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January 23, 2026

Top Stories

UW-Madison cancels classes, a rare move

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison has called off classes on Friday due to extreme frigid winter weather — the first time the university has canceled instruction since 2019.

The university canceled lectures, labs and discussion sections, but other campus operations will continue as normal, the university announced Thursday.

UW-Madison cancels classes Friday due to extreme cold

The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin-Madison cancelled Friday classes due to freezing weather conditions for the first time since 2019, according to a news release.

The cancellation of all lectures, labs and discussion sections comes after the National Weather Service placed Dane County under an Extreme Cold Warning from midnight to 1 p.m. Friday, with wind chills projected to range from 30 to 40 degrees below zero.

Research

What animals can teach us about overcoming tyranny

BBC

Some people refer to the muriqui as “the hippie monkey” – a slightly sensationalising term that nonetheless captures their “relaxed” lifestyle, says Karen Strier, a primatologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, who has studied muriquis for decades. She mentions, for example, that the monkeys are, sexually speaking, very laid back. “Females mate with multiple males in close succession,” she says.

Aging Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s baby boomers are state’s fastest growing age range

Wisconsin Public Radio

Demographer David Egan-Robertson kicked things off in an interview with “Wisconsin Today,” looking at the big trends in the state’s population. Egan-Robertson has followed this story for years in his work with the Applied Population Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Education has seen unprecedented changes in Trump’s second term

Wisconsin Public Radio

Last year, just as she was finishing a teacher residency program through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, federal funding for the project was cut by the Trump administration.

“So we were in the spring semester and we were all like, are we going to be able to continue?” Lind said. “Are we going to still be able to get our teaching license? Are we going to have to pay this back?”

Higher Education/System

UW senior auditors program fosters lifelong learning, connections

The Daily Cardinal

Through the Senior Guest Auditor Program, Wisconsin residents aged 60 and older take UW-Madison courses free of charge alongside students less than half their age. This fall, the program reached a record enrollment of more than 1,000 auditors, double the number enrolled a decade ago, according to program administrator Anne Niendorf. The program places older adults alongside traditional undergraduates in lecture halls across campus, creating multigenerational classrooms.

Campus life

UW Cinematheque rolls out 2026 film lineup

The Daily Cardinal

The Cinematheque, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s dedicated screening facility for international cinema history and fine films, returns this week for its 2026 slate — filling a niche since the 1990s by promoting movies audiences in Madison might otherwise miss.

“Sometimes good movies are brought to us through a proposed partnership with another campus department or community organization/concern,” said Jim Healy, Director of Programming at the Cinematheque. “Sometimes some movies are more relevant, like our screening of ‘Slap Shot’ last January in honor of Paul Newman’s centennial.”

State news

Around 100K gallons of manure spilled from large farm in central Wisconsin

Wisconsin Public Radio

From 2020 to 2024, preliminary figures show the state has seen reports of 495 manure spills and incidents, according to Kevin Erb. He’s the manager of the Conservation Professional Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, which trains manure applicators. Erb did not have figures on the amount of manure spilled, saying releases are often estimated.

Athletics

Former players suing Wisconsin and former coach urge judge to reject defendants’ ‘kinder story’

Wisconsin State Journal

ttorneys for six former University of Wisconsin women’s basketball players suing the school and its former coach in federal court urged a judge to reject what they called a “sanitized” version of events presented by the defense.

The players Thursday night filed a response to a motion by the Wisconsin Board of Regents, Marisa Moseley and former Badgers administrator Justin Doherty that sought to dismiss the lawsuit.