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PODCAST

City Cast Madison

Join the City Cast Madison team 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. On City Cast Madison, host Bianca Martin collects people wherever she goes, like an endless conga line. She peers into our city’s soul with a journalist’s skepticism and an optimist’s heart. Whether you’re an OG Madisonian or a newcomer, all neighbors are welcome here. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter, Madison

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All Episodes

23:03

Is Madison Ready for a Women’s Sports Bar?

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/18

Madison has several sports bars, but none of them are specifically dedicated to creating a space to watch women's sports. But Rita Adair is planning to change that. Host Bianca Martin talked with Adair about the vision for her bar on Madison's east side, from the food to the vibes to the live music, and why she's calling it Bernell's. She's planning on opening the sports bar in October, if she can get it funded by then. 🥕 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the

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25:12

Unpeeling The Onion’s Madison Origin Story

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/17

The Onion is responsible for some of the most iconic satirical headlines of our time. From "Study Reveals: Babies are Stupid" to "Kitten Thinks of Nothing but Murder All Day," The Onion has managed to capture and speak to our cultural zeitgeist in ways traditional news media couldn’t dream of. And it all got its start right here in Madison. To get the details on the origins of The Onion and why it still strikes a nerve with folks today, host Bianca Martin spoke with Christine Wenc, author of “Funny

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36:09

How a New UW Lab is Mapping Black Madisonians' Stories

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/16

A new research lab in UW-Madison’s Department of African American Studies has set out to document the experiences of being Black in Madison and mapping Black-affirming spaces in the city. The SoulFolk Collective is made up of undergrads and graduate students, and does research projects that centers the Black experience. To learn more, host Bianca Martin speaks with Dr. Jessica Stovall and Angela Fitzgerald about the Black Madison Archive and what is next for the collective. 👋 Wanna talk to us

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35:56

Your Hot Takes on the Willy Street Experiment

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/15

Earlier this year, a vehicle crashed into Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse. ⁠Again.⁠ This is the third time that the coffee shop has been hit. Mother Fool’s is among several businesses on Williamson Street that have been damaged in automobile ⁠crashes⁠. In an attempt to curb accidents and slow down drivers, the city is experimenting with ⁠closing down the rush-hour traffic lanes⁠ on Willy. Today, host Bianca Martin talks about this change with Mike Tarby, co-chair of the Marquette Neighborhood Association

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35:53

Big Apartment Proposals, Metro Contract Talks, and...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/12

Nine months into the year without a contract the City of Madison and the union that represents Madison Metro Transit workers are closing in on a deal. The City Cast Madison team breaks down that news, along with two proposed 16-story student apartment buildings, and complaints against West High School’s officials over cuts to its swim team. Executive producer Hayley Sperling, newsletter editor Rob Thomas, and producer Jade Iseri-Ramos have all the local news you need this week. Mentioned on the

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25:19

Sick? These Are the Best Feel-Better Foods in Madison

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/11

Cold and flu season is upon us. From kids back in school to runny noses, as the temperatures drop, folks are getting sick. If you’re feeling under the weather and not sure what you’re going to eat, we have you covered. Host Bianca Martin spoke with Cap Times food and culture editor Lindsay Christians about what to cook and what to order in when you’re too sick to do anything. Mentioned on the show Caroline Chambers’ lemon, spinach, chicken tortellini soup Melissa Clark’s omelette Julia

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25:49

How Proposed Data Centers Might Impact Your Energy Bill

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/10

Data centers this, data centers that. It seems just about everyone has something to say about the new tech infrastructure that’s popping up across the nation and here in Dane County. Data centers are major energy and water consumers (to put it lightly) but the new tech facilities are promising job creation and other economic benefits to the communities they’re in. But what does it take to actually power one of these facilities and will everyday consumers end up footing the bills? Today, host Bianca

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24:34

Police Monitor Faces Criticism For Lack of Transparency

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/09

Madison’s Office of the Independent Monitor is meant to be a check on the Madison Police Department, receiving complaints and feedback, making data-based recommendations, and upholding transparency and accountability. But what happens when the office’s own transparency practices are brought into question? Back in May, reporters requested records for communications between the monitor’s office and the Madison Police Department. There was no response.. After Isthmus reporter Liam Beran wrote a story

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28:48

What’s Going on With the Dairy Drive Encampment?

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/08

Multiple stories involving Madison’s unhoused population have made headlines in recent weeks — from money questions about the upcoming permanent men’s shelter, to disturbances at the Social Justice Center, to whether or not funding will continue for the first city-sanctioned encampment at Dairy Drive. There’s a lot to take in. To dig into these stories and the complex causes and solutions surrounding them, we spoke with Brenda Konkel, longtime advocate and executive director of Madison Street

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31:34

Isthmus Traffic Changes, Mayor Unveils Capital...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/05

We’re coming to you this week with a theme for the Friday news roundup: infrastructure! The mayor put forth her 2026 Capital Budget and Capital Improvement Plan. Madison has an abundance of empty office buildings. And Willy Street is testing a change to rush hour lanes. Host Bianca Martin, executive producer Hayley Sperling, and newsletter editor Rob Thomas round up this week’s news. Mentioned on the show: What it takes to run an IRONMAN [City Cast Madison]Road closure for IRONMAN [City of Madison

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26:50

Coffee, Kinship, and Accessibility are at the Heart...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/04

Sure, the coffee at JavaAbilities is great (it’s Madison-based Rusty Dog) but it’s the people behind the counter who truly make the space special. Part of the mission of the new coffee shop on Monona Drive, which opened in July, is to employ and celebrate adults with disabilities. The business is co-owned by Mary Kay Clark and Tim McDonald, who admit they don’t have much cafe experience but are both fully committed to uplifting people with disabilities. Today, host Bianca Martin talks to Tim about

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25:47

Madison Philosopher & IRONMAN on Building a Winning...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/03

How do you build the mental fortitude to complete a triathlon? Hundreds will see if they have what it takes this weekend when the annual IRONMAN Wisconsin comes to Madison. Participants will swim, bike, and run just over 140 miles in and around Madison. To learn what it takes mentally finish the race, host Bianca Martin talks with Larry Shapiro, recently retired UW-Madison philosophy professor, IRONMAN Wisconsin finisher, and author of Zen and the Art of Running.👋 Wanna talk to us about an

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38:55

Your Guide to September 2025 in Madison

City Cast Madison ·

2025/09/02

Crisp air, Badgers games, and fall vibes have reached Madison, which can only mean one thing: September is here! As we transition from summer into fall, host Bianca Martin, producer Jade Iseri-Ramos, and newsletter editor Rob Thomas are bringing you our top picks for the month. We’re hopping on our bikes, catching some classic cinema, and celebrating Oktoberfest this September. Plus, now’s the perfect time to dive into fiber arts. Check out Bianca’s conversation with Gael Boyd to learn more. For

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32:19

Minneapolis School Shooting, Police Remove Downtown...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/29

This week, the City Cast Madison team is talking about Madison’s ties to the Minneapolis school shooting, updates to the Dane County Humane Society’s stray animal contract, and the removal of a downtown homeless encampment. Host Bianca Martin talks with producer Jade Iseri-Ramos and newsletter editor Rob Thomas about these heavy news topics, plus the hiring of Madison's new police chief. Wrapping things up on a brighter note, Rob tries to stump the team with a quiz about UW-Madison slang.Mentioned

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31:23

Eat Your Way Through Madison’s Last Summer Festivals

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/28

Summer days are slipping away, but that doesn’t mean Madisonians can’t make the most out of the remaining warm weekends. Taste of Madison is this weekend, so is Orton Park Festival. And the Willy Street Fair and Monroe Street Festival won’t be far behind. On today’s show, executive producer Hayley Sperling talks with Cap Times food and culture editor Lindsay Christians to get her tips for what to eat — and what to skip — at these upcoming events. 🥕 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's

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25:58

The ‘Coolest Little Station in the Nation’ Celebrates...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/27

The low-power radio station broadcasting out of Monona’s City Hall turns 10 years old this month! WVMO 98.7 FM has been dubbed one of the “coolest radio stations in the nation” and for good reason. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin chats with Stacy Harbaugh aka DJ Shotski, host of Polka Time, to dig into the station’s decade on air and how it’s built a tight-knit community of volunteers and listeners in Madison’s backyard. We also hear a little from Bianca’s first conversation about WVMO with

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28:33

WTF Is Going On in Madison’s Civil Rights Department?

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/26

Madison’s Department of Civil Rights is facing a litany of problems. The department’s director is currently under investigation for allegedly violating city and federal employment laws. Meanwhile, another longtime leader in the department was recently allowed to retire following an internal probe into whether he also violated numerous city administrative policies. Employees in the department are concerned for their rights and what this all says about the culture within a key city office. With us to

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28:32

What You Don’t Know About the Sterling Hall Bombing

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/25

On Aug. 24, 1970, four men bombed UW-Madison’s Sterling Hall in protest of the ongoing Vietnam war. The blast resulted in millions of dollars in damage, multiple injuries, and the death of a physics researcher. For some, the legacy of the Sterling Hall bombing still looms large. For others, this critical part of our city’s history is almost entirely unknown. In honor of the anniversary of the bombing, we spoke to UW oral historian Troy Reeves about the event and its lasting impact on the Madison

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29:05

F-35 Sound Plan on Pause, UW Basketball Lawsuit, and...

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/22

Happy Fri-yay! The City Cast team is rounding up this week’s top stories. Host Bianca Martin talks with executive producer Hayley Sperling and producer Jade Iseri-Ramos about UW women’s basketball players suing their former coach, the airport putting F-35 sound mitigation on hold, and a favorite Willy Street restaurant closing. Plus, Bianca took a turn in the guest seat this week on the radio talk show A Public Affair on WORT 89.9 FM. Mentioned on the show: 2025 Madison Magazine Chef of the

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42:56

The Best Madison Restaurants You’ll Never Go To

City Cast Madison ·

2025/08/21

Restaurants and bars come and go in Madison all the time, it’s the nature of the industry. But some spots leave a lasting impression on our community long after they’ve closed. Today, the City Cast Madison team takes a trip down memory lane with the help of our listeners and readers to reminisce on some of Madison’s favorite bygone bars, restaurants, and community haunts. Ready to taste a little nostalgia? 🥕 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers

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