Morning Update

What'd we miss?

Protests on campus, the Night Market, and parental leave for a horse. Here's what you need to know about Madison today.

In this newsletter

Gooooooood morning, Madison!

Did you miss me?

It's nice to take a break now and then, but I'm happy to be back in your inboxes this morning.

But just because we took time off doesn't mean our friends at City Cast Madison slowed down at all. In case you missed it, here's their most recent episodes.

What Madison Can Do About All Our Phosphorus: Phosphorus runoff has plagued Madison's lakes and streams for years. This fertilizer causes algae to bloom, making our beloved waterways stinky and hazardous. Now facing tougher state and federal regulations, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District has to clean up more phosphorus than ever. And just how they propose to do that is up for debate.

Meet the Edible Plants in Your Neighborhood: Spring in Madison is a great time to find delicious food right in your backyard. And foraging for delectable local morsels means hunting much more than mushrooms. There’s ramps, watercress, dozens of edible weeds… all around you. Dylan Brogan sits down with Andy Gricevich, owner of What Got Gathered, for some local foraging pro tips.

If you want a quick run through of all of last week's news, the team has you covered with their Friday roundup.

Now let's dive into the news.

— Hayley

*Photo courtesy of Drake White-Bergey / The Daily Cardinal*

📣 Outrage at UW.

Hundreds of University of Wisconsin-Madison students protested last week in response to a racist video in which a sophomore was recorded using racial slurs and joking about slavery.
The university released a statement condemning the video but students expressed frustration that the institution — which has a history of strained relationships with its students of color — didn't do more.
Students delivered a list of nine demands to UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, including immediate expulsion of the student in the video, a public apology from the university, and more funding for resources for students of color.
An online petition calling for the student's expulsion has more than 55,000 signatures. The university has said it does not have the authority to expel the student, citing first amendment rights and legal constraints.
Dig deeper: Students celebrate Black joy, ‘take up space’ in second rally against UW’s response to racist video (The Daily Cardinal)

🛍️ The Night Market cometh.

Mark your calendars because Madison's first Night Market of the season is Thursday.
The Night Market brings together dozens of local vendors and businesses to showcase and sell their work. From 5-9 p.m., you'll find art, music, and food carts along State and Gilman Streets.

🍗 A new restaurant is in the works from the owners of Harvey House.

Butterbird is set to open this fall at 1134 Regent Street. The concept will be much more casual than its acclaimed sister restaurant, focusing on fried and rotisserie chicken.
"It’s trying to do delicious, restaurant quality food in an environment that is a little bit more flexible," one of the owners told Cap Times. "You could come several times a week and get a snack or a chicken sandwich, or go home with a rotisserie chicken and some sides for your family."

⚖️ The County Board rejected a nominee for a top county job.

Following a controversial nomination process, the Dane County Board voted 27-2 against confirming state Rep. Shelia Stubbs as the head of county’s Department of Human Services.
Why? County supervisors said Stubbs doesn't have the qualifications or experience to lead the department, which has roughly 800 employees and a $250 million budget, according to Cap Times.
Stubbs is a longtime public servant who was elected to represent the south and west parts of Madison at the state level in 2018. She was also a member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors and the first Black woman to be its vice chair.
Dig deeper: Stubbs’ failed nomination exposes ongoing ‘rift’ between Dane County Exec. Joe Parisi and board supervisors (Isthmus)

🐴 Your lunchtime read: At UW-Madison, a horse gets better parental leave than humans.

Via Tone Madison: "A horse working for UW-Madison earned a benefit that most of her human counterparts at the university don’t: paid parental leave. However, UW-Madison’s administration is hinting that change is on the horizon."

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🎙️ Today on City Cast Madison

There's a Bear in the Neighborhood

It’s not every day you look out your living room window and see a big ‘ole black bear. Especially in Madison. But that’s exactly what happened to Chris Juzwik in his suburban Fitchburg neighborhood. He gives us the low down.

Listen now