🍻 Wonder Bar is denied landmark status

How the Historic Meta Settlement Will Impact Wisconsin

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, agreed to a $17 billion settlement of a lawsuit from a consortium of states that alleged the company’s social media apps were harmful to young people. Wisconsin is expecting to get a share of over $200 million from the settlement.

On the City Cast Madison podcast today, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul talks to host Bianca Martin about the historic settlement and what it will mean for the state. He also talks about how his office is tackling PFAS lawsuits and the DOJ’s role in investigating the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz. [NPR, WPR, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Here’s the details on how the settlement came about, and how Wisconsin might spend its share of the money.

💻 ‘Encourage Compulsive Use’

When a consortium of states attorneys general filed suit against Meta, it was compared to a landmark lawsuit filed against tobacco companies in the 1990s. In both cases, the suits alleged the companies knew about the harmful effects of their products and tried to cover the data up.

In the case of Meta, the charge was that the company had designed its apps to “encourage compulsive use” with features like infinite scroll, photo filters, and “like” buttons that helped them become addictive to its users, and particularly young people.

The AGs also said Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by gathering personal data about users under 13 years of age and not seeking parental consent. Meta denied the accusations, saying they were aware of potential risks to minors and made efforts to address them. [NPR]

💰 High Stakes

Initial estimates were that Meta could have incurred $1.4 trillion in penalties – roughly its entire worth on NASDAQ. While the $17 billion (released over 10 years) might seem like a lot of money, Meta reported over $200 billion in earnings in 2025.

In addition to the payout, Meta has agreed to several new restrictions for younger users, including a default two-hour limit, muted notifications during school hours, and disabling so-called “beauty filters” for photos. [Meta, NPR]

🍻 Council Denies Landmark Status For Wonder Bar: The shuttered 94-year-old Wonder Bar may be the source of a lot of good stories, some of them even true. But the Madison City Council said that isn’t enough to give the roadhouse landmark status. Range Hill Partners plans to demolish the building and the neighboring Coliseum Bar to build a seven-story multi-use apartment building.

• But they ARE good stories! Check out my lore dump of the Wonder Bar’s colorful backstory, which includes gangsters, ghosts, and more. [🔒WSJ, City Cast Madison]

🗳️ District 1 Gets New Interim Alder: The Madison City Council voted unanimously last week to appoint Devine Nzegwu to represent District 1 on the council. A credit analyst at John Deere Financial, Nzegwu will serve the remaining eight months of the term of former alder John Duncan, who resigned earlier this year.

• Do you know what district you live in? Find out here! [WORT, City of Madison]

⚖️ Planned Parenthood Sues Over Wisconsin Abortion Laws: In a new lawsuit, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin charges that the state’s abortion restrictions violate the state constitution. Abortion access was restored in Wisconsin last year by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but Planned Parenthood says the current restrictions in place, including a 24-hour delay and a requirement that a physician performs the procedure, violate a woman’s right to liberty and bodily autonomy. [News 3, NPR]

🏗️ 10-Story Apartment Building Coming to Mifflin Street: A new student housing development called the Atmosphere on Mifflin will open in 2028, with 264 units and 15,000 square feet of space for a clubhouse and other amenities. Construction started last month at the site at 619 West Mifflin St., and the new development will incorporate the Wiedenbeck Apartments currently located there. [News 3]

⚡ County Wants More Input, Review of Transmission Project: The Dane County Board has delayed action on a proposed transmission project, calling for more time for public input and staff review. The BECI Project would include a 190-mile transmission line across southern Wisconsin, including parts of Dane County. [WMTV]