🍕 Finally, you can recycle your pizza box

💰 Trump Funding Freeze Rattles UW Officials

• Federal grants and loans for university research are at serious risk following President Donald Trump’s abrupt federal funding freeze, Universities of Wisconsin leaders warn.
• While the freeze was blocked in court and later rescinded, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said the threat of funding being cut off is like “dark clouds on the horizon” for the universities’ mission.
• UW-Madison spends $18.8 million every week in federal research expenses. For now, UW is recommending “reasonable caution” in federally-funded hiring and spending. The university is creating a team of experts who can provide rapid-response feedback to changes in the administration’s agenda. [Daily Cardinal]

🪓 Some City Committees May Go on the Chopping Block

• Madison alders are renewing a push to cut back and consolidate the number of committees in city government. Currently, Madison has 71 committees, 56 hosted solely by the city, where the average city of its size has about 35 committees.
• This week, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will introduce a resolution to combine five committees – three dealing with community services and two with economic development – that the mayor said have been largely dormant. [Isthmus]

🚁 Don’t Point Lasers at Med Flight Pilots, Obviously

• UW Health said two of its Med Flight crews were hit by lasers in different incidents last week. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and is investigating.
• In addition to being against federal law, pointing lasers at helicopter pilots can temporarily blind them, causing a serious safety hazard. [Facebook, WMTV Ch. 15]