Madsplainers

Cap Times state government reporter Briana Reilly explains what we know so far about how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing Wisconsin's economy and what Madison businesses are doing to cope. Support the show.

Cap Times K-12 education reporter Scott Girard explains how a December altercation at a Madison elementary school led parents to question school leadership, and what this incident tells us about the sometimes fragile relationships between families and schools. Support the show.

COVID-19 is on a lot of minds, and the Madsplainers are here to help you understand what's going on. On today's episode, Abby sits down with epidemiologist Malia Jones of UW-Madison's Applied Population Lab to find out what "flattening the curve" means and why it matters, how we can do our part to slow the virus in our community and why this situation is a bit like kids covered in ink. We also learn our new favorite phrase: "social cocooning."Support the show.

Public policy fellow Parker Schorr explains how staffing algorithms borrowed from the manufacturing sector are changing hospitals, what local nurses are worried about, and why those concerns have pushed them to unionize.Support the show.

Madison has been talking for years about creating a public market, a permanent home for local vendors selling food and crafts, and the project may finally break ground this year. But what exactly can we expect from this project, and who's paying for it? On today's show, Abby and Natalie answer those questions and more. Support the show.

Reporter Steve Elbow breaks down this week's cover story, explaining what hasn't changed in Madison's metrics, what the city's fiercest advocates for equality say needs to be done, and why there's little reason to think it'll happen any time soon.Support the show.

Madison's Alcohol License Review Committee — ALRC to its friends — had a brief moment in the spotlight last month when an exchange between Austin Carl, prospective nightclub owner, and ALRC Vice Chair Michael Donnelly went viral. On today's show, Abby and Natalie break down this committee's role, and Cap Times metro reporter Nicholas Garton gives us the lowdown on the nightclub that got everyone's attention. Support the show.

Cap Times reporter and podcast producer Natalie Yahr breaks down this week's cover story, explaining what bail jumping charges are, how they've surged in Wisconsin in recent years, and why some are calling for change.Support the show.

Cap Times Local Government Reporter Abigail Becker breaks down this week's cover story, explaining what's changing on Madison's south side, why some residents are worried, and what the city can do to keep the area affordable.Support the show.

Cap Times Food Editor Lindsay Christians breaks down this week's cover story, explaining why Kickapoo Coffee and the Winnebago Arts Café have decided to change their names, what kind of work and expense go into such a change, and why this shift is happening now.Support the show.

Cap Times Metro Reporter Nicholas Garton breaks down this week's cover story, explaining why it was so difficult to bring a Boys and Girls Club to Sun Prairie, what the brand new club shows about this growing city, and what struggles like this can tell us about our communities.Support the show.

Cap Times Higher Education Reporter Yvonne Kim breaks down this week's cover story, explaining what makes graduate student workers' labor situation unique, why they want better workplace protections and more say in university policies, and what progress they've seen so far.Support the show.

The Madsplainers are back, and we're expanding our explaining to cover not just local government but any Madison issue that might call for some clarification. On today's show, Cap Times K-12 Education Reporter Scott Girard gives us the 411 on Matthew Gutiérrez, the incoming superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District, and he helps us understand what exactly a school superintendent does anyway.Support the show.

In this new weekly feature, Cap Times podcast producer Natalie Yahr gets the scoop from the reporters behind our latest cover stories. This week, Cap Times State Government Reporter Briana Reilly explains why Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's move to step up oversight of state agencies has been criticized as opposition research on state time, and what the move might tell us about the state of transparency in Wisconsin government.Support the show.

When food and drink converge with city politics, we have the podcast for you: The Mad Corner Table-splainers! No, wait -- the Mad Table. The Cornsplainers?Support the show.

It's Lisa's last episode! Join us as she breaks down one of the issues that's been looming large for west-side Madisonians, the legal and neighborhood battle over Edgewood High School's use of its athletics field.Support the show.

The Madsplainers team talks about the city's ambitious and embattled plan to develop two blocks of downtown Madison.Support the show.

The Madsplainers break down an effort by a UW- Madison political scientist and MIT technologists to create more meaningful public discourse in Madison.Support the show.

In which the Madsplainers -- minus Abby -- talk about takeaways from Tuesday's general election.Support the show.

The Madsplainers are joined by Cap Times news editor Jason Joyce to recap what happened in the city's spring primaries.Support the show.