💉 Have you gotten a flu shot yet?

💉 Fewer Wisconsinites Have Gotten Flu Shots This Year

• Only a quarter of Wisconsinites have gotten the flu shot so far. That's about 10% less than last year. Numbers are down noticeably among adults over 65 who are more vulnerable to the newer strains of the H3N2 virus, which experts say could be more severe. Even in Dane County, the vaccination rate is only 37%.
• COVID-19 boosters are even less common this year. Under 10% of Wisconsinites have updated their shots. The CDC recommends vaccines for everyone over 6 months of age (aka you, reading this), but they suggest speaking to a healthcare provider about it instead of just going to the pharmacy. Some experts are worried that advice might turn out even fewer people and lead to a rough respiratory illness season. In Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services says everyone 6 months of age or older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, calling it “safe and effective.” [WPR, Wisconsin Department of Health, 📝 City Cast Madison]

📢 Students Speak Up About DEI Cuts

• After 20 years, UW-Madison won't offer its Diversity Forum this fall. The cut is one of many diversity, equity and inclusion set-backs, including a restructuring of student affairs, removing a tutoring resource and axing an HR division. This comes as almost 20% of students in the freshman class are "underrepresented students of color."
• Many students are speaking up against the cuts, saying, "The last thing you want to see when it seems like everything else is going up in flames is to see your university administration… take that first step backwards." The cuts come under pressure from both the state and federal government. [UW-Madison, Cap Times]

🚔 New Interim Independent Police Monitor

• Aeiramique “Meeka” Glass was chosen by the Police Civilian Oversight Board while they search for someone to fill the permanent position. Her responsibilities will include overseeing everything from policies to investigations and to "improve community-police relations and accountability."
• Before working in Madison, Glass worked with the City of Baltimore as the Chief of Police Accountability.
• Dig deeper: Madison has fought hard for the creation and now maintenance of the Office of the Independent Police Monitor. [City of Madison, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🗑️ Last Call For Olin Avenue Drop Off Site

• It’s your last chance this year to make a trash run to the city’s drop off site. They’ll take your excess trash, recycling, yard waste, and appliances. Sunday is its last day, don't forget!
• They'll be moving from 121 E. Olin Avenue to a new address next spring. [City of Madison]

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and finding gifts for everyone on your list can be overwhelming. To make things easier and more exciting, we asked our City Cast hosts and producers to share a shining example of a small business in their city with an online shop. Here’s how you can support small businesses and find a gift for just about everyone.

🌭 Madison: Mustard of the Month Subscription from National Mustard Museum

When people think of Wisconsin, they probably think of cheese. City Cast Madison executive producer Hayley Sperling wants to change that narrative.

“What began as one man's special interest turned into a museum of national acclaim. The National Mustard Museum is home to over 7,000 jars from across all 50 states and more than 70 countries. It's grown to be one of Wisconsin's most popular museums and was even featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show back in the day (1999). Each subscription also comes with a recipe newsletter.”

🥩 Austin: Meat and Merch from Franklin Barbecue

Give the gift of Texas beef from James Beard award-winning Franklin Barbecue — the best in the country, according to Bon Appétit. Or take it from Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama, who have both made the pilgrimage. Here’s what City Cast Austin host Nikki DaVaughn has to say.

“People line up before dawn just to get the opportunity to eat at Franklin, but why do that when you can have it shipped anywhere in the U.S. through GoldBelly? You can order everything from rubs, barbecue sauces, merch, and most importantly MEAT. All you have to do is reheat it and you can have something better than dry ass turkey for the holidays.”

✂️ Chicago: A Collage Magazine from the Chicago Collage Community

For those who love art, the Chicago Collage Community — which just celebrated its third anniversary — has two editions of its collage magazine featuring artists from across Chicagoland. Here’s City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran’s take.

“One of [Chicago Collage Magazine’s] curators, Lo Marie, is one of my friends and favorite visual artists in the city. Her current series ‘Windy City Tells’ is a magnificent and evocative series that captures daily life in the city in a unique way. It’s curated and edited by co-founders Charlea Taylor and Christine Vilutis, along with fellow collage artists and curators Miranda Livingston and Lo Marie.”

🍸 DC: Politically-Themed Spirits from Republic Restoratives Distillery

As the nation’s capital, D.C. is the epicenter of politics and “that’s enough to drive anyone to drink,” says City Cast DC host Bridget Todd. So, why not make it a good drink?

Republic Restoratives is a queer woman-owned distillery with a very D.C. story: Co-founder Pia Carusone used to work in politics and left to start Republic Restoratives after the attack on her boss, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Plus, a portion of the sales go directly to Vote.org.

Bridget recommends the Fascist Tears Vodka for a martini “as dirty as Christina Aguilera in the 90s.”

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

🎉 Congratulations to Janet C., Michelle E. – who had her wedding rehearsal there in 1989 – and Angie M for being the first three to guess correctly!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Any idea where these butterflies may be? Here are some clues:

• It's by a lake.
• Kids play nearby, but not too nearby…
• If you think it's downtown, you'd be on the Wright track!