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We wanted to share the first episode of an exciting new project from The Corner Table podcast that is co-hosted by Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians and Cap times contributor Chris Lay. ------------- When quarantine kicked in last spring, we refocused The Corner Table to examine and document effects the pandemic was having across so many facets of food service, cocktails, grocery stores, and local farmers markets. Now as we emerge, we’re getting ready to close the book on that dismal chapter.  We decided to take a deep dive into what it means to reopen a restaurant that’s been closed for over a year, and to illustrate that process we decided to focus on one of our shared favorite places in town: Sardine. For this first episode, we interviewed Sardine's co-owners John Gadau and Phillip Hurley about what it was like to shut down for over a year, their discussions with employees and the factors they weighed during the summer and fall. How were they feeling? What was the financial impact? Where are they now? In future episodes we’ll sit in on staff meetings and check in with kitchen staff and servers to find out what their COVID year was like. We’ll take you to Sardine on opening day, and we’ll be looking forward to what dining could look like as we emerge, slowly and as safely as we can, from this dining drought. We are extremely excited about this, so make sure you’re subscribed for all the future installments that will be coming out over the next several weeks.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back! With epidemiologist and Madsplainers regular Malia Jones! If you listen to this podcast regularly, you’ve probably heard Malia talk about the pandemic before. Now, halfway through the school year, Madison's public schools again face the big decision: remain virtual or return some students for in-person learning in late January. As the mom of two school-age kids, Malia has, like so many of you, been living through the special hell that is virtual school, and we thought she'd be just the right person to talk us through what it means to be making this decision just as the first vaccines are rolling out in Wisconsin.     Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listeners, we've got some news. We'll start with the bad: This is the last episode of the Madsplainers, at least for the time being, as Abby and Natalie shift gears to focus full-time on reporting. We've loved making this show, and we hope you've loved it too, and we hope to keep Madsplainin' the answers to your questions through our reporting. Now the good news: We got a favorite and frequent guest, Cap Times K-12 education reporter Scott Girard, to come back for one more interview. This week, he explains how and why Madison's public schools are overhauling the way they teach children to read, and why that's giving hope to some of the folks most concerned about the district's longstanding racial disparities. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When protests broke out across the country this summer in response to the police killing of George Floyd, some argued that the way the police responded to the protests only made things worse. This week on the podcast, reporter Clara Neupert explains what we know about how policing can change protests, and how Madison — at least at one point — offered what seemed like a better way. Clara is a reporting fellow with Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit investigative news outlet that lets outlets like the Cap Times publish its work for free. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID pandemic has taken an especially fierce toll on Madison’s Latinos, who have disproportionate infection and hospitalization rates and fewer safety nets. But for every way this virus and its fallout have unevenly hit them, they've punched back, working together to protect themselves and keep their businesses afloat. This week on the podcast, reporter and Madsplainers co-host Natalie Yahr explains why Latinos have faced heightened risk, and how they're fighting back. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the country, local officials faced an extraordinary challenge this year: How to allow Americans to cast ballots in the November election without exacerbating the ongoing pandemic or overwhelming the postal system. That meant changing everything from how ballots were collected to how polling places worked. But in Madison, the record voter turnout and quick counting process suggest success. On this episode, Abby and Natalie talk with Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl and Jennifer Haar, a member of the city’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiatives' Core Team, which conducted an equity analysis of the April election, about what worked in November, what’s still left to fix, and what changes may stick post-pandemic.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's no secret that Madison doesn't have enough housing for its low-income residents, and as the city grows and rents rise, the need is only growing — to say nothing of the challenges posed by a pandemic that's put many out of work. This week on the podcast, Cap Times metro reporter Nicholas Garton explains why so many of Madison's affordable housing developments have left low-income renters behind — and what the city and local nonprofits are trying next.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, most Americans probably didn't spend a lot of time thinking about how to avoid getting a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening disease. But as an environmental services technician at University Hospital, tasked with cleaning and sanitizing everything from patient rooms to nurses' stations, Dwayne Collins has spent years doing exactly that. This week on the podcast, Cap Times investigative reporter Katelyn Ferral joins Dwayne as he makes his rounds in one of the hospital's COVID wards, learning about he keeps himself and his family safe, and why the job is about way more than cleaning.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Wisconsin in spring, many restaurant owners, like many of us, thought maybe things would go back to normal in a couple months. Boy, were we all wrong. As winter sets in and the pandemic continues to rage in Wisconsin, Madison area restaurants that have fought to survive this long are up against a whole new set of challenges, since eating outdoors in January is sure to be an acquired taste. This week on the podcast, we talk with food editor Lindsay Christians, who's been following Madison area restaurants through their many adaptations, to find out what local eateries are trying next — and what it'll take for them to make it through the winter. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the lead-up to Election Day, all eyes are on Wisconsin, a key battleground state, and Cap Times reporters have been digging into the various factors that might affect the outcome to help Dane County residents know what to expect. This week on the podcast, city and county government reporter Abigail Becker explains how Madison signed up a record number of poll workers, investigative reporter Katelyn Ferral breaks down the candidates' ad strategies and politics reporter Briana Reilly discusses what she'll be watching for on election night. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Madison voters cast their ballots for the Nov. 3 election, they're being asked to decide whether to increase local property taxes to provide additional funding for the city's schools. Madsplainers hosts Abby Becker and Natalie Yahr wanted to better understand how these kinds of questions end up on the ballot, what the district says it would do with these new funds, and who's arguing for and against the measure, so they asked K-12 education reporter Scott Girard to break it down. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black student athletes, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beyond, have long demanded more seats at the table within a college athletics system that uniquely depends on them for success and survival. Now, amidst growing national concern over racism, UW students and athletic staff are pushing the university to take concrete steps to support Black athletes and reduce disparities. This week on the podcast, Cap Times higher education reporter Yvonne Kim explains what they're calling for — and what the university is offering in response.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caught in a polarizing national environment and located in one of the nation’s COVID-19 hotspots, Wisconsin organizers and campaigns are taking different approaches to reaching voters in this key swing state. Cap Times political reporter Briana Reilly shares what she's learned by following them throughout "battleground Wisconsin."Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a year since Madison had a permanent police chief, and as police killings and the ensuing protests have prompted growing numbers of people to question the role of police in their communities, it's certainly an unusual moment to be filling the vacancy. Cap Times local government reporter Abigail Becker has spent the last few months listening to what community members, officers and activists say they'd like to see in the city's next top cop. This week on the podcast, she shares what she heard — and how new oversight measures and growing calls for changes to policing might change the job.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the nation and in Wisconsin, the militia movement is flourishing, fueled by outrage over stay-at-home orders, mask mandates and public unrest. In increasing numbers, armed militia members and vigilantes have inserted themselves into highly charged confrontations between protesters and police, with sometimes violent consequences. When Kyle Rittenhouse brought an assault rifle to a Kenosha racial justice protest in August and killed two protesters, the U.S. glimpsed the danger. This week on the podcast, Cap Times reporter Steve Elbow explains what we know about this growing movement — and what it could mean for the November election.Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virtual school hasn't been easy for anyone, but for students with disabilities, it's posed some extra challenges. Those students often depend on school for therapy and other specialized services that can't easily move online, and their parents have had to figure out not only how to tutor their children but how to administer physical or occupational therapy. On this week's show, Cap Times K-12 education reporter Scott Girard explains how families and Madison schools are working to get these students the education they deserve, pandemic or not. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this summer, an incident in Monona made headlines when a neighbor called police on a Black man for being “suspicious,” when, as he explained at gunpoint, in handcuffs, he had permission to be in the house. Incidents like these are unfortunately all too common. With police killings in the news this summer, much attention has been focused on reforming police departments and changing police officers’ attitudes, and with less attention paid to the role individuals and their biases play in calling the police. This week on the podcast, Natalie explains the pervasive phenomenon called “profiling by proxy” and how police officers and neighborhoods in Madison are dealing with it. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the country, Black communities are pleading with police to treat them with respect, while police are pleading with Black communities to trust them. In Madison, where the police department has earned national recognition for its approach to community policing, Black youth still feel conflicted about the role of police, and recent local and national incidents have only added to the mistrust. Metro reporter Nicholas Garton looks at the years-long efforts to repair those relationships, and why the task is getting harder by the day. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As UW-Madison students head back to school this week with a mix of in-person and online classes, lots of eyes are on students’ physical health. The university has mandated coronavirus testing for students living in dorms and has been posting the number of tests and virus cases they detect online. But as Cap Times intern Sophie Bolich found, the pandemic is also taxing students' mental health and straining colleges' already over-burdened counseling services. This week on the podcast, Sophie explains how students and colleges are trying to adapt to continued uncertainty. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National attention has been focused on Wisconsin since Sunday evening, when Kenosha police shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. In the days since, protesters have filled the streets of Kenosha and Madison calling yet again for an end to police violence against Black Americans. This week on the podcast, we hear from Cap Times local government reporter and Madsplainers co-host Abigail Becker, who’s been tracking local efforts to hold police accountable since 2016. Her latest cover story examines two measures that could finally take effect in Madison — and what those measures can and can’t do. Support the show: https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=capitaltimes&campaign=7013i000000U67DAASSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.