The Wisconsin Man Behind ‘Places I’d Poop’

There are few things more disgusting than walking into a public restroom—when you really have to go—only to find no toilet paper, no soap, and one big mess. (We’ll spare the adjectives in this scenario.)

That’s why Matt Tebo is doing God’s work, reviewing as many of Madison’s public restrooms as he can for his Instagram account @places_id_poop_madison.

“Everybody posts about foodie things, like desserts and drinks,” Tebo told the Cap Times. “I was like, you know what, f— that, I want to know who has the nicest bathrooms.”

Last December, Tebo started posting pictures and reviewing restrooms based on cleanliness, size, convenience, amenities, and gender neutral signage. One year in, and it’s become a group effort.

“My friends are always sending me different bathrooms, like, ‘What do you think of this one?’” he said. His highest scorers so far have been Amara, a new restaurant in Hilldale on Madison’s west side, and Plain Spoke Cocktails on King Street.

CHEESE BOARD 101 – It’s charcuterie season, and we’ve got you covered. If you’ve been tapped to bring a cheese plate to your holiday get-together, remember this: The only official rule of cheese pairing is that there are no rules. That said, we consulted Wisconsin Cheese expert Jeanette Hurt for some basic guidelines to help when indecision strikes. Here’s what she shared.

HOLY COW! – To celebrate reaching 100,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel, Wisconsin brothers Exodus and Iggy Chaudhry decided to tackle a world record: making the world’s largest grilled cheese sandwich! Measuring in at 6.2 ft wide, 10.8 ft long, and 2.7 in thick and an impressive 418.7 pounds, the Chaudhrys shattered the previous record and earned a spot in the Guinness World Record Book. What do you do with the world’s largest grilled cheese? Donate it to local food pantries, of course! Click here to check out their giant creation.

TUITION RELIEF – The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is following UW-Madison’s lead and slashing tuition costs for students from low-income families. Starting fall 2024, the newly announced “Milwaukee Tuition Promise” will cover full college costs (up to four years) for eligible incoming freshmen, with a specific focus on first-generation students. Find the best scholarships available for Wisconsin students (at any college) here.

PARENTAL CONTROLS – A GOP legislator has introduced a series of bills that would force public libraries and school librarians to notify parents within 24 hours about every book checked out by kids under 16. Rep. Barb Dittrich called her bill a “compromise.” “I’ve had some people who actually think my legislation isn’t tough enough and that stuff should be removed,” she said. The “stuff” Dittrich is referring to involves books with LGBTQ characters or plotlines about racial injustice. Learn more about the plan, and how librarians are responding to the surge in censorship here.

Since 2005, more than 2,500 newspapers across the US have closed. That’s left some 70 million Americans with either no local news organization or only one.

The decline of local journalism can be felt here in Wisconsin too, of course. In the Northwoods, Rhinelander’s local paper used to print a new edition every day. Now, it’s twice a week. Commercial radio stations have eliminated their local news cut-ins, too.

RELATED: Two Local Papers Die Every Week in the US

If you’re reading this, you likely see the problem that many people overlook. Less local news coverage leads to more political polarization, less accountability for local officials, and lower voting rates, as proven by many studies like this one from Harvard.

What’s the fix?

Investing in free newsletters like ours is helpful, as well as public radio. And the government could do more to help, considering just how important free press is to a healthy democracy. In 1967, Congress created a nonprofit called the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to support local newsrooms. But as inflation’s gone up, the nonprofit’s contributions haven’t.

Right now, the US government contributes about $3 per capita per year to public news outlets like NPR. Other Western democracies spend more than $50 per capita. 

No state has been spared the death of a newspaper, but the Midwest is among the hardest hit regions. According to this study of “news deserts,” states in the South, Midwest, and Rocky Mountains were most likely to have counties with only one local paper.