Now that Evers has signed the new maps into law, one of the parties involved in the court case could ask the court to dismiss the case as moot, UW-Madison Law School associate professor Robert Yablon said.
Category: UW Experts in the News
A game-changing moment for Wisconsin Democrats. New maps put legislative majorities within reach
Michigan and Minnesota — two Midwestern states where Democrats took control in 2022 for the first time in many years — could serve as examples of what Wisconsin Democrats would do with a legislative majority, said Barry Burden, a political science professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center.
Democrats in those states have “eagerly legislated in new directions on issues such as criminal justice and environmental protection,” Burden said. Given the chance, Wisconsin Democrats would likely pursue a variety of policy changes unavailable to them under GOP control, he said.
In focus: AI growing in popularity
Kyle Cranmer, a professor of physics and the director of the Data Science Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the emergence of Chat GPT has certainly sparked a major increase in artificial intelligence.
Gait speed is one of your vital signs, so make sure yours is OK
“For people who have certain injuries, a gait analysis can help us correct the mechanics that might cause it to recur,” said Dr. Bryan Heiderscheit, a professor in orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of Badger Athletic Performance in Madison.
Wisconsin weighs anti-obesity drug coverage for state workers
Dr. Samantha Pabich, a UW Health endocrinologist who treats many patients with obesity, said the newer drugs can help obese people lose a higher percentage of their body weight than older drugs. That can help control diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, pain and other conditions, and prevent the need for treatments such as home oxygen therapy and liver transplants, she said.
Wisconsin’s nursing home industry could struggle with new federal staffing requirements
Barbara Bowers, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Nursing who has studied the long-term care industry, also said innovation is needed. Bowers said her research has found that the majority of resident concerns center around the lack of staff at facilities. On top of being short-staffed, she said the typical nursing home model is “stuck in the past,” with nurses and aides working separately instead of utilizing a team approach to patient care.
“If we had more staffing just by itself and didn’t do anything else, I don’t think we’d see the improvements we’re looking for,” she said.
Wisconsin parents of young kids more likely to struggle with bills
Conducted by the UW Survey Center and analyzed by UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, the survey went to around 3,500 people across the state. Researchers compared the responses of participants who have children under age 6 with those who don’t.
None of those findings are really “huge surprises,” said La Follette School professor Sarah Halpern-Meekin, who analyzed the results.
What’s going on at the US-Mexico border, and what are asylum and parole? Here are answers to key questions
“If you say, ‘I have a fear of return,’ it triggers a protection under our laws that ensures that a government official will review your case to see if you are likely to be successful with qualifying for asylum in the U.S.,” said Erin Barbato, director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin.
How rising import prices could affect inflation
Not every type of import is raising a red flag right now. For instance, imports of industrial supplies, materials and other intermediate goods got more expensive. But those are just a small part of what goes into a finished product that a consumer buys, says Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wisconsin on track to have warmest winter ever recorded
Steve Vavrus, a senior scientist at UW-Madison and the state’s climatologist, said the weather is already causing economic impact, especially on the tourism industry in northern Wisconsin.
“They depend on snow and ice for skiing and skating and ice fishing and so forth,” Vavrus said. “There’s been closed snowmobile trails. There’s been winter festivals that have been canceled, unsafe ice conditions for fishing and so on.”
Super Bowl gambling, New STEM museum, Economic forecast, Vocal cord dysfunction
Although the recent avoidance of a U.S. recession has surprised many economists, a downturn could still occur in the coming months. That’s the view of UW-Madison economics professor Menzie Chinn.
Wisconsin lost 10% of farms, 30% of dairies in 5 years, U.S. agriculture census shows
Slightly more Wisconsin farmers reported taking steps to protect soil and water quality in 2022. They planted nearly 754,000 acres of cover crops — plants that protect the soil and keep it in place during the offseason — about a 23% increase from 2017. The number of acres that were not tilled also increased, from about 2.2 million in 2017 to about 2.4 million in 2022. No-till practices reduce soil disturbance.
Those acres are still just a small portion of Wisconsin’s total farmed acres. “I would have hoped to see that pick up a bit faster,” said Erin Silva, a professor of organic and sustainable agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Venus
Sulfuric acid clouds circle the entire planet at a height of 25 to 37 miles above the surface. They contain tiny acidic aerosols that are about a hundred times thinner than human hair. Together the droplets resemble the air pollution in highly populated cities on Earth. “It’s like a haze that you find when you fly into, say, New Delhi or Beijing,” says Sanjay Limaye, a planetary scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
From diamonds to dogs, UW experts weigh in on Valentine’s Day
UW professors offer explanations, helpful tips on classic V-Day tropes.
Wisconsin Legislature adopts Gov. Tony Evers’ maps in bid to end legal challenge
If Evers signs the proposal into law, one of the parties involved in the court case could ask the court to dismiss the case as moot, UW-Madison Law School associate professor Robert Yablon said.
Funding for victim services, Wisconsin ski jumpers, New tobacco studies
Includes interview with Dr. Tanya Schlam, a UW-Madison researcher, about how Wisconsin could improve its response to tobacco use.
Valentines for your dog? It’s one way we treat pets like family
Valentine’s Day reminds us to show our love to the important people in our lives. We usually declare our romantic love, but sometimes all the hearts and flowers remind us to express our love to others who are important in our lives as well. For a lot of us, this could mean our dogs. About half of U.S. households keep dogs as pets. Not only in word, but also in deed, many people express their love for their dogs not merely as pets, but as family.
Written by David L. Weimer is the Edwin E. Witte Professor of Political Economy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is coauthor with Aidan R. Vining of “Dog Economics: Perspectives on Our Canine Relationships” (Cambridge University Press 2024).
UW survey shows parents of Wisconsin children struggle with finances
Written by Sarah Halpern-Meekin, a Professor of Public Affairs with the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Vaughn Bascom Professor of Women, Family, and Community in the School of Human Ecology.
Is It Safe To Eat Moldy Cheese?
Some cheese varieties naturally have a moldy appearance, explained Mark Johnson, assistant director at the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The blue veins in a wedge of gorgonzola or the white rind on a wheel of brie are examples of mold.
The US military is embedded in the gaming world. Its target: teen recruits
Scientific research has consistently shown that video games do not make people more violent. Playing games can, however, improve perceptual and cognitive functions, says Dr C Shawn Green, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Office of Naval Research funded Green to research how certain games (mainly shooters) improve warrior performance. “These games have lots of speed in them,” he says. “There’s lots of what we call ‘transient events’ – things pop up on the screen and disappear.” He says this can improve basic visual perception as well as heighten levels of cognition (such as working memory).
Wisconsin Republicans eye surprise open congressional seat in strong GOP district
The race could be shaken up dramatically if the Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear a redistricting lawsuit challenging congressional boundary lines, said Barry Burden, a UW-Madison political science professor. The court has not said whether it will hear the challenge.
Some Americans say Valentine’s Day gifts are worth going into debt
“Everyone appreciates and remembers experiences more than ’stuff,’” said J. Michael Collins, professor of public affairs and human ecology at the University of Wisconsin. “There are lots of fun and memorable experiences that are not expensive, from moonlight walks to scavenger hunts to simple at-home dinners. Being creative can be better than bling.”
Parts of Wisconsin will be a lot louder this summer. The culprit? Cicadas
The sounds of summer could be a lot louder this year depending on where you live in Wisconsin.
That’s because for the first time since Thomas Jefferson was president, two rare broods of cicadas will emerge at the same time. PJ Liesch, an extension entomologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said this event only occurs once every 221 years. “It’s something that is really unique and special for us,” Liesch said.
China Desperately Hopes ‘Dragon Babies’ Can Reverse Population Slump
Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the ethnic Chinese demographic in Singapore—all populations that observe the 12-zodiac lunar calendar—also posted small increases, University of Wisconsin-Madison demographer Fuxian Yi previously told Newsweek, citing China’s annual census data.
Medical school leader steps down, New UW-Oshkosh school of informatics, heat pumps, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
We speak with Robert Golden, the outgoing dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
UW professor is on a mission to grow a better-tasting beet
Whether you love beets or hate them, you probably haven’t given them as much thought as Irwin Goldman.
A professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Goldman is also former chair of the department of horticulture. The Goldman Lab there is even named after him. He and colleague Nick Breitbach spent decades trying to breed a better beet. Now the Badger Flame Beet is getting attention nationwide from growers and chefs as it becomes increasingly available.
Is AI influencing college admissions?
“This tool is likely to be very useful for young people and their families as they’re trying to present themselves in the most appealing way to college admissions,” said Mitchell Nathan, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at UW-Madison and author of “Foundations of Embodied Learning.”
Inequity in higher education funding, A Republican conflict on border measures and Ukraine funding, The significance of Pitchfork
Earlier this month, UW-Madison’s Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab released a new report revealing how, in higher education, students and schools with the least financial need often receive the most government funding. We talk to Nick Hillman, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and director of SSTAR, about the causes of funding disparities and how “equity-based” funding models could address them.
Democratic proposal would prohibit firearms on Wisconsin college campuses
State Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, and state Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay, were approached by a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison professors and asked to strengthen campus firearm laws.
Jack O’Meara represents the Public Representation Organization of the Faculty Senate, or PROFS, a nonprofit advocacy organization of UW-Madison faculty. He said there was increased concern after the Feb. 13, 2023, mass shooting at Michigan State University. In that incident, three students were killed and five others were injured when a gunman entered a building on the East Lansing campus.
Wildlife Update: All about groundhogs in Wisconsin
Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are one of the few true hibernators that reside in Wisconsin. Their heart beats five times per minute while they sleep through the winter months, and their body temperature drops to 37 degrees Fahrenheit. We learn more about the fabled animal, plus cover wildlife news from around the state. Interview with David Drake, extension wildlife specialist and professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, and Jamie Nack, extension senior wildlife outreach specialist, both from UW-Madison.
Confused by Wisconsin redistricting terms? Here’s what they mean.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talked to Marquette University research fellow John Johnson and University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden about what common redistricting concepts mean and how they apply to the case.
“Wards are usually viewed as the building blocks of districts, so that gets done first,” Burden said. Because there are only 72 counties, “some of them are going to have to be sliced in order to make districts. Especially the more populous ones, like Dane, Milwaukee and Brown are going to have multiple districts in them.”
Monarch Butterfly Numbers Are Down Sharply at Wintering Areas in Mexico
It’s normal for insect population totals to swing up and down drastically, but drops become dangerous when they have been chronically eroded, as with monarchs, said Karen Oberhauser, professor emerita of entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has studied monarchs for decades.
Cheapest car insurance in Wisconsin
“I do not think this is about fairness – premiums are set based on accident rates and risks associated with different demographic groups and would be higher if the groups are involved in higher rates of accidents or other damages,” said Nancy Wong, Kohl’s Chair in Retail Innovation, Professor of Consumer Science, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Citizens of a Stolen Land: A Ho-Chunk History of the 19th-Century U.S
Explore how Wisconsin’s Ho-Chunk people fought back against devastating attacks on their land and culture. Interview with Stephen Kantrowitz, professor of history at UW-Madison.
Sad tomatoes in space: Wisconsin scientists develop TASTIE experiment to grow plants without gravity
From the care of Wisconsin researchers to the International Space Station, a group of tomato plants rode on a rocket last week with the goal of brightening astronauts’ days — and their diets. But first the tomatoes are trying to find their own joy.
Growing without gravity is stressful to tomatoes, said Simon Gilroy, a University of Wisconsin-Madison botanist who runs a lab that studies plant development.
Milwaukee officials urge ambulance policy changes following woman’s death
Laura Albert, an industrial and systems engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said although the initial response time of four minutes was quick, she questioned why it was labeled a low priority call. “Maybe some information wasn’t really conveyed clearly along the way,” Albert said.
Albert also said it’s common for people not to be found when they call 911, mainly because they leave before an ambulance gets to them. Baker also said false alarms are common, especially at bus stops. He said callers sometimes call for an ambulance at a bus stop and get on a bus if it arrives before the ambulance does.
Why did the bank sell my mortgage?
“Some banks are good at originating, and they don’t have the capacity to hold these loans on their balance sheet,” said Anthony DeFusco, associate professor of finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “And so it frees up resources for them if they sell your loan.”
Waves of grain: How Wisconsin’s sustainable grain movement is growing
What happened? Lauren Asprooth is a research scientist with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at UW-Madison. As corn and soybeans shot up, she said, “every other row crop has gone down or stayed stagnant.”
“We have decoupled livestock production and crop production, so there’s not as much of a need for small grains in terms of forage,” Asprooth said. “We put a lot of funding into the markets for byproducts and R&D for corn, and therefore made other crops relatively less easy to grow.
Candy-making science; Wisconsin’s floral industry
Candy is a classic gift for your sweetheart on Valentines Day. Making your own can be challenging, but it helps to understand the science behind the process. Richard Harte, a food scientist from UW-Madison, gives us his tips on candy making, just in time for the holiday.
An activist-scholar – Dr. Lori Kido Lopez
For as long as she can remember, Dr. Lori Kido Lopez has been passionate about media and Asian American social justice. And that’s in part because she sees herself as an activist — someone looking to challenge society’s prevailing injustices.
Study proposes adding a Category 6 to hurricane scale
“We are only pointing out that as a wind-only-based measure of risk, climate change is making it progressively inadequate,” said co-author Jim Kossin of First Street Foundation and the University of Wisconsin.
Hurricanes becoming so strong that new category needed, study says
Michael Wehner, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US, said that “192mph is probably faster than most Ferraris, it’s hard to even imagine”. He has proposed the new category 6 alongside another researcher, James Kossin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Being caught in that sort of hurricane would be bad. Very bad.”
We’ve Already Seen Category 6 Hurricanes—Now Scientists Want to Make It Official
“Storms are getting stronger and stronger, so category 5 underestimates actual risk,” said James Kossin, an author on the paper and an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
After a rough chapter in 2023, the dairy industry storyline is looking better in 2024
Dairy’s storyline for 2023 in Wisconsin and across the United States “was not the best storyline we could imagine,” said Chuck Nicholson, associate professor of economics, however he is seeing signs that point to milk price improvement in the coming year.
Nicholson, an associate professor of dairy economics at the UW-Madison spoke about dairy’s economics at the Renk Agribusiness Agricultural Outlook Forum in late January on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Zac Schultz, Erin Barbato, Alyssa Ratledge
University of Wisconsin Law School clinical instructor and immigration attorney Erin Barbato described what she witnessed at the U.S.-Mexico border on a recent fact-finding trip.
Space tomatoes, Hanging out, RSV explained, Struggling US parents
We learn about a UW connection to experimenting with growing tomatoes beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Next we talk about the art of doing nothing in particular. Then we hear what to know about the rise of the respiratory virus RSV. And we explore the problems American parents face compared with those in other countries. Interviews with Simon Gilroy and Dr. James Conway.
A history of the 20th century Catholic church
In the years following World War I, the Catholic Church was intent upon regaining lost ground and entered into a variety of political alliances to do so–some of them with unexpected outcomes. Interview with Giuliana Chamedes, an associate professor of history from UW-Madison.
Keeping a journal, 15-minute meals, Sky-high rent
With the Super Bowl coming up, will the sports gambling wave crash into Wisconsin?
Jason Lopez’s studies of sports betting throughout history show this: The act of traveling to gamble is about as old as gambling itself.
Lopez, a University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor of media and cultural studies, wonders if the recent steps to expand sports betting in Wisconsin’s neighbors could pressure the Badger State to change its laws.
UW-Madison researchers uncover hint for cause of cleft lips and palates in developing babies
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are one step closer to understanding how and when cleft lip and palates form during pregnancy.
The discovery, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could mitigate the risk of the birth defect that affects about 1 in every 1,700 babies born in the United States.
What is Wisconsin’s minimum wage, and why hasn’t it changed when other states’ minimum wages have?
Low-wage workers have found it especially hard to afford higher housing costs, even before a spike in prices in 2022, explained Laura Dresser, associate director of the High Road Strategy Center (formerly COWS, a left-leaning think tank) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dresser’s research has found that increasing the minimum wage to $15 over the next five years would increase wages for one in seven workers in Wisconsin. That includes one of every four Black and Hispanic workers.
Air sampling in Dane County schools tracks flu, COVID-19
“It can tell us about the virus without us needing to stick anything up anyone’s noses or even know who was in a space,” said Dave O’Connor, a UW-Madison researcher involved in the surveillance. “Air sampling should be something that lots of schools bring on board to understand what the respiratory virus transmission risk is.”
Monitors have been at seven schools in the Oregon School District for two years, where air sampling last school year tracked flu and COVID-19 activity as reliably as student absences, rapid tests at school and regular tests from samples collected at home, UW-Madison researchers recently reported. That research was part of a UW study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that has analyzed respiratory illness at Oregon schools since 2015.
Putin’s Top Generals Have Gone Missing
Mikhail Troitskiy, professor of practice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Newsweek via email on Friday that Russia’s relative silence is unsurprising considering the ongoing conflict and a lack of incentives to publicly disclose the whereabouts and/or deaths of top military commanders.
Morning Rush – Scripps News – Morning Rush
Joining us now is Julie Stam, assistant clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin. Madison and author of “The Brain on Youth Sports, the science them its and the future.” Julie, good morning. So Roger Goodell says the risk of concussion is the same as walking down the street as a medical professional. What’s your take on that?
Humans and Neanderthals Lived Side by Side in Northern Europe 45,000 Years Ago, Study Finds | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine
“These groups are exploring,” says John Hawks, a University of Wisconsin–Madison anthropologist who was not involved in the study, to NBC News. “They’re going to new places. They live there for a while. They have lifestyles that are different. They’re comfortable moving into areas where there were Neanderthals.”
2023 was a big year for unions. Wisconsin labor leaders want to keep the momentum going.
Laura Dresser, associate director of the left-leaning COWS economic think tank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said state policies like Act 10 and Wisconsin’s “right to work” law have played a major role in the decline.
Capitol Hill lawmakers tell tech CEOs that they have failed to protect children
We called Dr. Megan Moreno to talk about this because she teaches medicine at the University of Wisconsin and she’s a co-medical director of a center at the American Academy of Pediatrics dedicated to social media and youth mental health. And she was at the White House yesterday to talk about kids’ online safety and health.
‘Roller coaster’ of a winter tests Madison-area businesses and festivals
Jonathan Martin, UW-Madison professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences and one-half of the Wisconsin State Journal’s Weather Guys column, wasn’t able to provide much hope for merchants dependent on more consistent, more typical winter weather.
A pit of bones discovered under a castle could unlock key questions about what makes us human
John Hawks, a University of Wisconsin-Madison paleoanthropologist who studies ancient human relatives but was not involved in this research, said the study helps solidify the theory that patches of different human cultures were developing as Neanderthals neared their end.
Five takeaways from POLITICO’s ‘How Fast Can We Solve Alzheimer’s’ Event
But Nathaniel Chin, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, said he was not surprised by the news, given other treatments coming to market.