Noted: Ted Cochrane of the UW-Madison herbarium, where an invasive plant was positively identified it as water celery, or Oenanthe javanica.
Category: UW Experts in the News
Chris Rickert: Shocked by weeds in waterways? I can help
Quoted: No such reliable quick-fix solution for invasive water plants has been devised, however, according to professor Emily Stanley of the UW-Madison Center for Limnology.
US debt downgrade could mean rate hikes for all (AP)
Quoted: The high failure rate for adjustable rate mortgages during the housing meltdown means that today the number of new home loans with adjustable rates is minimal — less than 5 percent of the market, according to Stephen Malpezzi, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin Business School who follows the housing market.
How to learn if the US downgrade could affect you (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)
Quoted: “An amazing number of people don?t even know if they have an ARM or a fixed rate,” said Stephen Malpezzi, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin Business School who follows the housing market.
Outsiders Seek To Capitalize On Wis. Recall Elections (NPR Morning Edition)
Quoted: “I don?t think we would see this level of effort if the parties didn?t think these races could go either way,” says polling expert Charles Franklin of the University of Wisconsin.
Social Media Changing the Landscape in Wisconsin’s Recall Elections (Patch.com)
Quoted: “That was a movement that was fueled by Twitter and Facebook,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “That morphed pretty readily into the recall efforts. Facebook and Twitter were used to collect signatures. The Democrats did a better job of that.”
New wave of Wisconsin recall elections coming Tuesday
Quoted: Ken Goldstein, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Wisconsin Advertising Project, said the amount of money flowing into the races is “extraordinary.”
Stock Market Plunge Causes Uncertainty For Investors
Quoted: Ken Kavajecz, associate professor of finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, said there are lots of mixed signals to which Wall Street just doesn?t know how to react.
Citizens to conduct exit polls in Wisconsin recall elections
Quoted: Exit polling dates to the late 1960s and was largely the creation of Warren Mitofsky, a former U.S. Census Bureau statistician who was then polling director for CBS News, says UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin.
Japanese beetles stay for another month
One expert calls it ?the bug from hell.? University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Phil Pellitteri is quite familiar with the Japanese beetle. ?The small kind of coppery green, metallic beetle looks like a small bumble bee almost, in both the way it flies and kind of lands on plants.? And when it lands, you can be sure it?s not there for the view.
Three is the magic number
Quoted: ?Less than that they (Democrats) don?t get control, more than that is icing on the cake,? says UW-Madison political scientist Charles Franklin.
National media focusing on Wisconsin recalls
Quoted: UW political scientist David Canon claims it will help the left. “Clearly, a high turnout election will benefit the democrats, no doubt,” said Canon.
Unprecedented Recall Election Could Swing Control Of Senate
Quoted: “It?s very confusing to voters because the districts holding recall elections are scattered around the state,” said Charles Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Menzie Chinn: The Downgrading of a Debtor Nation
The Treasury can cry foul all it wants, but the decision by Standard & Poor?s to downgrade America?s credit rating by one notch last Friday, and the subsequent plunge in the stock market, are serious symptoms of a loss of confidence ? an assessment that is fundamentally political, not economic.
Campus Connection: UW officials say bill would have ‘chilling effect’ on biomedical research
With its fiscal agenda mostly complete, members of the state?s Republican leadership now are turning their attention to social issues. On Tuesday, Assembly Republicans introduced a bill backed by an anti-abortion group that would make it illegal to provide or use for experimentation a “fetal body part.” Many fear the legislation would have a “chilling effect” on a range of biomedical research conducted at places such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
…. “I think what’s particularly concerning is the motivation behind this legislation; it’s based on either a lack of understanding or misplaced view of what actually goes into the research that goes on at the university,” says Mark Bugher, the director of University Research Park and a special assistant to new UW-Madison interim chancellor David Ward. “I read the memo from Rep. Jacque and it sounded pretty ominous but not based on any evidence or fact.”
Debt-ceiling showdown reflects divisions in states
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin.
Conservative outlets write all the news that fits their tilt
Quoted: Charles Franklin, a political scientist at UW-Madison.
Experts urge investors to stay in the stock market
Brian Hellmer, director of the UW-Madison School of Business? Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis, said he thinks concerns about the finances of Italy, Spain and Greece were exacerbated by a loss of confidence in the ability of the U.S. to handle its own debt problems.
Curiosities: Why do chipmunks make that annoying sound?
“This group tends to live in underground burrows. When they are above ground feeding, they are constantly on the lookout for predators – feral cats, hawks, owls and eagles,” says Hannah Carey, a professor of comparative biosciences in the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine who who studies hibernation in the 13-lined ground squirrel.
Ask the Weather Guys: Is high pressure always warm air?
Quoted: Steven A. Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences.
Whooping crane recovery effort hampered by nesting issues
Noted: Mark Berres, a genetics researcher in the Department of Animal Sciences at UW-Madison.
Nation watches as Wisconsin prepares for recalls Tuesday
“Rarely in American politics do you have a chance for a do-over,” UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said. “This is as close to a do-over as you are going to get.”
Study: Wolf hunt gathers support
There is wide support for a regulated wolf hunt in Wisconsin, according to a new study published by UW-Madison researchers, although that approval was more tepid among non-hunters and those who live outside wolves? range. In a study published in the journal Society and Natural Resources, Adrian Treves and Kerry Martin surveyed hunters and non-hunters in Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming between 2001 and 2007 to gauge their attitudes toward wolves.
More tapping into tax credits (Tampa Tribune)
Quoted: “The major driving factor is the nature of the economy and more people falling into the EITC range,” said John Karl Scholz, who studies poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Walker Union Fight Intensifies as Wisconsin?s Recalls Threaten Republicans
Quoted: ?He?s the hated real deal for the Democrats and the adored real deal for the Republicans,? Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a telephone interview. ?That?s the dilemma he faces. He?s a genuinely polarizing figure.?
Families need to ask questions early about hospice care
Quoted: Karen Kehl, assistant professor at the school of nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said it?s important that hospice staff answer questions, but also ask questions back about the patient.
Recalls mark climax of Badger State brawl (AP)
Quoted: ?[A shift in power] is a very real possibility. It won?t be easy, but it?s a real possibility,? said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Debt-ceiling showdown reflects divisions in states (AP)
Quoted: “The rhetoric and the division between the parties probably goes to the high points precisely when control of institutions is in doubt,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin.
The Summer of Scott Walker (Mother Jones)
Quoted: “Both sides don?t seem to want to fight their recall battles on the original turf,” says Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
10 Award-Winning Scientific Simulation Videos (Wired Science)
Noted: “Our recent predictions failed to predict activity in this solar cycle,” said astrophysicist Benjamin Brown of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Instead of a lot of activity, the most recent 11-year-long solar cycle was eerily quiet.
Wisconsin recall elections at center of turmoil (AP)
Quoted: “It?s not clear whether the mood has shifted dramatically enough to recall Republicans, but it?s certainly shifted enough to make some tight races,” said Katherine Cramer Walsh, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor who directed a recent poll that found dissatisfaction with both Democrats and Republicans.
Lueders column: Campaign cash evident on TV
Noted: David Canon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor, says there?s no doubt that combined candidate and third-party spending in the state?s nine recall elections (one already decided) will top $10 million. One of his colleagues has predicted based on early totals it could go as high as $20 million.
Coulee Region in national spotlight as Kapanke and Shilling face off (LaCrosse Tribune)
Noted: After so many years in the minority, Republicans had a lot of “pent-up concerns,” said Barry Burden, a professor of political science at UW-Madison.
Recalls: It Could All Come Down to You
In case the incessant ads haven?t clued you in, there?s a lot riding on the upcoming recall elections. “There are two parts to this story,” said Charles Franklin, a professor of political science at U-W Madison.
A Second Recession Could Be Much Worse Than the First
Quoted: If the economy were healthy, it would be much bigger than it was four years ago. Economists refer to the difference between where the economy is and where it could be if it met its full potential as the ?output gap.? Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin, has estimated that the economy was about 7 percent smaller than its potential at the beginning of this year.
Coming Soon: Clothes That Never Get Dirty, Repel Toxic Gases and Will Even Charge Your Cell Phone (Fox News Latino)
Quoted: Dietram Scheufele, John E. Ross Professor of Science Communications at the University of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Recall Elections: The Dark Money Pours In (Mother Jones)
Quoted: “You don?t have to stretch to see the connection with labor issues in Ohio, with an upcoming referendum there for public employees, and the other states doing things with labor,” says Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor.
U.S. economy may be headed toward tailspin (Bloomberg)
?When the growth rate gets low enough, certain factors may kick in, nonlinearly,? says Menzie Chinn, an economist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and co-author of a new book, ?Lost Decades.?
Residents in Other States Interested in Recalls
Noted: So now that we?re moving into an unprecedented batch of recall elections, national attention will return. In fact, MSNBC will broadcast its ?Ed Show? live from the Capitol square Monday and Tuesday night. UW-Madison Political Science Professor Charles Franklin is not surprised.
Romney picks right-wing icons as legal advisers
Quoted: Romney?s public release of an extensive list of prominent conservative advisors is intended to ?reassure conservatives in the party and clearly the Rick Perry-Michele Bachmann wing of the party,?? said Charles Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A High, Icy Lab for Learning the Past and Future Impacts of Climate Change
Quoted: “Clouds are one of the major feedbacks in cooling and heating the surface” of the ice, said Nate Miller, an atmospheric science graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. But it?s not clear which effect predominates in the Arctic, he explained, since different types of clouds have different effects on climate, depending on whether they?re made of ice or snow, whether they?re thick or thin, and how high they sit in the atmosphere.
Campus Connection: Report contends University of Wisconsin home to hundreds of ?sugar babies’
According to this Huffington Post article, a good number of young people, mostly women, are paying for college or paying down student debt by hooking up with “sugar daddies” ? wealthy men who pay for companionship and sex. And according to information provided to the Huffington Post, the University of Wisconsin is among the national leaders in producing “sugar babies” ? young adults willing to provide these services.
Quoted: Janet Hyde, UW-Madison professor of psychology and women’s studied
State’s Rural Population Shrinking
Noted: New census data released last week shows that rural America now accounts for just 16 percent of the U.S. population ?the lowest ever. The statistics mirror a trend in Wisconsin, according to Gary Green. He?s part of U-W Madison?s Department of Community and Environmental Sociology and studies demographic changes.
Cyber leaks expose cracks in Korea?s Net security (Inside Korea JoongAng Daily)
Quoted: ?Instead of mere lists of online accounts, [hackers] could steal the full package of real world identities,? said Nakho Kim, a media researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ?Due to government policies and industry laziness, many Korean online services tend to collect a lot of personal identity information.?
New tick malady unique to Minnesota, Wisconsin (PioneerPress.com)
Quoted: Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota got involved along with the state health departments. The Minnesota Department of Health in 2010 issued a health advisory about increased reports of ehrlichiosis – the illness caused by the various ehrlichia species – in humans.
Cheating Scandals Intensify Focus on Test Pressures (Education Week)
Quoted: James A. Wollack, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert in test security, says that testing systems would benefit from impartial investigators who would independently investigate cheating allegations.
In Honor of ‘Planet of the Apes’: The Top 3 Monkey Stock Pickers (AOL DailyFinance)
Quoted: “It?s pure chance,” Warren Porter, zoology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told DailyFinance. “It?s like playing roulette.”
Will the heat wave affect food prices?
Quoted: Nolan Andersen, a UW Extension Dairy and Livestock Agent for Dane County, says, “If we don?t get a good crop, that?ll drive costs up, the price per bushel will go up, and that all impacts the consumer.”
Out-of-state groups send in cash to deliver recall message
Sandwiched between Klinke Cleaners and Check ?n Go in a strip mall in Sun Prairie is one of the biggest financial players in Wisconsin?s historic round of recall elections. But don?t be fooled by the 1223 W. Main St., #304 address. The conservative, pro-business Wisconsin Club for Growth boasts no posh suite, just a simple mailbox at a UPS store. While its office presence may be lacking, its political influence is not.
Quoted: Charles Franklin, UW-Madison professor of political science
The tea party and the debt deal: Fiscal ‘terrorists’ or principled heroes? (MinnPost.com)
Quoted: Charles Franklin, a polling expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Metropolitan Museum Returns Antiquities Found in King Tut’s Tomb to Egypt (WNYC-FM)
Quoted: ?He?s really willing to put himself out there and he?s willing to make a bit of a spectacle,? said Kimberly Alderman, an art law expert at the University of Wisconsin. ?And because in a lot of these repatriation requests, they don?t have a legal claim, it ends up being well, ?Who?s making the most noise?? We?ll see in the coming months whether Egypt?s new government is able to replace him or not.?
Campus Connection: ‘Nightline’ features meditation research of UW’s Davidson
University of Wisconsin-Madison psychology professor Richard Davidson?s research on how meditation can alter the brain in amazing ways was recently featured in an ABC “Nightline” piece examining the power of meditation. Davidson tells “Nightline” that through meditation, “we can rewire our brains to be happier and nicer.”
Chris Rickert: Bringing a little transcendence to Willy Street
Quoted: Theresa Kelley, an English professor at UW-Madison.
UW study finds large dairy farms produce higher quality milk more often than small operations
A UW-Madison study has found that milk produced on Wisconsin?s large farms, including the controversial industrial-size operations, is often of higher quality than milk from smaller farms. Steve Ingham, who led the study while working as a UW-Madison food science professor, speculated that the bigger farms may have more money to spend on equipment or may be better able to identify and remove cows with illnesses that affect milk production, such as mastitis. Ingham, who is now the food safety division administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, added that all of the state?s farms, whether large or small, produce milk that easily meets federal food safety guidelines.
Little Library supporters find that if you build it, they will come
Quoted: Rick Brooks, outreach program manager in the division of continuing studies at UW-Madison and a co-founder of Dane Buy Local.
Curiosities: What bug is the most dangerous carrier of diseases in Wisconsin?
Quoted: UW-Madison entomology Professor Susan Paskewitz.
Ask the Weather Guys: How is the dew point measured?
Quoted: Steven A. Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences.
Richard Nixon Watergate testimony ordered released
Quoted: Mr. Kutler, a professor from the University of Wisconsin, has written several books about Nixon and Watergate and has previously successfully sued to force the release of audio recordings Nixon secretly made in the Oval Office.
Judge: Time to unseal Nixon’s testimony (AP)
Quoted: “Nixon knew when you testified before a grand jury you exposed yourself to perjury, so I?m betting he told the truth,” said University of Wisconsin Professor Stanley Kutler, who filed the lawsuit along with four historians? organizations. Kutler, author of “Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes,” previously successfully sued to force the release of audio recordings Nixon secretly made in the Oval Office.
Durkin: Lower Wisconsin River offers fair share of fishing fun
Quoted: Karl Malcolm, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student studying black bears.