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November 24, 2025

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Invasive tree-killing pest ‘highly likely’ to show up in Wisconsin, expert says

Wisconsin Public Radio

The insects have killed millions of trees in the eastern U.S. and threaten 80 million eastern hemlock trees in Wisconsin. A single egg sac may contain as many as 300 eggs. Hundreds of thousands of the insects can feed on the trees with their needle-like mouth parts, said PJ Liesch, an entomologist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

“It’s a whole bunch of them ganging up on the trees,” Liesch said. “Together, that combined feeding damage over time causes those hemlock trees to decline and ultimately die.”

Here’s why Wisconsin Republican lawmakers pass bills they know Gov. Tony Evers will veto

Wisconsin Watch

Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center and political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said political messaging votes can have impacts on elections, especially in what will be some of the close Senate races in 2026.

“It’s kind of a messaging opportunity, not really a policymaking opportunity. It’s also maybe a way for Republicans to let off some steam,” Burden said.

Community

A first look at The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

The Cap Times

Leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are excited about the Center, Gee said. The chancellor and provost recently toured the building.

He said the Center is developing partnerships with six university departments and that UW leaders “believe we can help sell the university as a place for students, researchers and faculty.” “I love that, but the other piece is if we connect (with) Milwaukee, Beloit, Racine, and we unite those Black communities so that we set agendas together, we dream together, we celebrate together.”

UW research examines AI’s role in journalism

The Daily Cardinal

Tomas Dodds, journalism professor and founder of the Public Media Tech Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hopes to help local journalists understand the implications of AI in the newsroom by providing a variety of resources, such as training sessions and workshops.

“In the newsroom, you don’t know how your colleagues are using AI,” Dodds said, adding that the Public Media Tech Lab would facilitate discussions in the newsroom where coworkers could disclose how they use it and create AI usage policies from these discussions.

Kids are expensive. Do they have to be?

NPR

Families across the country are asking that same question when it comes to childcare, as the yearly costs for daycare are becoming comparable to a year’s rent in many places. How did childcare become so expensive, and how might everyone benefit if the government provided more support to parents? Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Jessica Calarco, and Senior Fellow at the Think Tank Capita Elliot Haspel are here to help Brittany find out.

Business/Technology

How much will Thanksgiving dinner cost in Wisconsin in 2025?

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It’s more uncertain this year somewhat because of the government shutdown but also because of some other factors moving around in some of these markets,” said Jeff Hadachek, assistant professor of agriculture and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Generally, I anticipate prices will be higher, but the question is: ‘How much higher?’”