Clipsheet

June 22, 2021

Research

Covid Lab-Leak Theory Renews ‘Gain-of-Function’ Research Debate

Posted on 6/22/2021

The New York Times

Two teams of researchers — one from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and the other at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands — designed experiments to identify which genetic mutations were essential for a successful jump from birds to people. They injected bird flu viruses into the noses of ferrets, waited for the viruses to replicate, and then transferred the new viruses to new ferrets. Soon the viruses evolved to become better at replicating in the ferrets.

This County Has The Most Pharmacies

Posted on 6/22/2021

24/7 Wall Street

Only counties with populations of 25,000 or more were included. The percentage of population reporting sub-optimal health is from the 2021 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Higher Education/System

Applications are up for UW System universities

Posted on 6/22/2021

NBC-15

New fall freshman applications for University of Wisconsin System universities are up by about 30% compared to the last two years.

Campus life

Spring graduates swim 3.5 miles across Lake Mendota

Posted on 6/22/2021

Daily Cardinal

With a unicorn floatie in tow and a Sunday to spare in search of a good memory, spring UW-Madison graduates Gleb Tsyganov (‘21) and Daniel Miller (‘21) swam 3.5 miles across Lake Mendota.

Just 21 of 200 study-abroad programs back on at UW-Madison; others still up in the air

Posted on 6/22/2021

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison student Hannah Joyce has known since high school that she wanted to study abroad. And so when the time came, she found a program in Copenhagen, Denmark, that fit her academic needs, applied for the spring 2021 semester and got in.

Health

UW Health: As vaccinations increase, summer may feel more normal

Posted on 6/22/2021

NBC-15

“These vaccines are so effective and so good at preventing you from getting sick and preventing you from making other people sick that life does really return to normal,” said Dr. Jeff Pothof.

Athletics

Here’s why it’s highly unlikely Badgers, other NCAA athletes will cash in quickly on Supreme Court’s ruling

Posted on 6/22/2021

Wisconsin State Journal

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision Monday that the NCAA can’t limit education-related compensation might not have colleges immediately rushing to put computers and paid internships in players’ hands, a sports law expert said.

UW Experts in the News

Can America’s Solar Power Industry Compete with China’s? One Firm Tries

Posted on 6/22/2021

Wall Street Journal

Gregory Nemet, a University of Wisconsin solar specialist, says the Chinese successfully used a similar scheme in the early 2000s to boost their domestic wind-power industry, then dominated by European suppliers.

Family seeks 2nd chance at charging officer in man’s death

Posted on 6/22/2021

AP

Citizen-initiated John Does are rarely used in Wisconsin. Marcus Berghahn, a criminal defense attorney and adjunct law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said they happen perhaps once or twice a decade in the state. Motley said she’s not aware of any John Does being used against police officers.

Kids’ cartoons have more LGBTQ representation than ever before – but only if you pay for it

Posted on 6/22/2021

Insider

AnneMarie McClain, a children’s media and education researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Insider that inclusive shows are essential to kids across income differences.”Children might not have representation in their communities. They might not have representation in their schools. And so media is a source of representation that can help children know that they’re OK and that their identities are valid,” McClain said.

Critical Race Theory: Expert breaks down widely debated concept

Posted on 6/22/2021

NBC-15

“Those who oppose using critical race theory really don’t understand how it’s possible that the current generations can be blamed for something that happened so long ago,” John Witte, UW-Madison Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Affairs said.

UW-Madison Related

Teen Vogue Presents GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 2021: The LGBTQ Youth Shaping the Future

Posted on 6/22/2021

Teen Vogue

He also became one of the first LGBTQ candidates ever elected in the city. Although he has since stepped aside from the role and is currently working towards a degree in Public Policy at University of Wisconsin — Madison, Max is a beacon of hope and inspiration to countless youth across the country who want to run for office one day.

Cap Times Talk: Pride and pleasure activism with Sami Schalk

Posted on 6/22/2021

The Capital Times

Sami Schalk had her highest public profile moment in Madison a year-and-a-half ago when she twerked onstage with hip-hop artist Lizzo, but the professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Gender and Women’s Studies is about much more than dancing.