Target Security Breach, Curious Wisconsin: Covered Bridges, Women & Sci Fi

Featured in this Show

• Wisconsin's Remaining Covered Bridge Is Local Source Of Pride

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  Wisconsin once boasted 40 covered bridges, but now, due to a variety of factors, only one of those remains.

  Built in 1876 for area farmers, Cedarburg’s “Red Bridge” was retired from service in 1962. That means it’s closed to traffic, but pedestrians call still walk through it.

  If the bridge’s name sounds misleading, it’s because the bridge has lost most of its color over the years.

  “But, if you get up close, just underneath the roof life in some areas, you can see some of that red paint,” said Jim Culotta, administrator of the Town of Cedarburg.

  Some visitors to the bridge wonder why it was covered to begin with. Culotta said there’s not a clear answer, but plenty of speculation. One theory is that it helped farmers with skittish animals, who may have been apprehensive about crossing a river. Others speculate the cover was to shelter travelers who might have gotten caught in a storm.

  Now, the bridge is a point of pride for the community. Culotta said it’s not uncommon to see families picnicking there and wedding parties snapping photos with the bridge as a backdrop.

  “We cherish it as a unique part of our culture and our history,” Culotta said.

  For more information about the bridge can be found at this website.

• Up To 40 Million Credit, Debit Cards Possibly Exposed By Target Security Breach

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  A security breach at Target stores has potentially exposed 40 million credit and debit cards. A cybersecurity expert discusses the significance of the attack, and if it’s possible to keep all of our information safe these days.

• Curious Wisconsin: The Cedarburg Covered Bridge

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  Once upon a time, more than 40 covered bridges dotted the Wisconsin countryside. Today there’s only one. It’s the Cedarburg Bridge, originally known as the “Red Bridge,” and we’ll talk about it in today’s Curious Wisconsin.

• Leading contemporary fantasy author George R. R. Martin and acclaimed science fiction and fantasy editor Gardner Dozois discuss the role of “dangerous women” in their genre. George R. R. Martin is the bestselling author of the Song of Ice and Fire series, on which HBO’s Game of Thrones is based.