City Cast Madison

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Molly Stentz and Hayley Sperling recap the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s move to toss out our voting maps, new attention on the former UW-La Crosse Chancellor’s porn hobby, and Madison East High School’s plan to phase out letter grades. Plus, driving tests are back! Mentioned on the show:Here's what to know about the Wisconsin Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]Former UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow shares more about his secret life with wife Carmen Wilson, and their backstory [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]Madison School District is phasing out letter grades at some East High classes in pilot program [Wisconsin State Journal]End of road test waiver program means it's back to DMV for teen drivers [WISC TV]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

Madison’s northside is buzzing. And one new lounge is breathing fire into the normal January doldrums. Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge on Sherman Avenue features comfort food from around the world. It’s a tavern, a jazz cafe and cocktail lounge all in one. Their motto? “A hi-fi love letter to the low brow.“Bianca Martin speaks with Lola’s co-owners Matt Gerding and Evan Dannells. And if those names sound familiar, it’s because they’re some of the folks behind the Majestic Theatre and Cadre Restaurant. 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

Could psychedelics help veterans suffering from PTSD? UW scientists want to know.UW-Madison’s Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances wants to explore the medicinal uses of psychedelics like psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA (ecstasy) for those dealing with trauma. They’re seeking state approval to create a pilot program to study it.Bianca Martin speaks with the center’s director Paul Hutson as well as psychologist and neuroscientist Christopher Nicholas about the new frontiers in mental health treatment.More about the research:MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD [Nature Medicine]Current psychedelic trials at UW-Madison [UW-Madison]About the proposed medicinal psilocybin legislation [Sen. Diane Hesselbein]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

Welcome to 2024! And if your new year’s resolution is to get out more, the Madison team has got you covered. Host Bianca Martin and Madison Minutes newsletter editor Hayley Sperling round up the events in the area they’re most excited about in January. Escape the cold: The Bolz conservatory The Wisconsin Drag Awards 2024 - Jan. 14 You can reach Bianca Lynn Breeze Productions at blbproductions2022@gmail.com. Flix Brewhouse Madison’s Space Month Move to the music: Wisconsin Bluegrass Fest with Horseshoes & Hand Grenades - Jan. 13  Wisconsin Punk Fest - Jan. 5  Wisconsin Metal Fest - Jan. 6 Food for the soul: Beer and Cheese fest - Jan. 20 Winter Restaurant Week - Jan. 21-26  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

As we head into the new year, we’re wrapping up our series of some of our favorite shows from 2023 with an absolute gem. If you’ve hopped on a bus in Madison in the past twenty years, you’ve heard his voice. Next stop… Pinckney at Mifflin. Next stop…It’s his voice that announces every stop on every Madison Metro bus. He’s always there, guiding us around the city. But you’ve never heard his name… until now. Meet Ward Paxton, the voice of Madison Metro.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm.Want some more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we head into the new year, we wanted to celebrate the vibrant cheese scene in the Madison area, and not many have done it better than Landmark Creamery of Paoli. They make some of the best cheeses in the world. You don’t have to take our word for it - that’s according to judges at the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and the World Championship Cheese Contest.They make various tasty handmade sheep-milk cheeses. And they are even making artisan butter down the street at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli.So in August, we talked to Landmark Creamery co-owner Anna Thomas Bates to tell us how what makes the cheese 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! 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

As the year comes to a close, we’re revisiting some of our favorite shows from 2023. Ones that helped us feel more connected to our community and reminded us of the wealth of resources we have available right in our backyard sometimes. Like the Madison Public Library! Did you know your little orange card can do a lot more than just check out books? It can help you grow a garden or get across town. You can digitize those old family photos or make cheap photocopies.Tana Elias, the library’s digital services and marketing manager, lets us in on a few things you probably didn’t know your little card can do. 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

For this final week of the year we’re taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of our best shows from 2023. Back in August, we sat down with Wisconsin Broadcast Hall of Famer Lindsay Wood Davis and the founder of 98.7 FM WVMO The Voice of Monona radio station. It has been dubbed "The Coolest Little Station In the Nation" and in 2022 won the Best Radio Station in the state. Host Bianca Martin is joined by Lindsay Wood Davis and 13-year-old radio host Beatrix Pauli, host of Bea’s Buzz. 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 at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast discusses hopes for Madison in 2024, including lower rent and more affordable housing. They also talk about funding for train station options and invite listeners to join the Roller Derby community. The importance of voter registration is emphasized, along with appreciation for city officials. The hosts give shout outs to different groups in Madison and express personal apologies.

Jaime Brown-Soukaseume, co-owner and chef at Ahan, a local Laotian spot and James Beard Semifinalist, shares the expansion to Williamson's Street, her mother's recipes on the menu, and the secret ingredient behind Laotian cuisine.