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Author: jplucas

When American corporations deliver U.S. foreign policy

Posted on
San Francisco Chronicle

The headlines that Yahoo had handed over Chinese journalist and democratic activist Shi Tao’s e-mails and IP address to China’s secret police dominated the news last year. This sent a panic through an industry usually praised for its social responsibility and unaccustomed to external scrutiny. Congress called in the general counsels of four of our leading high tech firms – Cisco, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo – to account for their collaboration with the Chinese government. In the course of events, it became clear that the problem in the high-tech sector was not isolated but endemic.

Author: Michael Likosky is a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School and author of “Law, Infrastructure and Human Rights,” (Cambridge University Press).

Grant establishes Wisconsin Covenant Foundation

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Wisconsin Radio Network

The Governor’s Wisconsin Covenant initiative is getting a financial boost.

A $40 million endowment from the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation will help establish a new foundation, aimed at providing financial aid for students who sign the Wisconsin Covenant. The money will help provide financial assistance to students who sign the Covenant and meet the educational goals it requires.

Carla Vigue, a spokesperson in the Governor’s office, says the endowment will hopefully be the first of many. She says the board established to oversee the fund will be working to get additional private money added to it.

Big Ten Fans Left on the Bench

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ABCNEWS.com

Whatever you do, don’t get in the way of college football fanatics, arguably among the most ardent athletic supporters on the planet.

Three major cable companies and the Big Ten Network â?? a new channel dedicated to all things Big Ten â?? learned this the hard way, enraging Big Ten fans by failing to strike an agreement on how the network is distributed to consumers.

Flowers returns to Badgers practice (AP)

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University of Wisconsin senior guard Michael Flowers has returned to the team after a leave of absence which the Badgers had said was being taken for medical reasons.

“He’s back on the floor,” UW coach Bo Ryan said Wednesday, nearly two weeks after the leave began Oct. 18.

Gow details modified plan

Posted on
La Crosse Tribune

Chancellor Joe Gow unveiled more details of the modified version of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosseâ??s Growth and Access Agenda to the campus community Thursday.

The new Growth, Quality and Access plan seeks to grow total enrollment by at least 500 additional students in the next three to five years, hire at least 75 more faculty and 20 more staff members in the next five years and provide increased financial aid for students from low- and middle-income families.

$40 million gift will support Wis. higher education program (AP)

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La Crosse Tribune

MADISON â?? A $40 million donation announced Thursday will help low-income Wisconsin students attend college if they meet academic and service requirements during high school.

The gift from the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation, a leader in the student loan industry, gives a major financial boost to the Wisconsin Covenant program.

The program asks eighth-graders to promise to earn a B average in high school, take courses to prepare for college, stay out of trouble and perform community service work. In return, the state promises them a spot at one of its universities or technical colleges and a financial aid package based on their familyâ??s needs.

WISC-TV Looks At Arrest Processing Center For Freakfest Revelers

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Authorities said that behavior is changing at Madison’s annual Halloween party on State Street and that property damage and arrests are at the lowest point in years.

This year, WISC-TV was given a firsthand, behind-the-scenes look from the police transport area, which is set up outside State Street during Freakfest, to the arrest processing center where over-rowdy revelers are cited and released or sent to detox or sometimes to jail.

Police said that behavior at the Halloween party is changing year-to-year but they said if partiers cause trouble, they will be arrested.

Jean S. Comstock

Posted on
Madison.com

Jean S. Comstock passed away in Madison on Monday, Oct. 29, 2007. She recently retired from the UW-Madison Department of Afro-American Studies as a Student Services Coordinator and was awarded emeritus status, a rare honour for non-academic staff.

Some teen smokers shrug off tax hike

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Wisconsin State Journal

Dr. Michael Fiore, director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, and Timothy Baker, research director of the center, said research in all 50 states proves that tax increases — especially those of at least 25 cents per pack — lead to reduced smoking.

Film festival to take lighter look at global warming

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Wisconsin State Journal

Scare tactics, Gregg Mitman says, are not the best way to get people to care about the environment.

But funny films? Maybe.

Mitman, director of the Center for Culture, History and Environment at UW-Madison, helped design “Tales from Planet Earth, ” a free, environmental film festival running this Friday through Sunday in Downtown Madison.

Two UW research scientists honored

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Wisconsin State Journal

Two UW-Madison scientists will be at the White House today to receive Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, considered the nation ‘s highest honor for researchers at the outset of their careers.

UW-Madison genetics professor Ahna Skop and professor of medicine Sterling Johnson are among 57 scientists nationwide to receive the award.

Colleges pledge to close minority, low-income gaps

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USA Today

In a coordinated stab at one of higher education’s most pressing problems, some of the country’s largest university systems pledged Wednesday to cut in half the achievement gaps for minority and low-income students on their campuses over the next eight years.

The announcement comes at a time of deep concern that, from everyday undergraduates to the ranks of elite faculty, America’s colleges and universities don’t look much like the country as a whole

Breast milk helps lungs but not if mom has asthma (Reuters)

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Reuters

Breast-feeding seems to protect children from asthma later in life, but only when the mother does not have the respiratory disorder herself, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

Dr. Theresa Guilbert of the University of Wisconsin-Madison wanted to see if longer breast-feeding — lasting four months or more — improved lung function in children.

Cable, Big Ten, UW fans losers

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Racine Journal Times

Itâ??s third down and inches. Time to get in the trenches and grind it out.

Weâ??re referring to the clash between the Big Ten Network and several cable TV companies, which will prevent many Badger fans from seeing Saturdayâ??s critical showdown against top-ranked Ohio State. Without an agreement, cable companies â?? including local carrier Time Warner â?? cannot show BTN games.

This is sure to come up at least once more this season. University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez expects the teamâ??s Nov. 17 game against Minnesota to be shown on BTN, which gets the second or third pick among each weekâ??s games.

Wildfires turning northern forests into carbon-dioxide sources (CBC News)

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CBC News

A group of U.S. researchers have found that wildfires â?? fuelled by climate change â?? may be turning boreal forests into sources of carbon dioxide.

The boreal forests â?? found in northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, China, Scandinavia and elsewhere â?? make up the second largest type of forest in the world behind the tropical rainforest.

Scientists have historically believed that the boreal forests act as a carbon sink, as trees absorb carbon emissions and reduce them in the atmosphere.

But new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, published in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Nature, has found that the forests may be emitting more carbon than they are absorbing.

Domestic partnership benefits important to keeping employees in Wisconsin (UW-Oshkosh Advance-Titan)

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Thereâ??s something that all other states with Big Ten universities have and Wisconsin doesnâ??t, and no, itâ??s not an average BAC less than .2 percent.

As it stands, Wisconsin is the only state with a Big Ten university that does not give its university employees domestic partnership benefits. Other states grant these benefits on an equal level to legally married employees.

Unfortunately, the passing of the state budget did not solve every problem the state faces and every issue that could possibly be brought up by the congressmen and women in the state legislature. It turns out politics canâ??t make everyone happy. Who knew?

The Science of Candy

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WKOW-TV 27

By now, you may have already had your fill of Halloween candy. Now you’re ready to see how it’s made. Many of us just see candy in the store and buy it. But science actually plays a huge part in the process of making candy, and all foods.

Instead of trick or treating, Wednesday night on the UW campus, food scientist Rich Hartel, is showing audience members how science is a part of sweets.

“Candy starts with science, all food starts with science. Understanding the science behind how things are made allows us to control the candy and make good candy.” says Hartel.

Badger games on public television?

Posted on
Wisconsin Radio Network

Another try by state lawmakers to make sure all Badgers’ games are on TV.

The latest effort comes from a group of lawmakers who want Badger games to be aired live on Wisconsin Public Television. The games were shown on delay, before the creation of the Big Ten Network.

N.C. inferno highlights known risks

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USA Today

The fatal fire at a North Carolina beach house Sunday appears to fit a tragic pattern that has claimed the lives of college students across the nation.

In a study published last year, USA TODAY identified a pattern of risk that leaves college students vulnerable to the dangers of fire.

How Madison Exorcised Halloween (Time.com)

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Time

Halloween isn’t what it used to be on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin.

Last Sunday, the main gathering point for the university town’s annual Halloween bash saw a throng of heavily boozed cross-dressers, walking food products and pop-culture oddities slowly crawling about at almost 1:30 Sunday morning, closing time here.

But Molly Kelley, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, pointed at the large unpopulated gaps of littered concrete from a balcony overlooking the seven block stretch. “Two years ago this place was packed like sardines,” she says. “You couldn’t move. Either you got run over by [police] horses or climbed on light poles.”

After lawmakers balk, UW-La Crosse backs off its diversity plan (AP)

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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is backing off a controversial plan to increase diversity and financial aid by raising all students’ tuition, the school’s chancellor said Tuesday.

Chancellor Joe Gow said he would still seek a tuition increase but will use the money to improve quality rather than add diversity to the overwhelmingly white and increasingly well-off student body.

The university will use the increase to add at least 500 students and dozens of professors to reduce class sizes, which are the highest in the UW System, Gow said.

Halloween arrests total 181, down from last year

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Wisconsin State Journal

Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain on Monday released a final accounting of arrests and detox trips during the city ‘s annual Halloween bash on State Street last weekend.
The final tally for both was slightly higher than earlier reports but remained far lower than in previous years.

Developing Countries Poised to Lead the Biofuel Market

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Wired.com

Malaysia, Thailand, Colombia, Uruguay and Ghana are poised to become the world leaders in biodiesel production, according to a new study.

That’s surprising, since the United States is the world’s leading producer and exporter of soybeans, a major source for biofuel — a promising short-term alternative to fossil fuels. The U.S. harvested 3.1 billion bushels of soybeans last year.

But when Matt Johnson and Tracey Holloway of the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment studied which countries are best positioned to enter the burgeoning market for biodiesel, they came up with a list of developing countries with a strong agricultural base, stable governments and low debt.

Editorial: A vote of confidence

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wealthy alumni often put their names on buildings at their alma mater. It’s a bedrock principle of college fund raising.

But a group of University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni are doing something that hasn’t been done before at a major university: They are contributing $85 million to buy the naming rights to the School of Business and retain its current name for 20 years. It will remain the “Wisconsin School of Business.”

Officials Examine Costs Of Freakfest

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — The public cost of Freakfest is the focus of a new debate after a relatively calm weekend on State Street in downtown Madison.

Once a black eye in the community, the city’s annual Halloween celebration has transformed into a ticket-requiring event called Freakfest. City officials said that Freakfest is quickly becoming something Madison can be proud of.

Badger Vs. Buckeyes Game Only On Big Ten Network

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Badger fans are gearing up for one of the biggest games of the season.

The Badgers will take on Ohio State this Saturday.

The problem for fans without tickets is that the game is exclusively on the Big Ten Network, reported WISC-TV.

Journalism Students Conduct Homework During Freakfest

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Some of the students attending Freakfest on Saturday night were actually doing homework.

The Journalism 335 or Intermediate Reporting class on the UW campus deployed crews to cover all aspects of the party, reported WISC-TV.

Students took down the sights and sounds of the street and then returned to their labs in the early morning hours to write and post their stories.

It’s all experience students said was invaluable.

Freakfest Tab Expected Over $700,000

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WKOW-TV 27

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray predicted the costs of policing this past weekend’s Freakfest State Street event would be on a par with last year police costs: $763,000.

Wray said Freakfest police costs have been increasing every year until now. “We did not add police staff to the event in a significant way.”

Budget allows UW System campus expansions (AP)

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Green Bay Press-Gazette

MADISON â?? The University of Wisconsin System is about to get bigger.

More researchers at UW-Milwaukee. More adult students in the two-year UW Colleges. And more undergrads at UW-Green Bay and UW-Oshkosh.

The state budget signed into law last week allows UW campuses to begin expansions intended to increase the number of graduates and boost economic development. UW System President Kevin Reilly had campaigned for more than a year for the so-called Growth Agenda, which he called critical to the state’s economic future.

Jerry Maynard

Posted on
Madison.com

Jerry L. Maynard, age 65, of southern Door County, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, as result of a pulmonary embolism, following surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. His career as an electrician began immediately after high school with Knudson Electric in Mineral Point, Lubckes in Middleton and continued in a 35-year love affair with the UW-Madison campus, where he began as an electrical journeyman, retiring as supervisor of the Electric Shop.

UW-Madison, tribal school hit deal

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Wisconsin State Journal

A transfer contract agreement to be signed Monday between UW-Madison and College of Menominee Nation is a win-win situation for both schools, said Verna Fowler, president and founder of the small school with just more than 350 full-time students on the southern edge of the Menominee Indian Reservation.

College prices, student borrowing up

Posted on
USA Today

The cost of attending college continues to climb: in-state tuition and fees at public four-year schools averaged $6,185 this year, up 6.6% from last year, says the College Board, which tracks more than 5,000 colleges and universities. The increase was slightly more than the previous year’s 5.7% bump.

Flu lab nears completion

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Ten-inch walls made with crack-resistant concrete. Outlets sealed with silicone.Sensors for broken windows. Infrared surveillance beams. Redundant air handling systems. A back-up generator.

UW-Madison’s $12.5 million Institute for Influenza Viral Research, nearing completion at University Research Park, will have a collection of safety and security features the university hasn’t seen before.

Put the kettle on: It’s good for you

Posted on
USA Today

How refreshing.

Tea, something that people around the world enjoy consuming, might actually be good for you.

“The most fascinating thing is, to my knowledge, there is no other natural product known that has such diversified effects,” says Hasan Mukhtar, vice chair of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wisconsin’s Business School Gets $85 Million Donation

Posted on
Bloomberg News

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) — The Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison received $85 million from a group of alumni to ensure that the school will retain its name for at least 20 years.

The gift, including $5 million donated today at a football game, is the first of its kind among universities to preserve a name and not change it after a sizable donation, said the school.

Alums donate $85M to UW-Madison business school to keep name (AP)

Posted on
La Crosse Tribune

MADISON, Wis. â?? A group of alumni of the University of Wisconsin-Madison are donating $85 million so the Wisconsin School of Business doesnâ??t change its name.

Not for at least 20 years.

The gift, the largest in UW-Madisonâ??s history, was announced Saturday morning. School leaders say itâ??s a unique take on naming, which typically involves a single donor or entity and a stipulation that the name change will be permanent.

Freakfest ends peacefully

Posted on
NBC-15

Madison’s Mayor says Freakfest 2007 marks another successful year for State Street’s annual Halloween celebration. Thirty-four thousand people purchased tickets for the event.

As of two o’clock Sunday morning, police had made 120 arrests — most for alcohol violations. That compares to last year’s 148 arrests, or the 334 in 2005.
Madison Police also report no serious property damage or injuries from the celebration

UW Homecoming Includes Two Fighter Pilots

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WKOW-TV 27

Forget a car, the bus or the train. A few of the alumni in town for homecoming, flew into Madison Friday, on fighter jets. When the signup sheet came around to be part of a flyover preceding Saturday’s game at Camp Randall, Marine Major Smith said he jumped on the chance.

Smith landed at Wisconsin Aviation facility around noon from a Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He flew in an FA 18 hornet fighter jet, which he’s flown for about eight years.

UW regent resigns over Doyle’s treatment of illegal immigrants (AP)

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Green Bay Press-Gazette

MADISON â?? A University of Wisconsin System regent has quit because he’s upset over how the governor has treated illegal immigrants.

Jesus Salas sent his resignation letter Friday morning as Gov. Jim Doyle signed the new two-year state budget.

Salas accused Doyle in his letter of not fighting hard enough for a budget provision that would have allowed illegal immigrants who graduate from Wisconsin high schools to pay in-state tuition.

Freakfest Arrests Set New Low

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Madison police are calling the arrests during Freakfest a new record low, down 25 percent in one year.

After years of hauling hundreds in to be processed, officers have a system, reported WISC-TV.

The department’s arrest processing center is in located in the basement of the city-county building downtown.