More map whiplash

Good morning, Madison!

It's Thursday, for everyone keeping score at home.

If you're searching for dinner plans with a social cause, look no further. Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè announced recently they'll be hosting a weekly Ukrainian dinner night with proceeds benefitting World Central Kitchen.

The Regent Street shop will serve holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls) and matzo ball soup every Tuesday starting at 5 p.m. Food is served on a first-come, first-served basis and will be packaged to go but of course can be eaten in house.

“We were just looking for another way to give back and another way that we could get people through the door,” Owner Samuel Brown told NBC 15. “I know a lot of people want to come up with some way to contribute as they’re watching the terrible news come out of Ukraine.”

In addition to food sales, proceeds from the sale of any of our Ukrainian or Russian titles will also go to the World Central Kitchen.

— Hayley

⚖️ The US Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers' election maps.

• The U.S. high court Wednesday threw out Gov. Tony Evers’ state legislative maps that the state Supreme Court approved just weeks earlier.
• According to PBS Wisconsin, "The issue at the heart of the legislative maps is whether it was lawful to expand the number of Milwaukee-area Assembly seats with a majority of Black voters." There are currently has six majority-Black districts in the Assembly, and Evers' maps would have added one more.
• What's next? Back to the drawing board. The U.S. court’s ruling returns the case to the Wisconsin court. It's important to note, however, the U.S. court ruled Evers' maps for the state’s congressional districts could remain in place.
• Dig deeper: Under ‘time pressure,’ Wis. Supreme Court to get back to work on redistricting (NBC 15)

💰 The city has secured $2 million in federal funding for the new men's homeless shelter.

• Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan made the announcement Tuesday. The money comes from the recently passed federal government funding bill.
• The city and county have already budgeted a joint $9 million for the project but Rhodes-Conway called the federal money “absolutely essential” to the project.
• Some context: Madison and Dane County are working together to turn property at 1902 Bartillon Drive into a permanent homeless shelter. The Cap Times reports Dane County has already allocated $3 million to help acquire and construct the new site. The Madison City Council is set to take up a resolution "seeking approval for the site and setting the stage for key next steps" for the project.
• Further reading: Madison’s search for a homeless shelter, explained (The Daily Cardinal)

🎨 Black Arts Matter Festival is back.

• Returning for its third year, the 2022 Black Arts Matter Festival will take place from March 23 to March 26 at Wisconsin Union Theater.
• The four-day festival offers a variety of events, including a national poetry slam, musical guests, dance performances, and more. Tone Madison reports "ascendant rapper" Chika is set to headline the event with a Saturday set.

🖥️ Madison's new online school is here to stay.

• The Madison School Board Tuesday voted 4-3 to use $850,000 in one-time federal funding to expand the online-only Madison Promise Academy to include students in grades 4-5 for the 2022-23 school year.
• The Wisconsin State Journal reports some board members were hesitant to  use one-time federal funds to hire permanent staff for a long-term program. But ultimately, board members prioritized the need for early approval to expand the popular program.
• Some context: The online-only learning program launched as a pilot for students in grades 6-12 at the start of the 2021-22 school year. Upon launch, twice as many students applied to take part in the pilot as the district planned for.

🎺 Here's your chance to make a mark at Make Music Madison.

• Venue registration starts March 24, and performer registration opens April 1 for the 10th annual Make Music Madison festival. The event is part of the larger "Make Music Day" which takes place in over 1,000 cities globally.
• The festival is scheduled for June 21 and hosts live music citywide all day. As NBC15 reports, "organizers are looking for community spaces, places of worship, local businesses, and area parks to sign up to host concerts. They’re also seeking performers to play music. All genres of music, skill levels, and ages of musicians are welcome."

“It really brings the entire community together on this day. It’s about having fun, engaging with one another, seeing your neighbors again, and learning about new musicians in your community.” — Meri Rose Ekberg, Make Music Madison managing director

🚮 Clean up, clean up.

• The Tenny-Lapham Neighborhood Association is organizing a clean-up event at James Madison Park. Folks are invited to meet next Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m. near the park's shelter area.
• Trash bags, gloves, and "some sort of plan" will be provided.

🏳️‍🌈 Lunchtime read: A truly civil servant.

• From Our Lives Wisconsin: "While a movement is always bigger than a single person, few have moved as much as Dick Wagner. An early advocate, architect, and historian for Wisconsin’s LGBTQ communities, as one of the first out electeds in the nation, he pioneered the way for, and mentored, Senator Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Mark Pocan. As former Wisconsin State Assemblyman David Clarenbach has said, 'There are, regrettably, no more Dick Wagners.'"

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.7%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.4%

Resources

• Here's where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.
• Need a COVID-19 test? PHMDC has you covered.
• Do you still need your flu shot? Start here.
• Request an at-home testing kit from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
• Where to pick up free masks from the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
• What to Do if You are Sick or Possibly Exposed (PHMDC)

📅 Events: Thursday, March 24

• Author Talk: Daniel Carpenter, author of "Democracy by Petition" at the Discovery Building. Virtual option. 5 p.m. Free.
• Spring Cocktail Class at The Cider Farm. Sample cocktails made with apple brandy and cider. 5:30 p.m. $25.
• Comedy Night at Harmony Bar by Groove Roulette. 7:30. $5-10.
• Pizza & Hard Hats with Urban League of Greater Madison. Hear first hand what it’s like to be in construction from professionals. 6 p.m.
• Flee screeing at Union South Marquee. Part of the International LGBTQ+ Film Fest. 7 p.m. Free. 🟠
• Joe “Mr. D” Dombrowski at Comedy on State. Comedian and kindergarten teacher. 9 p.m. $30.

Wondering what that 🟠 means? That symbol next to an event listing means that Tone Madison’s team of writers and editors recommends checking it out.