🏨 For $5.2M you can live on top of the Edgewater

🪧 Hundreds Gather At Capitol For ‘Not My President's Day’

• Frigid temperatures didn’t deter protesters from heading to the state Capitol Monday to protest the policies of President Donald Trump. The “Not My President’s Day” rally was the second nationwide protest organized by the 50501 Movement in all 50 states, speaking out against Trump’s executive orders targeting immigrants, health care, and LGBTQ+ residents.
• A Rally For Reproductive Freedom is scheduled for March 4 outside the chambers of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which has a case before them challenging the state’s 1848 abortion ban.
• 🎧 Stay tuned: Next week on the City Cast Madison podcast, we’ll speak with two Wisconsin Watch reporters on how Trump’s federal edicts are impacting our state Legislature. [Daily Cardinal, 50501 Movement, 🎧City Cast Madison, Madison Reddit, PBS Wisconsin]

🎒 Program for Black Students With Disabilities Is Running Out of Funds

• The executive director of Natural Circles of Support, a nonprofit that helps Black students in Madison schools, said the organization is running out of funds and may shut down this spring.
• Jeffrey Lewis said the Madison Metropolitan School District didn’t renew its contract with his nonprofit in August, and has since been running on reserves while looking for outside funding.
• At a time when Wisconsin’s achievement gap is the worst in the country, the group builds mentor circles for Black students to help them grow intellectually and emotionally. [Cap Times]

❄️ When Life Gives You Snow, Make Snow Labyrinths

• One upside to last week’s snowfall is that it provided a lot of material for Madison artist Ann Drehfal to work with. Trudging around in her snowshoes, Drehfal creates giant landscape art pieces, such as a 150-foot labyrinth in Olin Park.
• Because they’re made out of snow, they vanish quickly due to sun, wind, or additional snowfall. But for Drehfal, their impermanence is part of their appeal. “It’s a walking meditation,” she said.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: Madison drivers know there’s also an “art” to navigating the city’s snow parking rules. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, we speak with City Superintendent of Streets Charlie Romines about how to avoid getting a ticket. [ 🔒WSJ, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Many might assume that a cold Wisconsin winter is a time for people to hunker down inside and binge-watch television, such as “Squid Game” or the other Korean television shows that have taken the world by storm.

But, in a plot twist worthy of the Korean dramas that she writes and podcasts about, UW-Madison visiting professor Grace Jung said she’s spent a lot of time outside since she moved to Madison from Los Angeles last September. During an interview about her new book, “K-Drama School,” Jung was recovering a pulled muscle in her back from going cross-country skiing earlier in the day.

“I like Wisconsin,” she said. “There’s actually a lot to do here. I’ve been more physically active for sure.” She’s also become a fan of Madison’s bakeries, and bought herself some peanut butter pie at the Willy Street Co-op earlier in the day.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Madison Central Library, Jung will talk about “K-Drama School.” Having grown out of her podcast of the same name, the book is part chatty recap, part cultural exploration of what drives and inspires Korean dramas. A chapter on the popularity of amnesia storylines, for example, dives into the collective amnesia of South Korea of its time living under Japan’s colonial rule.

Where is there overlap for you between teaching at UW-Madison and being a podcaster, a writer, and a stand-up comedian?

For me, teaching is more or less just holding people’s attention for however long I have to be up there. All the things I did, the main idea is to not bore the audience and hold their attention. I think given my background in show business and other work, it makes teaching a lot easier for me. The work is me thinking what brainy things I can offer them, and how can I make sure they’re with me?

What was the process like of turning your podcast into a book?

I’d been covering a whole show for every single episode. And I was looking for patterns, like what would be interesting to discuss? What kind of questions did I have when I was younger and watching these kinds of shows, wondering why the same few things keep happening on these shows. So I just decided to answer these questions myself.

The sub-headline to your book is “A Pop Culture Exploration of Why We Love Korean Television.” Who’s “we”?

It’s not a big secret these days that people globally appreciate and watch Korean television shows. That’s visible, considering how all the Hollywood conglomerates are also invested in Korean television shows. The “we” speaks to fans of those shows. It also can be curious audiences who find themselves surprised by watching a TV show that doesn’t reflect their ethnic or cultural background. Even with the language barrier, it’s like, “I can’t stop watching these shows.”

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

This wall is located at Sultan restaurant on Atwood!

🎉 Congratulations to Judi G., Leah S., and Dave R. for being the first ones to get it right!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Do you know where this plane is flying? A few clues:

• The plane is a replica of a 1930s Corben Super Ace, which were once made at a manufacturing plant in Madison.
• It was hung in 1991 as part of a $5.8 million expansion of this facility.
• If you’re a TSA PreCheck member, you have probably passed right underneath it!