🧙 Only Madison would have a witch regatta

🇺🇸 Veterans Day Might Finally Become a State Holiday

• Wisconsin is the only U.S. state that doesn’t recognize Veterans Day as a state holiday, and some Democratic state legislators want to change that.
• Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is a federal and bank holiday, meaning all federal offices are closed, including post offices. Several lawmakers have introduced a bill making it a Wisconsin holiday, which would close state offices and give state employees the day off. Wisconsin state employees currently get a floating day off in place of Veterans Day. [Cap Times]

😮‍💨 The Public Wants Medical Marijuana. Do Lawmakers?

• A Republican-sponsored bill that would allow medical marijuana in Wisconsin received strong support from speakers at a public hearing last week. But the measure faces opposition in the Legislature, both from Republicans who worry that it will open the door to overall legalization, and Democrats who think the law is too limited.
• Meanwhile, other Republicans are working on legislation to prohibit or regulate Delta-8 THC and other natural or synthetic cannabinoid derivatives that are currently allowed in Wisconsin.
• 🎧 The view from Madison: Some Madison City Council members are also hoping to regulate THC sales in the city, including adding an age requirement. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Council President Regina Vidaver about why she thinks such regulation is so important. [Wisconsin Examiner, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🔬 UW-Madison Building $77M Cyclotron Particle Accelerator

• A new cyclotron being constructed at UW-Madison could lead to great advancements in cancer and Alzheimer’s disease research, scientists say.
• A cyclo-what?! A cyclotron is a particle accelerator about the size of four to five industrial refrigerators. It produces radioactive atoms that are combined with molecules to transport drugs to treat disease or used to diagnose a condition.
• Construction on the $77 million project begins in 2026 and should be finished in 2028. Biohealth leaders say the new cyclotron could make UW-Madison a leader in theranostics and nuclear medicine. [ 🔒WSJ]

People join book clubs in order to find new books to read and meet other readers. So why aren’t there any record clubs for people who want to find new music and meet other fans?

Starting Nov. 5, there will be. The “Spin It Record Club” is the idea that Madison’s Jody Berndt came up with, a monthly get-together where music fans talk about an album – not only with each other, but with the musicians themselves.

The record club kicks off with Ezra Furman’s “Small Head” at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge, with Furman joining in via Zoom. Come at 6 p.m. for a public birthday party for longtime Madison concert fan Marco Pogo, a pogo-sticking presence at local rock shows for over 40 years.

I recently caught up with Berndt to get the scoop on her new club and how it came to be.

How did you come up with the idea of the record club?

As someone who’s almost 50, it’s really hard to make friends. I really love music and started going to all these shows by myself. I started seeing a lot of the same people, and you sort of build this sense of community. There’s people in this community who know a lot about music. Their wealth of knowledge [goes] way back.

So my hope is the record club brings together everyone from the spectrum of someone like me, who is really new to discovering music, and these hardcore music nerds who can come in and share their vantage point. It puts everybody on a level playing field.

What do you see your role as?

I’m just the facilitator. My role is to guide the discussion gently. If someone goes off randomly talking about their cat for too long, I can gently circle it back. Sometimes you talk about other things besides the record, but I do want to keep it a little more focused on the topic at hand.

Should people listen to the album before they come?

It would be ideal if they do, obviously. I guess if you don’t, you’re still going to get something out of it, because you’re going to listen to the discussion. Then I guess you could go back and listen to it afterwards. But it’s going to be a good vibe anyway.

Meet Turtle Sundae! This adult cat is so curious, playful, and energetic, you could eat her up with a spoon. She’s an independent kitty who likes pets – but on her terms. She’s looking for a family who can read her body language and cues, and will give her the space to explore, play, run around, and relax in the window watching the world go by. Since this sweetie is part of the Lonely Hearts Club, DCHS has waived her adoption fees.