Students at the state?s flagship university Tuesday awaited their first visit from a sitting president in a half century.
UW-Madison students start to gather for President Obama’s visit
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Author: jplucas
President rallies UW students
Wisconsin Radio Network
In a speech that focused heavily on voters who supported him in 2008, President Barack Obama urged students at UW-Madison to return to the polls again this November to keep fighting for change.
Federal Appeals Court Again Sides in Favor of Embryonic-Stem-Cell Research
Chronicle of Higher Education
The Obama administration on Tuesday won another round in its legal battle to permit federally financed embryonic-stem-cell research, as a federal appeals panel affirmed its earlier decision to lift a temporary injunction while litigation on the issue continues.
You’re Not No. 1
Inside Higher Education
The advance briefing for reporters covering Tuesday?s release of the National Research Council?s ratings of doctoral programs may have made history as the first time a group doing rankings held a news conference at which it seemed to be largely trying to write them off.
This Land: Obama?s University Visit Was Not Simple
New York Times
Would it be all right if the Leader of the Free World stopped by your campus for a little while? He wants to surround himself with hordes of enthusiastic young people, toss out a few oratorical gems ? as you know, he?s got the gift ? and reinvigorate his anxious political party. The Secret Service has the usual security concerns, of course, but we?ll pay for any inconvenience. Interested?
Johnson makes false statements in TV ad
Quoted: Pamela Herd, an Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the UW Madison.
Chris Rickert: Public vs. private not an either/or proposition
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: UW-Madison history professor Colleen Dunlavy.
UW football: Homecoming game against Gophers to air on Big Ten Network
Madison.com
The Big Ten Network will air the battle for Paul Bunyan?s Axe as the University of Wisconsin football team guns for its seventh straight victory over Minnesota on Oct. 9 at Camp Randall Stadium.
Obama returning U. of Wis. to court young voters
Madison.com
President Barack Obama plans a University of Wisconsin rally complete with rock bands to ask young voters who helped propel him to the White House to re-engage and save fellow Democrats from political disaster this November. Crammed into an outdoor mall at the Madison campus, Tuesday?s visit carries a decidedly different political atmosphere than the one that surrounded the then-candidate in 2008, when a boisterous overflow crowd of more than 17,000 people greeted Obama at a basketball arena. His popularity has since dipped amid the nationwide recession, and many Democrats face tough challenges in the Nov. 2 midterm election. During a Monday conference call with college journalists, Obama acknowledged excitement has waned in the last two years. But he said he hoped the Madison rally would re-emphasize the importance of the midterm to advancing his agenda.
Parenting, Part II: First weeks can be tough for college kids
USA Today
Surveys by ACT (the non-profit company behind the ACT test) show one-third of freshman do not become sophomores at the colleges where they started. ACT doesn?t track how many students drop out in less than a year, transfer to another school or return later. But just under half get degrees from the colleges where they first enrolled (within three years for associate degrees or five years for bachelor?s degrees).
Enrollment at 2-year campuses highest ever
Madison.com
More students are enrolled at the University of Wisconsin System?s two-year campuses than ever before. More than 14,000 students attend classes at the UW?s 13 campus centers or are enrolled in an online program, a 4 percent increase compared to last year and the sixth consecutive year of growth.
On Campus: Is ‘no signs’ rule at Obama rally unconstitutional?
Wisconsin State Journal
Signs and posters are among the rather lengthy list of items not allowed at President Barack Obama?s rally on Library Mall Tuesday, which is sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. This bothered local marijuana activist and 2012 U.S. Senate candidate Ben Masel, who said it infringes on his right to speak freely in a public space.
Excitement builds for Obama visit at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wisconsin State Journal
Library Mall buzzed with activity Monday in preparation for President Barack Obama?s visit Tuesday, a rally intended to excite Democrats for the November election. On an autumn day bright with sunshine, workers put up risers, lights and a sound system at the site of the UW-Madison rally, wedged between Memorial Library, the Wisconsin Historical Society and State Street. Many UW-Madison students cited the historic opportunity to see a sitting president, even if they aren?t his biggest fan.
Obama enlists rock bands at Madison campus rally
Madison.com
Rock band the National along with singer-songwriter Ben Harper are serving as opening acts to President Barack Obama?s political rally on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Tuesday. Thousands of students and others are expected to converge on campus for the outdoor rally, the first of four such events Obama has planned before the election.
Census finds record gap between rich and poor
Madison.com
Quoted: Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specializes in poverty.
In backyards and on campus, Obama rallies Dems
Madison.com
With five weeks left to Election Day, President Barack Obama is trying to rekindle some of his 2008 campaign magic on college campuses while also devoting more time to a relatively new format of backyard visits that give him time to explain his policies in cozy, unhurried settings. The two-step strategy, which will play out in four states Tuesday and Wednesday, confronts Democrats? two biggest needs: to pump enthusiasm into young supporters who may stay at home this fall, and to persuade undecided voters that Republican alternatives are unacceptable. On Tuesday night, Obama will headline a rally at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he hopes to replicate the raucous, youthful, big-stage events for which he became famous in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Politics blog: Doyle not home when president arrives
Wisconsin State Journal
Gov. Jim Doyle will not be around next week to welcome President Barack Obama to Wisconsin.Doyle?s office Friday announced the governor would be away on an “industry and trade” trip to China from Friday through Oct. 1. The president will be in Madison on Sept. 28, holding a rally on the UW-Madison campus.
Ask the Weather Guys: Do hurricanes ever hit Canada?
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: Steven A. Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences.
Catching Up: UW Vet School may have to end exotic pet program
Wisconsin State Journal
The fate of the exotic pets program at UW-Madison?s School of Veterinary Medicine is still up in the air.In April, officials from the veterinary school told the State Journal they were considering ending the teaching hospital?s exotic animal program. But as of now, the program is still operating. Lori Strelow, public relations director for the school, said officials are still trying to decide what to do.
Construction projects are few, far between
Wisconsin State Journal
To say that construction in the Madison area has slowed to a crawl is almost an understatement. If it weren?t for big projects like UW-Madison?s Institutes for Discovery and Epic Systems Corp.?s mushrooming campus in Verona, a lot more construction workers likely would be picking up unemployment checks.
Obama’s visit to UW-Madison echoes that of Truman’s 60 years ago
Wisconsin State Journal
A Democratic president, facing waning popularity, heads into the heart of the country to seek support. He chooses to speak at the state university in Madison ? to be welcomed by thousands of young, eager faces in a bastion of liberal support.The scenario applies to President Barack Obama?s rally on Library Mall on Tuesday, but it also describes the last time a sitting president came to the UW-Madison campus ? 60 years ago. Harry S. Truman was on a 6,400-mile whistle-stop tour through 16 states when he spoke at the Field House on May 14, 1950, in front of a crowd of more than 10,000 people. It was also a midterm election year. Quoted: Jeremi Suri, history professor at UW-Madison.
Curiosities: What causes the falling sensation that jerks me awake sometimes?
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: Ruth Benca, psychiatry professor and director of the UW-Madison Center for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research.
Obama visit poses plenty of logistical problems
Wisconsin State Journal
Just steps from Memorial Union and State Street, Library Mall is an idyllic backdrop for President Barack Obama?s campus rally on Tuesday. But it could also pose logistical and security challenges.With some campus streets already closed due to construction, including Observatory Drive, and more closed for the event, expect gridlock in the UW-Madison area on Tuesday. The program is scheduled to begin at rush hour, 4:45 p.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.
UW hockey facility back on track
Madison.com
A plan to build a $27.8 million practice facility for the University of Wisconsin hockey programs has been revived. Six months after shelving the project, saying he was uncomfortable with the lack of private donations, UW athletic director Barry Alvarez said Friday that a “very good?? surge of gift funds has put it back on track.
Walker promises to cut taxes, but Barrett says that would lead to huge debt
Wisconsin State Journal
Democrat Tom Barrett went on the offensive against Republican Scott Walker in the first governor?s race debate Friday, saying his tax cut plans would bury the state in debt and force deep cuts to public safety, education and property tax relief. Barrett is scheduled to appear with Obama at the rally on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
More lawsuits target for-profit colleges
USA Today
Disgruntled students, employees and shareholders have filed a flurry of lawsuits against for-profit colleges since a federal investigation last month found deceptive practices at 15 campuses. The Government Accountability Office report was released Aug. 4, and class-action lawsuits have now been filed in California, Colorado, Arkansas and Utah by former students and employees, who argue in most cases that a school lied to them or misled them.
Report: Poor science education impairs U.S. economy
USA Today
Stagnant scientific education imperils U.S. economic leadership, says a report by leading business and science figures. Released Thursday at a congressional briefing attended by senators and congressmen of both parties, the report updates a 2005 science education report that led to moves to double federal research funding.
Obama Tries to Recapture Youth Vote
Wall Street Journal
President Barack Obama will try to recapture the magic of his 2008 youth vote next week, pulling out some of the organizational tricks of his presidential campaign at a massive rally at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
In the Works: New ways to fight bacteria
Los Angeles Times
Quoted: “We throw thousands and thousands of antibiotics on bacteria,” says Marcin Filutowicz, a microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. “This is tremendous selection for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”
Patriot games (The Herald Scotland)
Quoted: But since that rapprochement China?s increasing global profile, epitomised by its hosting of the 2008 Olympics, appears to have made it more assertive, said Edward Friedman, a China specialist as the University of Wisconsin.
Bark beetles may kill trees, but that may not raise fire risk
Los Angeles Times
Quoted: “It?s really counterintuitive,” said University of Wisconsin ecology professor Monica Turner, coauthor of a paper that has been accepted for publication in Ecological Monographs. “The beetles are good foresters, thinning the forests for us in a way.”
Obama looks to youth vote for a late midterm surge
Washington Post
President Obama will swoop into the heartland this week in a high-stakes bid to boost enthusiasm for Democrats by reigniting the coalition of young and minority voters who were critical to his success two years ago.
Rep. Tom Nelson hopes to make a difference as lieutenant governor
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Quoted: Dennis Dresang, founding director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said lieutenant governors with strong ties to the governor have been able to lead on issues important to them.
Divide over health law heats up Senate race
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: John Mullahy, a health economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison?s La Follette School of Public Affairs, say rationing has always been a part of the nation?s health care system.
Jordan Ellenberg: Go figure
Boston Globe
The great Massachusetts comic Eugene Mirman has a routine about people who quote half-remembered statistics. He says he likes to tell those people that he read somewhere that 100 percent of Americans are Asian.
An Effort to Recapture Democratic Enthusiasm
New York Times
Among the most iconic moments of the 2008 presidential campaign were the scenes of Barack Obama, shirtsleeves rolled up, in front of a sea of voters that seemed to go on forever.
Polls: Johnson Leading Feingold By 6-11 Points (WTAQ-AM 1360)
Quoted: UW-Madison political scientist Charles Franklin says the balance might be tipping toward Johnson, but it?s still a close race.
Fact Finder: Clarifying Ron Johnson?s Social Security claims (WPR)
Quoted: That?s false, says Pamela Herd, an Associate Professor of Public Affairs at the UW-Madison whose research focuses on old age policy. She says the money is in Treasury Bonds that are backed by the ?full faith and credit of the U.S. government.”
Things to remember for the Obama visit to the UW Library Mall
Isthmus
Presidential visits can be exciting, but they also present many logistical headaches, upending a city?s normal routines. Such can be expected on Tuesday, when President Obama flies into town for a speech at the UW-Madison library mall: flights will be canceled, traffic and buses rerouted, and areas of campus normally public will suddenly have the highest security.
Obama’s visit to UW-Madison echoes that of Truman’s 60 years ago
Wisconsin State Journal
A Democratic president, facing waning popularity, heads into the heart of the country to seek support.He chooses to speak at the state university in Madison ? to be welcomed by thousands of young, eager faces in a bastion of liberal support. The scenario applies to President Barack Obama?s rally on Library Mall on Tuesday, but it also describes the last time a sitting president came to the UW-Madison campus ? 60 years ago.
Few Dems to join Obama at Madison rally (WLUK-TV, Green Bay)
With the midterm elections less than two months away, President Obama is traveling the country stumping for his party?s candidates.Obama will be in Wisconsin Tuesday for a rally on the UW-Madison campus. But with the president?s popularity in the state lagging, are democrats here eager to have his backing?
Happy Birthday, Bucky Badger!
WKOW-TV 27
Saturday was a big day for Badger fans. Not only did the Badgers triumph over Austin Peay in football, but Bucky Badger celebrated his birthday!
Man robs convenience store on Regent Street
WKOW-TV 27
Madison police are searching for a suspect after an early morning robbery at the Open Pantry on Regent Street.
Obama Returning To Madison
WISC-TV 3
It?s no secret that Dane County is one of the biggest Democratic vote producers in the state of Wisconsin. Local political analyst Charles Franklin said Obama?s Tuesday visit ? his sixth to Wisconsin since being elected ? is all about turning out the Democratic vote.
U. of Iowa Finds Renewal in Rebuilding
Chronicle of Higher Education
A few weeks ago, news outlets across the nation marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with countless articles and broadcasts, and Sally K. Mason, the University of Iowa?s president, found herself bemused by the one element of the coverage. Together the eight colleges and universities in New Orleans suffered just over $1-billion in damage during Katrina. Meanwhile Ms. Mason?s institution alone suffered an estimated $743-million in damage in June 2008, when the flood-swollen Iowa River scoured low-lying parts of the campus and closed 22 buildings.
Barrett and Walker to meet in first debate
Wisconsin Radio Network
Quoted: UW political scientist David Canon says there?s unlikely to be many surprises in the encounter, since the debates are usually pretty structured.
UW-Stout hockey players charged in student?s death
Wisconsin Radio Network
Two Students at UW-Stout face charges in the death of another student. Twenty-two-year-old Brad Simon had been hospitalized since the weekend after an alleged assault while on his bicycle, he died Thursday afternoon in an Eau Claire hospital.
World-Class Greatness at a Land-Grant University Near You?
Chronicle of Higher Education
As I write, the leaves are turning color, and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are actually ahead in the early stages of the first half against Southern Cal in Twin City Federal Stadium, also known as the House That Bob Built (for Bob Bruininks, the U of M?s president).
Dalai Lama Donates to Wisconsin Meditation Center
New York Times
They say money can?t buy happiness ? but it can finance the research.When Richard Davidson, then a psychology doctoral student in the 1970s, told his advisers at Harvard that he planned to study the power of meditation, the scholars winced.
Johnson leads Feingold in three new polls
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Charles Franklin, polling expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Group’s blueprint for Wisconsin calls for innovation, statesmanship
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Citing a statewide poll he conducted, University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Ken Goldstein said only 2% of residents think the state government is doing an excellent job. In contrast, 25% rate the government?s performance as poor.
Faculty’s say in hiring is legitimate
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
From a Sept. 14 editorial (“A key job in the region”) and an Across the Board blog posting the same day (“Aren?t the faculty just picking their own boss at UWM?”), it is clear that the Journal Sentinel Editorial Board has an incomplete understanding of the authority and responsibilities of faculty within the University of Wisconsin System as well as the role they play in selecting chancellors.
State agencies want major increases for their individual budgets
Wisconsin Public Radio
Budget requests coming in from just three state agencies would increase Wisconsin?s projected deficit by almost a billion dollars. The Department of Health Services, the University of Wisconsin and the Department of Corrections are collectively asking for an additional $988-million in state tax funding over the next two years.
Obama?s Badger venue smaller this time
Wisconsin Radio Network
President Barack Obama?s appearance in Madison next week to campaign for Senator Russ Feingold and gubernatorial hopeful Tom Barrett will be at the UW Library Mall.
UI struggles with Latino graduation rates (The Daily Iowan)
Noted: The numbers are low compared with other institutions, with 77 percent of Latino students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison?s 2002 entering class graduating in six years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Charter Street closure planned
WKOW-TV 27
Starting on Monday, September 27th, part of North Charter Street will be closed for underground utility repair work. The closure will last up to three weeks.
University officials say expect delays during presidential visit
WKOW-TV 27
University officials say you should expect traffic delays when President Barack Obama visits UW-Madison?s Library Mall on Tuesday.
Thousands Expected At Obama Rally On UW Campus
WISC-TV 3
Downtown Madison will likely be packed with people Tuesday as President Barack Obama holds a rally outside in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
Ron Johnson: the new Senate frontrunner?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Polling expert Charles Franklin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Obama to speak at Library Mall in Madison
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
President Barack Obama will speak at Library Mall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus during his visit Tuesday, said Democratic National Committee spokesman Derrick Plummer.