A Public Affair

On Kleptocrats, Plutocrats, and Lobbyists with Casey Michel - WORT-FM 89.9 Esty Dinur is in conversation with writer and journalist Casey Michel about Greenland, kleptocracy, the Epstein files, and more.

🎙️From the Epstein files to Trump's attempts to take over Greenland, @cjcmichel.bsky.social says “the preponderance of corruption is nothing like we’ve ever seen before” in the US.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/on-kleptocra...

US Leaders Are Cheerleaders for a War Machine - WORT-FM 89.9 Bert Zipperer is in conversation with Negin Owliaei, editor-in-chief of Truthout, about the US-Israel war on Iran.

🎙️Journalist @neginowl.bsky.social of @truthout.org says "every minute we can shorten the US-Israel war on Iran is a success.” Supporting grassroots organizing and resisting the sanitized language of war is a start.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/us-leaders-a...

Road-Tripping for Bagels - WORT-FM 89.9 Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Jen Rubin and Jenny Pressman who spent the last two years on the hunt for the perfect New York-style bagel.

🎙️The perfect bagel has been properly kneaded, fermented, boiled, and baked, says @bagelquester.bsky.social. She joins @alimuldrow.bsky.social and Jenny Pressman to discuss the Great Midwest Bagel Quest, how food intersects with identity, and capers.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/road-trippin...

Economic Empowerment, Babe - WORT-FM 89.9 Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Misty L. Heggeness about her new book, Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy.

🎙️Taylor Swift is economist @mlheggeness.bsky.social's muse. Her new book, Swiftynomics, from @ucpress.bsky.social blends a data-driven approach to women’s work with gender analysis and pop culture. The message: women have serious economic power.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/economic-emp...

🎙️Lindsay Weinberg says students have no idea how much their schools are snooping on them using automated exam proctoring that uses facial recognition software to wellness apps. Check out her book, Smart University, via @hopkinspress.bsky.social

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/in-search-of...

🎙️Climate journalist @danad1012.bsky.social breaks down the state of environmental policy in the US and her reporting on climate change lawsuits that would hold corporations accountable.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/when-climate...

From Venezuela to Cuba with Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright - WORT-FM 89.9 Norm Stockwell checks in with two anti-war activists, Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright, about Venezuela and Cuba.

🎙️As the US is busy saber rattling all over the globe, @normstoc.bsky.social checks in with two anti-war activists, @medeabenjamin.bsky.social of @codepink.bsky.social and
Ann Wright, about what they’re hearing on the ground in Venezuela and Cuba.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/from-venezue...

Madison Public Market Will Celebrate the Local - WORT-FM 89.9 To learn about what folks can expect from the Madison Public Market, host Ali Muldrow is joined by Keisha Harrison.

🎙️Madison's best selfie spot will open later this spring. The much anticipated Madison Public Market will be filled with local art, vendors, and entertainment. Host @alimuldrow.bsky.social gets the full preview with CEO Keisha Harrison.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/madison-publ...

Seen and Unseen Installation Opens The Big Share - WORT-FM 89.9 Ahead of the Big Share, host Dana Pellebon speaks with Cheri Dubiel of Community Shares of Wisconsin and Alex Lindenmeyer of Urban Triage.

🎙️Ahead of the Big Share next week, host Dana Pellebon speaks with Cheri Dubiel of @commshareswi.bsky.social and Alex Lindenmeyer of Urban Triage. They talk about the Seen and Unseen exhibit designed to deepen community understanding of homelessness.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/seen-and-uns...

Local Fiber Movement Is Re-Stitching the Social Fabric - WORT-FM 89.9 Host Douglas Haynes unpacks the growing movement of farmers and fiber artists rebuilding Wisconsin’s wool and flax textile systems.

🎙️You’ve probably heard of a watershed or a foodshed, but have you heard of a fibershed? On today’s show, host Douglas Haynes unpacks the growing movement of farmers and fiber artists rebuilding Wisconsin’s wool and flax textile systems.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/local-fiber-...

Minneapolis Stays Vigilant Against ICE - WORT-FM 89.9 ost Esty Dinur is in conversation with Kieran Knutson and Coleen Rowley about the ongoing presence of ICE in the Twin Cities.

🎙️Host Esty Dinur is in conversation with Kieran Knutson and Coleen Rowley about the ongoing presence of ICE and other federal agents in the Twin Cities. Knutson says that the assault isn't over even though some ICE activity has diminished.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/minneapolis-...

News Served with a Side of Glass Noodles - WORT-FM 89.9 Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan, about food, politics, and building relationships.

🎙️Host @alimuldrow.bsky.social speaks with Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan, about how she uses food to talk about politics. Molinaro shares delicious recipes and discuss what it's like to be an immigrant in the US with her 6 million followers.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/news-served-...

A Roundtable with the Cast and Director of cullud wattah - WORT-FM 89.9 Dana Pellebon is in conversation with the director and cast of cullud wattah, showing later this month at the UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre.

🎙️A play about the Flint water crisis opens later this month at UW Madison. Dana Pellebon speaks with the cast and director about the joys and pains of the story and what it's like to perform with an all-Black and femme-identified cast. 

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/a-roundtable...

Young Wisconsinites Claim Constitutional Right to Clean Environment - WORT-FM 89.9 Groups of young people around the country are taking their concerns about climate to court. Host Douglas Haynes speaks to two lawyers for a Wisconsin case.

🎙️Young people around the country are taking their concerns about climate change to court, and they're winning. On today's show we hear from lawyers at @midwestadvocates.bsky.social and Our Children's Trust about a recent lawsuit in Wisconsin.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/young-wiscon...

How to Make Tyrants and Cement Power - WORT-FM 89.9 Esty Dinur is in conversation with Killian Clarke about his new book, Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed.

🎙️On today's show, Killian Clarke discusses why some nonviolent social movement succeed and others fail. His new book is Return of Tyranny from @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/how-to-make-...

The World Won’t Crumble If We Hold Abusers Accountable - WORT-FM 89.9 Ali Muldrow discusses how to hold perpetrators accountable and how to prevent child sex abuse with Prenicia Clifton and Grace Panetta,.

🎙️As Pam Bondi testifies about the Epstein files and survivors call for accountability on Capitol Hill, host @alimuldrow.bsky.social speaks with local child advocate Prenicia Clifton and and @gracepanetta.bsky.social of @19thnews.org about abuse prevention.

Listen here www.wortfm.org/the-world-wo...

How Veterans Can Reduce Polarization - WORT-FM 89.9 Douglas Haynes speaks with Chris Purdy about the changing civilian-military relations, the military as an apolitical institution, and the militarization of ICE.

🎙️Our guest @itsapurdy.bsky.social of @chamberlainvets.bsky.social says the credibility of veterans is being laundered by the Trump administration. Instead, he works to organize vets and community leaders to make voting a joyous and safe experience.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/how-veterans...

Why We Need to Complain About Democrats - WORT-FM 89.9 Host Esty Dinur is joined by Norman Solomon, to discuss the status of the Democratic Party and his new book, The Blue Road to Trump Hell.

🎙️Host Esty Dinur is joined by friend of the show, @normansolomon.bsky.social, to discuss the status of the Democratic Party and his new book, The Blue Road to Trump Hell: How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way for Autocracy.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/why-we-need-...

On the Ground in Minneapolis with John Nichols - WORT-FM 89.9 On today’s show, host Allen Ruff is joined by friend of the program, John Nichols, who is on the ground reporting from Minneapolis.

🎙️ Friend of the program, @nicholsuprising.bsky.social of @thenation.com joins us from Minneapolis to talk about political dissent, general strikes, and invasions at home and abroad.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/on-the-groun...

The Music of Caribbean Witness - WORT-FM 89.9 Tao Leigh Goffe–PhDJ, geologist, and bird watcher–joins host Ali Muldrow to talk about climate and racial justice and says, let’s promise not to betray the future.

🎙️PhDJ, geologist, and bird watcher @taoleighgoffe.bsky.social joins host @alimuldrow.bsky.social to talk about climate and racial justice and says, "let’s promise not to betray the future."

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/the-music-of...

Everstrong Housing Program Sets Up Youth for Success - WORT-FM 89.9 On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with SkyeGia Garcia and DaMontae January who work for OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center.

🎙️Host Dana Pellebon speaks with SkyeGia Garcia and DaMonte January about the Everstrong program at OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center that provides resources for 17-24 year-olds who are at risk of experiencing homelessness.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/everstrong-h...

Microcolleges Build Resilient and Responsible Students - WORT-FM 89.9 Douglas Haynes is in conversation with Jacob Hundt of Thoreau College in Viroqua and Grace Greenwald of the Springboard Foundation.

🎙️Contrary to the transactional, consumer-oriented nature of traditional education, microcolleges are place-based, immersive, and holistic. Learn more from Jacob Hundt of Thoreau College in Viroqua and Grace Greenwald.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/microcollege...

Refusing Eviction from the House of Feminism - WORT-FM 89.9 Esty Dinur is in conversation with writer Sophie Lewis about her book, Enemy Feminisms: TERFs, Policewomen, and Girlbosses Against Liberation.

🎙️@reproutopia.bsky.social talks about right to pleasure, the mythology of feminist figures like Mary Wollstonecraft and May French Sheldon, “feminist misogyny,” family liberation, and much more from their book, Enemy Feminisms.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/refusing-evi...

The General Rubric of Idiocy - WORT-FM 89.9 Allen Ruff is joined by journalist Chris Walker to reflect on Trump’s first year back in the White House.

🎙️Journalist @thatchriswalker.bsky.social talks about the terror that ICE is bringing to Minneapolis, the general strike called by Rep. Jaime Raskin, the resurgence of measles under RFK, and Trump’s use of the term “environmental insurrectionists.”

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/the-general-...

Finding Joy Even When the World Demands Outrage - WORT-FM 89.9 Host Ali Muldrow is joined by two disability activists, Dr. Sami Schalk and Martha Siravo, who discuss how they balance art with activism

🎙️Our guests, Martha Siravo and @drsamischalk.bsky.social tell @alimuldrow.bsky.social how they maintain joy through adaptive aerial ballet and bedazzling gifts, even as we’re bombarded with tremendous tragedy around the country.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/finding-joy-...

Dr. Jonathan Lassiter Defines the Whiteness Mindset - WORT-FM 89.9 The “whiteness mindset” pervades our culture and shapes the practice of mental health professionals, says Dr. Jonathan Lassiter.

🎙️The “whiteness mindset” pervades our culture and shapes the practice of mental health professionals, says Dr. Jonathan Lassiter. He discusses his new book, How I Know White People are Crazy and Other Stories with host Dana Pellebon.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/dr-jonathan-...

Reflecting on 50 Years of Publishing Isthmus Newspaper - WORT-FM 89.9 We hear from Judith Davidoff, Linda Falkenstein, and Dean Robbins about Isthmus’s arts and news coverage as the newspaper celebrates 50 years.

🎙️Judith Davidoff, Linda Falkenstein, and @deanrobbins.bsky.social share their stories about @isthmusmadison.bsky.social history and its arts and news coverage as the magazine celebrates 50 years in the community.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/reflecting-o...

It’s Still A Nightmare In Gaza - WORT-FM 89.9 Esty Dinur is joined by Jennifer Loewenstein to debrief about the ceasefire and Gaza “Board of Peace.”

🎙️Over two million Palestinians have been pushed into the “red zone” along the coast where they are living in non-winterized tents in conditions that guest Jennifer Loewenstein calls “abject misery.”

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/its-still-a-...

A Land of Immigrants or a Land of Anti-Immigrants? - WORT-FM 89.9 Allen Ruff is joined by Armando Ibarra to talk about ICE raids and the larger context of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US.

🎙️Though Wisconsin hasn’t faced major ICE raids, Governor Evers said this week that the state is preparing for this inevitability. To talk about ICE and the larger context of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, host Allen Ruff is joined by Armando Ibarra.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/a-land-of-im...

One Year of Immigration Enforcement on Steroids - WORT-FM 89.9 Ali Muldrow is joined by scholar Sara McKinnon to talk about what has been predictable and surprising about federal attacks on immigrants.

🎙️Trump is delivering on his campaign promise of “mass deportation now” with violent assaults on immigrant communities, most recently in our neighboring state of Minnesota. @alimuldrow.bsky.social debriefs about the last year with scholar Sara McKinnon.

Listen here: www.wortfm.org/one-year-of-...