Morning Update

Catching up with the City Cast crew

Morning update: Monday, Nov. 28

In this newsletter

Goooood morning, Madison!

Somehow, it's Monday again. But let's not think about that and instead focus on the fact that the first episode of the City Cast Madison podcast comes out tomorrow!

Episodes will feature 15 minutes of local news, culture, and conversation.

In celebration of the show's launch, we wanted to more formally introduce you to the team behind the pod (and get their Madison-based hot takes).

If you're a fan of Madison journalism (you know I am), you might recognize the names that make up the team. Collectively, the team has decades of journalism experience and an extensive knowledge of all things Madison.

Check out this Q&A for some behind-the-scenes fun and don't forget to subscribe to City Cast Madison on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Can’t wait until tomorrow? Listen to the podcast trailer here.

— Hayley

🚕 The end of the line for Green Cab.

The cab service hailed for its electric fleet of Teslas ceased operations last week.
Mobility Transformation, Inc. owns Green Cab, along with Badger Cab, Van Go, and Capitol Express, which all also ended operations last week. According to the State Journal, Green Cab’s closure leaves just two Dane County-based taxicab services: Madison Taxi and Union Cab.
The bigger picture: In March, Green Cab gave up its taxi license to concentrate on providing rides to medical appointments. The business' closure has some worried that Madison's most vulnerable — like the elderly and those in need of frequent medical care — residents will face the brunt of the consequences.

🏈 It was a big weekend for Badger sports.

A new coach: Luke Fickell was named UW's new head football coach Sunday. Fickell comes to UW from the University of Cincinnati, where led the team since 2016. The move came as a surprise to many Badger fans who assumed the role would go to interim head coach Jim Leonhard, who had been the Badgers’ defensive coordinator since 2017 and took over the role of head coach after Paul Chryst was fired.
Big 10 champs: The UW women's Volleyball team earned their fourth-straight conference title after beating No. 6 Nebraska Friday. The victory extended the team's win streak to 17 matches. Go team!
Still no axe: The Badger football team faced rival Minnesota Saturday in a border battle steeped in tradition but ultimately came up short. The Golden Gophers beat the Badgers 23-13 on Saturday and held on to Paul Bunyan's Axe in the process.

🩺 Updates on the UW Health nurses' union.

The background: UW Health nurses have been fighting for unionization since 2019 but the issue intensified as the Covid-19 pandemic aggravated issues of understaffing, turnover, and burnout. Their previous union was dissolved in 2014 as a result of the passage of Act 10.
Some context: Following mediation in September between union representatives and UW Health administrators, the groups came to an agreement that laid the legal groundwork for the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) to determine whether UW Health is legally required to recognize the union. (And averted a strike in the process.)
The latest: The WERC ruled last week that the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority is not legally obligated to recognize the union.
What's next? Friday's ruling did not answer the question of whether UW Health can voluntarily recognize the union. According to Cap Times, UW Health will petition the state Supreme Court for an opinion on that question.

🗳️ District 12 Ald. Sayed Abbas is resigning.

In a blog post published on Thanksgiving, Ald. Syed Abbas announced his last day on City Council will be Nov. 30.
Abbas represented the East Side's District 12 since 2019 and served as City Council president in 2021-22. Earlier this year, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for state Assembly. In August, he announced he would not seek reelection for his council seat.
Why resign? In his post, Abbas wrote his main reason for stepping down from City Council is to spend more time with his family. "There will be time to serve the community again, but my babies will never be this small again," he wrote. "As an alderman, I gave it my all and I truly believe that is what the community deserves from its representatives."

🖊️ Latest posts from Bank of Sun Prairie:

Watch Out for These Convincing Financial Scams
Budgeting 101
Best Ways to Save for a Home Without Even Noticing
Want to learn more? Bank of Sun Prairie's Financial Fitness Center offers 50+ digital short courses in English and Spanish.

🔮 West Side, meet Cosmic Delights.

The crystal, jewelry, and metaphysical supply store recently opened a second location at 638 S. Gammon Rd.
Owned by the husband and wife team Andrew and Luna Lynn Frey, Cosmic Delights has had an east side location since 2012. The two previously ran the shop on Atwood Avenue before moving into a new space on East Washington in 2017, which remains open.
The new shop will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

🎙️ Your lunchtime read: Before the world met Chris Farley.

Via Madison Magazine: "On a warm summer evening in 1985, a nervous, 21-year-old Chris Farley found himself alone onstage at open mic night at The Comedy Cellar on State Street. He’d been telling everyone he’d someday be a stand-up comedian — ever since he was just a kid showboating with friends in his parent’s yard — and his moment had finally arrived. Visions of comedic grandeur danced in his head as he approached the mic. Sam Kinison had performed there for a string of three consecutive weeks the year before, and he was now the hottest comic on the planet, going from the Cellar to Letterman in less than a year."

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