WORT Local News

WORT Local News

Breaking news and feature stories straight from the WORT News team’s underground lair in Madison, Wisconsin. New episodes every Monday through Thursday at 7:30 PM. Also available live on 89.9 FM from 6:00-7:00 PM and online anytime at WORTFM.org.

Episodes

January 8, 2026 50 mins

Here's your local news for Thursday, January 8, 2026:

  • We detail the mixed reactions at a city meeting yesterday reviewing WisDOT's plan to expand the beltline,
  • Find out how much Wisconsin's ballooning school voucher program is costing taxpayers,
  • Spotlight some upcoming events celebrating eastern European culture,
  • Meet a Madisonian who's using social media to highlight the local music scene,
  • Consider the balance between function and ...
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Here's your local news for Wednesday, January 7, 2026:

  • We find out why the DeForest village board decided not to take action Tuesday on a petition that would give voters the final say on a proposed data center,
  • Learn how data centers could change Wisconsin's utility landscape,
  • Answer some winter gardening FAQs,
  • Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,
  • Travel back in time to 1962,
  • And much more.
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Here's your local news for Tuesday, January 6, 2026:

  • We find out how a new federal grant could help MMSD expand mental health services for students in need,
  • Get the details on a local project that uses art to help older Black women fight Alzheimer's disease,
  • Consider the potential pitfalls if private interests win out in the county's renovation of the Coliseum,
  • Forecast another difficult year in the dairy business,
  • Stop by JBC Coffe...
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Here's your local news for Monday, January 5, 2026:

  • We share an update on embattled Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan,
  • Outline the tough choices ahead for the estimated 110,000 Wisconsinites that rely on ACA tax credits,
  • Head to a rally in downtown Madison protesting the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro,
  • Take a closer look at this weekend's military action with help from an expert in international law,
  • Celebrate the birth...
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Here's your local news for Thursday, December 18, 2025:

  • We detail the interim independent monitor's priority list for police oversight efforts in Madison,
  • Hear Rep. Ryan Clancy's plan to overhaul Wisconsin's tax system,
  • Consider the sometimes-unexpected cost of open records requests,
  • Tell you some of the best ice fishing spots,
  • Learn how Forward Madison FC is reshaping their roster ahead of the 2026 season,
  • And much more.
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Here's your local news for Wednesday, December 17, 2025:

  • We outline the key takeaways from the city of Madison's "Love Our Lakes" discussion on Tuesday,
  • Find out why environmental advocates are challenging a Trenton dairy farm's newly-issued state permit,
  • Learn how local jails are facilitating the Trump regime's mass deportation agenda,
  • Hear a UW-Madison frat's pitch to save their annual hockey tournament and fundraiser,
  • Broadcast t...
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Here's your local news for Tuesday, December 16, 2025:

  • We share the latest updates on Madison's Southwest and Southeast area plans,
  • Consider the long road ahead for a lawsuit that claims Wisconsin's congressional maps are an anti-competitive gerrymander,
  • Explain why American beef prices are in flux,
  • Learn how to achieve that signature bagel chewiness,
  • Mark the start of hibernation season,
  • And much more.
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Here's your local news for Monday, December 15, 2025:

  • We outline the recent back and forth over a proposal to build a new harm reduction clinic on Madison's far east side,
  • Explain how Trump's $12 billion federal aid package leaves small, specialty crop farmers in the lurch,
  • Find out why Wisconsin lawmakers may soon reconsider a policy that diverts federal benefits away from foster children,
  • Celebrate WORT's fiftieth birthday and lo...
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Here's your local news for Thursday, December 11, 2025:

  • We hear state Democrats' pitch to support Wisconsin farmers and protect agricultural lands from development,
  • Outline some of the most pressing challenges in the state's rural school districts,
  • Get an update on MMSD's Behavior Education Plan,
  • Check in with the Russian Folk Orchestra ahead of their busy concert season,
  • Discuss the imminent passage of the National Defense Authoriz...
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Here's your local news for Wednesday, December 10, 2025:

  • We share the details on a pair of housing-focused ordinances approved at Tuesday's city council meeting,
  • Find out why Midwest Environmental Advocates has filed an open records lawsuit against the state's utility regulator,
  • Learn how a local newsroom uses hands-on learning to improve children's literacy skills,
  • Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves,
  • Tr...
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Here's your local news for Tuesday, December 9, 2025:

  • We get the details on a bill that would guarantee Wisconsin workers up to 14 weeks of paid family and medical leave,
  • Outline key findings in UWPD records obtained by Tone Madison, nearly two years after a multi-jurisdiction raid of the student protest encampment on Library Mall,
  • Share a news roundup on Roundup,
  • Consider the intersection between kitchen skills and early childhood...
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Here's your local news for Monday, December 8, 2025:

  • We head to a local food pantry for a conversation about the rising cost of living,
  • Find out why senior advocates want to preserve county-owned nursing homes,
  • Check in with the director of Madison's Civil Rights Department, after an investigation cleared him of workplace discrimination claims,
  • Explain what's next for two lawsuits challenging Wisconsin's congressional map,
  • Celebrate...
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Here's your local news for Thursday, December 4, 2025:

  • We find out which Madison intersections are in the running for new traffic signals,
  • Hear why advocates recommend "walk audits" as a first step to reducing your neighborhood's carbon footprint,
  • Learn some of the most common ways commercial buildings in Madison waste energy,
  • Explain your right to access government records on data center projects,
  • Share some ice fishing safety tips...
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Here's your local news for Wednesday, December 3, 2025:

  • We'll explain how you can weigh in on the development future of downtown Madison,
  • Find out why food access is still limited in Wisconsin even after FoodShare benefits resumed,
  • Examine the record breaking spending on Wisconsin's judicial elections ahead of the next contest this spring,
  • Share some tips on how to stay safe in the event of an ICE encounter,
  • Broadcast the most compr...
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Here's your local news for Tuesday, December 2, 2025:

  • We hear finance leaders' recommendation on how Madison should spend an unexpected budget surplus before the end of this year,
  • Find out how donors can support a local literacy nonprofit in the wake of federal funding losses,
  • Share a year in review for the American dairy industry,
  • Meet the editing manager of Edible Madison,
  • Celebrate Giving Tuesday with the Dane County Humane Socie...
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Here's your local news for Monday, December 1, 2025:

  • We'll meet some local Starbucks workers taking part in the nationwide strike,
  • Find out how parents of children with disabilities are preparing for the looming cuts to Medicaid,
  • Detail some recent policy updates that could expand Wisconsin renters' access to solar power,
  • Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead,
  • Learn the violent history behind the American Anti-Sla...
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Here's your local news for Tuesday, November 25, 2025:

  • We find out why some of Madison's most experienced educators are still waiting for fair compensation,
  • Hear the economic pros and cons of data centers,
  • Consider the future of Madison's bus system with Metro Transit's new general manager,
  • Explain why A2A2 milk is a win for both dairy farmers and consumers,
  • Debut our new feature exploring the city's diverse array of local coffee sh...
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Here's your local news for Monday, November 24, 2025:

  • We hear what Wisconsin students and mental health specialists have to say about the hazards of the digital age,
  • Find out how much taxpayers could stand to lose with the end of the free IRS Direct File program,
  • Consider why Speaker Vos continues to block expanded postpartum benefits for Wisconsinites on Medicaid,
  • Learn how a public-private foundation is working to support the sta...
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Here's your local news for Thursday, November 20, 2025:

  • We talk health care tax credits and the Epstein files with Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin,
  • Learn how to spot U.S.-made products ahead of the holidays,
  • Meet the city of Madison's Parks Superintendent,
  • Explain your right to know the final five applicants being considered for public offices,
  • Tell you the best spots for some cold-weather fishing,
  • Make a wish list for the Flam...
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Here's your local news for Wednesday, November 19, 2025:

  • We head to a public hearing on the Dane County Regional Airport's latest efforts in F-35 noise mitigation,
  • Consider Wisconsin's retention and workforce challenges this Education-Support Professionals Day,
  • Hear the research goals driving the Nelson Institute's new partnership with QTS Data Centers,
  • Learn how students at UW-Madison fared during the SNAP benefits chaos,
  • Broadcast...
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