s more critical than ever to build a connection to the fibers we wear every day. As the founder of the Midwest Linen Revival, Leslie Schroeder is leading a movement in Madison to make the fashion industry more sustainable.
The Midwest Linen Revival is hosting a three-day event series called “Field To Frock” to build awareness for a local, sustainable fashion ecosystem.
🏅Help us win Best of Madison! Vote for City Cast Madison in Madison Magazine’s annual competition here. We’re in the running for best local podcast and news website.
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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 17th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Wisco Home Goods
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 16, 2025 • 37min
One Madison Lawmaker’s Fight To Protect Black Women
Wisconsin is failing to protect Black women and girls from violence and murder, according to state Rep. Shelia Stubbs. And she has the numbers to back that claim up. In 2020, Black women in Wisconsin were 20 times more likely to be murdered than white women, according to a study from Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. So what’s going wrong and how do we fix it? We spoke with Stubbs, who is pushing for legislation on the issue, to get to the root of the matter.
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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 16th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Wisco Home Goods
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 13, 2025 • 32min
Special Election, Anti-Trump Protest, and Weekend Summer Fun
It’s Friday the 13th and you’re in luck! The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news of the week. Did you know there’s a special election on Tuesday? Host Bianca Martin has the details for Dane County Supervisor District 1 residents. Speaking of politics, expect floods of people to hit the streets this Saturday as part of the worldwide “No Kings” protest. But wait, there’s more! This weekend is bringing a host of festivities and Madison Minutes newsletter editor Rob Thomas has you covered.
🏆Like what we’re doing? Vote for us in the 2025 Best of Madison awards! City Cast Madison is in the running for best local podcast and local news website.
Mentioned on the show:
Dane County District 1 map [City of Madison]
Who Can Afford To Represent Madison? [ 🎧City Cast Madison]
Know your protest rights [ACLU Wisconsin]
How to Make The Most of Madison’s Jazziest Week [ 🎧City Cast Madison]
Marquette Waterfront Festival
What To Expect From Madison’s Newest Music Venue [ 🎧City Cast Madison]
The Big Gay Market
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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 13th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Make Music Madison
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2025 • 31min
The Best Madison Patios For Drinking and Chilling This Summer
It’s patio season y’all! Are you ready for rooftops, lake fronts, and hidden gems? Cap Times food and culture editor Lindsay Christians joins the show to dish on what’s new around town and give her recommendations for every patio occasion. Plus, she’s got the latest on what new cocktails and spirits you can expect to see at bars around town.
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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 12th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Make Music Madison
EatStreet
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 11, 2025 • 17min
Dive into Madison’s Best Swimming Spots
Warm weather is here and thankfully, the Madison area is full of beaches and pools that are perfect for cooling off on those hot summer days. To round up the best spots around town, we caught up with Alisa Sleep, co-founder of the Madison Family parenting site, formerly known as Madison Mom. Alisa shared her favorite spots and what she keeps in mind before getting in the water. Ready to dive in?
🐟 Are the lakes safe for swimming? You can check the lake forecast from the Clean Lakes Alliance. Public Health Madison and Dane County also monitor the beaches for harmful bacteria.
This show originally aired July 19, 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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 11th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Make Music Madison
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 10, 2025 • 39min
How to Make The Most of Madison’s Jazziest Week
The Madison Jazz Festival is live! The decades-long running fest brings music from one end of town to the other all this week– most of it free. Host Bianca Martin talked to the two organizers of the event, Wisconsin Union Theater artist services manager Kate Schwartz and Arts + Literature Laboratory co-director Jolynne Roorda, about their vision for the festival. Then, as a special treat, Bianca talks to multi-Grammy winning pianist Arturo O’Farrill, who closes the festival on the UW Memorial Union Terrace on Sunday, about why jazz is good for the soul.
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.
🏆 Love our work? We’re in the running for Madison Magazine’s 2025 Best of Madison competition and would love your support! Vote for City Cast Madison in the Best Local Podcast and Local News Website categories.🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 10th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Make Music Madison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 9, 2025 • 30min
What Pushed Meriter Nurses To Strike
It’s been just over a week since UnityPoint Health-Meriter nurses ended their strike and got back to work with a new contract in hand. Roughly 1,000 unionized nurses walked off the job May 27 to demand better safety measures, pay increases, and adequate staffing levels. To get a better picture of what conditions are like inside the hospitals and what the nurses were fighting for, executive producer Hayley Sperling spoke with Pat Raes, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Wisconsin and a nurse at the hospital.
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.
🏆 Love our work? We’re in the running for Madison Magazine’s 2025 Best of Madison competition and would love your support! Vote for City Cast Madison in the Best Local Podcast and Local News Website categories.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 9th episode:
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Make Music Madison
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 6, 2025 • 25min
Nurses’ Historic Win, Pride Flag Controversy, and Ahan Plans Overflow Bar
Happy Friday! The end of the work week means it’s time for the Friday news roundup.
Striking Meriter nurses return to work after ratifying a new two-year contract. And controversy grows over the Wisconsin Historical Society’s decision to break tradition and not fly the pride flag. Host Bianca Martin is joined by Madison Minutes newsletter editor Rob Thomas to discuss it all. Plus, if you’ve ever waited for a table at Ahan, you’ll be excited about a new bar coming to Willy Street!
We’re also super stoked to be in the running for Madison Magazine’s 2025 Best of Madison competition and would love your support! Vote for City Cast Madison in the Best Local Podcast and Local News Website categories.
Mentioned on the show:
Meriter nurses ratify historic contract after 5-day strike [WKOW]Wisconsin Historical Society won’t raise pride flag, after years of flying it [WPR]
Wisconsin Historical Society employees respond to decision not to raise Pride flag [Ch. 3000]
Ahan co-owners to open new bar on Williamson Street [Madison Magazine]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.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 6th episode:
Loop the Lake - Clean Lakes Alliance: Use code BIKE10 to save 10%
Thrill Factory
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 5, 2025 • 37min
Who’s Got the Best Ice Cream in Madison?
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland, so you can bet Madison knows a thing or two about ice cream. But with such an abundance of flavors to choose from, whose cream reigns supreme? The whole City Cast Madison crew is on a mission to find out. Listen in as we eat our way through Madison’s best ice cream. You’ll never guess who our favorite is.
🍦 You know what else is sweet? Victory. We’re in the running for Madison Magazine’s 2025 Best of Madison competition and would love your support. Vote for City Cast Madison in the Best Local Podcast and Local News Website categories.
🔥 Got hot takes on our ice cream ratings? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 608-318-3367 to let us know what you think!
Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.
Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.
🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program!
Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 5th episode:
Loop the Lake - Clean Lakes Alliance: Use code BIKE10 to save 10%
Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices