8 O'Clock Buzz

Brian Standing, Haywood Simmons & Michelle Naff, Jan Miyasaki, Tony Castaneda, & Jonathan Zarov

Listener Sponsored Community Radio in Madison, WI

  1. -1 J

    “Thirty-Two Words for Field:” Manchán Magan and the Irish...

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · “Thirty-two Words for Field:” Memories of Manchán Magan Wade Davis (Photo courtesy University of British Columbia) Born in Donnybrook, Ireland in 1970, Manchán Magan became a renowned world traveler, documentary filmmaker, broadcaster and author.  In October, 2025, Magan died of prostate cancer at the age of 55.  His last book, “Thirty Two Words for Field,” was published posthumously by Chelsea Green Publishing.  It explores the intricacies of the almost unimaginably ancient Irish language.  Wade Davis, a world traveller, accomplished author and filmmaker in his own right, is a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of British Columbia, and wrote the forward for Magan’s book.  Wade Davis joined Monday Buzz Host Brian Standing on April 27, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post “Thirty-Two Words for Field:” Manchán Magan and the Irish... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    24 min

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    Veterans Arrested at DC Protest Against Iran War

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Veterans Arrested at DC Protest Against Iran War Mike Prysner in 2013 at a March Forward demonstration in Los Angeles. (Photo by Neon Tommy, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) On April 20, the United States Capitol Police arrested 66 demonstrators, most of them military veterans, for illegally protesting in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.  Protestors stood in the building rotunda, holding red tulips for Iranians killed in U.S. airstrikes and unfurling a banner reading “End the War in Iran.”  They also conducted a flag-folding ceremony to honor the U.S. troops killed in the Iran conflict.  Among those handcuffed and arrested was U.S. Army Iraq War Veteran Mike Prysner, who now serves as the Executive Director of the Center on Conscience and War.  Mike Prysner joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on April 27, 2026. Featured image: Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. (Architect of the Capitol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Veterans Arrested at DC Protest Against Iran War appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    13 min

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    Voter Privacy and More Late Ballots

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Voter Privacy and More Late Ballots Alex Shur (photo by Nicholas Wootton) Once a month, the Monday 8 O’Clock Buzz brings you an update on election news around the state, with Votebeat Wisconsin reporter Alex Shur.  This week, Alex joins us to talk about a case about voter records heading back to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and about how it still isn’t clear what Wisconsin law says about counting ballots that arrive at polling places after the polls close.  Alex Shur joined the Monday 8 O’Clock Buzz on April 27, 2026. Featured image: A poll worker tabulates votes. (Photo by Cullen Granzen for Votebeat) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Voter Privacy and More Late Ballots appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    14 min

  4. 20 AVR.

    Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle and “the People...

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle and the People’s Team A.M. Gittlitz (Photo by David Siffert) Major League Baseball is a multi-billion dollar business, with teams owned by venture capitalist billionaires and star players earning upwards of fifty million dollars a year.  The idea of any major-league team, let alone the New York Mets, being a true “team of the people” seems, on the face of it, absurd.  But baseball, like any other cultural practice, reflects the politics and struggles of the society that produced it.  In his new book, avowed anti-capitalist activist and unabashed New York Mets fan A.M. Gittlitz looks at the history of working class movements through the lens of baseball in New York City. The book is “Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle and the People’s Team” out now from Astra House press.  A.M. Gittlitz joined Monday 8 O’Clock Buzz host Brian Standing on April 20, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle and “the People... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    13 min

  5. 20 AVR.

    Reflecting on Tone Madison’s Legacy

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Reflecting on Tone Madison’s Legacy Grant Phipps (Photo courtesy Tone Madison) Since 2014, Tone Madison carved out an independent alternative slice of Madison’s media landscape, featuring music, film and arts coverage and a no-holds-barred approach to news and political commentary. On March 19, 2026, Tone Madison announced that it was shutting down, citing financial difficulties.  Grant Phipps served as Tone Madison’s film editor and was formerly a DJ on WSUM.  Grant joined the Monday Buzz with Brian Standing on April 20, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Reflecting on Tone Madison’s Legacy appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    12 min

  6. 20 AVR.

    Dane County Board Axes Flock Camera Funding

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Dane County Board Axes Flock Camera Funding Heidi Wegleitner (Photo courtesy Dane County Board of Supervisors) Back in March, WORT brought you the story of protestors demanding that the UW Police remove Flock Systems automated surveillance cameras from campus.  Flock Systems’ website boasts it is “shaping the future of safety together” and claims that it has worked with “over 12,000 cities, towns, counties and business partners.”   Meanwhile, the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have criticized the company for its indiscriminate surveillance, capturing people’s comings and goings,whether or not they are suspected of a crime.  On April 16, the Dane County Board of Supervisors voted 32-1 to cut Sheriff’s Department funding to install Flock System license plate readers.  Heidi Wegleitner represents District 2 on the Dane County Board of Supervisors and sponsored the budget amendment.  She joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on April 20, 2026. Featured image: Flock Camera (Aurora, IL) (Photo by LemononoM, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Dane County Board Axes Flock Camera Funding appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    14 min

  7. 13 AVR.

    “Slow Looking” Brings New Perspective to Art

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · “Slow Looking” Brings New Perspective to Art Elise Daugherty (Photo courtesy Elise Daugherty) We live in a world that values speed and efficiency above all.  The internet serves us thousands of bite-sized memes, which we quickly devour while doom-scrolling between Zoom meetings.  Alarms and calendar reminders rule our daily lives, with our phones constantly buzzing and chirping in our pockets to keep us on schedule.  AI-generated images pass by our eyes so quickly, that we fail to notice that people have too many fingers, or that famous buildings are duplicated in the skyline.  Elise Daugherty, Learning and Community Engagement Coordinator for the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art wants to give you a break from all that.  She’s offering a series of events designed to encourage “slow looking,” or deliberate, meditative contemplation of works of art.  Elise joined the Monday Buzz on April 13, 2026. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post “Slow Looking” Brings New Perspective to Art appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    12 min

  8. 13 AVR.

    How Rare are “Rare Earths?”

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · How Rare are “Rare Earths?” Julie Klinger (Photo Courtesy University of Wisconsin-Madison) In February, President Trump announced the creation of “Project Vault,” a $12 billion public-private partnership to create a U.S. based strategic reserve of so-called “rare earth” elemental minerals widely used in modern technology.  That announcement came on the heels of an announcement in January by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick that the U.S. was extending 1.5 billion dollars in funding to the mineral firm U.S. Rare Earth, Incorporated.  China, which accounts for 60% of the market, recently tightened its exports of rare earth minerals, resulting in supply chain problems for electronic manufacturers.  On April 13, 2026, Julie Klinger, an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin’s Nelson Institute, and a specialist in energy analysis and policy, joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing. Featured image: Neodymium, a “rare earth” element (Photo by Tomihahndorf at German Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post How Rare are “Rare Earths?” appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    11 min

  9. 13 AVR.

    Iran War at Stalemate Six Weeks In

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Iran War at Stalemate Six Weeks In Andrew Kydd (Photo courtesy University of Wisconsin-Madison) As the U.S./ Israeli war on Iran enters its sixth week, the death toll continues to climb.  According to Al Jazeera, the region has seen a total of over 4,000 dead, with another 39,000 injured, since hostilities began on February 26.  The temporary ceasefire negotiated between the U.S. and Iran appears to have disintegrated, particularly on the part of Israel, which continues to bombard and invade southern Lebanon.  Meanwhile, the Pentagon has declared Iran’s restrictions on vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz “an act of international piracy.”  Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central Time on April 13, U.S. Naval ships will attempt to block all maritime traffic from entering Iranian ports.  Where is all this headed?  Are there common interests in negotiating a more effective and longlasting ceasefire?  Andrew Kydd is a professor of International Relations and Political Methodology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on April 13, 2026. Featured image: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) fires a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Iran War at Stalemate Six Weeks In appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    15 min

  10. 6 AVR.

    Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode Six

    WORT 89.9FM Madison · Finding Home On Highway 14: Episode 6 Nicole Gruter (photo courtesy Nicole Gruter) Since August of 2025, Madison-based performance artist Nicole Gruter has been searching for someplace that feels like home out on U.S. Highway 14.  Highway 14, one of the nation’s first federal highways, runs 1400 miles from Chicago to Yellowstone National Park.  Along the way, Nicole’s been collecting stories from the various personalities who reside along the iconic road.  Nicole joined the Monday Buzz on April 6, 2026. (All photos by Nicole Gruter) Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Finding Home on Highway 14: Episode Six appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

    12 min
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Listener Sponsored Community Radio in Madison, WI

Informations

  • Création
    Brian Standing, Haywood Simmons & Michelle Naff, Jan Miyasaki, Tony Castaneda, & Jonathan Zarov
  • Années d’activité
    2015 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    11
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Back Porch Broadcasting, Inc.
  • Site web de l’émission
    8 O'Clock Buzz

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