📚 UW shutters libraries amid budget cuts

📚 UW-Madison Closes Two Libraries

• Budget constraints have forced the university to close the Astronomy, Mathematics and Physics Library and the Social Work Library, rolling their collections into other buildings. Other libraries, including the Business Library, will have reduced hours this year.
• Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said the university needs to cut its 2026 budget by 5% because of changes in federal and state funding.
• Dig deeper: State budget mandates are also forcing UW professors across the university system to carry heavier course loads. And educators aren’t happy about it, to say the least. [🔒 Wisconsin State Journal, 🎧City Cast Madison]

🍄 Invasive Mushroom Spreading in Wisconsin Forests

• A new study found the golden oyster mushroom is popping up more frequently in southern parts of the state and reducing the biodiversity of other fungi.
• Aishwarya Veerabahu, the lead researcher on the study, says less fungal biodiversity could hurt the environment and its ability to adapt to change.
• Veerbahu hopes that collecting information about the spread of the golden oyster mushroom will help in the creation of a management plan to curb further impacts. [Cap Times]

💰 City Agencies Seek Budget Increases

• A majority of city agencies are asking for budget increases next year, including the City Clerk’s Office, which is seeking a 30% increase in anticipation of an office restructuring. Fire, police, and transit agencies are also requesting bigger budgets.
• Madison’s budget forecast is bolstered this year by last year’s tax hike and more funding from the state, but Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is warning agencies that tighter budgets could be coming in the future. [Cap Times]