Includes interview with entomologist PJ Liesch.
Cicadas are back—and this time it’s the ‘mother of all broods’
National Geographic
Author: knutson4
Scott Walker talks tariffs, Medicaid, Act 10 at UW-Madison event
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Former Gov. Scott Walker made an appearance on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Monday night, and talked with students about a number of topics, including President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the state’s Act 10 collective bargaining law.
How much Robin Pingeton will earn as Wisconsin women’s basketball coach
Wisconsin State Journal
New University of Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Robin Pingeton is getting a raise over her former job and the same salary that her Badgers predecessor had.
Pingeton will have a $650,000 base salary with Wisconsin, according to a March 25 letter confirming her appointment from the athletic department’s human resources manager. The school produced that document Friday in response to a public records request for Pingeton’s employment agreement.
How a former Wisconsin football assistant’s new job affects his Badgers buyout amount
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin was on the hook for more than $1.5 million of salary due to former football offensive coordinator Phil Longo when he came off the active books in January.
Ask the weather guys: What is vapor pressure?
Wisconsin State Journal
Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, are guests on WHA radio (970 AM) at noon the last Monday of each month.
UW-Madison wants a new dorm. Early plans explore 3 possible locations
Wisconsin State Journal
Somewhere on UW-Madison’s cramped campus, university leaders hope to find space for a residence hall with up to 2,000 new beds, the first new dorm in more than a decade.
Gallery: Thousands of protesters gather on State Street, at Capitol to protest Trump administration
The Badger Herald
Protesters gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol Saturday as part of a national demonstration against the policies of the Trump administration.
If funds from state fall short, UW-Madison might seek tuition increase
Isthmus
UW-Madison may seek a tuition increase if the state Legislature does not fully fund its 2025-2027 budget request, a university finance official said at an April 3 university budget committee meeting.
Next generation embarks on science expedition at UW-Madison
WMTV - Channel 15
The next generations of potential doctors, researchers and scientists spent the weekend getting a close look at all that UW-Madison has to offer.
The event was part of UW’s campus-wide science open house called “Science Expeditions.” The hands-on experiences showcased dozens of science venues, including the UW Health Carbone Cancer Center.
In Madison protest, thousands send messages of all kinds to Trump, Elon Musk
The Cap Times
Protesters marched from the Capitol to Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, filling State Street joining the two landmarks.
What Madison-area population growth means for housing prices
The Cap Times
Madison is projected to grow by 34% over the same period to about 371,000. The census last estimated the city’s population at 280,000 in July 2023.
The Applied Population Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison produced the new projections for the state Department of Administration. Historically, the state’s projections have underestimated Madison’s growth, according to city officials.
Q&A: Meet the newly elected campus-area alders
The Daily Cardinal
All 20 Madison Common Council seats were up for election on April 1, and some old and new faces now represent the campus-area districts.
UW–Madison researchers warn potential funding cuts could hinder breast cancer breakthroughs
Spectrum News
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Carbone Cancer Center, dedicated researchers are expressing deep concerns over proposed federal funding cuts that they say could significantly impede advancements in breast cancer research.
UW Varsity Spring Band Concert is coming to the Kohl Center
WMTV - Channel 15
The University of Wisconsin Madison’s annual Varsity Spring Band Concert is scheduled for Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12.
Happening at the UW-Madison Kohl Center, the Badger Band will feature many varieties of music for all ages. Including, “Music of Ariana Grande” “Country Favorites” “Music of Michael Jackson,” “Space Badgers,” “If You Want To Be A Badger,” the signature Badger finale and of course, “On Wisconsin!”
Changes to Social Security would cost average Wisconsin resident $7,000 a year
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Co-authored by J. Michael Collins, a professor in the School of Human Ecology and the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and Tyler Q. Welch is a PhD candidate in the Wisconsin School of Business’ Risk and Insurance department, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Double-digit Wisconsin Supreme Court defeat has Republicans at a crossroads entering a big 2026
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Democrats are now a party of higher income and more educated voters, rather than lower income and less educated voters, and that makes them more reliable voters,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center.
4 ways to add real estate to your asset mix
The Wall Street Journal
Tim Carr, deputy chair of the real-estate department at the University of Wisconsin, says another option is to invest through online platforms that offer slices of ownership of large properties to investors, a process known as syndication. Two popular platforms—BiggerPockets and RealtyMogul—offer a variety of properties, deal structures and potential returns.
Everything you need to know about bird flu
Popular Science
A dangerous bird flu, in other words, was suddenly circulating in mammals — mammals with which people have ongoing, extensive contact. “Holy cow,” says Thomas Friedrich, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “This is how pandemics start.”
Dennis Gaitsgory, who proved part of math’s grand unified theory, wins breakthrough prize
Scientific American
The people who pushed the boundaries were basically my former students plus Dima Arinkin [a math professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison], who is my age. He was a close friend and collaborator for many years. So some ideas get recycled. It would be just nice to have an influx of people from the outside. They could bring in something totally new. I would be very excited to see new ideas.
Obesity-drug pioneers and large hadron collider physicists win $3-million breakthrough prizes
Scientific American
The award is well deserved, says Brian Rebel, a particle physicist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Finding the Higgs [boson] in 2012 was a once-in-lifetime event, but it was only the first step,” Rebel says. Since then, LHC scientists have been pinning down the mass of the Higgs and its interactions, as well as discovering 72 new particles, investigating antimatter and probing the nature of the ‘quark–gluon plasma’ that existed soon after the Big Bang. “It takes a small army to create the tools to test and validate these results,” says Rebel.
In the 608: UW-Madison Science Expeditions this weekend
Channel 3000
Now’s your chance to explore UW-Madison and experience science. The UW-Madison Science Expeditions are back April 4-6.
UW-Madison freshman publishes his first New York Times crossword, after trying for 3 years
Wisconsin State Journal
For UW-Madison freshman Ryan Mathiason, the 40th time’s the charm.
The 19-year-old business major studying actuarial science didn’t know that most people give up on submitting crossword puzzles to the New York Times after a handful of rejections. For three years, Mathiason kept submitting puzzles, only to wait weeks to get told no.
Wisconsin legislature approves pay increase for UW Building Trades employees
The Badger Herald
An agreement approved by the Joint Committee on Employment Relations, the Wisconsin State Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers increases the University of Wisconsin Building Trades employee wages, according to a press release from UW.
Latin, Hmong immigrants enrich Wisconsin farm organization through cultural contributions
The Daily Cardinal
Martin Ventura, the Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens Specialist at UW-Madison Extension, manages and maintains farms in the Milwaukee area, some of which are farmed by immigrants, particularly in the Hmong community. UW-Extension, Ventura said, had a former partnership with the Hmong American Friendship Association to establish a Hmong heritage garden plot, allowing local communities to farm.
Student immigration organization offers stability in times of uncertainty through advocacy events
The Daily Cardinal
At its core, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) wants to create an environment where students feel comfortable discussing immigration issues — often a sensitive and deeply personal topic.
Retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley elected chief justice, will hand reins to Jill Karofsky
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A Middleton native, Karofsky has a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and master’s and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1992, she started as a Dane County assistant district attorney and was later promoted to deputy district attorney. She also has worked as director of human resources and general counsel for the National Conference of Bar Examiners and as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Is Elon Musk’s DOGE job coming to an end?
The Week
It’s unclear whether the episode will “sour the relationship between him and Trump,” said Barry Burden, the director of the University of Wisconsin’s Elections Research Center, to the Post. While Trump has steadfastly supported the man many consider his de facto co-president, the recent election loss “could be the start of a slow divorce between the two of them.”
Enormous, crocodile-sized amphibians mysteriously died together in Wyoming 230 Million Years Ago
Smithsonian Magazine
“There are some articulated bones that are nearly absent in other metoposaurid bone beds in North America, and completely unknown for Buettnererpeton,” study co-authors Dave Lovelace and Aaron Kufner, who are both geoscientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tell Popular Science’s Andrew Paul.
Former UN ambassador talks diplomacy, foreign policy amid protest interruptions
The Daily Cardinal
Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield shared tips on conducting conservations on current geopolitical events and addressed the rapid change in U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration with a packed Shannon Hall audience Tuesday night.
Federal cut to Fulbright sparks uncertainty for future of UW’s lesser-taught languages
The Daily Cardinal
Hillary Jones Henry faced tough choices when he received his February stipend for teaching Swahili at the University of Wisconsin-Madison six days late, receiving one-fourth of the promised amount.
UW-Madison professor teaches immigration and enforcement in a divided America
The Daily Cardinal
Michael Light, a sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, began teaching “Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement” in 2017 after transferring from Purdue University. An instant success, the class has full enrollment each semester, which Light said demonstrates its relevance in today’s political climate.
GOP lawmakers question new spending on UW system, state corrections
Wisconsin Public Radio
The heads of the Universities of Wisconsin system and the state Department of Corrections faced critical questions from Republican state lawmakers Tuesday over requests for new state funding.
Three detained at UW-Madison event Tuesday night, one arrested in unrelated incident
Channel 3000
Three people were detained and one person was arrested in an unrelated incident on UW-Madison’s campus Tuesday night.
Political expert breaks down results of Wisconsin Supreme Court race
WKOW - Channel 27
“Although Green Bay being a city, you know, of course has a substantial number of Democratic leaning votes as well,”said Howard Schweber, a professor emeritus of political science and affiliate faculty member at the University of Wisconsin Law School. “Counties like Brown County and other northern counties, which are traditionally conservative strongholds in Wisconsin depend heavily on manufacturing and agriculture, and those are areas that are being slammed by the tariffs.”
Two UW-Madison students with immigrant roots build community through campus jobs, clubs
The Daily Cardinal
How two students from immigrant backgrounds find community and support at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Cardinal view: ICE is already knocking. UW-Madison must protect pro-Palestine students from deportation
The Daily Cardinal
University of Wisconsin-Madison pro-Palestine students have the freedom to speak and they must have the freedom to stay. Will Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin stay silent?
Like learning in a garage: UW-Madison wants Humanities Building gone
The Cap Times
UW-Madison administrators have long wanted to tear down the Humanities Building for a host of reasons. The facility has faced problems since before it opened in the late 1960s, including costly construction, design cuts and poor acoustics.
Wildlife Wednesday; and a Wisconsin filmmaker’s journey
Wisconsin Public Radio
Birds, amphibians, large predators and their babies all come out in springtime, explain our guests, two UW-Extension wildlife specialists. Then, we talk to a filmmaker and Wisconsin native about his Tomah-area film project.
Driver of Tesla Cybertruck drives onto UW-Madison mall, arrested on election day
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck drove onto Library Mall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus Tuesday night, before the 31-year-old driver was arrested for disorderly conduct and the vehicle towed away.
Ancient alligator-sized amphibians died under mysterious circumstances
Popular Science
“Like other metoposaurids, it probably spent most, if not all, of its life in the water eating fish, other amphibians, or anything unfortunate enough to venture too far into the water,” University of Wisconsin-Madison paleolontologists and study co-authors Dave Lovelace and Aaron Kufner told Popular Science.
Trading Day: T-Day arrives, markets rise
Reuters
“The optimal monetary response is to stimulate the economy, raising aggregate income and boosting demand for imported goods,” wrote Minneapolis Fed economist Javier Bianchi and University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor Louphou Coulibaly.
Triassic amphibians the size of alligators perished in mass die-off in Wyoming, puzzling ‘bone bed’ reveals
Live Science
Study first author Aaron Kufner, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues uncovered fossils of Buettnererpeton bakeri in a Wyoming fossil bed called Nobby Knob.
“This assemblage is a snapshot of a single population rather than an accumulation over time,” Kufner said in a statement. The discovery “more than doubles the number of known Buettnererpeton bakeri individuals.” Alongside the B. bakeri fossils, the team also found fossilized plants, bivalves and fossilized poop, called coprolites.
Musk setback in Wisconsin raises questions about his future role
The Washington Post
The role of Musk — who is overseeing a controversial cost-cutting operation for Trump — made the race in part a referendum on him, said Barry Burden, director of the University of Wisconsin’s Elections Research Center.
“He is such an unusual person and he has this outsize influence in what is going on,” Burden said of Musk, who is listed by Forbes as the world’s richest person. “So that concern fit the narrative of what he was doing in the Wisconsin race, throwing his weight around and using his wealth. It was just a step too far for a lot of voters.”
Why Rihanna’s expanding Clara Lionel Foundation is seen as a model for celebrity philanthropy
Associated Press
The approach is unique, according to Mary Beth Collins, the executive director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She finds that celebrities typically engage in philanthropy only when necessary.
“We want to see funds and resources from the more endowed people in the world going to those leaders on the ground that really know the place and the experience and the issues best,” Collins said.
Wisconsin introduces Robin Pingeton as next women’s basketball head coach
WKOW - Channel 27
Wisconsin Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh officially introduced Robin Pingeton as the next Wisconsin women’s basketball coach on Tuesday afternoon.
UW-Madison to hold Terrace Chair Return Party at Memorial Union
WKOW - Channel 27
The Wisconsin Union announced on Wednesday when the iconic Terrace chairs will be returning for the 2025 season. The Memorial Union will be holding a Terrace Chair Return Party on April 18 from 3 to 6 p.m., the day the sunburst chairs and matching tables will come out of storage.
Individual arrested after driving Cybertruck across Library Mall, shattering glass objects
The Badger Herald
At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday evening, an individual who was identified as male was seen proclaiming he was voting for Wisconsin Supreme Court conservative candidate Brad Schimel and encouraging others to do so in front of the University Club, according to College Democrats volunteer Thomas Erwin, who was volunteering on Library Mall at the time.
Who is Susan Crawford?
The New York Times
Judge Crawford lives in Madison, the state’s capital. She is married to Shawn Peters, an academic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and they have two children.
Cuts to Social Security research, Recovery schools, Poetic exploration of death and math
Wisconsin Public Radio
The Trump administration cut funding for social security research programs across the country, including one at UW-Madison. We talk the director of the local program about how its research has helped shape public policy and what impact these cuts will have.
Cybertruck drives onto Library Mall on Wisconsin Supreme Court election night
The Daily Cardinal
A Tesla Cybertruck drove onto Library Mall Tuesday evening near at least two student polling stations, about thirty minutes before polls closed, according to a police dispatch call.
Bug out: Join us in celebrating Wisconsin’s insects
Madison Magazine
Learn to appreciate insects, with guidance from local artist Jennifer Angus, entomologist P.J. Liesch, bumblebee expert Judy Cardin and more.
Crawford visits UW-Madison campus on Election Day to rally student vote
The Daily Cardinal
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford visited students and volunteers on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Tuesday who are working to get out the vote for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
Heads of University of Wisconsin and Corrections defend budget requests to state finance committee
Wisconsin Examiner
Leaders of the Universities of Wisconsin and the state Department of Corrections (DOC) defended Gov. Tony Evers’ budget requests to lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee during a meeting Tuesday.
Man drives Cybertruck onto Library Mall at UW-Madison, yells ‘free weed’
Wisconsin State Journal
A 31-year-old man from Stevens Point was arrested Tuesday night after driving his Tesla Cybertruck onto Library Mall on Election Day
Disruptions at UW-Madison events lead to an arrest, three others detained
WKOW - Channel 27
Three people were detained after disrupting a planned, authorized and ticketed public event on UW-Madison’s campus.
Do smartphones and social media really harm teens’ mental health?
Nature
“Parents and kids are very aware of the narrative and very worried,” says Megan Moreno, an adolescent-medicine physician at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. That sparks family battles over screens — and leaves parents unsure what to do.
Wisconsin Supreme Court race sees strong voter turnout thanks to Trump and Musk factor
Washington Examiner
In 2023’s state Supreme Court election, Wisconsin’s young voters voted at a higher rate than ever recorded, Howard Schweber, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the Washington Examiner.
“I’m not shocked that we might see that record broken again,” he added. “It’s a reflection of a lot of things – the nationalization of the election, the enormous flow of money, the enormous number of ads, the genuine stakes. I do like to think that there is also something about the Wisconsin culture of civic engagement and getting out there and having your voice heard.”
Liberal wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race; GOP holds Florida congressional seats: Recap
USA Today
“The (Republican) Party is behaving as if it has a mandate for really dramatic action,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor and director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Elections Research Center.
“A loss by conservatives in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race would be a big symbolic setback,” he continued. “It would suggest the public is tired of that and wants the administration to stop and go in a different direction.”
Elon Musk proved ‘more of an anvil than a buoy’ in GOP’s massive Wisconsin Supreme Court loss
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“It looks like Elon Musk’s intervention probably backfired,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center. “It really provided fuel for Crawford’s campaign and a kind of focal point for people who were upset by what’s happening in Washington.”
UW-Eau Claire professor placed on leave after flipping College Republicans table
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire placed a faculty member on administrative leave after he allegedly flipped over a table set up by the university’s College Republicans chapter in support of conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel.