

City Cast Madison
City Cast
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 15, 2024 • 20min
Unrolling Wisconsin's Legal Weed Scene
Illinois, Michigan, and recently Minnesota have all legalized recreational cannabis. Efforts to do so in Wisconsin have gone nowhere in the state Legislature. Even so, Madison is seeing an increasing number of stores selling CBD, Delta-8 THC, and other legal cannabinoids — some of which produce the same euphoric high as the recreational weed that’s illegal in our state.We spoke with Alan Robinson, cannabis activist and co-founder of Herbal Aspects, to help us understand this confusing state of affairs. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm.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.

May 14, 2024 • 28min
Bipartisan Solutions to Wisconsin’s Abortion Debate
Abortion has proven to be a leading issue in the 2024 elections. It’s easy to find people fiercely debating the need for anti-abortion or abortion-rights outcomes for their communities. But does Wisconsin have any bipartisan solutions on abortion? A national nonpartisan initiative called Citizen Solutions organized an experiment with 14 Wisconsinites – six from Madison — who hold widely different viewpoints on abortion to discuss and develop state policy solutions that they could all back.Ali Muldrow is the executive director of Women’s Medical Fund Wisconsin and Bria Halama is a mental health counselor. Host Bianca Martin sat down with the two — who hold opposing views — to learn about their experience and to get their recommendations for the state.Do you want to weigh in on the five co created policy solutions? Citizen Solutions is seeking comments through May 31 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.

May 13, 2024 • 24min
A Decade of Wonder With Madison Children's Museum Director
Did you know the Madison Children Museum is often cited as one of the best of its kind in the country? For over 10 years, the museum’s director Deb Gilpin has helped inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity for children and adults alike. Host Bianca Martin sat down with Gilpin to reflect on her more than decade of service and what’s next for this cherished institution.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.

May 11, 2024 • 2min
From City Cast Denver: Introducing ‘Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose’
Hey there! We are excited to share the trailer for a new special limited series from our friends and colleagues at City Cast Denver. If you’re a fan of what we do at City Cast, you’ll want to check it out:You’ve probably heard a story about Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Like, how she got kicked out of a production of “Beetlejuice” for vaping and groping her date. Or, that time she heckled President Biden during his State of the Union address. Throughout it all, she keeps winning elections and amassing followers, so it’s hard not to watch her meteoric rise and wonder: What does it mean for the future of American Politics?Host Bree Davies and Executive Producer Paul Karolyi have been covering Boebert’s wildest moments on City Cast Denver for years. And with only a month until her make-or-break primary on June 25, they’re talking to former friends and rivals, supporters and detractors, real people throughout Colorado who have been affected by her work in Congress, and hopefully Lauren herself. It’s a new limited series from City Cast, because no matter how you feel about her, you have to admit, it feels like Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose.Subscribe to Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose wherever you get your podcasts. Our first episode drops on May 15.

May 10, 2024 • 27min
UW Protest Talks Stall, Lawmakers Approve a State DEI Audit, and City Revises West Area Plan Draft
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.

May 9, 2024 • 23min
Vitruvian Farms Takes Local Produce to the Next Level
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.

May 8, 2024 • 21min
Dyke Dive: Madison’s Coolest Queer Pop-Up
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.

May 7, 2024 • 24min
Madison’s Most Famous (Bad) Date
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.

May 6, 2024 • 27min
Why So Many Public Officials Have Called For a Madison Alder’s Resignation
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.

May 3, 2024 • 26min
Debriefing the UW Encampment Police Raid, and the Mt. Horeb School Shooting
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.