Noted: “In a general election, Madison and Milwaukee have a lot of influence,” said UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden. “In a Democratic primary it’s exacerbated because Democrats are so heavily concentrated. The candidates have to spend time in those places. Madison plays an out-sized influence in the primary stage.”
Category: UW Experts in the News
What NOT to do if you have the flu — and what can help
Quoted: “Children should not take any cough or cold medications,” said Dr. Nasia Safdar, medical director of infection control at the University of Wisconsin Health. “They are not beneficial and might be harmful.”
Survey: Wisconsin Led US In American Indian Incarceration Rate In 2013
Noted: The incarceration rate may indicate that local and state officials should further examine the impacts of Public Law 280 on Wisconsin native communities and reservations, according to Richard Monette, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and faculty director of the Great Lakes Indigenous Law Center.
Gender is not just a social construct, according to scientific research
Noted: Janet Hyde, a psychology and women’s studies professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has conducted several meta-analyses on the subject, and found relatively small behavioral, intelligence, and personality differences between genders.
Western Wisconsin had most farm bankruptcies in the US
Noted: More farmers are turning to seed or equipment companies for lines of credit instead of traditional agriculture lenders, something that could lead to more bankruptcy cases, said Paul Mitchell, director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Maine Could Benefit By Spending More On Poor Students, Research Indicates, But Effort Falls Short
Noted: “Taken together, these results highlight how improved access to school resources can profoundly shape the life outcomes of economically disadvantaged children and thereby reduce the intergenerational transmission of poverty,” wrote the researchers, Kirabo Jackson of Northwestern University; Rucker C. Johnson of the University of California, Berkeley; and Claudia Persico of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In Cave in Israel, Scientists Find Jawbone Fossil From Oldest Modern Human Out of Africa
Noted: “This would be the earliest modern human anyone has found outside of Africa, ever,” said John Hawks, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Wisconsin, Madison who was not involved in the study.
What should I take for flu? Remedies that do and don’t help
Cough medicines that contain opioids like codeine should never be given to children, the Food and Drug Administration warned in early January.“Children should not take any cough or cold medications,” said Dr. Nasia Safdar, medical director of infection control at the University of Wisconsin Health. “They are not beneficial and might be harmful.”
Be ready to fight if a pet insurer, like a people insurer, denies a valid claim
“These are very different cancers,” he told me. “It’s like saying a dog had an infection and then got another infection years later, so it’s a preexisting condition.”Dr. David Vail, an oncologist at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, said he “would tend to agree that the two are unlikely to be related.”
In Cave in Israel, Scientists Find Jawbone Fossil From Oldest Modern Human Out of Africa
“This would be the earliest modern human anyone has found outside of Africa, ever,” said John Hawks, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Wisconsin, Madison who was not involved in the study.
Jaw fossil discovered in Israel looks human, but it’s much older than it should be
This new find adds another important clue towards solving the mystery of this earlier spread of humans out of Africa, write the authors of a commentary published with the study. “I think that’s pretty cool,” agrees John Hawks, an paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “You have a modern-looking upper jaw in Israel that was there much earlier than it was supposed to have been.” He cautions, however, against getting too attached to the label Homo sapiens: with only a small chunk of bone to go on, it’s hard to say for certain. It’s possible that it could be from another, unnamed relative of modern day people, for example.
Cow College explores benefits of genomic sire selection
The opening session featured Dr. Kent Weigel, head of the UW-Madison Dairy Science Department, and dairy specialist Dr. Victor Cabrera.
Weigel reported on recent studies that examined the benefits of using genomic (DNA) analysis as a tool to improve dairy herd health and productivity.
Left behind: Who looks out for children when their parents go to prison?
Quoted: “The children of incarcerated parents have been invisible for a long time because of stigma,” says Julie Poehlmann-Tynan, UW-Madison professor of human development and family studies. Poehlmann-Tynan has researched this population since 1996. She’s done the first ever observational study of children visiting incarcerated parents. Her work focuses on what will help children cope and thrive while a parent is incarcerated.
Beer school – and U.S. Brewers Academy – coming to Milwaukee
Quoted: Ryder, who teaches fermentation sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wants the class to be geared to “regular people.” Ryder doesn’t imagine he’ll make brewers out of his students. He just wants to round out their knowledge “so they won’t feel intimidated about some of these beers. People don’t know what’s a good beer and what’s a bad beer and why.”
UW professor analyzes Walker SOS address
Noted: UW-Madison political science professor David Canon says Walker’s speech is a good road map for the Governor’s re-election campaign; one in which Canon believes Walker will try to distance himself from the dysfunction in Washington.
Millennials share why they’ll stay in Wisconsin, or why they might leave
A 2015 report from the Applied Population Lab at the University of Wisconsin said about 10,000 people leave the state annually, a trend that has been dogging the state since the Great Recession a decade ago. Census data showed the state’s population growth from 2014 to 2015 was 11,900 people, 39th in the nation.
Lunar eclipse 2018: how to watch this “super” blue moon turn red
A supermoon is when these two cycles match up and we have a full moon that’s near its perigee. The result is that the full “super” moon appears slightly larger and slightly brighter to us in the sky. This occurs about one in every 14 full moons, Jim Lattis, an astronomer at the University of Wisconsin Madison, notes.
Panel of journalists talk fake news, responsible reporting in 2018
Noted: There are multiple things that are lumped under the title of fake news, said Kathleen Bartzen Culver, Director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at UW–Madison.
Wet and warped stacking stickers
In the future, I suggest you only buy kiln-dried stickers, as they will be straight and the correct thickness. Many people today also get a profiled sticker that has grooves on the faces to help drying where the sticker contact the lumber.Gene Wengert, “The Wood Doctor” has been training people in efficient use of wood for 35 years. He is extension specialist emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Study: States less likely to take action against failing insurers during election years
The study, conducted by researchers at the Wisconsin School of Business, compared data from about 3,200 firms from 1989 to 2011 with data on the electoral cycles of insurance commissioners—or governors in states where the commissioner is appointed.
Brand choice can break bonds
Noted: Thomas O’Guinn, marketing professor and Thomas J. Falk distinguished chair in business at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, thinks the study is on point. Having studied sons who got into longstanding grudges over not picking the same brand of car as dad or not liking the same “family” brand of beer, he attests that the results are not surprising at all.
Ticks Make Cement To Attach To Skin
Noted: The new study is “a remarkably detailed review of quite an obscure thing,” notes Tony Goldberg, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
Sauk County manufacturing, farming, giving way to tourism and retail, UW economist says
Unemployment rates in the badger state may be some of the lowest on record, but the types of jobs being created are generally on the low or high end of the wage scale, resulting in an absence of mid-level jobs, according to according to Dr. Steven Deller, economist with UW-Madison.
Two years after dogs killed by coyote hunter, DNR hasn’t changed confusing sign
Noted: Patricia McConnell, an adjunct professor of zoology at UW-Madison and a certified applied animal behaviorist, echoed the fears … that more tragedies will occur if the DNR doesn’t make more of an effort to educate everyone about the rules. McConnell, a widely known author and speaker on animal behavior, said more than 90 dogs were caught in traps in Wisconsin in 2016.
Union Membership Up In Wisconsin After Years Of Decline
Noted: But the modest increase doesn’t necessarily mean long-term growth for labor unions, said Laura Dresser, an economist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center on Wisconsin Strategy.
Local pediatrician featured in 20/20 special
Noted: The ABC show includes an interview from Dr. Barbara Knox, a child abuse pediatrician and professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor advocate for sweeping criminal justice reform
At the forum, Pam Oliver, a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said there’s little or no evidence that checking in with parole officers lowers the risk of a future criminal offense. She called supervision rules “almost impossible not to violate,” especially considering many ex-prisoners struggle with addiction, mental illness and poverty.
U.S. government to shield health workers under ‘religious freedom’
Professionals take an oath to serve people who are sick, Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison explained. They are also the only ones licensed to provide those services and must do so without discrimination, she said.
UW professor to discuss teen brains
Noted: At the local level, McFarland High School will host a Wednesday, Jan. 31, presentation about the teenage brain led by UW Health psychologist and UW-Madison professor Dr. Jack Nitschke, an expert in psychology and neuroscience who specializes in teen mental health.
Sauk County manufacturing, farming, giving way to tourism and retail, UW economist says
Unemployment rates in the badger state may be some of the lowest on record, but the types of jobs being created are generally on the low or high end of the wage scale, resulting in an absence of mid-level jobs, according to according to Dr. Steven Deller, economist with UW-Madison.
Case of 13 California kids allegedly tortured ‘fits this pattern we’ve been tracking for a long time’
A 2014 study by University of Wisconsin pediatrician Barbara Knox and colleagues found that in 38 cases of severe child abuse, 47 percent of parents had never enrolled their children in school or pulled their youngsters out when abuse was suspected and told authorities they were home schooling.
Ready for an anti-Trump wave in November? Look at Wisconsin.
Democrats won Wisconsin in every presidential election from 1988 to 2012, but Hillary Clinton’s strategists made the mistake of taking the state for granted in 2016. What they missed were trends brilliantly analyzed by Katherine J. Cramer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin, in her prophetic book, “The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker.” It was published eight months before the 2016 vote.
Luxury retailers are set to reap the benefits from tax reform
Jerry O’Brien, director of the Kohl’s Center for Retailing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told CNBC the tax cuts could result in a bigger gap between luxury retailers (i.e. Tiffany, Hudson’s Bay, Neiman Marcus and Tapestry) and other players, though he said off-price brands will continue to outperform in 2018. This leaves the “middle ground” of the industry at risk, he added.
Trump Hands Out ‘Fake News Awards,’ Sans the Red Carpet
At the time of Mr. Ross’s suspension, Kathleen Culver, the director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that the president was likely to use the mistake as ammunition against his political opponents — an observation that seemed borne out by the “Fake News Awards.”
Donald Trump Gets His Sanity Grades
When we think about presidents losing their mental grip, we generally go back to Woodrow Wilson, who had a stroke in 1919 that left him bedridden and pretty much off the playing field. “Wilson was the worst case of presidential disability,” said John Cooper, a Wilson expert at the University of Wisconsin. The stroke was followed by other physical ailments and a long period of isolation under the protection of his wife, who some claimed was taking over the presidency. It left Wilson’s cognitive function unimpaired, Cooper said, “but it warped his judgment horribly.”
When States Make It Harder to Enroll, Even Eligible People Drop Medicaid
“Without being tremendously well organized, it can be easy to fail,” said Donald Moynihan, a professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is writing a book on the effects of administrative burdens. Researchers have studied the ways complexity can reduce sign-ups for workplace pension plans, participation in food stamps and turnout in elections, he noted. “These sorts of little barriers are ways in which humans get tripped up all the time when they’re trying to do something that might benefit them.”
‘Politics of Resentment’ author Kathy Cramer looks ahead to 2018
It’s likely both political parties in Wisconsin will tap into rural resentment as the state heads into a gubernatorial and U.S. Senate election later this year, said University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher and author Kathy Cramer on Tuesday.
The slow burn for marijuana legalization
Noted: Dr. Angela Janis, co-director of mental health services and director of psychiatric services at the University of Wisconsin–Madison University Health Services, says Schedule 1 classification of marijuana makes it difficult to legally study the drug, so its benefits and risks to one’s health aren’t fully understood.
Loss of Wisconsin Senate seat sounds the alarm for Republicans
UW-Madison political scientist Barry Burden says Republicans were expected to hold on to the district and spent a lot of money on the special election race, making the outcome a surprise for many. Burden says low turnout from Republicans may be partly to blame for the loss, although he also sees national influences at play.
Proposal Would Create First State-Funded UW System Merit Scholarships
Lawmakers heard testimony Wednesday on a proposal to create the first state-funded merit scholarships for Wisconsin high schoolers who attend University of Wisconsin System schools.
Deadly Aztec Epidemic “Cocoliztli” Linked to Salmonella
“From a gut instinct I would suspect there were multiple agents involved in that epidemic,” says Caitlin Pepperrell, a researcher who studies infectious diseases at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who was not involved with the study.
Wolf proposal critics again say anti-fed direction is the wrong move
Advocates say it’s needed to end livestock killing by the state’s healthy wolf population. But it’s the wrong approach, says UW Madison zoologist, Patricia McConnell.
State farmers rely on NAFTA partners
Quoted: Brian Gould, an associate professor of agricultural and applied economics at UW-Madison.
“Mexico has been actively exploring trading relationships with some of our competing countries for their dairy imports and there’s a potential that we could lose those markets,” Gould said. “Even if we don’t lose NAFTA, we may lose those markets anyway.”
Scott Walker has nearly four times more cash than the Democratic field
Noted: UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said Walker’s fundraising total is somewhat lower than he expected given individual contribution limits have doubled to $20,000 since the 2014 election, Walker’s national profile was elevated during his short-lived presidential run and he became chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Spectrum Brands selling Rayovac battery business to Energizer Holdings for $2B
“That’s validation that it’s just strategically optimal for both companies,” said Page Moreau, UW-Madison School of Business marketing professor and academic director of UW’s Center for Brand and Product Management.
2016 Export Numbers Highlight Wisconsin’s Reliance On NAFTA
Noted: But that’s just what Brian Gould, an associate professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is worried about as talks continue over the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Supreme Court race showing its political stripes
Noted: Ryan Owens, a UW-Madison Law School professor who specializes in judicial issues and is a member of the conservative-leaning Federalist Society, said the U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 decided it was permissible for judicial candidates to make their positions known.
Technology on Park Street intersections will communicate with passing vehicles
Quoted: “If they’re behind by say five minutes on their schedule and they have people either trying to get to a location on time, trying to get to work on time, or trying to get picked up on time, they can actually preempt the signal so the signal knows by the time it gets here it needs to be green,” said Jonathan Riehl, transportation systems engineer at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
How Scientists Saved Bald Eagles From Destruction in Minnesota
Over two-and-a-half decades later, it’s being hailed as an unqualified success. On Tuesday, scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey announced in the Journal of Applied Ecology that bald eagle populations at Voyageurs have been tremendously rehabilitated to stable numbers thanks to nest protection. Collected data in reveals that the breeding population of these birds has risen from 10 pairs in 1991 to 48 pairs in 2016.
In a fast-warming world, scientists say recent cold wave was exceptionally weird
Their finding that the intensity of Arctic cold is easing in a warming world is supported by many other studies. For example, Jonathan Martin, a meteorology researcher at the University of Wisconsin, has documented considerable shrinkage of the pool of frigid air surrounding the Arctic in recent decades.
Independent investigation into sexual harassment at Rochester provides little closure
Seth Pollak, a distinguished professor of psychology and professor of anthropology, pediatrics, psychiatry and public affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who signed the open letter against advising students to work or study at Rochester, said Thursday that he hoped Seligman’s resignation was a step in the right direction for the campus. But the report itself was unsatisfying, he said, as Jaeger was found not to have harassed women to a “pervasive” or “severe” degree, even though multiple women testified about harassment.
This Is When Your New Year’s Resolution Will Fail
Make sure the quick win isn’t too hard or too easy, adds Alex Stajkovic, assistant professor of management and human resources at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin. “Easy goals are not motivating, and goals perceived to be beyond our ability may cause cessation of effort,” he says.
The Olympics in the Korean Crisis
According to David Fields, Center for East Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Korean-American complex is like a precarious iron tower, which is strong but brittle, ready to collapse from any unexpected action like a preemptive strike of North Korea by the Trump administration.
Climate Change Is Altering Lakes and Streams, Study Suggests
“We’re monkeying with the very chemical foundation of these ecosystems,” said Emily H. Stanley, a limnologist (freshwater ecologist) at the University of Wisconsin — Madison. “But right now we don’t know enough yet to know where we’re going. To me, scientifically that’s really interesting, and as a human a little bit frightening.”
Seattle officials feared these rumors would start race riots
Citizens were asked to call in with rumblings they’d heard, especially things that might foment rebellion, according to Stephen Young, an assistant professor of geography and international studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Precision technology – fine tuning cropping
Loretta Ortiz-Ribbing, Dodge and Fond du lac County’s UW-Extension soils and crops agent, says “Research dollars are important for developing better ways to do things but there also has to be an education arm that allows Extension agents to deliver it to the farmers.”
Protecting eagle nests aids in reproduction
Although the result is most relevant to large, undisturbed habitat like Voyageurs, “the model can be used for other raptors, in other places, regardless of the level of disturbance,” says Zuckerberg. “Long-term monitoring data is really hard to fund, but it’s critical for conservation. This is a perfect example of the benefits of collecting data in a standardized way over a long period of time.”
The Olympics in the Korean Crisis
Noted: According to Daniel Fields, Center for East Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Korean-American complex is like a precarious iron tower, which is strong but brittle, ready to collapse from any unexpected action like a preemptive strike of North Korea by the Trump administration.
Climate Information Is Disappearing From Federal Websites Under Trump
Quoted: “We’re not seeing these databases destroyed or anything like that,” says Eric Nost, a doctoral student in geography at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a an Environmental Data & Governance Initiative volunteer. “Instead, we’re seeing the way climate issues are described are being changed.”
Before Nextdoor and Facebook, there was the Seattle Rumor Center
Noted: Citizens were asked to call in with rumblings they’d heard, especially things that might foment rebellion, according to Stephen Young, an assistant professor of geography and international studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.