City Cast Madison

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap the latest in our epic quest to get new political maps, the controversy surrounding Fitchburg’s attempt to build a new police station, and the surprising search for a new leader for Madison schools.Mentioned on the show:🗳️More Wisconsin Republicans than Democrats backed Gov. Tony Evers' legislative election maps. What explains the role reversal? [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]🚓Fitchburg City Council rejects plan for a new, $46M police station [Wisconsin State Journal]🚌Latest updates, details on the Madison School District superintendent search [Wisconsin State Journal]🚌He’s not a community builder, he’s not good at communication.’ [Isthmus]🚌MMSD Superintendent Search [MMSD]🏅Nominate us for Madison’s Best Local Podcast and Best Local News Website! You have until Feb 29th, but why wait? We’re under Arts and Entertainment.  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

Sabi Atteyih ran Casbah and Lulu’s restaurants for years, bringing Middle Eastern flavors to Madison at a time when hummus wasn’t available on every grocery store shelf. After a stint at UW, he’s now the chef of Taza Mediterranean Kitchen in Middleton. Bianca Martin catches up with Sabi to learn how Madison’s embraced Palestinian cuisine and why hummus should be made with chickpeas! And when he’s not hosting diners at his restaurant, Sabi also hosts Salamat, a long-running weekly radio show on WORT FM devoted to Arab-American culture.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

For over 160 years, the YWCA has been on a mission to empower girls and women. And, for almost 10 years, Vanessa McDowell-Atlas has been on a mission to change the internal culture of YWCA Madison and to expose racism in our community. Her appointment as the YWCA Madison CEO made history, as she was the first Black woman to hold that role. And now, after nearly 7 years at the helm, this week is her last. Bianca Martin talks to Vanessa about her innovations at the YWCA, including the now annual Racial Justice Summit, and what she does next.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

You’ve most likely noticed Dan Yoder’s handy work when driving through Madison. His company, Sign Art Studio, is responsible for the city’s most iconic signs: the huge new Orpheum marquee on State Street, the classic restored Badger Liquor sign a block away, the elegant, retro cool-looking Harvey House sign, and hundreds more. Bianca Martin sits down with Dan Yoder and finds out just how one becomes a “sign guy”, how many light bulbs it took to make the new Orpheum theater sign and why good design endures.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

Hate crimes are on the rise in Wisconsin, and Madison is not immune. In the past year alone, Nazis marched in Madison and nearby cities three times. What’s the city’s response to this disturbing trend? Host Bianca Martin sat down with Madison Police Chief Shon Barns to find out about the MPD’s new Hate Crime Task Force, and what people can expect if they report a hate crime to the MPD. 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 a story about a state bill looking to ban race and ethnicity, among other protected statuses, as a consideration for financial aid. Plus, we have quite a wide range of suggestions for how to spend your Valentine’s Day… many of them coming from you! Thank you, boo!Mentioned on the show:Bill to ban race consideration in college financial aid gets hearing [The Cap Times]After a controversial deal, growing legal threats target UW System DEI programming [The Daily Cardinal]Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty lawsuit against the State Bar of Wisconsin [United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin]Civil rights complaint against the UW Morgridge Center’s BIPOC Fellowship [Equal Protection Project]Madison’s Best Date Spots [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

It can be hard to make friends as an adult, and harder yet to be social in public on your own. That’s the idea behind “Don’t Cook for Cowboys,” dinner parties you can bring your friends to, or your kids, or your parents, or just your own self. They’re popping up at restaurants and venues all over the Madison area, generally once a month. They combine dinner and sometimes dancing, and always community, all in beautifully designed settings. Kaitlin Sherman and Nikki Hageman are the creative force behind the pop-up dinner parties that Madison’s swooning over. Bianca Martin catches up with the duo behind “Don’t Cook for Cowboys.”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

Wisconsin state lawmakers are debating two bills to further ban nudity in public spaces. Madison has long been a “Top Free” city, where laws around nudity are not enforced as aggressively as the rest of the state. No one understands the power of this type of protest better than “Topless Evangelist” Lili Luxe who often sits shirtless on the State Capitol steps. Host Bianca Martin sat down with Lili to talk about the new bills, the naked bike ride controversy that spurred this legislation, and her activism around women’s health and autonomy.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

Twenty years ago, the Mad Rollin' Dolls, a campy women-only roller derby league was born in Madison. It was one of the first flat-track roller derby leagues in the country and helped pioneer the revival of the sport in the 2000s. Now, the scrappy sports league has become Madison Roller Derby, an inclusive community non-profit organization with four home teams and two traveling teams. This season, they’re playing at the Alliant Energy Center and celebrating their hundredth home game. Host Bianca Martin spoke to Emily Mills (aka Hammer Abby) about what’s next for Madison Roller Derby and what’s happening in their quest for a new home.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 lakes are finally frozen which means it’s time to break out those fishing rods and worms…it’s ice fishing season! And there are some spots around Madison this year that are brimming with biting fish. Host Bianca Martin gets the inside scoop from chief worm wrangler Pat Hasburgh, owner of D&S Bait, Tackle, & Fly Shop. Pat shares what the conditions have been like on the lakes so far this year and which spots in town you’re almost guaranteed to catch a fish. You can find Pat’s weekly fishing report online here or call the hotline 608-BIG-FISH. 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