News - The Daily Cardinal

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Cris Carusi for Madison School Board

By Lawrence Andrea | Feb. 17, 2017

After 10 years of speaking up at school board meetings, Cris Carusi says it’s time to take her involvement in the Madison Metropolitan School District to the next level by running for a board of education seat. A longtime Madison resident and mother of two, Carusi said her ideas for seat six of MMSD School Board—currently held by Michael Flores—come from firsthand experience in the district.

Badger Volunteer hosted a presentation of LGBT Books to Prisons Thursday, which donates educational books to LGBT individuals in prison systems.

CAMPUS NEWS

Badger Volunteer event addresses LGBT community in the criminal legal system

By Hannah Malone | Feb. 16, 2017

Badger Volunteers hosted LGBT Books to Prisoners for their first educational session of the semester Thursday night.

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, seen as a front-runner in Wisconsin’s 2018 senate election, said Thursday that he would not be running. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s opponent is now up in the air.

STATE NEWS

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy announces he will not run against Baldwin for U.S. Senate

By Claire Grummon | Feb. 16, 2017

Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., announced Thursday that he will not run against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin for her senate seat in 2018.

The Office of Student Financial Aid said UW-Madison students graduate with less debt than state and national averages.

NEWS

More UW-Madison students graduating without debt, report shows

By Maggie Chandler | Feb. 16, 2017

Despite national worries over student debt the last few years, 53.4 percent of UW-Madison’s 2015-‘16 undergraduate class graduated without student debt—a 3 percent increase from the year before, according to a report from the Office of Student Financial Aid.

A plan introduced Thursday by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi would help members of the local immigrant community apply for citizenship.

CITY NEWS

Parisi rolls out citizenship resource plan

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 16, 2017

Members of the immigrant community in Dane County could get new resources aimed at an easing the application process for U.S. citizenship, under a new program introduced by the county executive’s office.

A controversial proposal to build a beer garden in Madison secured a Class B alcohol permit Wednesday in a 5-2 vote by the city’s alcohol licensing committee.

CITY NEWS

Madison beer garden proposal secures alcohol license

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 16, 2017

After months of dispute among city officials and residents, Madison’s alcohol licensing committee granted a liquor permit Wednesday for a German-style beer garden that would sit on the Lake Monona shoreline. With a 5-2 vote by the Alcohol License Review Committee in favor of granting a Class B alcohol license, the project developer, BKM Group LLC, would be allowed to sell beer at its concessions if the project proposal gains approval from city council next month. The beer garden would be built next to Olbrich Park, surrounded by the Eastmoreland neighborhood.

Gov. Walker is recommending the passage of a bill that seeks to protect freedom of speech on UW campuses, even speech that may be deemed “deeply offensive.”

STATE NEWS

Bill would require UW schools to protect offensive speech

By Andy Goldstein | Feb. 16, 2017

Alongside his budget proposal, Gov. Scott Walker is recommending the passage of a companion bill that would legally require university officials to act in defense of offensive speech.

During a panel discussion Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Sally Rohrer said allowing students to opt out of allocable segregated fees would be "a disaster."

NEWS

Students concerned for campus fallout if allocable fees become optional

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 16, 2017

“A disaster,” is how Sally Rohrer, a student government leader, described the provision in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal to make allocable segregated fees optional. UW-Madison student leaders are concerned, and seek to inform students about the value of groups and organizations that could be on the chopping block.

Tyriek Mack, a representative of the Associated Students of Madison, proposed legislation to urge the Chancellor and university to take steps to back up its rhetoric regarding diversity and inclusion on campus.

NEWS

‘Cognitive dissonance’ in university rhetoric and actions prompts ASM legislation

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 16, 2017

“I wanted people to understand the connection between white supremacy that the university perpetuates, if we are going to address it,” said Mack. He added, “If the university has rhetoric around diversity and inclusion they should have some actions that reflect that.”

Nikki Giovanni, one of the world’s best-known living poets, delivered the keynote address in UW-Madison’s Black History Month lecture series.

CAMPUS NEWS

Nikki Giovanni visits campus, speaks on strength of black women

By Jasmine Kiah | Feb. 15, 2017

The widely celebrated poet, educator and activist Nikki Giovanni honored the spirituality and strength of black women Wednesday evening as the keynote speaker in a continued Black History Month lecture series.

CITY NEWS

Meet the candidate: Kate Toews for Madison School Board

By Claire Lancaster | Feb. 15, 2017

Kate Toews says she never planned to run for a municipal position. That all changed last November, when she said education funding threats following the presidential election compelled her to vie for a board of education seat—a move she said was necessary to protect her children’s futures. Toews, who is running for seat 6 of Madison Metropolitan District School Board, spoke Wednesday with The Daily Cardinal on where she stands on current and future issues facing the district.

STATE NEWS

Baldwin calls for independent investigation of Michael Flynn’s correspondence with Russia

By Sam Schulz | Feb. 15, 2017

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., joined a group of 10 senators on Wednesday calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to launch a special investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn resigned Monday amid allegations of possible illegal phone calls between himself and officials in the Russian government that he had earlier denied.

Walker expressed support Wednesday for a bill that would require candidates to lose by one percentage point to in order to request a recount.

STATE NEWS

Walker supports bill that would limit candidates’ ability to request vote recounts

By Lilly Price | Feb. 15, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker expressed support for a bill introduced Tuesday by Republican legislators that would limit state and local candidate’s ability to call for an election recount. The bill requires candidates to be “aggrieved,” meaning they would have to lose within one percent of the winner’s vote total in an election with at least 4,000 votes, according to the Associated Press.

UW System Student Representatives submitted the names of four applicants for the open Board of Regents traditional student seat to the governor’s office.

NEWS

Students work to be heard in Board of Regents appointment process

By Meredith Nesbitt | Feb. 15, 2017

This spring, a new student will be appointed to serve as part of the UW System’s main decision-making body, and some students are working to make sure their voices are heard in the appointment process.

Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, spoke at an ASM Shared Governance Committee meeting about Gov. Scott Walker’s recent budget proposal.

NEWS

Assembly Republican visits ASM committee to discuss budget proposal

By Maggie Chandler | Feb. 14, 2017

Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, met with an Associated Students of Madison committee and explained elements of Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal, including context regarding available funding for education.

UW-Madison offers a lot of financial aid opportunities, but promoting the programs has proven to be difficult.

CAMPUS NEWS

Financial aid office open house explains changes to FAFSA verification

By Téalin Robinson | Feb. 14, 2017

The financial aid office held their first annual open house Tuesday for students to visit the office and learn about recent changes to financial aid and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid in general.

State Sen. Howard Marklein introduced a rural broadband bill Tuesday to “make immediate, significant impact on rural broadband in Wisconsin.”

STATE NEWS

Republican lawmakers aim to improve workforce through broadband access

By Meghan Kuemmel | Feb. 14, 2017

Hoping to increase funding and expand high-speed internet access in rural school districts, state Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, proposed a collaborative rural broadband expansion bill Tuesday.

Walker’s proposal to end a commission on labor could enhance government efficiency but some worry the commission’s disappearance would hinder labor workers’ protections.

STATE NEWS

Walker proposes to end labor commission

By Benita Mathew | Feb. 14, 2017

Part of Gov. Scott Walker’s biennial budget proposal calls for an end to a commission that supervises labor disagreements in aims to increase efficiency and quickly run labor cases through government.

WSUM turns 15 Feb. 22 and continues to grow with plans to add more programming in the future.

CAMPUS NEWS

WSUM celebrates 15 years on-air with more programming, community events

By Cameron Lane-Flehinger | Feb. 14, 2017

As the student-run radio station prepares to celebrate its 15th birthday with a weekend of community events, that struggle continues to impact both the station’s current operations and its plans for the future.

CITY NEWS

Madison finance committee moves controversial beer garden plan forward

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 14, 2017

Madison’s finance committee approved an agreement Monday between the city and a developer who plans to operate a German-style beer garden on the shoreline in Olbrich Park. As with its slow movement through other city council subcommittees, the Olbrich Beer Garden proposal weathered heavy criticism from citizens and members before gaining approval.