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City Cast Madison

Rob Thomas

A surprise new change to federal grants has Wisconsin cheesemakers worried that some small dairy operations might not survive. Here’s what makes them nervous, and why Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and industry leaders are calling on the United States Department of Agriculture to immediately undo the change.

The Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (DBII) was created by Baldwin in 2018

 as part of the federal Farm Bill. The program funnels federal grant money to help dairy farmers and producers through four distribution centers, including one at the 

The money goes to help small dairy makers upgrade their equipment, diversify their products, and increase revenue streams. Since it was enacted, the program

 has distributed over $106 million in grants to 911 businesses in 41 states

, mainly to support small businesses. This year, a total of $12.65 million in federal funds has been made available through the DBII. [WPR, Center for Dairy Research, WCMA]

the Department of Agriculture announced that those distribution centers must provide 25% matching funds

 in cash for all grants. That would equal over $3 million – and the distribution centers say they don’t have the money, which would force the program to end.

Bob Wills, owner of Cedar Grove Farms in Sauk County, said 

the federal grant money helped him pay for a new wastewater treatment system and to market the farm’s cheese curds

. While the awards are relatively modest, he said, they can be crucial for small producers like him to compete with major producers.

Dairy industry experts believe the change originates from the federal Office of Management and Budget, led by Russell Vought. Lawmakers have excoriated Vought for making unauthorized budget cuts in a variety of areas without congressional approval, such as 

attempting to withhold $810 million in approved federal funding via a process known as a “pocket rescission,

” a rarely used budgetary tactic used to negate spending that Congress has already allocated. [Wisconsin State Farmer, WKOW, NBC News]

The federal government tried to freeze the program altogether in 2025, but backed down after an outpouring of support from the dairy and farming industry. So advocates hope that public pressure can persuade the USDA to change course again.

Baldwin sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins

 urging the department to reverse the change. “This new financial hurdle comes at a time when dairy farmers are already struggling financially with fewer market opportunities and record-high fuel prices amid President Trump’s trade war and war in Iran,” Baldwin wrote.

A coalition of 28 industry groups has joined the call

Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association said in a press release

: “Dairy businesses need every available tool to improve efficiency, develop products, reach new markets and strengthen demand for farmers' milk,” wrote Rebekah Sweeney, WCMA Senior Director of Programs & Policy.

Rollins was in Madison at the World Dairy Expo on Sept. 30

, and did not directly address the DBII change. She pointed at $14 billion in new dairy processing and infrastructure investments nationwide, and said new trade markets are opening up for dairy products around the world.

A surprise shift in federal grants threatens small Wisconsin dairy operations, prompting state cheesemakers and Senator Tammy Baldwin to urge the USDA to reverse the decision. This concise meta description is optimized for search engine visibility and user engagement.

Federal Rules Are Worrying Wisconsin Cheesemakers

Why Wisconsin Cheesemakers Worry About New USDA Rules

What Madisonians have been wondering. We break down why things in Madison are the way they are and how they work.

Madison, Explained

Jade Iseri-Ramos

The Nov. 3 election is exactly two weeks away, which means 

in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin starts today.

 Do you have a plan to vote? Do you know what you’ll be voting on? This handy-dandy fall election guide is designed to help you through the process.

The big-ticket item on the Nov. 3 ballot for Wisconsin voters is of course the race for governor. It’s an open seat with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers declining to seek a third term. 

 is running as the Republican nominee while 

The candidates’ only debate is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21

, and will air on WKOW. Earlier this year, 

Crowley spoke with the City Cast Madison podcast

 about his hopes for Wisconsin if elected. 

(Tiffany did not respond to multiple requests for interviews.)

In Wisconsin, candidates for lieutenant governor run separately from the governor’s race. 

Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski

In the race for attorney general, it’s a rematch between 

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney

This could also be a pivotal year in the state Legislature, where new legislative maps mean Democrats could be poised to take over one or both chambers after 16 years of uninterrupted Republican rule.

 of all the contested Assembly and Senate races in Dane County. In District 76, which state Rep. Francesca Hong decided to leave for her unsuccessful run for governor, it’s a tale of two Ninas as Democrat Ald. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford runs against Republican Nina Chat. If Rutherford wins, she will be the first openly transgender member of the state Legislature.

The ballot will also include three constitutional amendment questions approved by the state Legislature. We took a deep dive into these questions earlier this year, and you can 

learn more about the Republican-backed proposals here

Where and when can I vote on Election Day? 

Polls are open on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m to 8 p.m. (If you’re in line by 8 p.m., state law says you have to be allowed to vote – so stay in line!) You can find your polling place at 

What do I need to bring with me to vote? 

If you are already registered to vote, all you need to bring with you is a 

. If you aren’t registered to vote or have moved since the last election, you will also need to bring 

, such as a lease, utility bill, or bank statement to fill out your registration forms. Same-day registration is allowed!

In-person absentee voting starts today and runs through Oct. 31. If you live in Madison, you can vote at any of the 

, which includes libraries, churches, and the Madison Municipal Building. (For voters outside of Madison city limits, early polling locations can be found on 

.) Make sure you bring ID and proof of residence if needed!

anyone can request an absentee ballot up until the Thursday before Election Day

. However, it’s recommended to make the request as soon as possible to leave ample time for delivery and return. Absentee ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted. In addition to returning your ballot by mail, you can drop it in a 

 or take it to an early polling location. On Election Day, you can return it to your assigned polling place.

The big-ticket item on the Nov. 3 ballot for Wisconsin voters is of course the race for governor.

What To Know About the Nov. 3 Wisconsin Election

Your Guide to the Fall 2026 Election in Madison

Newcomers might be a little confused that 

UW-Madison students are charged $100 if they want to have a guest in their dorms

But the policy likely has its roots in the rowdy annual Halloween parties that took over downtown Madison for years, sometimes with violent results. While Freakfest vanished with the COVID-19 pandemic, its ghosts continue to haunt Madison to this day. Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Halloween on State Street.

started as a small block party on State Street in 1977

 when students and others would parade up and down the pedestrian street in their wildest costumes. Seeing that the idea was catching on, UW-Madison student government, then called the Wisconsin Students Association, officially sponsored the event as Halloween on State Street as a fundraiser.

When the drinking age went up in Wisconsin from 18 to 21 in 1986, the student government could no longer sell beer to raise money, and withdrew their involvement. But people kept coming to State Street every Halloween to party in the 1990s, although attendance went up and down from one year to the next. [Badger Herald]

It was in the late ‘90s when crowds, including lots of out-of-towners, began swarming Halloween on State Street. While roughly thousands of costumed revelers attended in 1998, 

an estimated 60,000 people filled the streets by 2001

. To put that into context, UW’s total fall enrollment was 51,822 in 2025.

Things started to get out of hand in 2002

, when a crowd of 65,000 included vandals who broke windows, assaulted others, looted stores, and caused property damage to State Street businesses.

Every year until 2005, when 100,000 people stormed State Street, the event ended with Madison police using tear gas to disperse the crowd. City officials agreed that something needed to change.

In 2006, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz declared that the State Street Halloween celebration would be renamed Freakfest and would become an organized, controlled event. Fencing was put up around State Street, entrants were charged admission, and Frank Productions booked bands like 

bemoaned the tamer, more controlled nature of Freakfest

, the event was a big hit by every measure, with big crowds and relatively few arrests. [Cap Times, Fox47, Isthmus]

Freakfest was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 

was never resurrected due to a lack of funding and support

. But with Halloween being on a Saturday this weekend, if you head down to State Street I’ll bet you’ll see plenty of costumed partiers, ghosts of the old days. [Badger Herald]

Madison's Freakfest event ended several years ago, but its ghosts continue to haunt the city to this day. Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Halloween on State Street.

Remembering When State Street Went Wild on Halloween

Digging Up the Spooky History of Freakfest

Over 9,100 miles separates the UW-Madison campus from the 

 at the South Pole, but there’s a strong connection between the two. On Tuesday, 

UW-Madison professor Francis Halzen received a Nobel Prize in physics

 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm for pioneering the telescope.

“The success of this project involved some luck,” Halzen said in a statement. “I was fortunate to be at UW, where unconventional ideas can thrive and where I had the support of a remarkable community.”

Here’s the backstory on Halzen and the scientific breakthroughs that have made IceCube such a hot topic in physics and astronomy. [UW-Madison News]

 joined the faculty at UW-Madison in 1972

 and has received multiple awards for research over the last half-century. He began researching deep Antarctic ice and in 1987 started the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array, known as AMANDA, which is considered an ancestor of the IceCube project. [ 🔒WSJ]

IceCube is not a traditional telescope like you’d peer through at 

. Instead, it’s embedded deep within a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, using thousands of light sensors to survey the universe for ghostly particles called high-energy neutrinos.

, if a neutrino passes through the Earth and interacts with the ice, it will produce a flash of light that IceCube’s sensors will pick up. Before IceCube, there was no way to monitor neutrinos, but Halzen’s research has created the field of “neutrino astronomy,” and other telescopes (including an underwater telescope) have since been created.

The telescope was completed in 2011 and is operated by a team of 400 scientists around the world, including at UW-Madison. [Washburn Observatory, 🔒NYT]

Neutrinos are nearly massless particles that rarely interact with other forms of matter, and the neutral variety of neutrinos are everywhere. But much rarer are what is called “high-energy neutrinos,” which can provide valuable information on supermassive black holes, galaxies and other objects in the universe.

In addition to bragging rights for UW-Madison, Halzen will be awarded $1.2 million from the committee. The prize for physics is one of six issued by the academy each year.

Discover the backstory behind UW-Madison professor Francis Halzen's Nobel Prize in physics for pioneering the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole.

How UW Professor Won a Nobel Prize

UW-Madison Professor Receives Nobel Prize in Physics

While hyperscale data centers have become a big political issue in Wisconsin, there’s another technological project that is generating some attention in Dane County and beyond – 

a proposed high-powered transmission line called BECI

the Dane County Board passed a resolution

 calling for movement on the project to be slowed down to allow time for further review and public input. Here’s the backstory on BECI, and why it has residents and lawmakers so charged up. [Midcontinent Grid Solutions, Dane County]

a 765-kilovolt power line that would stretch roughly 190 miles across southern Wisconsin

. The area being considered for the line would include parts of Crawford, Richland, Sauk, Columbia, Dodge, Dane, Jefferson, Walworth and Rock counties.

The Y-shaped towers loom 175 feet tall, each requiring 180 feet of space on the ground. The $1.2 billion project is being spearheaded by the Midcontent Independent System Operator (MISO), which is the grid operator for the region, ranging 15 states and parts of Canada.

The company developing the project, Midcontinent Grid Solutions, says the project is necessary to connect southern Wisconsin to the MISO grid as energy use continues to grow and change, keeping energy service reliable even in the case of equipment failures or when parts of the grid are under strain. Some of that energy use comes from new data centers coming online.

While the route has yet to be determined, the BECI lines will not follow existing power lines routes, meaning that it will require new easements or contracts with property owners. [Cap Times]

MGS gathered public input in August and has identified some possible routes in the nine-county region. 

The company plans to hold additional public hearings through the fall

 and then submit their application to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission early next year.

From there, the project will undergo a lengthy review process, and it will be up to the commission to decide if and where the transmission line will be built. 

, the project could be completed by 2033. [Cap Times, MGS]

, worried that the giant towers will destroy the view of their rural land and impact the wildlife that live there. As one 91-year-old resident told the Cap Times, “instead of having a view of heaven, you got a view of hell.”

Residents have been attending their local government meetings

 (such as the Dane County Board) asking them to slow down the process, and 

both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

 have come out in support of either slowing down the project or killing it altogether.

“People who received letters just weeks ago are now being asked to absorb the entirety of a 190-mile, 765-kV line, identify the parties involved, understand potential routes through their communities, and provide meaningful feedback, all on a compressed timeline that does not match the scale of the project's impact on their land, their livelihoods, and their communities," Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan wrote in a Sept. 16 letter to MGS.

Pocan’s longtime rival and sparring partner, Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, agreed in a Sept. 17 statement. "You can’t put a mailbox in the ground without going through the (Department of Natural Resources), yet Tony Evers would have Wisconsin believe that nothing can be done to protect the Driftless Region from massive transmission lines being forced through communities that do not want them.” [No765Line, Spectrum News, 🔒MJS]

The 190-mile BECI high-voltage transmission line aims to secure Wisconsin’s grid, but locals and the Dane County Board are demanding delays over data center ties and land rights.

Why the Proposed BECI Transmission Line Is Sparking Backlash in Wisconsin

What To Know About The Proposed BECI Transmission Line

Much of the discussion about the Nov. 3 election in Wisconsin has centered on the governor’s race, as well as congressional races and the Assembly and Senate races that will decide the balance of power in the state legislature.

But there’s something else on the ballot this November for voters to consider – 

three Republican-backed proposed amendments to the state constitution

, host Bianca Martin talks with creative producer Jade Iseri-Ramos and contributor Scott Resnick about the questions facing voters. They also talk about declining attendance at UW Badgers football games. And, with American Girl unveiling its first doll who lives in Madison, Daisy Davenport, put their heads together to design the ideal Madison doll! [Wisconsin Watch, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Where Are the Badger Fans? Who Is Daisy Davenport? And What Referendums Are on the Ballot?

Here’s a deep dive into the three questions on the November ballot, and how they got there:

🗳️ How Does an Amendment Get On the Ballot?

lawmakers must sign off on identical language on an amendment during two consecutive two-year terms

For the Legislature, which has been controlled by Republicans since 2011, the constitutional amendment process has been a tactic to bring legislation directly to the voters and make an end run around Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ veto pen. Since Evers took office in 2017, 

the Legislature has put a dozen amendment questions (including the upcoming three) before voters

voters approved an amendment requiring a photo ID to vote

. [League of Women Voters, Wisconsin Watch, WisPolitics]

✍️ Question 1: The Governor’s Partial Veto

This question would “prohibit the governor, in exercising his or her partial veto authority, from creating or increasing or authorizing the creation or increase of any tax or fee?”

The proposed amendment stems from Evers using his veto pen to increase school funding

 by $325 per year for the next 400 years. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Evers’ partial veto after a lawsuit questioned its constitutionality. [WPR]

⛪ Question 2: Gathering in Places of Worship

This question would “prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from ordering the closure of, or forbidding gatherings in, places of worship in response to a state of emergency, including a public health emergency?”

The proposed amendment is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Evers’ “Safer at Home” order in March 2020 that limited religious gatherings to 10 or fewer people to prevent spread of the virus. 

 by the then conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. [WPR]

⛔ Question 3: Prohibiting DEI in Government

This question would “prohibit governmental entities in the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration?”

Supporters say that the amendment follows 

 that race could not be a factor in college admissions, and would make sure that opportunities in government and education would be open to all. 

Opponents say it would limit opportunities for disadvantaged groups

Not surprisingly, response to the GOP-backed questions by Wisconsin’s candidates for governor 

. Republican candidate Tom Tiffany said he supports all three questions, while Democratic candidate David Crowley opposes them (as does Evers). Crowley said that if he is elected governor, he would continue to use the partial veto. [Wisconsin Watch]

Wisconsin's Nov. 3 election features key governor and legislative races—plus three Republican-backed constitutional amendments. Learn what's on the ballot.

Wisconsin Voters To Decide These Three Constitutional Amendments

Know the Constitutional Amendments On Your Fall Ballot

Breese Stevens Field was built in 1926 as a baseball stadium

, it would have been hard to envision what the stadium on East Washington Avenue would become a century later.

In addition to being the home of two soccer teams and an Ultimate Frisbee team, Breese has become an outdoor multi-use facility, hosting festivals like Curd Fest and Distill America and, most significantly, becoming the city’s largest outdoor concert venue for touring musical acts like Brandi Carlile, Alabama Shakes, and Train this summer.

As Breese Stevens enters its second century, 

its owners have big changes in mind, especially to increase the number of concerts and events

. But some neighbors of the field aren’t happy about it. Here’s a look at the past, present, and future of Breese Stevens Field.

Built on a block of land formerly owned by the widow of the late Madison mayor Breese J. Stevens, 

the field officially opened on May 5, 1926

. Gov. John Blaine threw out the first pitch to Mayor A.G. Schmedemann.

In 1934, the field’s iconic stone walls were built by the federal Civil Works Administration, and lighting towers were installed as well. The field was mainly used for high school games and minor league baseball until 1982, when it was converted into a soccer facility. The complex was designated a Madison landmark and joined the National Registry of Historic Places in 1995. [City of Madison]

Breese Stevens became home to Madison’s new Ultimate frisbee team, 

 soccer team played its first game in 2019, and Madison’s first USL W pre–professional soccer team, 

, which also owns the Madison Mallards, owns both soccer teams and operates Breese Stevens Field.

FPC Live began booking concerts at Breese in 2015, with the Avett Brothers playing the inaugural show there. Since then, 

, including Phoebe Bridgers, Willie Nelson, Bon Iver, and Wilco. [Madison Radicals, Forward Madison, Rally Madison, Big Top Events, Breese Stevens Field]

Last week, Big Top Events and city officials 

presented an ambitious $8 million renovation plan for Breese Stevens Field

, much of which would make it more attractive and easy to use as a concert facility.

The improvements, which would be paid for entirely by Big Top Events, include

A new permanent concert stage, whereas now a temporary stage has to be assembled for each concert. On game nights the stage area could be used as seating.

An artists’ “green room” area and other concert support facilities.

As Breese Stevens enters its second century, its owners plan to increase the number of concerts and events. But some neighbors of the field aren’t happy about it. Here’s a look at the past, present and future of Breese Stevens Field.

Madison, Explained

Why Wisconsin Cheesemakers Worry About New USDA Rules

Your Guide to the Fall 2026 Election in Madison

Digging Up the Spooky History of Freakfest

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