💸 Feds cut $27M in UW research money

🚨 Mother of Teen Killed in Accident Calls For Safe Streets

• Nadya Rosen, the mother of a 17-year-old Madison West High School student who was struck and killed by a car on South Park Street, is calling for the city to address traffic safety issues in Madison.
• Rosen launched the website Safe Streets for Sasha in honor of Sasha Rosen, who died last week after a car struck him while he was crossing the crosswalk to catch a bus to school.
• Rosen penned a heartfelt open letter to Park Street drivers urging them to “pay more attention.” She urged residents to organize and speak out, writing city officials and speaking at Madison Transportation Commission meetings, and calling for safety improvements on Park Street. [🔒WSJ, Safe Streets for Sasha, Facebook]

🏈 Meet the UW Historian Behind Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show

• Commentators praised pop star Bad Bunny’s halftime show at Super Bowl LX for being a celebration of joy and humanity, and in particular drawing from Puerto Rican history in its high-energy production.
• UW-Madison professor Jorell Melendez-Badillo played a major role in infusing Bad Bunny’s recent music with that historical context. Melendez-Badillo collaborated with Bad Bunny on his new album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” developing educational materials for every track that gives listeners more ways to learn about the territory’s past and present.
• In an essay for the L.A. Times last week, Melendez-Badillo said that he believed “Bad Bunny’s performance will invite people to understand the beauty and complexity of our people’s history, even if it makes outsiders uncomfortable.” [Tone Madison, LA Times]

💸 Feds Cut $27M in UW-Madison Research Dollars

• The Trump administration’s cuts to federal research money cost UW-Madison at least $27 million in 2025, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said. Mnookin told the UW Board of Regents last week that the $27 million figure comes from already-approved grants that had their funding suspended or terminated.
• Of the 145 projects that saw their money frozen, 43 of them were reinstated due to lawsuits. In addition, a UW-Madison spokesperson said approvals for new grants are down 30%.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: Another bone of contention is the federal government’s attempt to slash “indirect funding” for the infrastructure that supports research, such as utilities. Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Dr. Jo Handelsman and former Teaching Assistant Association co-president Madeline Topf came on the City Cast Madison podcast to talk about the potential impact of such cuts. [🔒 WSJ, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Most opera fans know Madison Opera for putting on sumptuous productions of beloved operas like “La Boheme” or “The Marriage of Figaro.” But the opera has something a little different in mind this weekend, mounting on Feb. 13 and 15 the world premiere of an original new production, “Everlasting Faint,” a true crime murder mystery about a mother investigating her daughter’s untimely death.

On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks with composer Scott Gendel and Madison Opera general director Kathryn Smith about the thrills and challenges of bringing something totally new to the stage.

This is the time of year when many Madison theater companies are launching their first new productions of 2026 to chase away the late winter blahs. Here’s what’s happening on local stages, from big touring national productions to scrappy local theater.

“Ironbound”

Overture Center Playhouse (through Feb. 15)

This Forward Theater production tracks the life of a Polish immigrant across several decades in America. Cap Times theater critic Lindsay Christians says as the main character, Cassandra Bissell is “marvelous as Darja — frustrated at her circumstances, fiercely proud, flawed and funny.”

“Kimberly Akimbo”

Overture Hall (through Feb. 15)

The five-time Tony Award-winning musical is making its debut appearance in Madison, a life-affirming show about a teenage girl with a rare genetic condition causing her to age rapidly.

“The Hobbit”

Starlight Theater at MYArts (through Feb. 22)

Follow Bilbo Baggins and his merry band of dwarves on their epic quest to Mount Doom in Children Theatre of Madison’s new production.

“C’est La Vie”

Bartell Theatre (through Feb. 21)

Puerto Rican playwright Gretchen Suarez-Pena put together this collection of monologues and vignettes about “the little things that make us all human.”

Meet Dill! This 3-year-old Dutch rabbit is not a fan of being picked up, but loves receiving pets, especially on his forehead, and will gently nudge you for more if you stop. He’s silly and expressive, zooming around and playing with his binky. He savors a varied veggie diet, especially cilantro and romaine, and occasionally gets pieces of banana, apple, and watermelon as a treat.

Dill would love to find a family who will give him lots of attention and spoil him with lots of love, including daily supervised jaunts out of his kennel to explore and have fun.