🏀 Former UW athlete alleges mistreatment

💸 Evers Says Trump Funding Freeze Would Hit Wisconsin Hard

• Gov. Tony Evers said President Donald Trump’s move to freeze trillions of dollars in federal funding would have “devastating consequences” to health care research, educational programs, and other initiatives in the state.
• Evers urged the Trump administration to delay implementation of the hold on the federal aid, which was already approved by Congress. Late Tuesday, a judge put a temporary pause on the freeze pending review. Wisconsin’s two-year budget included $28 billion in federal funding, and federal money accounts for a third of the Universities of Wisconsin’s $7.5 billion budget, including $1.6 billion for research and operations.
• Dig deeper: Cap Times state government reporter Erin McGroarty talked on the City Cast Madison podcast with Bianca Martin about Evers’ State of the State address last week and what the governor wants to accomplish in 2025. [AP, 🔒 WSJ, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🏀 Former UW Athlete Alleges Mistreatment By Coach

• Former UW-Madison women’s basketball player Tessa Towers said her 2022-23 freshman year at the university was ruined by mistreatment by coach Marisa Moseley and her staff.
• The university’s athletic department said it will look into Towers’ allegations, including that she was harangued by the coaching staff about her mental health and excluded without reason from team trips. Towers now plays for Ball State University. [Ch. 3000]

🌈 Local LGBTQ+ Leaders Feel Targeted By Trump Orders

• Madison leaders representing the LGBTQ+ community, in particular the transgender community, feel like a flurry of executive orders issued by Trump are intended to marginalize them.
• The orders include barring transgender Americans from serving in the military, and defining sex as only male or female on official documents. "What do you do when the government says you're no longer real?" asked OutReach Grant Manager Doug Rowe.
• Meriter and UW Health announced that they will be bringing back their “Love is Love” event to Overture Center on Feb. 15. The event raises money for specialized behavioral health services for LGBTQ+ youth in Dane County. [WMTV, WKOW]

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year heralding the Year of the Snake, and the busy time of year for Madison’s Zhong Yi Kung Fu School. Listen to the City Cast Madison podcast as Nelson Ferreira, founder and lead instructor at the school, about how Zhong Yi’s signature “dancing lions” help Madison celebrate the holiday.

Here’s more on the origins of the Lunar New Year, the traditions associated with it, and where you can see those dancing lions in Madison this year.

🐉 What Is Lunar New Year?

The holiday marks the arrival of spring, starting on the first new moon of the lunar calendar and lasting 15 days until the first full moon. This year, it will last until Feb. 12, and many cultures conclude the celebration with a lantern festival.

It’s the most significant holiday in China, which is why it is sometimes referred to as Chinese New Year, but is in fact celebrated throughout different Asian communities, including Korea and Vietnam.

🦁 What’s the Deal With the Dancing Lions?

The lion dancers of the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association appear at local businesses to ward off evil and bring good luck. The two-person “lions” playfully dance and “eat” tangerines and lettuce heads in exchange for blessing a business.

The lions will also accept red hongbao envelopes, but do not give them anything white, as that color is a sign of bad luck. If the lion “spits” back out the lettuce or tangerines and you get hit, it’s considered a sign of good luck. Lucky you!

🧧How Is Madison Celebrating?

The Dancing Lions will be out in force at the Downtown Lunar New Year Celebration on Feb. 8 at noon at Lisa Link Peace Park. The dancers will perform at the park for about 20 minutes, then roam up and down State Street looking for businesses to bless, which they’ll go inside “if the lion fits.”

On Feb. 9, the association will host its annual Lunar New Year Party at its home base on East Washington Avenue. In addition to the traditional lion dance, there will be martial arts demonstrations, Asian appetizers, and more ways to celebrate good fortune.

Bloom Bake Shop is offering a special assortment of Lunar New Year cookies, including mini Nin Gau sticky rice squares and walnut cookies. And UW Health’s Learning Kitchen at its East Madison campus has a special Lunar New Year cooking class Jan. 29 where participants can learn how to make black sesame sweet rice balls, dumplings, and a mandarin orange mocktail.

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

This big globe is found at the UW Geology Museum!

🎉Congratulations to Michelle A., Barb C., Kori K. and more for getting it right!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Where is this picture located? A few clues:

• It’s located on Madison’s near west side
• It’s on the wall of a restaurant that is a beloved long-running institution in Madison dining
• Some of the favorites on the menu include spaghetti bolognese, seafood linguine and tiramisu for dessert!