the Trump Administration has slashed the number of grants from the National Institutes of Health, with far fewer focused on women, cancer and mental health
Where U.S. science has been hit hardest after Trump’s first year
The Washington Post
April 20, 2026
Research
Higher Education/System
Who wants to be the next UW system prez?
Isthmus
You’re one of the smartest people in the country. You’ve had success throughout your career, academically and professionally. You serve on several boards of international businesses and joined public policy debates. You’ve answered questions on national issues posed by conservative and liberal talk show and podcast hosts.
But you might write the following note turning down a suggestion that you apply to be the next president of the Universities of Wisconsin.
Crime and safety
University of Wisconsin lab researcher faces charges over poisoning colleague
Milwaukee Journal Sentinelnal
A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher admitted to poisoning his colleague, saying he was angered by the co-worker’s attitude after a promotion and his disdain for following lab rules, according to a complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.
Four charged in 2021 Madison shooting that killed teen on Lathrop St.
ABC 27
Four people were charged in the shooting of a 17-year-old on Lathrop St., leading to their death in 2021.
The teen was killed in a drive-by near the UW-Madison campus.
Police found 18 spent shell casings and the victim had a single gunshot wound.
Community
UW Madison hosting Family Gardening Day in May
NBC 15
UW Madison hosting Family Gardening Day in May.
Arts & Humanities
Finding a New Approach to Displaying a Museum Collection
The New York Times
This spring, the staff of the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, Wis., is in the midst of shuffling the deck of its collection, following a well-laid plan but staying open to last-minute inspiration as they go. The museum will be closed for around two months this summer, with the grand reopening scheduled for September.
Health
Longer postpartum Medicaid coverage will save lives, doctors say
The Cap Times
Wisconsin mothers on Medicaid will soon have access to a full year of postpartum health coverage after Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation extending benefits from 60 days to 12 months after giving birth.
The policy change addresses what doctors consider a dangerous and long-standing gap in care, when many pregnancy-related complications and mental health challenges emerge.
Athletics
A Badgers champion coach to say farewell to a ‘special place’
The Cap Times
Mick Byrne made it clear his impending retirement was not a revelation. Instead, some alarms went off for the University of Wisconsin cross country and track coach.
In late November, a handful of days after the NCAA men’s and women’s cross-country championships, Byrne had triple bypass heart surgery.
Business/Technology
Transcend UW startup competition showcases student innovation, growing entrepreneurship network
The Badger Herald
The Transcend UW startup competition hosted student entrepreneurs in the Discovery Building April 16 to 17, according to the Transcend website. At the event, participants pitched ventures and connected with investors and industry professionals, according to Transcend President Siddharth Singh. Prize winners walked away with thousands of dollars for their innovations.
UW-Madison Related
What war is like for a UW-Madison student in Iran
PBS Wisconsin
A UW-Madison School of Journalism Ph.D. student is back home living just outside Tehran. Each day brings fear and uncertainty for Tahereh Rahimi, who does not support the war, nor does she support the regime. She sees her country and people living there being destroyed. Communications are mostly down in the country, so we sent her questions to learn firsthand what it’s like right now. Here’s a sampling of what she said.
ICE OUT UW Coalition demands UW protection, divestment from ICE
The Badger Herald
The ICE OUT UW Coalition marched up Bascom Hill to demand the University of Wisconsin end surveillance and refuse cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcements on Higher Education Day of Action April 17.
ICE OUT UW is comprised of UW’s United Faculty and Academic Staff union, their graduate student union Teaching Assistant Association and several student groups such as the Socialist Alternative and Voces de la Frontera, according to Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement.
How UW-Madison is responding to a spike in students with disabilities
The Cap Times
When in-person classes resumed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison following the COVID-19 pandemic, Liv Romanov found herself on academic probation during her sophomore year.
She knew she needed to make a change and started meeting with an adviser at the McBurney Disability Resource Center, which students at Wisconsin’s flagship campus have increasingly sought out for help in recent years. For Romanov, the center made all of the difference.