News - The Daily Cardinal

Tobacco sales to minor are occurring at the highest rate in 10 years, according to a study released Thursday.

CITY NEWS

Tobacco sales to Madison minors hit 10-year high

By Claire Lancaster | Feb. 3, 2017

While national rates of smoking are steadily declining, a study released Thursday says the number of nicotine sales to minors in Madison is the highest since 2015. Almost one out of five Madison tobacco retailers willingly sold nicotine products to minors, according to the study, which was conducted by the Public Health Madison & Dane County and the Wisconsin Wins tobacco prevention program. Out of 208 tobacco retailers in Dane County given unannounced compliance checks by PHMDC, 19 percent of the establishments sold tobacco to underage volunteers who attempted to solicit illegal nicotine products, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, loose tobacco and electronic cigarettes.

Head coach of the UW-Madison club baseball team (above) released a petition online earlier this week calling on Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez to reinstate a varsity baseball team.

CAMPUS NEWS

Club baseball coach petitions to make baseball varsity sport

By Sammy Gibbons | Feb. 3, 2017

Jeff Block, head coach and one of the founding member of the club baseball team, published a petition online early this week calling on Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez to reinstate baseball as a varsity sport. After four days of being live the petition already has more than 1,000 signatures.

CITY NEWS

Soglin to veto ‘safe space’ proposal as state funding threats heighten

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 3, 2017

Shortly after taking a defiant stance toward a series of immigration-related executive orders signed last week, Mayor Paul Soglin is offering a more cautious tone on related funding threats to Madison posed by state legislators.

The Teaching Assistants’ Association held a meeting Thursday to discuss results of a pay increase for TAs.

NEWS

After news of pay increase, teaching assistants propose next steps

By Ningyuan Ma | Feb. 2, 2017

Following last week’s announcement of a pay increase, graduate student assistants met and discussed proposals for restructuring their stipend rates Thursday night, during a teach-in panel discussion organized by Teaching Assistants’ Association.

STATE NEWS

Sen. Tammy Baldwin says she will not vote for Gorsuch for Supreme Court justice

By Lilly Price | Feb. 2, 2017

Keeping in line with some of her party’s colleagues, Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Thursday that she will vote against President Donald Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, conservative Colorado Judge Neil Gorsuch. Baldwin issued a statement Tuesday, the day of Gorsuch’s appointment, saying she would “fully review” Gorsuch’s record and was “deeply troubled” about his rulings on disabled students, against workers and against women’s reproductive healthcare.

Republican lawmakers will vote behind closed doors Thursday on hiring two law firms that will represent them in redistricting battle that is expected to reach the Supreme Court.

STATE NEWS

GOP legislators hire law firms to represent them in redistricting appeal

By Sam Schulz | Feb. 2, 2017

Behind closed doors, Republican legislators plan to vote Thursday to hire two law firms that will aid the state government’s appeal to a recent federal ruling that said current GOP-drawn legislative districts are unconstitutional.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank will announce a proposal that would give first-generation transfer students free tuition for at least one year.

NEWS

Blank proposes free tuition for first-generation community college transfers

By Noah Habenstreit and Peter Coutu | Feb. 2, 2017

Certain students who transfer from Wisconsin community colleges would receive free tuition for at least one year at UW-Madison, according to a proposal Chancellor Rebecca Blank plans to announce Thursday.

NEWS

PROFS to ask for national support of shared governance

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 2, 2017

PROFS seeks to protect shared governance, which they think has helped make UW-Madison a premier university. The organization is currently drafting a letter asking congressional leaders to recognize the importance of shared governance on a national level.

The practice of considering criminal records is quite common among UW-Madison’s peer institutions, with 12 out of the 13 other Big Ten schools receiving information about applicants’ criminal histories during the admissions process.

CAMPUS NEWS

Big Ten competitors already consider criminal history in admissions

By Noah Habenstreit | Feb. 2, 2017

The practice of considering criminal records in admissions is quite common among UW-Madison’s peer institutions. Twelve out of the 13 other Big Ten schools, all but the University of Nebraska, say they receive information about applicants’ criminal histories during the admissions process.

Representatives from the Associated Students of Madison debated a by-laws change proposed by Chair Carmen Goséy.

NEWS

ASM chair seeks greater SSFC transparency, bylaw change rejected

By Nina Bertelsen | Feb. 2, 2017

Goséy proposed to amend the budget process to require a vote from ASM’s Coordinating Council if SSFC wants to add, delete or alter a line item by more than $10,000.

Columbia University professor and mental health activist Andrew Solomon spoke about children with distinct traits and how they shape their identities from these qualities at his Distinguished Lecture Series talk Wednesday.

CAMPUS NEWS

Writer, activist identifies unity in differences

By Megan Provost | Feb. 2, 2017

“Identity” takes on a different meaning from person to person. Wisconsin Union Directorate welcomed renowned writer, lecturer and activist Andrew Solomon to speak on this topic and its roots as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series Wednesday. In addition to publishing several successful novels, such as National Book Award winner “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression,” Solomon is a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University Medical Center and president of the Poets, Essayists and Novelists American Center.

A hijab-clad student watches the presidential election results at Union South last November. Since the election, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to limit immigration.

CAMPUS NEWS

?‘Targeted’: Immigration ban complicates life for Muslims in Madison

By Hannah J. Olson and Jake Skubish | Feb. 2, 2017

Seeking refuge from a violent civil war, Hussein Amach fled Syria and Jordan, ultimately pursuing safety in Madison, but sweeping immigration restrictions have put that newfound security in peril.

UW-Madison Police Department Chief Kristen Roman formally accepted her title at a swear-in ceremony Wednesday.

CAMPUS NEWS

UWPD formally swears to protect campus

By Téalin Robinson | Feb. 1, 2017

UW-Madison Police Department Chief Kristen Roman began her duties as chief three weeks ago, but officially accepted her title at the public event.

STATE NEWS

President Trump nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court

By Sarah Schoenfeldt | Feb. 1, 2017

President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court Tuesday.

A Dane County Board subcommittee attempted Tuesday to move forward on jail reform efforts, but were intervened by budget concerns from the county executive’s office.

CITY NEWS

County jail renovation saga persists as officials clash on next step

By Gina Heeb | Feb. 1, 2017

Caught between diminishing inmate conditions and budget concerns, Dane County officials find themselves slowing to a yet another standstill on plans to move forward with a jail renovation project that has dragged on for years.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson (right) has voted “yes” to all Trump’s appointees so far, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin (left) has voted “no” on Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State and Mike Pompeo for CIA director.

STATE NEWS

Track the voting records of Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin on Trump's cabinet picks

By Lilly Price | Feb. 1, 2017

As President Donald Trump’s cabinet appointments move forward through the confirmation process and into his official cabinet, stay up-to-date on how Wisconsin’s senators, Democrat Tammy Baldwin and Republican Ron Johnson, vote on the appointees with The Daily Cardinal’s vote tracker.

UW-Madison Law School professor Jonathan Sharrer said Wednesday that Dane County, which just received a $50,000 criminal justice reform grant, can be a national leader in the law enforcement system.

CITY NEWS

Dane County among 20 sites nationwide to receive criminal justice reform grant

By Lawrence Andrea | Feb. 1, 2017

Dane County has been selected as one of 20 sites in the nation to be awarded a grant—along with technical and advisory assistance—to help reform the criminal justice system, county officials announced Wednesday. Providing $50,000 to the county, the grant will support local and surrounding communities on improving law enforcement systems.

Gov. Scott Walker pledged $20 million more to less populated school districts and $10.4 million for transportation costs in rural schools Wednesday as part of his K-12 public funding plan.

STATE NEWS

Walker releases specific details of his K-12 funding proposal

By Meghan Kuemmel | Feb. 1, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker announced Wednesday specific details of a plan that offers more financial support to Wisconsin’s rural public schools as part of his biennial budget proposal.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank addressed an open panel at the Associated Students of Madison Shared Governance committee meeting this Wednesday.

NEWS

Chancellor, open panel discuss students’ felony charges, free speech

By Maggie Chandler | Jan. 31, 2017

“The expression of political opinions, however offensive they may be, are not a reason for discipline for students, staff or faculty,” Blank said. “I’m not going to discipline a political opinion.”

Former Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Tom Sonnleitner claimed that UW-System knew of his actions.

NEWS

Former UW-Oshkosh administrator claims UW System allowed wrongdoing

By Nina Bertelsen | Jan. 31, 2017

Sonnleitner’s legal team filed briefs Monday that claim UW System officials knew of his actions. His team called for the case to be dismissed and seek damages to cover his legal fees.