Popular bars remained open, but only at 25 percent capacity under local health guidelines.
A normally packed Regent St. remains a ghost town on game day
NBC-15
Author: gbump
UWPD on first game day of the season: ‘A very quiet night for us’
NBC-15
Wisconsin’s game against Illinois Friday night marked the kick off of the Big Ten season. UWPD said it was a “great night all around,” reporting no police contacts, no arrests and no citations.
Political expert says Mother Nature could dampen voter turnout
NBC-15
Two polling locations on UW-Madison’s campus were closed because of the snow. The Memorial Union location remained open and voting was moved inside.
AstraZeneca to resume COVID-19 vaccine trial at UW
WISC-TV 3
The trial has been on hold since September. The company said the US Food and Drug Administration authorized the restart Thursday after reviewing all of the global safety data and concluding it was safe to resume. The trial had already resumed in other countries.
‘You have to stop the silent spread’: Dr. Deborah Birx urges Wisconsin to learn from UW System, test to find young, asymptomatic spreaders
WISC-TV 3
“Universities that required weekly testing of students, staff and faculty have extraordinary low community spread. What do I mean? There’s very little infection of the students because they’re constantly finding those cases early and isolating them for 10 days and that prevents community spread,” said Birx.
UW-Madison survey finds Biden support growing in swing states, including Wisconsin
WISC-TV 3
A new poll from UW-Madison’s Elections Research Center and YouGov shows former Vice President Joe Biden with growing leads over President Trump in several battleground states just days before Election Day.
‘There’s no electricity in the the air’: UW-Madison students react to game day during COVID-19
Daily Cardinal
“[Madison] is kind of a bummer right now,” UW-Madison sophomore Jack Weber said. “Last year, you would walk into the city on a Friday and feel the energy for a Saturday game. Now, there’s no electricity in the air at all.”
A space of our own: new cultural centers offer a home for Latinx, APIDA students
Madison365
The two new centers, located in the North Mezzanine of the Red Gym, are overseen by the Multicultural Student Center (MSC). Their opening comes after the MSC has successfully run the Black Cultural Center for several years.
Voter turnout 2020: How many people voted in 2016, past US elections
USA Today
But trends changed in the mid-19th century, when the U.S. began to see “astronomical” turnout, said Barry Burden, a political science professor and director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
CDC Director Tours UW-Madison COVID-19 Testing Lab
Wisconsin Public Radio
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield toured the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory on Thursday, praising UW campuses and colleges around the nation for tamping down outbreaks of COVID-19 while cases rise in some surrounding communities.
2020 election: Kenosha shows why last-minute shake-up is unlikely to help Trump
CNBC
“There are very few people who haven’t already made up their minds,” explained Katherine Cramer, the author of the 2016 book “The Politics of Resentment” and a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW-Madison will continue mix of in-person, online classes in spring
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will continue offering a mix of in-person and online classes this spring, and the campus will implement a major increase in COVID-19 testing capacity.
UW study suggests prep athletes aren’t at higher risk for COVID-19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Additionally the study found in a statewide sample of approximately 30,000 student-athletes a lower rate of COVID-19 contraction than what has been reported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for 14- to 17-year-olds overall.
CDC director visits UW-Madison testing lab
WKOW-TV 27
Robert Redfield said the UW COVID-19 diagnostic lab is an example for others to follow.
Madison Mayor warns of compliance checks, public health order enforcement, ahead of game day
NBC-15
The Madison Mayor and Public Health Madison & Dane County are urging the community to avoid large gatherings.
CDC director: UW-Madison COVID-19 testing, outbreak turnaround model for nation
Wisconsin State Journal
Expansion of COVID-19 testing at campuses like UW-Madison and a related drop in cases is a model for how to reduce spread of the coronavirus, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday during a visit to the university.
Protests and rallies in the time of COVID-19: What does the law allow?
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: If it’s determined that the restrictions are being applied in an unbiased way, the next question is whether they are too restrictive, given the circumstances, according to Donald Downs, a UW-Madison professor emeritus of political science and law school affiliate.
UW study: High school sports have not spread the COVID-19 coronavirus
AP
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health released the study Thursday. Researchers led by Dr. Andrew Watson surveyed 207 schools that restarted fall sports in September, representing more than 30,000 athletes, more than 16,000 practices and more than 4,000 games.
PAVE explains programming challenges amid pandemic at SSFC hearing
Badger Herald
SSFC approves Muslim Students Association’s proposed budget.
City council rejects resolution calling for ‘Moral Restart’ at UW
Badger Herald
’We seriously think that revenue streams and profits are way more important to these people than student lives,’ ASM chair says.
Amid Wisconsin coronavirus outbreak, researchers explore link between college cases, nursing home deaths
The Washington Post
Thomas Friedrich, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who has done extensive genetic sequencing of the coronavirus, said that the only way to get more precise would be to conduct additional contact tracing or epidemiological investigations.
To Cover College Quarantines, We Turned to the Best Sources: Student Journalists
The New York Times
And Addison Lathers provided a vivid description of the night the hammer came down at the University of Wisconsin, and the panic that ensued at two dormitories that each held more than 1,000 students about to be locked down for two weeks.
FAFSA Applications Are Open. Here’s How To Fill It Out This Year
MindShift
Fill out the FAFSA — but then reach out to the colleges you’re considering. “Let them know, ’Hey, something’s happened. Our finances are just a little bit different now. What can we do to let you know so you can take a second look?’” recommends Karla Weber, who works in the financial aid office at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Can Trump Win The Election? Yes. But the Path to 270 Is Difficult.
The New York Times
Some analysts have suggested he pour resources into Wisconsin, which began in-person early voting on Tuesday. “It’s quite a challenge for him,” said Katherine J. Cramer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It seems like Biden is really holding his own here.”
‘This is going to be a long haul’: Local taverns close for the winter
Capital Times
Quoted: “Stimulus funding is running out for people,” said Tera Johnson, founder and director of the Food Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “When they designed the program, they didn’t see this going as long as it has. … Now COVID is worse in Wisconsin and outdoor seating is coming to an end. It’s an unfortunate coincidence of events.
UW-Madison announces spring semester plans with expanded testing
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison’s spring semester will look a lot like this fall with a mix of online and face-to-face classes, promotion of public health guidelines and dorms open to students who want to live on campus. One major difference, however, is that more students will be taking COVID-19 tests.
A Swing State: During COVID-19, UW student groups change tactics to get youth out to vote
Badger Herald
Groups like Badgers for Biden, Young Progressives use new methods to encourage collegiate voting.
UW announces hybrid course instruction model for spring semester
Badger Herald
All students who attend classes or use campus spaces will be required to get tested twice a week in spring semester.
UW-Madison announces new testing plans for Spring 2021 semester
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison will expand their COVID-19 testing initiatives during the Spring semester to require all campus employees, as well as all students who live on campus, attend in-person classes or visit campus spaces to be tested twice per week.
‘Bucky’s Tuition Promise’ grants free UW attendance to largest group yet
Daily Cardinal
The promise, first introduced for incoming students in the fall of 2018, vows to cover full tuition and segregated fees for incoming freshman or transfer students who are residents of Wisconsin and have maximum household adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of $60,000.
Extension Dairy Program adjusts to help dairy farmers through COVID-19
Daily Cardinal
The Extension Dairy Program at the UW Division of Extension thrives on working in-person with farming communities across the state of Wisconsin. When the pandemic hit, the program addressed pandemic-related issues in the dairy industry while transitioning to online programming.
UW to test more people, more often next spring
NBC-15
The University of Wisconsin plans a major increase in on-campus testing starting next semester. The university intends on doubling routine testing to twice a week and requiring more students and staff to be tested.
UW-Madison expanding testing program for students, employees in spring semester
WISC-TV 3
“As the university demonstrated this fall, quick detection of cases through testing, combined with isolation and quarantine efforts, rigorous contact tracing, and adherence to public health measures such as mask wearing, physical distancing and regular hand washing, is critical to keeping transmission rates of the virus low,” the release said.
Record number of UW-Madison students receive free tuition through Bucky’s Tuition Promise
WISC-TV 3
According to a news release, 923 students — 755 freshmen and 168 transfers — new to campus this fall are benefiting from Bucky’s Tuition Promise, which is now in its third year.
First day of in-person absentee voting sees long lines in Madison, on UW campus
WISC-TV 3
At a voting tent in front of UW-Madison’s Memorial Union, students were waiting more than 45 minutes to get their opportunity to vote. But students said they didn’t mind spending time waiting out in the cold.
Madison Common Council votes against calling on UW-Madison to send students home
WKOW-TV 27
The Madison Common Council rejected sending a letter to UW-Madison urging them to move all classes online and close dorms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Column: Chancellor Blank needs to ensure greater oversight, additional representation within UW committees
Badger Herald
Following list of demands from UW BIPOC committee, Chancellor Blank must implement student safety committee, among other demands.
UW-Madison studies show diversity, inclusion out of step in mentor-mentee relationships | The Daily Cardinal
Daily Cardinal
Two new studies spearheaded by researchers from UW-Madison highlight the shortcomings of racial and ethnic diversity progress among mentorship relationships in the postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematic and Medicine (STEMM) fields.
Student mental health demand “greater than ever”: UHS Doctor
Daily Cardinal
University Health Services (UHS) Associate Psychologist Dr. Corey Steele hosted a REDtalk on student mental health and wellness during the current semester as part of Wisconsin Alumni Association’s homecoming 2020 festivities.
VIrtual UW-Madison Diversity Forum will explore racial disparities and inequities
Madison365
Despite the drastic change in the event’s formatting, Mary Carr Lee, the communications director for the DDEEA, noted that the virtual space allows for more participants.
Barry Burden and Reid Ribble: Be patient as the votes are carefully counted
Wisconsin State Journal
The election of a U.S. president is complicated. Though the voting ends Nov. 3, at that point the process of presidential selection is just getting started. It takes weeks for the institutional machinery to crank. As eager as we at the end of a long campaign season to know who won, it is imperative to let the system work as we intended.
Former Badgers halfback, UW administrator Merritt Norvell dies at 79
Wisconsin State Journal
Merritt Norvell, a former University of Wisconsin halfback who became a successful Madison businessman and fought for racial equality, died Monday. He was 79.
Madison City Council rejects calling on UW-Madison to move classes online, close dorms, reconsider football
Wisconsin State Journal
In a late night vote, the council voted 14-5 against a non-binding resolution that called for the university to move all classes online, empty out dorms, expand testing capacity, hire more contact tracers and reconsider moving forward with the football season.
Badgers football looms — along with worries that it will further boost COVID-19
Wisconsin State Journal
Public Health Madison and Dane County last week did walk-throughs of Regent Street businesses in Madison — near Camp Randall Stadium, where the Badgers will host Illinois beginning at 7 p.m. Friday — to make sure bars weren’t behaving as restaurants and allowing indoor dining.
Madison City Council rejects sending message to UW to end in-person classes, close dorms
Capital Times
Madison’s City Council voted Tuesday not to send an official message to University of Wisconsin-Madison officials that would have urged them to discontinue in-person classes and alter policies to reduce the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the Madison community.
Work to do: UW athletes and staff fighting racism feel thwarted by status quo
Capital Times
Black student athletes, at UW-Madison and beyond, have long demanded more seats at the table within a college athletics system that uniquely depends on them for success and survival. But even at a university with a long tradition of student activism, student athletes leading protesters across campus was a “demonstration of solidarity that we’ve never seen before,” said associate athletic director Mike Jackson in an interview with NBC15 News at the protest.
Mayors Of Big Ten Cities Ask For COVID-19 Changes
Wisconsin Public Radio
Gov. Tony Evers praised University of Wisconsin-Madison officials for taking COVID-19 precautions “very seriously” by closing down parking lots to prevent tailgating and allowing only essential personnel inside the stadium, reversing an earlier decision to allow parents of players inside Camp Randall.
Covid-19 vaccine researchers left in the dark as trials remain on hold
NBC News
In early September, 37 volunteers received their first dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate at University Hospital at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
US election 2020: Why it can be hard to vote in the US
BBC News
Voter ID laws have emerged in the last decade as part of a wider push by Republican legislatures, ostensibly with the aim of curbing voter fraud, says University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Kenneth Mayer. But he says the laws’ real aim is to keep voters who are more likely to vote Democrat – like the young, poor or African-Americans – at home.
Stimulus Spending, and Lots of It, Is the Only Way for Next President to Fix the Ailing Economy, Experts Say
Newsweek
Fenaba Addo Economist, Associate ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
The next president should extend and expand help for the 43 million current and former college and graduate students who collectively are on the hook for more than $1.7 trillion in higher education debt, says Addo.
UW Campuses Expand COVID-19 Antigen Testing To Off-Campus Students
Wisconsin Public Radio
Some University of Wisconsin System campuses are expanding their coronavirus antigen testing strategies to include students living off campus.
Voting violence feared as Trump calls for poll watchers, often illegal
USA Today
Intimidation at polling places by armed groups has the potential to be a serious problem in places like the Midwest, said Kenneth Mayer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A private security firm has been recruiting former special operations troops to patrol polling sites on election day in Minnesota, the Washington Post has reported. Though the law varies by state, any poll watchers typically have to be certified in advance or it is illegal.
US colleges that welcomed students back likely led to a surge in Covid cases |
The Guardian
Her school, the University of Wisconsin – Madison, halted in-person classes for two weeks after cases spiked to over a thousand on the campus of more than 40,000. Cross said she is disappointed with the number of students she sees still walking around campus without a mask – even though the school requires masks in school buildings.
COVID-19 Is Ravaging Wisconsin, And Wisconsinites Still Aren’t Staying Home
Wisconsin Public Radio
Ajay Sethi, a public health professor with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in the absence of a vaccine, the disease’s spread slows only in one of two ways: because the population achieves “herd immunity,” where most people are protected from prior infections, or because people follow public health practices. And every available study, Sethi said, shows Americans are nowhere close to herd immunity, and that attempting to achieve it would require mass infections and deaths.
UW Health experts bust seven myths about flu shots
WKOW-TV 27
As COVID-19 cases continue to spread across Wisconsin, doctors and health care professionals are urging people to get a flu shot to avoid a “twindemic.”
UW Madison awards $6 million in grants to health equity initiatives
NBC-15
The Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health announced the awards on Friday. Six groups were awarded $1 million, including initiatives that address the health of Black men and women, prevent suicide among Wisconsin farmers and promote economic stability and restorative justice, according to the release.
F.H. King continues sustainable produce handouts despite pandemic
Badger Herald
Student organization uses eco-friendly model to distribute fresh farm-to-table goods for UW students.
UW celebrates Latinx Heritage Month amid COVID-19 challenges
Badger Herald
Coordinators hope to strengthen sense of community amongst Latinx members through celebrations.
Early in-person voting for November election set to begin on campus Oct. 20
Badger Herald
Students can register to vote at early voting sites at three spots on campus.
Wisconsin Alumni Association kicks off virtual Homecoming week
Badger Herald
Classic events like Fill the Hill, singing of ’Varsity’ will all take place virtually due to pandemic.