Manuel P. Teodoro is an associate professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs. He works with water sector leaders across the United States on management, policy, and finance.
Category: UW Experts in the News
‘The stakes are really high’: Inside the growing movement to teach financial literacy to every Milwaukee kid
Quoted: “Much of that is because they themselves don’t necessarily feel like they are experts in money management,” said Melody Harvey, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies how public policies affect financial capability.
“I imagine that most parents wouldn’t want to intentionally mislead their children or give wrong information,” she said.
A decade ago, Urban and J. Michael Collins, a professor and financial security researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, were part of the team that examined outcomes in Texas and Georgia after those states implemented a financial education requirement.
They looked at students’ credit reports through age 22 and found students were less likely to have a negative item on their credit report. They also borrowed more — showing they could better fill out applications for things like credit cards or a car loan — and had a lower delinquency rate on those loans than their peers in states without the graduation requirement.
“We saw that those kids who had the financial education had basically fewer mistakes in their early 20s,” Collins said.
Listen now: Two UW-Madison business experts discuss the changing startup ecosystem
Two UW-Madison experts in business startups — Andy Richards, director of the University of Wisconsin’s Office of Discovery to Product, and Michelle Somes-Booher, director of the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center — discuss the current ecosystem for entrepreneurs, including how the pandemic has changed how businesses, employees and customers interact.
‘What did I lose two legs for?’ Wisconsin veterans not ready to move on from Afghanistan
Though U.S. public opinion never turned against the war in Afghanistan as it had in Iraq in the mid-2000s, the conflict has helped entrench anti-interventionist views, said Jon Pevehouse, a political science professor at UW-Madison. “It certainly has made (the public) completely unfavorable toward interventions to create democracy or even unseat governments,” Pevehouse said. “I think history will look back and say, ‘Yes, we could have given it a bigger try,’ but the checks would have had to been even larger, the deployments even larger. It would have been hard to imagine the political support for that.”
Rittenhouse’s emotional display could fortify his defense, legal observers say
His young appearance — one witness testified that the 18-year-old defendant has a “baby face” — could help the jury sympathize with him, added Steven Wright, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Kyle Rittenhouse trial’s dramatic moments could have legal implication
“It would be a pretty dramatic turn of events,” Keith Findley, a former public defender and University of Wisconsin law professor, said of the judge possibly declaring a mistrial. “This is a judge who likes to be in control of his courtroom and everyone knows it, and he doesn’t particularly care if people are unhappy about it or his rulings.
A Kyle Rittenhouse Mistrial is Unlikely. Here’s Why
Keith Findley, a former public defender and University of Wisconsin law professor, told USA Today it would be “unusual” for Schroeder to grant a mistrial as the judge would need to prove that Binger prevented Rittenhouse from receiving a fair trial and that his conduct was “outrageous, calculated and provoked a mistrial.”
Drowning in debt
Quoted: “Raising general tax revenue through a water and sewer bill is one of the most regressive ways a government can raise revenue,” said Manuel Teodoro, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Municipalities across the country issue taxes on water to fund other services, Teodoro said.
“If you look at the full range of ways that the city can raise revenue, a water and sewer tax is extremely regressive because everybody has to use water,” he said.
Wisconsin will get at least $100 million for broadband expansion under the massive federal infrastructure bill
Quoted: “I think we are in a very good position because of the number of dollars that are flowing in this direction. The federal government is now turning on the hose,” said one of Tuesday’s panelists, Barry Orton, professor emeritus, telecommunications, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I would say that for municipalities and other public entities that are looking to provide broadband to their citizens, this is going to be their window of opportunity,” Orton said.
UW Health psychologist shares tips on how to deal with seasonal affective disorder
Shilah Mirgain, distinguished psychologist at UW Health, sits down with News 3 Now to explain what you can do about seasonal affective disorder.
Dems push Biden to act on gas prices, but experts say options are limited
“It is true that the government could flood the market with fuel for a few months, resulting in temporary decreases in pump prices,” said Richard Shaten, an expert on environmental economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “In my opinion, this would be like using up your personal emergency fund to buy extra desserts at the grocery store.”
Kyle Rittenhouse trial: Understanding key legal issues in the contentious case
“What’s not being assessed is whether the shooting of Mr. Blake [was] justified. Nor will Second Amendment rights, outside of a limited sense, be litigated,” said Keith Findley, a former public defender and University of Wisconsin law professor.
Ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner in Wisconsin will likely be more expensive this year
Quoted: “Prices have clearly gone up, and we’re seeing that trend continue,” said Peter Lukszys, University of Wisconsin School of Business expert on logistics and supply chain management. “Consumption during last year was down because fewer Thanksgivings were being celebrated. This year there is more demand, and when there is more demand, it is more likely to have shortages.”
Supply chain problems likely to create problems for holiday shoppers
The issues plaguing virtually every industry are following retailers right into the holiday season. Peter Lukszys, a senior lecturer for UW-Madison’s Department of Marketing, says the disruptions can be traced back to various sources. From shipping delays, and a shortage of truck drivers, to rising prices in materials that are increasing the cost of making products, every industry is experiencing the issues.
Scientists Fight a New Source of Vaccine Misinformation: Aaron Rodgers
“Aaron Rodgers is a smart guy,” said David O’Connor, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Packers fan. But, he added, “He’s still vulnerable to the blind side blitz of misinformation.”
UW-Madison professors report Native American discrimination still present today
Two UW-Madison professors are spotlighting what they call ‘Indigenous Activism.’ The professors spoke about issues the Native American community have been addressing, both past and present.
The fight for the rights of Indigenous Nations and their people was spotlighted at the 2021 UW-Madison Diversity Forum.
Professor Sasha Suarez described shocking stereotypes heard by Native Americans who applied for jobs in recent past — right here in the Midwest. She uncovered those reports during research for her doctorate degree, “Multiple bosses didn’t want to hire and fire [Native Americans] because they were ‘flighty’ and ‘drunk.’”
We asked her how she felt when she discovered that. She replied, “It wasn’t unexpected, but it was hard to read.”
Her colleague Kasey Keeler highlighted the struggle for affordable housing, even after World War II, “For the native veterans where applying for the G.I. Bill — a lot of them were shot down because of racism.”
UW-Madison Hosts Flag-Raising Ceremony for Ho-Chunk Nation
U.S. renewable energy use nearly quadrupled in past decade, report finds
“It’s really been a surprise even for people working on it,” said Greg Nemet, an environmental policy researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Kyle Rittenhouse Defenders Are Saying This Is the Moment the Prosecution Collapsed
Speaking to Spectrum News, John Gross, a clinical associate professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and director of the Public Defender Project, described the testimony from Grosskreutz as “remarkable.”
University of Florida Reverses Course to Allow Professors to Testify Against State
Kenneth R. Mayer, a University of Wisconsin political science professor who organized a protest against the denial by more than 80 academics nationally, said the university’s reputation has been “rightly hammered in the past week” by its actions, and that it was up to Mr. Fuchs, the president, to repair it.
Wages are up, especially in low-paying sectors
And prices have increased, said University of Wisconsin economist and Manhattan Institute adjunct fellow Noah Williams. “Inflation is up somewhere between 4.5% to 5%, probably, year-over-year,” Williams said. “So, yeah, that 5.5% average wage gain is really only maybe .5% to 1%.”
Accounting Experts Ask Congress to Change Proposal on Minimum Corporate Tax
Among those listed as signing the latest letter: Thomas Linsmeier, a University of Wisconsin accounting professor who served from 2006 to 2016 on the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the nonprofit organization that sets U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, and retired Cornell University professor Thomas Dyckman, who held positions with groups affiliated with FASB in the 1980s and early 1990s.
WaPost, WSJ take different approaches to Trump claims
“When something is factually incorrect, you need to take greater care with what you are going to do with it,” said Kathleen Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I applaud the Post for being transparent in what they decided to do … I don’t know that we necessarily do enough of that in journalism, explaining to readers and viewers and listeners, explaining why we made the choices that we made.”
Failed by the healthcare system, transgender people find help elsewhere
Dr. Ellen Selkie, an adolescent medicine specialist at the University of Wisconsin, noticed that many of her patients came to terms with their gender identity through social media.
The battle over Biden’s child tax credit and its impact on poverty and workers
“Almost all of our thoughts were about families who had very low or zero earnings who would not work or reduce work effort,” said Timothy Smeeding of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “We did not have any credible estimate of the substitution effect for families earning $25,000 to 40,000, and so we ignored it.”
Northern hemisphere lakes, Great Lakes warming fast
“The earliest observers that wrote these down were not scientists. Ice was important for the way of life and living and killing whales and fishing in the wintertime,” said John J. Magnuson, a limnologist the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “The longer records all began before there was a science, and the science is capitalizing on what’s occurred.”
Ancient child’s bones deepen mystery of enigmatic human relative
“No one involved in this had any expectations that we were going to find naledi bones in these situations,” says John Hawks, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We’re pushing into places that are meters and meters down impossible passages.”
Vax skeptics score big in Green Bay
“I think that’s a fair question to ask, not only of Aaron Rodgers: Why did you potentially put these folks at risk?” said Jeff Pothof, University of Wisconsin Health’s chief quality officer and an emergency medicine physician. “Also, the Packers organization. If you knew Aaron Rodgers was a more high-risk individual being unvaccinated, why did you tolerate that? And lastly, the NFL in general. It sounds like the NFL in general knows who’s vaccinated, who’s not vaccinated. I’m sure they saw Aaron Rodgers speaking at press conferences too.”
How the $3 campaign contribution check box on your tax form works
Kenneth R. Mayer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said the program aimed to “allow candidates to be less reliant on private contributions from individuals, political action committees and parties.”
First Homo naledi child fossil found in the Cradle of Humankind
“This makes this the richest site for fossil hominins on the continent of Africa and makes naledi one of the best-known ancient hominin species ever discovered,” said John Hawks, Vilas-Borghesi Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead author of a previous study on the Neo fossil skeleton, in a statement.
America’s native grasslands are disappearing
“Grasslands are mostly used for grazing of livestock and when that balance gets out of line, and crop agriculture becomes more profitable, that’s when we see the resurgence of the tillup,” says Tyler Lark, an researcher at the University of Wisconsin who has studied grasslands for the past decade.
How Many Jobs Will the Child Tax Credit Really Cost?
Your editorial “The Child Allowance Welfare Trap” (Oct. 8) and Robert Doar’s online op-ed, “The Bad Science Behind the Child Tax Credit Expansion” (Oct. 29) question the evidence behind a 2019 consensus report from a nonpartisan committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), on which we served. Rejecting the report’s conclusions, you and Mr. Doar cite estimates reported in a working paper released recently by Bruce Meyer and other University of Chicago researchers.
-Tim Smeeding, co-author
Judge in Rittenhouse trial says CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin is clueless
It varies “from courtroom to courtroom at the judge’s discretion,” University of Wisconsin Law School Professor Keith Findley told CBS, explaining the point is to avoid prejudicing the jury against the defendant.
Pauline Bart, feminist sociologist who studied violence against women, dies at 91
While struggling to find a tenure track job, Dr. Bart helped organize a 1969 caucus of female sociologists to promote the work of women in the field. The gathering spurred the creation of Sociologists for Women in Society, an international feminist organization. “She did all she could to create feminist spaces in sociology,” said Myra Marx Ferree, a former president of the group and sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Kyle Rittenhouse trial: When can you shoot as self-defence?
But convincing the 20-person jury to convict Mr Rittenhouse will be an uphill climb, says John Gross, a criminal defence expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Once the evidence suggests that the defendant may have acted in self-defence, the burden shifts to the prosecution, and the prosecution has to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant acted in self-defence,” he explains.
Widespread Coronavirus Infection Found in Iowa Deer, New Study Says
“If deer can transmit the virus to humans, it’s a game changer,” said Tony Goldberg, a veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies the evolution of infectious diseases as they jump between animals and people. “To have a wildlife species become a reservoir after transmission from humans is very rare and unlucky, as if we needed more bad luck.”
Widespread Coronavirus Infection Found in Iowa Deer, New Study Says
“If deer can transmit the virus to humans, it’s a game changer,” said Tony Goldberg, a veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies the evolution of infectious diseases as they jump between animals and people. “To have a wildlife species become a reservoir after transmission from humans is very rare and unlucky, as if we needed more bad luck.”
How parents can help themselves, and their children, feel okay again
Parents can talk about their child’s personal growth and say, “ ‘I’ve been thinking how great it was that you found ways to stay connected to your friends,’ ” says Seth Pollak, a professor in the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “A child may not have the meta-awareness to reflect in that way, but you can help them develop a self-concept of, ‘I’m a person who handles things.’ ”
Wisconsin leads nation in imprisonment rates of Black people
Further, prosecution rates are higher and plea deals are lower for Black residents, said Ion Meyn, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The new faces of Covid deaths
“This has become a disease of the unimmunized,” said Dr. James Conway, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and associate director for health sciences at the school’s Global Health Institute.
Kyle Rittenhouse Could Save or Doom Himself by Deciding to Testify
“He is a darling of the far right,” Keith A. Findley, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin, told The Daily Beast on Monday, calling the case a “powder keg.”
Kyle Rittenhouse: Opening statements expected to begin in homicide trial
“It’s a pretty substantial burden for the prosecution to do that and I think that’s going to be where the real challenge for them lies,” said John Gross, a clinical associate professor and the director of the Public Defender Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
The jury will have the all-important task of assessing whether Rittenhouse’s actions were reasonable and constituted self-defense.”We want the jury to be a check on the power of the state and to enforce community norms,” said Cecelia Klingele, an associate professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So when the law requires that force is used reasonably, we want our community to decide what is or isn’t reasonable.”
Lilacs in bloom: Abnormal weather is impacting Wisconsin plants, animals
Quoted: Madison’s freezing temperatures are arriving about a month behind normal, said David Stevens, curator of the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.
Wisconsin’s unseasonably warm fall has had an impact on animal and plant life, including the arboretum’s lilacs, which usually bloom in the spring.
“While it’s not uncommon to see a few flowers pop on these common lilacs in late summer, early fall, this year was pretty extreme,” Stevens said. “We’re seeing quite a few flowers throughout our collection that we normally would not see.”
‘The water always wins’: Calls to protect shorelines as volatile Lake Michigan inflicts heavy toll
Quoted: Dramatic shifts in water levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron, as a result, will likely become increasingly common — even if average levels stay roughly the same, said Michael Notaro, associate director of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research.
Beyond speeding up coastal erosion, more frequent, intense storms bring heavier rains that increase the runoff of fertilizer into lakes, feeding algal blooms on nutrient-rich lakes that harm fish and other wildlife.
“It’s not really (a question of) when it’s going to happen. It’s already happening,” said Notaro.
Opinion | How Could I Ever Love Michigan State?
According to a 2018 study written by Megan Duncan, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, Michael Mirer of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Michael Wagner of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, fans perceive news that accuses their team of wrongdoing as biased, even if they trust the source of the information.
Kyle Rittenhouse’s Homicide Trial Will Be a Debate Over Self-Defense
“It’s a battle of the narratives,” said Steven Wright, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin. “People will either see this as a young man who came across state lines with a weapon intending to do trouble, or people will come with the belief that he came here with a medical kit and attempted to defend the law and defend people.”
Most Americans Likely Qualify for COVID-19 Booster Per CDC Guidelines
“The guidelines are unnecessarily complex, but there is a fair degree of latitude,” David O’Connor, a pathology professor at the University of Wisconsin, told Insider.
Erectile Dysfunction Almost 6x More Likely After Covid-19? Here’s A Warning
Pearlman is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Men’s Health Program Director of Urology at the University of Iowa. Levine is a Professor of Urology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Le is an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Wisconsin. Levin then announced, “men who have had Covid are six times more likely to develop erectile dysfunction.”
Charleston Saver Coupon Book Spread Conspiracies and Sparked Furious Backlash
But Anuj Desai, an expert on the intersection of free-speech law and the usage of the U.S. postal system at the University of Wisconsin Law School, explains that the mail is considered a conduit for the free flow of ideas. In other words, the First Amendment protects people’s ability to mail out even baseless conspiracies and falsehoods freely.
Sure Signs You May Already Have Dementia
“These are often the ones that are distressing both to persons with dementia and especially with their family members,” said Dr. Art Walaszek, Geriatric Psychiatrist, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, on the University of Madison-Wisconsin’s podcast from the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial in Kenosha begins this week
The case “represents that clash of our polarized politics,” said Keith A. Findley, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Kyle Rittenhouse: Teen’s homicide trial for Kenosha shootings opens with jury selection
“It’s a pretty substantial burden for the prosecution to do that and I think that’s going to be where the real challenge for them lies,” said John Gross, a clinical associate professor and the director of the Public Defender Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
Those chosen to sit on the jury will be tasked with assessing the reasonableness of Rittenhouse’s actions that night.”We want the jury to be a check on the power of the state and to enforce community norms,” said Cecelia Klingele, an associate professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So when the law requires that force is used reasonably, we want our community to decide what is or isn’t reasonable.”
Waiting until Black Friday to start holiday shopping could mean missing out
“Get in early or potentially miss out. I don’t think there’s gonna be a lot of companies with the ability to do a big blow out sale at the end of November …inventory won’t allow that,” said Prof. Cliff Robb, UW-Madison consumer science.
COVID Booster Shots: Experts Share Advice They Give Friends and Family
David O’Connor, a pathology professor at the University of Wisconsin, said there’s little downside to adults of all ages getting a booster.
‘As dumb as a bag of hammers’: Kevin Nicholson goes after fellow Republican Rebecca Kleefisch on ‘ballot harvesting’ strategy
Quoted: Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said while Trump and other Republicans complained about the practice there isn’t a single definition of what “ballot harvesting” refers to.
“To most observers, harvesting is done by a private, partisan group or individual when they gather ballots from individuals and then deliver them to an election office,” Burden said in an email. “Kleefisch claims that Democrats do this sort of thing ‘non-stop,’ but I am not aware of widespread ballot collection by Democratic volunteers or operatives in Wisconsin.”
Kyle Rittenhouse Shooting Trial to Focus on Reasonableness, Self-Defense
Ultimately, the case will be decided by the jury based on their assessment of the reasonableness of Mr. Rittenhouse’s actions, said Cecelia Klingele, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
Rittenhouse judge in spotlight after disallowing word ‘victims’ in courtroom
Keith Findley, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin and a former public defender, said that while the order is more of a “defense-friendly position,” it’s not entirely unjustified, because it would “allow the prosecution to continually use language that suggests a conclusion as if it’s a given fact to jurors.”
Why people shot by Kyle Rittenhouse can be called “rioters” and “looters” but not “victims” at trial
Findley explained the judge is differentiating the facts of the case from the questions the jury must answer. Since Rittenhouse is claiming he acted in self-defense, the question is not who shot three people, killing two of them, but rather if Rittenhouse was justified in defending himself out of fear of bodily harm. If his lawyers can show he had reason to believe the men were each engaged in activities such as looting, rioting and arson at the time, that could sway the jury to accept Rittenhouse’s defense.
A senior administrator describes the role of his dogs in his career (opinion)
Kevin P. Reilly describes how, over his career, his three different dogs have each had the appropriate personality to help him get through that specific phase of his life.
What kind of costs can unvaccinated workers ring up for a business?
“You know, there are a lot of downstream decisions that need to be made,” said Margie Rosenberg, professor of risk and insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She said this is where calculating costs starts to involve some prediction, planning and math.