City Cast Madison

UW-Madison leaders say ending the pro-Palestian protest encampments is a top priority for them. But their talks with organizers are now dragging into a full second week sans resolution. Host Bianca Martin and newsletter editor Hayley Sperling break it down. Plus, GOP state lawmakers vote to audit state government DEI initiatives and the city announces proposed changes to the highly-disputed West Area draft plan. Mentioned on the show:UWPD Investigating Reports of Violence on Library Mall [UW Madison Police Department]Wisconsin Republicans launch audit of state government diversity efforts [Wisconsin Watch] West Area Plan feedback summary and change highlights [City of Madison] So-long, Live on King [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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever been grocery shopping and wondered where the eggs or produce come from, we want to tell you about a grocery that delivers the ultimate local food shopping experience. It’s at Vitruvian Farms who now offers an on-site grocery store located right on their McFarland farm run by Tommy Stauffer and Shawn Kuhn. Host Bianca Martin sat down with Stauffer to learn about their new retail venture, and some of the 300 local products offered at this one of a kind grocery. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison is a proudly gay-friendly city. Yet, we don’t have any lesbian specific bars, despite having an active and vibrant lesbian scene. One event that serves Madison’s lesbian community is a monthly pop-up called Dyke Dive that’s been around for nearly a decade.Host Bianca Martin sits down with DJ and Dyke Dive co-organizer Sarah Akawa to learn more about the event and what’s on their roster for this spring and summer.  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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dating scene can be brutal. However, even a bad date might produce a good story, or in Ann Garvin's case, a viral one. The local author recently wrote a personal essay for Madison Magazine about a night gone terribly wrong when her date made a boldly ageist comment. Host Bianca Martin spoke with Garvin about her story’s viral success and why she thinks her words struck such a chord.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dozens of Madison area leaders are pressuring North Side Ald. Charles Myadze to resign after allegations that he abused women in his life. Myadze has largely denied the claims and called them politically motivated. Host Bianca Martin sits down with Madison Alder Sabrina Madison, one of the voices calling for his resignation, to ask why she and other leaders are standing with the victims.This episode gets into issues of domestic and physical abuse. If you or anyone you know is struggling or in a crisis, you can always call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or visit their website for details on how to live chat or text. And Madison’s Domestic Violence Intervention Services help line is 608-251-4445 with more information here.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin and Hayley Sperling recap the police raid on the UW-Madison encampment, which was set up in protest of the war in Gaza. The team also discusses the recent tragic news about a school shooting in Mt. Horeb. And finally, we will round out today’s show on a positive note as we announce the winner of Fat Bird Week. Mentioned on the show:Police descend on Gaza war protesters at UW-Madison, begin arrests [The Cap Times]UW Professor Sami Schalk made an Instagram post after her arrest.Professor Samer Alatout gave an interview to Tone Madison after his arrest.Police kill 14-year-old school shooting suspect in Mt. Horeb [Madison365]Fat Bird Week [Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin]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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mint Mark is moving! The cozy, beloved restaurant on Winnebago St. on Madison’s east side is closing May 4. They plan to re-open in a new, larger space in The Standard building on East Washington Ave. and First Street in mid-June. Bianca Martin catches up with co-owner and chef Sean Pharr for a sneak peek of what to expect at their new space. Spoiler alert: Patio! Brunch! More room!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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. May means the return of plants, the start of the gardening season in Madison and farmers’ markets popping up all over town. We’re ready to smell the lilacs in bloom, celebrate the mothers in our lives and see thousands of students graduate. For even more tips on how to make the most of May in Madison, check out our full list in Madison Minutes. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tana Elias, the new library director for Madison Public Library, discusses her plans to increase library card holders and improve literacy. She sheds light on the diverse programs offered by the library, emphasizing inclusivity and community engagement.

It’s no secret that Americans are becoming less religious. Reverend Mark Elsdon, executive director of the Pres House Presbyterian campus ministry, predicts that the Madison area could lose a third of all churches in the area. Many congregations are shrinking and re-evaluating whether they need their large buildings anymore. Madison’s pressed for housing, and more churches are considering selling or moving to make way. Reverend Elsdon says this could mean a real loss of “third spaces” in Madison, free gathering places you can go outside of home and work. Bianca Martin catches up with the Reverend to talk about what this coming wave means for our city. Reverend Elsdon’s book is Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices