Noted: The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison shared the image on social media.
Satellite photo shows Michigan looking beautiful under full moon
Michigan Live
Author: knutson4
Biden hikes cost of carbon, easing path for new climate rules
Politico
Noted: The number could rise as climate science advances, said Paul Kelleher, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in climate change economics. Advances in translating temperature increases to economic damage have enabled more precise measurements of climate impacts. And the Biden administration has emphasized equity considerations to take into account low-income areas and communities of color, which new modeling makes more possible.
In Statehouses, Stolen-Election Myth Fuels a G.O.P. Drive to Rewrite Rules
New York Times
Quoted: “The typical response by a losing party in a functioning democracy is that they alter their platform to make it more appealing,” Kenneth Mayer, an expert on voting and elections at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said. “Here the response is to try to keep people from voting. It’s dangerously antidemocratic.”
Wisconsin Sea Grant Releases Biennial Report Addressing Progress On Organization’s 4 Pillars
Wisconsin Public Radio
The Wisconsin Sea Grant recently released it’s biennial report addressing the organization’s progress on its four pillars: healthy coastal ecosystems; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; resilient communities and economies; and environmental literacy and workforce development.
Part of the national Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Sea Grant has studied the Great Lakes for more than 50 years.
Jim Hurley, director of the Wisconsin Sea Grant, said it makes sense for the Great Lakes to be part of the Sea Grant because many of the issues that occur in the oceans and coasts also occur in the Great Lakes.
“Issues like sea level rise,” he said. “We’ve seen tremendous fluctuations in Great Lakes water levels. Where they may be looking on the ocean coast at small increments of sea level rise, we’ve seen changes in Lake Michigan of 4 feet over the course of maybe five or six years.”
Three Rust Belt Governors Seek More Taxes, Less School Choice
Forbes
Quoted: “At a time when we want to encourage saving and investment in the state, the Evers budget would sharply raise the cost of capital by increasing capital gains taxes,” Noah Williams, Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, told the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG), a Wisconsin-based think tank that recently published an analysis of Evers’ budget. “I also think it’s unlikely that the capital gains tax would raise the projected amount of revenue, as past episodes of capital gains increases have found that people either realize the gains before the tax takes hold or delay realization.”
Broken protein bridge linked to Rett syndrome traits
Spectrum News
Quoted: Because these mice mimicked Rett model mice in some ways but not in others, it may be that mCAC methylation, “although significant, does not account for the entirety of MECP2 function,” says Qiang Chang, professor of medical genetics and neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the work.
Attempt to trademark logo lands Weyauwega-Fremont in hot water with UW-Madison
FOX 11
After changing the high school’s nickname from “Indians” to “Warhawks,” the Weyauwega-Fremont School District is now also looking for a new logo for the district.
The school district was in the process of trademarking its “WF” logo when it was contacted by the University of Wisconsin, which objected because it’s too similar to the Badgers’ “Motion W” logo, according to district administrator Phillip Tubbs.
UW spokesman John Lucas said the school does not proactively monitor school districts. But because Weyauwega-Fremont attempted to register its logo as a trademark, the university was notified and deemed it necessary to act to protect its trademark.
How do you talk to kids about the Holocaust?
The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle
If you’ve wondered just how, or whether to, discuss the Holocaust with a younger child, Simone Schweber has a workshop that should be able to help you.
The Goodman Professor of Education and Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Schweber will be working with the Jewish Museum Milwaukee this week to host the online event: How to Talk to Your Kids About the Holocaust.
A year after deadly shooting, Molson Coors has set a course for more inclusive culture — but cultivating real change will take time
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Repeated, daily acts of racism at work — like those some employees described last year — can wear people down, said Jerlando Jackson, director and chief research scientist at Wisconsin’s Equity & Inclusion Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In workplaces where employees of color see that harassment is not handled well by supervisors, they might not speak up about their experiences, Jackson said.
The issue is two-fold, he said: most workers face both organizational and internal barriers to success. So even if companies work to address some of the structural hurdles, employees might be struggling silently if they aren’t given a chance to be heard.
Each person carries their burden differently. Many people in hostile work environments eventually quit or are fired, he said.
“Usually there’s no good end to it, for those people,” Jackson said. “Individuals leave opportunities they spent their whole lives trying to get.”
Scientist Recounts 1960s Yellowstone Research That Made COVID-19 PCR Tests Possible
Weather.com
Noted: Brock was a pioneer in studying microbial ecology at Yellowstone, and his research was funded by the National Science Foundation, according to a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Now 94, he retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison after a distinguished career as a professor and researcher and runs a nature conservancy with his wife, Kathie.
Golden Globes: Mark Ruffalo wins 1st Globe for ‘I Know This Much Is True’; Aaron Rodgers gets a shoutout from Jodie Foster
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Ruffalo had been nominated for Golden Globe awards three times before: for best actor in a comedy or musical for the 2014 movie “Infinitely Polar Bear”; best actor in a TV movie or miniseries for “The Normal Heart”; and best supporting actor in a movie for 2014’s “Foxcatcher,” as former University of Wisconsin-Madison wrestling coach David Schultz.
UW-Madison professor Tracey Holloway wants to educate moms on climate change through work with Science Moms
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As a scientist, Tracey Holloway has spent a lot of time thinking about how climate change is going to affect the world.
As a mother of two young boys, she spends a lot of time thinking about what the world will be like when her youngest son — now only 10 months — turns 30.
“It always seemed like 2050 was so far into the future, but now my baby’s going to be 30 in 2050, and that’s not that far away,” she said.
Holloway, a professor at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been studying air quality and pollution for nearly 20 years. Now, she’s teaming up with other women scientists to help make understanding climate change accessible, forming a group called Science Moms.
‘This is Powerful’: Mourning the National Loss Endured This Year
Spectrum News
Quoted: Omar Poler wants people to recognize that and to remember the people who lost their battle with COVID-19.
‘We never take the time to stop and reflect on the loss we’re all experiencing,’” “A friend said to me, ‘We never take the time to stop and reflect on the loss we’re all experiencing,’” Poler said. “At the same time, a newspaper article came out that said no collective mourning had emerged within the United States.”
Poler is UW-Madison’s Indigenous education coordinator. He wanted to change the way America looks at coronavirus-related deaths. He wanted people to spend a moment grieving.
“What we do is I spend some time before Thursday trying to learn about specific people,” Poler said. “I look through obituaries and try to come up with a way to remember them.”
UW-Madison student gov gets in on the left’s ‘defund the police’ action
Campus Reform
The student government at the University of Wisconsin-Madison passed legislation that would establish a crisis response team trained to respond to mental health emergencies, rather than police.
Opportunity Zones Don’t Boost Economic Activity, Research Says
Stateline
Noted: Zone designation led to job growth in urban but not rural zones, according to a study led by Alina Arefeva, an assistant professor of real estate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. Her study didn’t look at activity in 2020.
How 3 ‘Determined’ Green Bay women are giving a voice to anguish, resilience of Alzheimer’s families with film 10 years in making
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: “Determined” tells the story of three women participating in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention, or WRAP, the world’s largest family history study of Alzheimer’s disease. The University of Wisconsin-Madison research group that began in 2001 is made up of primarily middle-aged adults with a deceased or living parent with Alzheimer’s, a factor that makes them 2½ times more likely to get the disease than those without a family history.
What Are Antioxidants, and How Much of Them Should You Be Eating?
SELF
Quoted: Then there are antioxidants that aren’t exactly considered essential nutrients, but still have effects on cells and tissues, Bradley Bolling, Ph.D., an assistant professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells SELF. You can find these in plant, animal, and other dietary sources.
Many of these non-essential antioxidants are being studied for their potential effects on optimizing health, preventing chronic disease, promoting longevity, and reducing inflammation, says Dr. Bolling. “There are varying grades of evidence for the effectiveness of these non-nutritive antioxidants,” he says.
UW-Madison scholarship honors former dairy science professor
Wisconsin State Farmer
A new memorial scholarship at University of Wisconsin-Madison is honoring former dairy science professor Dave Wieckert, who died in May 2020 at age 88.
UNCUT Madison will help UW student-athletes share stories outside of the athletic arena
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Olivia Hancock and Dana Rettke decided independently to volunteer at the polls Nov. 3. The fellow University of Wisconsin students, who had never met, found themselves at the same polling place by chance.
No. 1 Badgers Look To Springboard Into Women’s Hockey Playoffs
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s top-ranked women’s hockey team will close out its regular season this weekend with games against the University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday.
Vaccine lotteries and personal appeals: The medically vulnerable find their priority status slipping away
Washington Post
Noted: Jonathan L. Temte, associate dean for public health and community engagement at the University of Wisconsin and a liaison to to the covid-19 work group that helped the CDC advisory panel issue its guidelines, called the result a “free-for-all.” The decisions could become even more torturous when a third vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson — which is expected to gain regulatory approval this weekend — joins the mix, though with only a trickle of supply at first.
Congress on Track to Approve Millions More in Federal Funding for Water Debt Relief
Circle of Blue
Noted: Manny Teodoro, a public policy scholar at the University of Wisconsin, suggests that states should prioritize simplicity over precision — by using an allocation formula based on population and poverty. He argues in favor of a two-tier system. Large utilities, which generally have more experience with financial assistance programs and more administrative resources, should be capable of handling outreach and distribution on their own. Smaller utilities, which have less sophisticated billing systems and fewer staff, should be assisted by regional social services agencies.
Tension is growing in the Wisconsin State Capitol as some Republican lawmakers refuse to wear face masks
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “Indoor settings with prolonged exposure present the greatest risk for transmission, hence why universal masking is particularly important – even if the individuals are immunized,” said Jim Conway, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Global Health Institute.
Patrick Remington, former epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s preventive medicine residency program, said if lawmakers who choose to go maskless are vaccinated against COVID-19, then the risk is lower.
“One obvious question for people not wearing masks is whether they have been vaccinated. If they have, then it seems to be a reasonable thing to do,” Remington said. “That is, the vaccine provides sufficient protection to significantly reduce the risk of becoming sick or getting others sick.”
Direction of milk prices for the remainder of year still uncertain
Wisconsin State Farmer
Growing cow numbers and increased milk production have dairy experts walking on a knives edge when predicting the trajectory of milk prices for the coming year.
Mark Stephenson, director of Dairy Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Center for Dairy Profitability and Bob Cropp, emeritus professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, delved into the factors impacting milk prices for 2021 during the February “Dairy Situation and Outlook” podcast this week.
‘It’s Voter Suppression:’ Lawmaker Floats Overhauls To Wisconsin’s Voting Rules
WORT FM
Quoted: David Canon is a political scientist at UW-Madison, and he echoes many of Gardner’s concerns.
“In my view, it’s clearly voter suppression…Our elections are very secure. The number of cases of voter fraud are so infinitesimally small that it’s just not something that changes the outcome of elections,” Canon says.
Evers announces 4 new locations for COVID-19 community-based vaccination clinics, including one in Racine County
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: According to the announcement, the clinics will collaborate with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, the University of Wisconsin System, local public health departments and other local partners.
Ex-Wisconsin receiver Cephus sues school over 2018 expulsion
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Former Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the university that he was used as a scapegoat during a sexual assault investigation that resulted in his temporary expulsion.
Tony Evers seeks $2.4 billion for building projects — nearly half for UW campuses
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Gov. Tony Evers wants to spend $2.4 billion on building upgrades across Wisconsin — nearly half of which would be spent on University of Wisconsin System campuses.
Boy Scouts celebrate the first group of female Eagle Scouts
Associated Press
Noted: The daughter, 18-year-old Rebecca Wright, is among the new Eagle Scouts, having earned 102 merit badges. She now attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison and wants to be a genetics researcher.
The story of Charles E. Anderson and the Tuskegee Airmen
WTMJ
Noted: Anderson eventually came to work with Vern Suomi at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1966. Suomi was known for his growing research in satellite meteorology.
Scientists Just Changed the Rules of What You Can Do While You Sleep
Popular Mechanics
Quoted: Benjamin Baird, a sleep researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who wasn’t involved in this study, told Scientific American the findings “challenge our ideas about what sleep is.” SciAm has more: Sleep has classically been defined as unresponsiveness to external environmental stimuli—and that feature is still typically part of the definition today, Baird explains. “This work pushes us to think carefully—rethink, maybe—about some of those fundamental definitions about the nature of sleep itself, and what’s possible in sleep.”
Oak Creek mom of teen with lung disease who questioned Joe Biden at town hall gets a call from the White House
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Engebrecht has been urging officials to prioritize people with significant health problems, or at least create wait lists so they could be contacted when extra doses are available. The family also has been taking precautions while awaiting doses of vaccine, to protect Nate, who recently moved back home from the University of Wisconsin-Madison because of the risk of COVID-19 on and around campus.
For Generations, African Americans Have Led Global Antiracist Movements
History News Network
Noted: Brenda Gayle Plummer is a historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in African American history, the history of U.S. foreign relations, race in international affairs and Caribbean history. She is the author of several books, most recently of In Search of Power: African Americans in the Era of Decolonization, 1956-1974.
Pleasure Practices with Sami Schalk: A recipe for rest
Tone Madison
As we approach a full year of this pandemic and attempt to survive sub-zero Wisconsin winter, many of us are tired; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I teach at UW-Madison and the beginning of the semester is always an intense energetic marathon for me so I find myself having to be extra mindful about resting. So this month’s piece isn’t about food, but about rest as a political practice of resistance.
Ancient Trees Show When The Earth’s Magnetic Field Last Flipped Out
NPR
Quoted: “That high-resolution temporal record is, I think, pretty impressive,” says Brad Singer, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies the history of the Earth’s magnetic field but was not part of the research team. “This is only a small number of specimens that they measured, but the results look fairly reproducible in the different trees, and I think that’s a pretty impressive set of data.”
When There’s No Heat: ‘You Need Wood, You Get Wood.’
New York Times
Noted: The connections between climate impacts, wood supply, and poverty have drawn researchers at the University Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Wisconsin to study wood banks on a national scale. Growing out of dozens of interviews of wood bank volunteers done by Clarisse Hart, director of outreach and education at the Harvard Forest, the team has identified 82 wood banks across the country.
People Answer Scientists’ Queries in Real Time While Dreaming
Scientific American
Quoted: These findings “challenge our ideas about what sleep is,” says Benjamin Baird, a postdoctoral researcher who studies dreams at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and was not involved in this study. Sleep has classically been defined as unresponsiveness to external environmental stimuli—and that feature is still typically part of the definition today, Baird explains. “This work pushes us to think carefully—rethink, maybe—about some of those fundamental definitions about the nature of sleep itself, and what’s possible in sleep.”
Scientists entered people’s dreams and got them ‘talking’
Science Magazine
Quoted: “This work challenges the foundational definitions of sleep,” says cognitive neuroscientist Benjamin Baird of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who studies sleep and dreams but was not part of the study. Traditionally, he says, sleep has been defined as a state in which the brain is disconnected and unaware of the outside world.
Tommy Thompson: 75 Percent Of UW’s Fall Classes Will Be In-Person
Wisconsin Public Radio
At least three-fourths of all University of Wisconsin System classes will be in-person this fall according to system interim President Tommy Thompson.
Experts Say Cold Is Unlikely To Cause Power Crisis In Wisconsin, But There Are Still Lessons From Texas
Wisconsin Public Radio
Noted: Demand for electricity goes up when temperatures drop, said Dr. Line Roald, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The surprising part of what happened in Texas was that so many generators — from nuclear and natural gas plants to wind turbines — stopped producing energy due to the freezing temperatures, she said.
Why do people have lucid dreams? Study questions the limits of consciousness
Inverse
Quoted: “That would be a really interesting future direction of this methodology,” Benjamin Baird tells Inverse. Baird is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison who studies lucid dreams, but was not involved in this study. He also has lucid dreams himself.
UW officials are planning for full capacity at Camp Randall Stadium next season
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
After being forced to host football games without fans in the stands in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, University of Wisconsin officials are taking a decidedly optimistic stance in preparing for the ’21 season:
Their goal is to see Camp Randall Stadium at full capacity.
As COVID-19 vaccines roll out, Thompson sets goal of 75% of courses in person on UW campuses in fall
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin System interim President Tommy Thompson told campus chancellors to aim to have at least 75% of their courses in person next fall, with the hope that COVID-19 vaccines will allow a return to some normalcy.
‘We need beacons of hope’: Community groups gather $125K for Vel Phillips statue in Madison and seeking more donations
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The legacy of Vel Phillips is one filled with firsts.
In 1951, she was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. In 1956, she was the first woman and first Black member of Milwaukee’s City Council. In 1971, she was the first woman and first Black judge in Milwaukee County.
How a microbiologist’s 1966 discovery in Yellowstone made millions of COVID-19 PCR tests possible
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Like so many great scientific discoveries, Tom Brock started the research that would go on to revolutionize the field of biology — and pave the road to the development of the gold-standard COVID-19 tests used to fight a pandemic — with a question.
Severe winter weather conditions are putting Wisconsin’s wildlife to the test
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “When you’re talking about winter, (humans) are really wimps,” said David Drake, professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It helps our appreciation of wildlife, I think, to understand how the animals are able to make it through the season.”
What Does Leading for Racial Justice Look Like?
Education Week
On Feb. 10, I had the pleasure of talking with Jennifer Cheatham from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and John Diamond from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on our Education Week show A Seat at the Table. When participants register to view the live or on-demand show, they are able to input one question they would like me to ask our guests, and the questions they offered focused on many different facets of racial equity.
UW-Madison scientist Tom Brock on the importance of basic research
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In this video from UW-Madison, scientist Tom Brock talks about the importance of basic research and how he discovered life in an unexpected place.
Journal Times editorial: UW System initiative a pipeline for the future
The Journal Times
It’s a challenging time for colleges and universities, and for the students who want to attend those institutions to prepare for life in a rapidly changing world.
“Especially now, with COVID, we are seeing that (high school) seniors especially are having a difficult time getting prepared for college,” UW-System President Tommy Thompson said at a Feb. 3 press conference announcing plans for a new precollege pipeline initiative.
UW Badger Precollege programs prepare young students for higher ed
FOX6
A new college program at the University of Wisconsin is challenging curiosity and preparing students for the future; aimed at giving young students exposure and pushing them to their potential during the coronavirus pandemic.
Wisconsin Labs Use Genomic Sequencing To Track Spread, ‘Architecture’ Of New Coronavirus Strains
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: Two researchers at UW-Madison began sequencing SARS-CoV-2 samples in February 2020. Virology professor Tom Friedrich and pathology professor Madison Dave O’Connor have a background in HIV research, and began sequencing SARS-CoV-2 samples from around Dane County as soon as local spread began.
“The sort of architecture of how the virus looks at the genetic level is a little different,” O’Connor said. “But the basic principles are the same as for HIV, and flu and other viruses.”
Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader right on relationship between mask mandates and COVID-19 cases
PolitiFact
Quoted: When studying the impact of mask mandates, it’s important to consider whether people follow them and if they’re enforced, said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said it can be difficult to assess mandates individually when they’re issued with other public health guidelines, but he believes the Kansas study offered compelling data on the matter.
“You could argue that with or without a mandate, people might wear a mask because that’s what they do and the mandate is just confirming what they do,” he said. “At the end of the day, an entire county had fewer cases.”
Economist Says Wisconsin Should Increase Minimum Wage To At Least $10
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: The rate has stayed consistent in the state with the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Workers earning minimum wage who work 2,000 hours a year — 40 hours for 50 weeks — make about $14,500 before taxes and work expenses.
“That’s just about enough to keep one single person out of poverty,” said economist Tim Smeeding, a professor of public affairs and economics at the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
University Merger Talks On The Rise
Forbes
Noted: Also last week, Tommy Thompson, the interim president of the University of Wisconsin (UW) system, floated the idea that the University’s 13 branch campuses be consolidated with the 16 technical schools in the Wisconsin Technical College System.
In 2018, the UW System went through a restructuring proposal that aligned 13 two-year UW Colleges campuses with its comprehensive universities. These schools are now called branch campuses. They offer two-year degrees aimed largely at students who may eventually want to transfer to a four-year university to earn a degree.
Experts Highlight Issues Ahead For Next State Superintendent
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: Erica Turner, a University of Wisconsin-Madison education professor who specializes in equity issues, said the incoming superintendent will face steeper-than-usual challenges. Education funding in Wisconsin, as in many states, hadn’t fully recovered from the recession more than a decade ago by the time the pandemic began. With some state revenue sources having taken a hit, and the unexpected costs of managing a pandemic, Turner said the new superintendent will likely have to contend with more limited funding.
“This is an equity issue because it has been the case, and it’s likely to continue to be, that a lot of the cuts will come from equalization aid — efforts to make school funding more equitable,” she said. “For educational equity, you need someone who can be an effective advocate around the budget, and then also will have to prioritize that what cuts happen, and how they happen, happen in an equitable way.”
What’s the Best Business School? For This Year’s M.B.A. Rankings, It’s Not Who You Think.
The Wall Street Journal
Noted: The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s business school jumped 27 spots this year to No. 19 in the Economist’s ranking, which could put the program on the radar of prospective students, said Assistant Dean Blair Sanford.
“To be top 20 in a respected ranking, that has some extra clout for us,” she said.
Spending in Wisconsin’s fall legislative races skyrocketed to nearly double the levels of 4 years ago
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Barry Burden, director of UW-Madison’s Elections Research Center, said the fall spending levels appears to be a case of politics in Wisconsin “moving in line with some surprising national trends.”
He said both the presidential campaigns and congressional campaigns around the country more than doubled their spending from 2016, and the jump may be the biggest step increase ever between two consecutive presidential election cycles.
Obituary: Richard G. Jacobus, banker and philanthropist, was well connected in the Milwaukee business and arts communities
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: He graduated from Wauwatosa High School in 1947 and went on to receive an undergraduate degree in 1951 and MBA in 1959 from the University of Wisconsin. While attending the university, he met Carolyn Royer and they married in 1952
Bice: Supreme Court didn’t release study showing Black men 28% more likely to do prison time in Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “Overall, when I read the study, I think I’m looking at clear documentation of racial disparities in sentencing in the in/out decision,” said Pamela Oliver, an emerita sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Oliver said disparities in sentencing usually show up with a judge’s ruling on whether to lock someone up — which she called the “in/out decision” — not in the length of the sentence. She said that was the finding of the 2007 Wisconsin Sentencing Commission report, which was removed from the state website several years ago.
‘Check your credit report’ campaign
La Crosse Tribune
Quoted: “Sometimes incorrect information is a simple data entry error, and other times, it could be a sign of fraud,” says Peggy Olive, University of Wisconsin-Madison financial capability specialist. “It is up to each individual to look over his or her own credit report for old information that should be removed, common mistakes or signs of identity theft. Better to discover an error yourself than to have a creditor find it first.”