City Cast Madison

Madison is one step closer to the long-awaited Amtrak train that would connect the city to Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The city’s transportation department has decided on eight potential sites where a new Madison Amtrak station could be located. Host Bianca Martin sits down with transportation planner Liz Callin to get an update on the efforts and how Madisonians can give feedback on the proposed train station sites. The city is holding two upcoming public feedback meetings for the passenger rail station study:—Tuesday, Jan. 30 from 5-7 p.m. at the Madison Municipal Building, room 215 —Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. online. You can register 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, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap Wisconsin’s quest for new political voting maps and the huge new grant UW-Madison landed to study Alzheimer’s. Plus, we skid across town looking at Madison roads after the big storms and ask why the U.S. DOT is banning our sassy roadsigns.Mentioned on the show:🏛️ Maps submitted to Wisconsin Supreme Court would chip away at Republican legislative advantages [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]🏛️ A Democratic group now seeks new congressional maps, too [Cap Times]🔎 Analysis of proposed legislative redistricting plans submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court [Marquette University]🎧 Wisconsin’s new voting maps are coming soon [City Cast Madison]🧠 UW–Madison receives $150 million grant to lead nationwide Alzheimer’s disease study [UW-Madison]✋ How to be a participant in the Alzheimer’s study [UW-Madison]🌨️ Here's why so many Madison roads remain snow- and ice-covered [Wisconsin State Journal]🛣️ The federal DOT is banning funny messages on electronic signs over Wisconsin highways [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]🚌 Metro transit service disruptions [City of Madison]🧂 When and how to use salt [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? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fabiola’s Spaghetti House and Deli is now open for dinner in Madison’s Greenbush neighborhood. The former Rocky Rococo pizzeria on Regent Street has been transformed into a restaurant serving both Italian classics like spaghetti and meatballs, and Jewish deli staples like bialys and latkes. Owner Sam Brown is no stranger to the neighborhood, having worked at that Rocky’s as a teenager. Bianca Martin catches up with Sam about his vision for Fabiola’s and how he’s honoring the roots of the Greenbush neighborhood. Editor’s Note: Fabiola’s sister business Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe is an advertiser with City Cast Madison and was not involved in the editorial planning of this episode.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

More than 24,000 lives have been lost in Gaza since the war began more than a hundred days ago. That’s more than the entire population of Middleton, Wisconsin. Here in Madison, protestors have staged rallies at the State Capitol and on the UW campus, while activist groups urge lawmakers to demand a ceasefire. One of those groups is the Madison Rafah Sister City Project. For decades, they’ve worked to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Rafah and the rest of Gaza. Host Bianca Martin speaks with Barb Olson, the project’s coordinator, to hear about her organization’s efforts and how concerned Madisonians can help. 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 state legislature is tackling two big questions this week: Who gets to power our state’s electric grid into the future and who’s allowed to own and operate electric vehicle charging stations? The two energy infrastructure bills have been moving steadily through the state house and are scheduled for a vote this week in the senate. Host Bianca Martin is joined by Tom Content, the executive director of the Citizen Utility Board, to chat about what’s in these bills and how it could impact the way you get your energy. 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, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap the first winter snowstorm of the year and the city’s efforts to make our streets safer, plus the new medical marijuana bill introduced at the State Capitol this week. And, Madison has a new task force to identify and prevent hate crimes in the city. We'll be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday. See ya back here on Tuesday! Mentioned on the show:🚗 Vision Zero, Explained [Madison Minutes]🌿 Assembly GOP proposes medical marijuana bill that would create state-run dispensaries [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]😮‍💨 These 7 details in GOP medical marijuana bill in Wisconsin could be key to debate [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]🚨 Madison police create Hate Crimes Task Force [City of Madison]🆘 Madison hate crimes on the rise, so police set up task force [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? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trying dry - or even damp - January this year? For those looking to cut back on alcohol this year, there are more options than ever. From mocktails to CBD seltzers, there’s an array of choices beyond yesterday’s non-alcoholic beers.Bianca Martin catches up with Tyler Maas, organizer of Madison’s N/A Day at the Bur Oak, to get some inspiration. Here's a sampling of Wisconsin companies making non-alcoholic (NA) beverages:HoneyBee Cannabis Mad Maiden ShrubUntitled ArtSystem SeltzersLakefront BreweryThird Space BrewingKul Mocks🍹 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? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day right around the corner, Madison has a host of events lined up to commemorate the civil rights activist, including a special keynote address from one of the Little Rock Nine — Terrence Roberts. Roberts helped integrate public schools in the U.S. by volunteering to be one of the first Black high school students to attend an all-white school in 1957, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation. Host Bianca Martin speaks with Ed Lee and Dr. Gloria Hawkins, co-chairs of the King Coalition, about the organization’s event on Monday and the legacies of Dr. King and Roberts. Event Links: All King Coalition Events 39th Annual Madison-Dane County MLK Day Observance Youth Day of Service 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’s political maps have been called some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the country. Just before Christmas, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the Republican-drawn maps as unconstitutional - but they didn’t talk about the partisan advantage. They said the maps need to be compact and contiguous, instead of having Swiss cheese-like holes cut out of districts.So now what? How will the court decide upon new maps? And what does it mean for our fall elections?Bianca Martin catches up with Wisconsin Public Radio’s Capitol Reporter Anya van Wagtendonk for an update.Read more: Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns Republican-drawn legislative maps [WPR]Lawsuit targets Wisconsin legislative districts resembling Swiss cheese [AP]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 Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway was in Dubai in December to attend the world’s largest climate conference. For the first time, mayors around the world were formally invited to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the COP28, to share ideas for tackling climate change locally. It’s a shift toward recognizing that while nations argue over global climate agreements, many cities are quietly leading the way in finding ways to cool the planet. Bianca Martin catches up with the Mayor to learn why she went, what came out of it, and what Madisonians can do about our changing climate. Ways you can help: 🌞 Go solar with MadiSUN🏡 Save money when you make your home more energy efficient or buy an electric vehicle🛠️ Tell your landlord about money to help make your apartment more energy efficientWanna 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