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Author: Nathan Steagall

Discovery Farms gives Wisconsin farmers a voice in research and policy

Wisconsin State Journal

For 25 years, Discovery Farms has bridged the gap between science and practice by putting data collection directly into the hands of farmers, creating a legacy of water stewardship that is both data-driven and practitioner-led.

A part of UW–Madison Extension, Discovery Farms is a farmer-led research program that conducts studies on farms across Wisconsin to better understand the complex relationships between agricultural practices and water quality.

Legal expert details independent investigation of deadly Madison police shooting

Channel 3000

Ion Meyn, a UW Law professor who teaches civil and criminal procedure, told News 3 Now that the investigation protocol is “not as independent as it may seem.”

Meyn explained that investigators often follow different procedures when examining police-involved shootings compared to standard criminal investigations. One significant difference involves the timing of officer interviews.

UW-Madison Extension to Host Nitrogen and Soil Management Field Day in Menomonie

WHBL

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, the field day will provide attendees with practical information on soil conservation, nitrogen management, and strategies to improve soil health and farm profitability. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from Extension specialists and conservation professionals who are working directly with Wisconsin farmers and agricultural landscapes.

Blood test may predict Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline years before symptoms appear

CBS 7 Wausau

Dr. Jessica Caldwell, multi-principal investigator of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention at UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, said the results carry implications for both research and patient care.

“This finding is exciting for the research community as well as the medical community,” Caldwell said. “It isn’t just a marker of the protein, it’s a marker of people who are potentially likely to go on to have cognitive problems.”

FEDERAL COURT SAYS CHANGES IN POLICY PRIORITIES DON’T JUSTIFY USDA GRANT TERMINATIONS

Brownfield Ag News

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition says a recent federal court ruling clarifies that agencies cannot terminate funding because a new administration has different policy priorities.

Deputy Policy Director Sophia Kruszewski tells Brownfield, “The court says in its opinion that authority applies to the priorities as they were at the time the agreement was entered into.”

“It doesn’t create this broad authority for the agency to change its mind and then hold existing agreements to new and changing priorities,” she explains.

Research: Some Rural Residents Are Trading Nutrition for Shelter

The Daily Yonder

In a study by the Rural Livability Project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a national pattern shows that housing stress negatively affects rural health in high-poverty rural places, with higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes, stroke, and coronary heart disease. When rural residents face dual stress, the two constraints–housing financial stress and food insecurity–amplify each other’s negative effects on health (Figure 3).

Is buying into a prediction market OK if you’re voting in Wisconsin?

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission is warning voters that they shouldn’t buy into prediction markets like Kalshi or Polymarket on the results of a Wisconsin election and then vote in that same race.

That’s because voters could be violating a decades-old Wisconsin statute that carries felony-level consequences – though it doesn’t appear the state has recently enforced it or proactively plans to hunt down lawbreakers.

UW leader and former federal science advisor slams research cuts

WisBusiness

Federal research funding cuts are having “unacceptable” impacts on scientific progress, according to the vice chancellor for research at UW-Madison.

Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska spoke yesterday on a panel in Milwaukee organized by the Wisconsin Technology Council, focused on how shifting federal priorities are impacting innovation in the state.

UW-Madison innovates, collaborates to meet AI challenges

Wisconsin Economic Development

As business leaders grapple with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and integrate the technology into their workplaces, leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are finding innovative ways to serve their needs.

Faced with technical, ethical, and business questions, Wisconsin’s flagship university is meeting   the rapidly evolving technology with a multidisciplinary approach and changing to meet the demands of employers and society.

3 things that stood out from Wisconsin men’s basketball’s final summer open practice

Wisconsin State Journal

If the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team is to take a leap next season, perhaps the biggest factor is its own players taking a leap of their own.

Transfers Trey Autry, Eian Elmer and Victory Onuetu bring experienced play at key spots after the Badgers lost eight players from last season’s roster. But the best play of Tuesday’s final opportunity for media to view Wisconsin practice over the summer came from a pair of sophomores.

UW-Madison researcher warns proposed federal grant changes could reshape scientific funding

Channel 3000

Proposed changes to how the federal government awards research grants are raising concerns among scientists across the country, including researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who say the changes could affect how medical discoveries are funded for years to come.

The Office of Management and Budget is proposing revisions to the federal rules that govern research grants, a move that has prompted more than 400,000 public comments from researchers, universities, patients and advocacy groups.

As Democrats aim to retake the Wisconsin Legislature, here are the races we’re watching in the Aug. 11 primary

Wisconsin Watch

The upcoming Wisconsin midterms could shift the balance of power in the state Legislature, and the August primaries will determine which candidates voters want to see on the November general election ballot.

Democrats are aiming to flip both the Assembly and Senate in hopes of securing a trifecta in the state government. The party must flip two of the four competitive Senate seats to win a majority. The Assembly is a larger challenge as Democrats must flip five seats to claim a majority for the first time in 16 years.

Canadian wildfire smoke devastates Madison businesses during Maxwell Street Days

Channel 3000

What should have been one of the busiest weekends of the summer for downtown Madison businesses turned into a major disappointment as Canadian wildfire smoke created hazardous air quality conditions throughout the region.

The smoke essentially formed a black cloud over Maxwell Street Days, significantly impacting vendors and their bottom lines. Business owners reported drastic declines in foot traffic and sales during what is typically a peak revenue weekend for small businesses in the area.

 

UW Madison Drops Flock Safety, Reconsiders License Plate Readers

GovTech

Now that UW-Madison police have cut ties with Flock Safety, privacy advocates and others on campus say the community needs to be more involved in deciding which automated license plate readers, if any, the department uses in the future.

When eight of the company’s cameras first appeared on campus in July 2025, many people were taken by surprise, said Annette Zimmermann, a UW-Madison data science professor.

Wisconsin welcomes back Mimi Colyer as LOVB Madison adds star volleyball player

Channel 3000

Just last week, Mimi Colyer, former University of Wisconsin volleyball standout, announced she is coming home and joining LOVB Madison.

Colyer spent only one season at Wisconsin, but it was a memorable one. In her senior year, she helped lead the Badgers to the Final Four before the program fell short in a semifinal loss in Kansas City in December.

Shawano native Leah Nordin settling into first summer as Wisconsin Badger

NBC 26 Northeast Wisconsin

For Leah Nordin, the transition from Shawano High School to the University of Wisconsin has meant a new campus, new teammates and a new level of basketball.

The Shawano native arrived in Madison on June 7 as part of Wisconsin’s incoming freshman class and has spent the last month getting acclimated to college life while preparing for her first season with the Badgers.

UW-Madison cut ties with Flock. Now what?

Wisconsin State Journal

Now that UW-Madison police have cut ties with Flock Safety, privacy advocates and others on campus say the community needs to be more involved in deciding which automated license plate readers, if any, the department uses in the future.

When eight of the company’s cameras first appeared on campus in July 2025, many people were taken by surprise, said Annette Zimmermann, a UW-Madison data science professor.

UW-Madison’s six-wheeled food delivery robots leave campus

The Daily Cardinal

Starship Technologies has withdrawn its tiny, white food delivery robots from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus alongside other universities in the United States, the company announced early June.

The robot delivery company, based in Estonia and San Francisco, said they reduced their campus operations to focus on retail grocery chains and hot food delivery in cities across Europe and the United States.

UW-Madison scientists warn that Trump’s grant changes threaten research

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison researchers are calling the Trump administration’s plan to rewrite the rules for awarding and managing federal grants “catastrophic” and “a dagger to the heart of science.”

Those are among a flood of nearly 500,000 public comments from researchers and higher education groups over the last few months, overwhelmingly opposing the Office of Management and Budget’s proposal released in late May.

The ‘other’ Madison athletic director oversees unprecedented success

The Cap Times

It turns out Shawn Eichorst isn’t the only athletic director in town with good intentions and a plan to put student-athletes in the best possible position to succeed.

This past week, Eichorst officially took over the University of Wisconsin athletic program, a 23-sport Big Ten enterprise that casts a long shadow over the community.

UW’s Luke Fickell impressed with sincerity, authenticity of AD Shawn Eichorst

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Shawn Eichorst and Luke Fickell are still getting to know each other, but a couple of things stand out to Wisconsin’s football coach about the new athletic director.

“Since the time he’s walked in, since the time I talked to him on the phone, since the time I met with him, there’s a sincerity, there’s a authenticity that I would say is really easy to figure out,” Fickell said July 16.

AC/DC plays Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium this weekend; time, tickets

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An iconic rock ‘n’ roll band is coming to Wisconsin this weekend during the final leg of its stadium tour.

AC/DC is playing at Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium Sunday, July 19 as part of its PWR UP Tour.

The stadium tour is named after the 2020 AC/DC album of the same name and has been going on since 2024. The rock band’s website describes the tour as “powering up for the last time!” though it’s unclear if it’ll actually be AC/DC’s final tour.

Wisconsin men’s basketball coach ‘fired up’ that Shawn Eichorst is back

Wisconsin State Journal

Shawn Eichorst wasn’t far during the origin of University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Greg Gard’s coaching journey. The new Badgers athletic director graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1990 — three years before Gard joined Bo Ryan’s staff at UW-Platteville while still a student in 1993. In some respects, they just missed each other: Eichorst’s first major athletic administration role as the Director of Athletics at  UW-Whitewater in 1999 was Gard’s first year with Ryan at Milwaukee.

UW-Madison water main break fuels Regents’ concerns over system’s aging infrastructure

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison’s June water main break that continues to disrupt campus air conditioning has prompted broader concerns from the UW Board of Regents about the aging infrastructure at the state’s 13 public universities.

Several Regents at a virtual meeting Thursday said the Universities of Wisconsin needs to plan for fixing other potentially failing campus infrastructure.

 

Danger not over as wildfire smoke gives Madison first-ever ‘hazardous’ air quality

Wisconsin State Journal

Dane County has seen more frequent air quality warnings over the past decade, but the area had yet to experience hazardous levels. That was until Thursday.

As more than 100 wildfires burn in Canada and northern Minnesota, southeast winds carried smoke across the Midwest this week. Shortly before noon on Thursday, a monitor in Madison recorded an air quality index of 450.

Tom Still: State’s fusion energy future hinges on mix of old and new

WisPolitics

The company, a UW-Madison spinoff courted by several other states, will occupy part of the massive former Oscar Mayer plant on Madison’s northeast side – itself a symbol of the old and the emerging new. Private investors, the governor, state legislators, the state’s economic development arm, local officials, university leaders, utility experts and technology advocacy groups were all part of advancing the deal.

Homeland Security caps international student stay to four years

The Daily Cardinal

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today that international students will now only be allowed to stay in the United States for four years under their visa.

The new ruling will officially be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, July 17. The ruling guts a 1978 policy, known as ‘duration of status,’ that allowed international college and university students to stay in the U.S. until their program ended.

The science behind the smoke: What’s driving wildfires that are sending thick smoke to Wisconsin

ABC 27

The smoke blanketing Wisconsin Thursday wasn’t subtle. You could see it, smell it and sometimes feel it while breathing. It was the product of wildfires burning in northern Minnesota and Ontario. Dr. Mayra Oyola, an atmospheric scientist at UW-Madison, said dry and windy conditions are fueling those fires. Typically, rain is helpful to fight fires, but Oyola said storms can pose a new challenge: lightning. Lightning strikes can ignite more fires.

State health officials confirm 43 cases of Cyclosporiasis, WI farmers on alert

ABC 27

“I feel bad saying this because it’s summer and everybody wants to eat fresh produce, but there isn’t really a safe way to wash it,” said Laura Knoll, a professor of medical microbiology at UW-Madison.

While the current outbreak has not been linked to produce sold by local farmers in Wisconsin, it’s still top of mind for farmers in the state.

AIR QUALITY WARNING: Wildfire smoke is moving into Wisconsin — here’s what doctors say you should do to protect yourself

NBC 15

Wildfire smoke moving into Wisconsin is bringing a surge of tiny particles that can travel deep into the lungs and cause irritation and inflammation, according to a UW Health allergist.

Dr. Mark Moss said the particles are a concern for anyone spending time outdoors, but pose a greater risk to certain populations.

Wildfire smoke moves into southern Wisconsin, bringing air quality advisories into at least Friday

Wisconsin State Journal

Smoke from wildfires in Canada and northern Minnesota moved into southern Wisconsin on Thursday, bringing advisories through noon Friday that may be extended for some parts of the state.

Dane and other counties in south-central Wisconsin are under an “unhealthy for all groups” advisory, counties to the east are under a “very unhealthy for all groups” advisory, and counties to the west are under “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and “moderate air quality” advisories.

Aggressive Lone Star Tick closing in on Wisconsin

Madison 365

Summer is the most cherished time of year for Wisconsin residents. After a harsh winter, there’s nothing better than spending your days outside.

However, every good Wisconsinite knows a day spent out in a forest or at a lake is not complete without a tick check.

Every kid knows to look for ticks because they can cause Lyme disease, but a different tick species popping up in Wisconsin is a new reminder to check.

Wisconsin dairy plants adjust to cottage cheese demand

Spectrum News

Aerica Bjurstrom, a regional dairy educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, said interest in the product is good news for the state’s dairy farmers.

“I think a lot of this innovation is coming from people in their own kitchens,” she said. “I think a lot of this boom in cottage cheese is coming from social media.”

UW investigation finds Animal Advocacy violated posting policy, dismisses solicitation allegation

The Badger Herald

The University of Wisconsin-Madison found July 7 that registered student organization Animal Advocacy violated university posting policies but cleared the organization of allegations that it solicited students to participate in the April Ridglan Farms rescue attempt, according to an investigative report obtained by The Badger Herald.

5 threats to soybeans during excessive heat

Farm Progress

Weather forecasters expect this to be one of the warmest growing seasons on record for much of the Midwest.

The early July heat wave prompted crop growth while heavy rains fell across parts of Wisconsin. USDA data showed corn condition at 82% good to excellent, while soybean condition remained unchanged at 78% good to excellent, with 20% of the crop blooming.

UW-Madison still dealing with cooling issues weeks after broken chilled water line

NBC 15

As another stretch of hot weather settles into southern Wisconsin, UW-Madison is continuing to work to restore cooling across campus after a major chilled water line broke last month.

The university says campus remains open and operating, but many buildings are still warmer than normal. Some buildings remain temporarily closed while crews continue both temporary cooling efforts and work toward a permanent repair.

Wisconsin has a new home for brick walk that stirred fans’ emotions

Wisconsin State Journal

Bricks that held an emotional connection with some University of Wisconsin fans are out of storage and going back into the ground around Camp Randall Stadium.

A new walkway at Gate 1 leading into Kellner Hall at the stadium’s southeast corner is the site the University of Wisconsin athletic department chose for the relocated brick walk.

 

The Strange Phenomenon of ‘Terminal Lucidity’

The New York Times

When Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, an associate professor in emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, saw that the N.I.A. was interested in video research on lucid episodes, she knew one way to approach the problem. Her past work had involved filming people with dementia during interactions with nursing staff and then meticulously analyzing the videos, second by second, to assess which types of care affected patients’ behavioral symptoms. She proposed retooling those video methods to study lucidity.