City Cast Madison

The spring election is officially over. The results are in and the whole City Cast Madison team is here to round them up for you. Host Bianca Martin, executive producer Hayley Sperling, and newsletter editor Rob Thomas dig into the key takeaways from the April 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 April 1st episode: UW-Madison Science Expeditions FOCUS Property Management: (920)-413-1471 (Available 24/7) EatStreet - Save 15% on your next order with code CITYCAST

Happy April, Madison! We’re not fooling you when we say there’s plenty going on this month in our city. We’re kicking off the month with an election, but that’s not all we’re excited about in April. The City Cast Madison team has handpicked some of the best things to do, see, and eat in Madison this month. From Earth Day celebrations to local theater recommendations, we’ve got you covered.Mentioned on the showWhy Susan Crawford Wants To Be Wisconsin’s Next Supreme Court Justice [🎧City Cast Madison]Record Store Day 2025Madison Print & Resist Zinefest 2025STOP MAKING SENSE: A Film by Jonathan Demme and Talking HeadsWhy Madison Loves the Wisconsin Film Festival [🎧City Cast Madison]The Best Strip Mall Restaurants in Madison [🎧City Cast Madison]Korill HutCafe Domestique to open third location in former The Heights Kitchen space [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! 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 April 1st episode: UW-Madison Science Expeditions FOCUS Property Management: (920)-413-1471 (Available 24/7) EatStreet - Save 15% on your next order with code CITYCAST

On Tuesday, April 1, Wisconsinites will vote in the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history. The election between Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel has drawn mega donors from across the country who have flooded the campaigns with cash. Will this record level spending make a difference? And how will it affect future elections? We sat down with Wisconsin Democracy Campaign’s Executive Director Nick Ramos to get some insight. *This interview was recorded on March 19th, 2025. Spending totals have increased in the last few days.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 March 31st episode: UW-Madison Science Expeditions FOCUS Property Management: (920)-413-1471 (Available 24/7) EatStreet - Save 15% on your next order with code CITYCAST

Spring election season is almost over. We’re just days away from voting on a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, a constitutional amendment, every Madison City Council seat, and more. But there’s more to the news than just the election. On this week’s Friday news roundup, Madison Minutes newsletter editor Rob Thomas tells us who’s hot and who’s not in Badger athletics. Host Bianca Martin digs into the city’s State Street pedestrian mall experiment (will it continue?!). And of course, executive producer Hayley Sperling gives one more election news roundup and reminds you to vote.Mentioned on the show:Pingeton selected to lead Badger women's basketball program [UW Athletics]Everything You Need To Know About the Statewide 2025 Spring Election Races [🎧 City Cast Madison]Why Susan Crawford Wants To Be Wisconsin’s Next Supreme Court Justice [🎧 City Cast Madison]Meet The Candidates in Madison’s Only Contested School Board Race [🎧 City Cast Madison]Who's Running for Madison City Council [🎧 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 March 28th episode: UW-Madison Science Expeditions Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Winter is over! Madisonians are coming out of hibernation and hungry for adventure.Sometimes those adventures carry late into the night. But after the sun sets and hunger kicks in, where can an adventurer get a bite to eat? In this episode, host Bianca Martin is joined by our Executive Producer, Hayley Sperling, and Emma Waldinger of Madison Magazine to go over our favorite late-night dining. From fanciful full meals to quick midnight bites, we’ve got you covered. Mentioned on the show:Second dinner: Our guide to late-night dining [Madison Magazine]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. 

Many Americans had never heard of the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, until the Trump administration gutted its funding. While some of those cuts are being battled out in court, the real-life implications of the administration’s actions are already being felt around the world and right here in Madison. To get a better understanding of the impact of these cuts,, we sat down with Dr. Jatinder Cheema, a Madisonian who worked at USAID for nearly three decades.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 March 26th episode: Special Olympics Wisconsin UW-Madison Science Expeditions Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

The Wisconsin Film Festival brings eight days of cinematic wonders to screens across Madison starting next week. Tickets for the 100+ movies are on sale now. But with a lineup that spans genres, languages, and decades, it can be hard to know where to start. To get the scoop on what to watch at this year’s fest, we caught up with the fest’s Operations Director Ben Reiser. Plus, we hear festival diehard fans talk about their favorite memories and what makes the fest so special.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 March 25th episode: Special Olympics Wisconsin UW-Madison Science Expeditions Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

It’s been dubbed the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history and it’s happening right here in Wisconsin. Of course, we’re talking about the race for state Supreme Court Justice. Today, host Bianca Martin sits down with one of the candidates in the race, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. The two get into the politics of this (allegedly) non-partisan race, why she thinks she’s the best fit for the job, and the money pouring in from billionaire donors on both sides of the political aisle.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 March 24th episode: Special Olympics Wisconsin UW-Madison Science Expeditions Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Happy Friday! The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news of the week and by news, of course we’re talking about elections. Host Bianca Martin has the latest on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race (Spoiler: it’s an expensive one!). And executive producer Hayley Sperling digs into some of the responses we got from our City Council candidate questionnaire. Plus, Madison Minutes newsletter editor Rob Thomas gives the details on a new vision for the Regent Street area.Mentioned on the show:Official In-Person Absentee Voting Hours and Locations [City of Madison]The Mayor's (Ambitious) Plan For Addressing Madison's Housing Crisis [ 🎧City Cast Madison]Meet The Candidates in Madison’s Only Contested School Board Race [ 🎧City Cast Madison]New Vision Could Transform Regent Street [Channel 3000] Spring 2025 Isthmus voter guideCap Times City Council coverage  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 March 21st episode: Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Special Olympics Wisconsin

Few frills, no gimmicks, just good food. That’s what you’ll find at Madison’s many strip mall eateries. But which ones are the best? Truthfully, it depends on who you ask. These spots are special and deeply personal. To get the scoop on Madison’s best strip mall restaurants, we turned to the lovely readers of our Madison Minutes newsletter to get their takes. To dig deeper into these recommendations, we spoke with none other than Cap Times food and culture editor Lindsay Christians, who also just published an article on the subject.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 March 20th episode: Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST