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WSUM News Team compiles recent news in under 5 minutes every Monday through Thursday. Originally aired on the 91.7 FM stream, each newscast is re-posted in audio form.
INTRO GOOD (DAY) EVENING MADISON! YOU’RE LISTENING TO THE 5/6 O’CLOCK NEWS UPDATE ON WSUM 91.7 FM MADISON STUDENT RADIO. I’M TALULA HAYES.
IN THE NEWS TODAY,
IN LOCAL NEWS,
Madison’s Social Justice Center appeals city order to remove benches and food pantry after public outcry. The City of Madison claimed they are creating a “public nuisance” and have been publicly pressured to make a change. Madison Police received 212 calls in 2025 regarding reports of drug use, human waste, disorderly conduct and encampments surrounding the area. The Social Justice Center is a space where nonprofits are able to provide for local community members with resources such as Narcan and free food. The benches have been there for 15 years and the food pantry has been there for six years, so removing their presence after providing for the community for many years is complicated; this is coupled with the fact that homeless people in the area have limited legal living options. Brenda Konkel, a board member for the Social Justice Center and advocate for the resources received a letter from the City, however organizers keep changing requests. “Apparently they believe that if we remove these items somehow, it’s going to cut down on crime in the neighborhood,” Konkel said. The city’s Social Justice Center plans to appeal the city’s request in March.
ALSO IN LOCAL NEWS,
Teen killed in crash along South Park Street this morning on their way to school. A 17-year-old died after a crash near Burr Oak Lane after being struck by a vehicle. The teen died from injuries and was confirmed to have been a student in the Metropolitan School District. Multiple witnesses reported the crash to 911 around 7:43 a.m. and Madison Fire Department EMS crews arrived within five minutes, an MFD spokesperson said. South Park Street was closed to allow for police to investigate the crash which affected both directions between North Ave. and Burr Oak Lane. The road reopened before 10:30 a.m.
IN NATIONAL NEWS,
The Justice Department faces scrutiny for disclosing victim’s information and concealing possible offender’s information in the Epstein files. Last Friday, more than 3 million documents were released. This action caused an uproar from survivors who are accusing the DOJ of favoritism towards enablers of Jeffrey Epstein’s convicted sexual crimes while failing those harmed. Many of these instances were pointed out in a CNN review which had special focus on the draft indictment of Epstein from the 2000s which would have directly charged Epstein and three others. Some of these statements include especially sensitive information, such as blacked out statements that victims sent to the FBI. FBI and law enforcement names were all redacted, with a DOJ official claiming any fully redacted names are of victims. “In many instances, as it has been well documented publicly, those who were originally victims became participants and co-conspirators,” the official said. The released files are claimed to have been what is the last of the files that are required to be disclosed by law after the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act by Congress. The DOJ avoided a hearing in federal court on Wednesday by reaching an agreement late Tuesday with victims' lawyers. Lawyers claimed the DOJ had released the information of around 100 Epstein victims. The DOJ said it has removed all documents that victims or lawyers identified with 500 reviewers on the files to prevent mistakes such as this.
IN ECONOMIC NEWS,
The Bank of England, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of Mexico all held interest rates steady today. BoE and ECB policymakers both appear to be in no rush to cut rates again in the near future, with ECB President Christine Lagarde saying that central bank was in a “good place.” The BoE marked down its forecast for economic growth this year to between 0.9 and 1.2 percent, down from 1.4 percent last year, but policymakers there argue that keeping rates higher for longer is still necessary to bring down inflation expectations. Inflation in the U.K. topped out at over 11 percent in 2026, but is expected to return to target in April. The Bank of Mexico’s decision came after 12 consecutive rate cuts as inflation edged closer to 4 percent in that country. Rate-setters pushed back the estimated date for inflation to return to its 3 percent target to the second quarter of 2027.
ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steelmaker by volume, is looking ahead to a boost in profits after European leaders proposed steep tariffs on foreign steel. The conglomerate posted strong fourth-quarter earnings today, beating analysts’ expectations. ArcelorMittal executives predicted future growth from the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which aims to compensate for stringent EU pollution controls that give external producers a competitive advantage. The European Commission has also proposed a sweeping 50 percent import quota on steel, which automakers and other major exporters are warning would go too far. ArcelorMittal shares were up 2¼ percent at the close of trading at the New York Stock Exchange. For WSUM News, I’m Daniel Stein.
OUTRO: THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN! FROM THE WSUM NEWS BOOTH, I’M TALULA HAYES. HAVE A GREAT EVENING MADISON!