8 O'Clock Buzz

Brian Standing, Haywood Simmons & Michelle Naff, Jan Miyasaki, Tony Castaneda, & Jonathan Zarov
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Listener Sponsored Community Radio in Madison, WI

  1. 16 HR AGO

    Retreating into the Dark Forests of the Internet

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Retreating Into the Dark Forests of the Internet Yancey Strickler (Photo courtesy ystrickler.com) When new media technologies, such as radio, television, or even the printing press, first emerge, they hold the promise of democratizing access to information and to provide a platform for a wide variety of viewpoints.  The same held true for the internet, which for much of its early life enjoyed equal access and distribution for anyone who could get online.  In recent years, though, the growth of corporately controlled social media algorithms, artificial intelligence and mass-produced propaganda has made the once-safe and free web into a dark and scary place.  Yancey Strickler is a writer and entrepreneur. He’s the co-founder of Kickstarter, The Creative Independent, Metalabel, Artist Corporations, the Dark Forest Collective, and the author of This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World.   He recently wrote an op-ed about the idea of “Dark Forests” on the internet.  Yancey Strickler joined the Monday Buzz on March 28, 2026. Forest image by Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13073064  Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Retreating into the Dark Forests of the Internet appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    13 min

  2. 17 HR AGO

    Election Issues Front and Center in Supreme Court Race

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Election Issues Front and Center in Supreme Court Race Alex Shur (photo by Nicholas Wootton) From ballot boxes, to legislative districts, to the privacy of voter information, the next Wisconsin Supreme Court justice may rule on a plethora of election-related issues in the court’s next term.  Votebeat Wisconsin’s Alex Shur joined the Monday Buzz for his monthly update on Wisconsin election news. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Election Issues Front and Center in Supreme Court Race appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    9 min

  3. 17 HR AGO

    Maria Lazar Seeks Wisconsin Supreme Court Seat

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Maria Lazar Seeks Wisconsin Supreme Court Seat On April 7, voters in Wisconsin will select a new justice for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley.  The nonpartisan race includes two current Court of Appeals justices, Judge Chris Taylor from District IV, which serves the Madison area, and Judge Maria S. Lazar from District II, which serves the Waukesha area.  Maria Lazar worked as assistant Wisconsin Attorney General from 2010 to 2015, and was elected to the Waukesha Circuit Court in 2015, and was elected to the Court of Appeals in 2020.  Supreme Court candidate Maria S. Lazar joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 30, 2026. Image courtesy Wisconsin Court of Appeals Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Maria Lazar Seeks Wisconsin Supreme Court Seat appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    16 min

  4. 17 HR AGO

    Voices from the Madison “No Kings” Rally 3/28/2026

    Tens of thousands marched on the Wisconsin State Capitol as part of nationwide “No Kings” protests. We hear from some of the voices, talking about faith, service, history and revolution. All photos by Brian Standing. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Voices from the Madison “No Kings” Rally 3/28/2026 appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    5 min

  5. 23 MAR

    Midwest Video Poetry Fest 2026 Lands at ArtLitLab

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Midwest Video Poetry Festival 2026 Madison’s Arts and Literature Laboratory’s Midwest Video Poetry Festival, now in its sixth year, seeks to synthesize one of humanity’s oldest art forms with one of its newest.  As a particularly visual literary genre, poetry seems uniquely suited to the visual creativity of the moving image.  The 2026 festival, taking place on Saturday, April 4, features poets and filmmakers from such exotic places as Ireland, the Netherlands, Benin, the United Kingdom, New York, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Ypsilanti.  Genia Daniels, Coordinator of the Midwest Video Poetry Fest, and Rita Mae Reese, Executive Director of the Arts and Literature Laboratory, joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 23, 2026. Still from “Abjad Hawaz (أبجد هوز)” by Hadi Moussally (image courtesy Hadj Moussally) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Midwest Video Poetry Fest 2026 Lands at ArtLitLab appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    11 min

  6. 23 MAR

    Taxes Only Part of Housing Costs

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Taxes Only Part of Housing Costs Deaken Boggs (photo courtesy Madison Area Community Land Trust) In their February 2026 housing report, the Wisconsin Realtors Association found that the median price of a new home in Southern Wisconsin had grown to $365,000.  Even with lower mortgage interest rates, that price tag remains out of reach of many would-be homeowners.  In 2024, voters approved $607 million in property taxes going to the Madison School District, and $22 million going to the City of Madison, which resulted in a 16% average property tax hike in 2026.  Despite the popularity of the referenda questions, a recent Marquette Poll found that, statewide, concern over property taxes has outpaced support for public school funding.  So, how much do property taxes contribute to the unaffordability of housing in Southern Wisconsin?  Deaken Boggs is the Organizing Director for the Madison Area Community Land Trust, which focuses on the development of affordable housing.  Boggs joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 23, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Taxes Only Part of Housing Costs appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    13 min

  7. 23 MAR

    Slaying the Gerrymander Dragon

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Slaying the Gerrymandering Dragon iuscely Flores (photo courtesy LinkedIn) In 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that state assembly and senate district maps created by the Republican-led legislature in 2011 violated Article IV of the Wisconsin Constitution.  Rather than submit to district boundaries drawn by the court itself, the Legislature agreed to maps proposed by Governor Tony Evers after an extensive public participation process.  Although that case effectively ended what election experts called the worst partisan gerrymander in the nation, the process by which those maps were created remains intact.  With gerrymandering back in the news with recent congressional maps in Texas and California, Governor Evers signed an executive order calling for a special session of the Legislature to consider a constitutional amendment to make nonpartisan redistricting the law of the land.  Iuscely Flores is the Organizing Director for Fair Maps Wisconsin, who joined the Monday Buzz on March 23, 2026. Wisconsin legislative district maps in effect for 2026 elections (image courtesy Wisconsin Legislative Services Bureau) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Slaying the Gerrymander Dragon appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    13 min

  8. 18 MAR

    Lots of Folks Realities

    Today on the Too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Afra Smith, Founder and CEO of The Melanin Project, as well as founder and organizer of the Weath Empowerment Conference joins us to talk about finances, talking to your family about money, building a budget, becoming financially independent, her personal fight out of debt, and much more! More information on The Melanin Project at https://www.themelaninproject2053.com/ and on social media. Logistics, presenters and registration information for the 2026 Wealth Empowerment Conference, coming up April 18th at TruStage at https://www.themelaninproject2053.com/https-www-themelaninproject2053-com-wec2026  Keep up with Afra on social media and more at https://linktr.ee/afrasmith . Catch Fatherhood Unfiltered this week on 3/19 at The Hub: https://ulgmhub.org/onevents/fatherhood-unfiltered-building-bonds-breaking-barriers/ Don’t miss Antoine’s 10th anniversary Poetry and Comedy Jam coming up on May 23! Tickets and more information coming soon! Call or text 608-616-0089 or check them out on social media. Catch Tara at Buraka on Thursday nights for R&B slow jams with DJ G Money! If you’re a Black musician in Madison and want to come on the show, contact Tara (https://www.facebook.com/EOTOCulturallyRooted) or Antoine (https://www.facebook.com/1MotionOutReachEnterprise) on Facebook or send a note through the “Announcements” form on the WORT webpage: https://www.wortfm.org/announcements/ . We’d love radio safe versions of your music to play on the show too! Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/calendar/ and https://ulgmhub.org/calendar/ for info on resume and job seeking workshops, home ownership clinics (new sessions starting soon), information on Expungement, childcare assistance, fatherhood support, healthcare administration, food safety and trades training, and more! Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org. Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org! Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Lots of Folks Realities appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    53 min

  9. 16 MAR

    “Pants on Fire” Brings Craig Ferguson Back to Overture Cen...

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · “Pants on Fire” Brings Craig Ferguson Back to Overture Back in the 1980s, Craig Ferguson started his entertainment career as a drummer for Glasgow punk bands Night Creatures, Exposure, Ana Hausen and The Bastards from Hell.  Later, Ferguson followed a career as a stand-up comedian and actor, appearing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in a London production of the Rocky Horror Show.  After moving to Los Angeles in 1994, Ferguson landed the part of Mr. Wick in the Drew Carey Show.  But it was in 2004 that Ferguson became a household name, when CBS named him the host of the Late, Late Show, a gig he would hold down for a decade.  Ferguson won a Peabody Award for his interview of Bishop Desmond Tutu on the Late Late Show in 2009.  On Thursday, March 19, Ferguson brings his new show “Pants on Fire” to Madison’s Overture Center.  Craig Ferguson joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 16, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post “Pants on Fire” Brings Craig Ferguson Back to Overture Cen... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    13 min

  10. 16 MAR

    Native Plants Promote Biodiversity at Neighborhood Scales

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Native Plants Promote Biodiversity at Neighborhood Scale Amy Staffen (Photo courtesy Amy Staffen) Sue Carpenter (Photo courtesy University of Wisconsin Arboretum) Though a half a foot of new snow in the Madison area may suggest otherwise, gardening season is right around the corner.  Rather than fill your yard with exotic hostas and honeysuckle, consider some alternatives that provide benefits to your local ecosystem.  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Biologist Amy Staffen and University of Wisconsin Arboretum Native Plant Garden Curator Susan Carpenter  joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on March 16, 2026. Featured image: Obedient plant is a perennial native plant that attracts pollinators. Photo credit: Jay Watson Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Native Plants Promote Biodiversity at Neighborhood Scales appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    12 min
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About

Listener Sponsored Community Radio in Madison, WI

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Standing, Haywood Simmons & Michelle Naff, Jan Miyasaki, Tony Castaneda, & Jonathan Zarov
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Back Porch Broadcasting, Inc.
  • Show Website
    8 O'Clock Buzz

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