INTRO GOOD (DAY) EVENING MADISON! YOU’RE LISTENING TO THE 5/6 O’CLOCK NEWS UPDATE ON WSUM 91.7 FM MADISON STUDENT RADIO. I’M NATHAN JAHN.

IN THE NEWS TODAY, 

IN CAMPUS NEWS,

The future of UW foreign language programs are at risk amid federal campus funding cuts. In March, the Trump administration dismantled the Department of Education’s office of International and Foreign Language Education, cutting funds for programming in National Resource Centers. The centers contain academic programs on world regions of interest to national security which were put in place through Title VI of the 1958 National Defense Education Act. In lieu of these cuts, the regularly offered 31 languages will drop, as Hindi, Urdu, and Filipino will be cut this fall and many others are at risk due to their inability to regain funding. The Filipino program currently enrolls 31 students, not including others who attend virtually from additional big ten schools that have stopped instruction this year after losing Title VI funding. The loss of federal support makes the future of foreign language education uncertain at UW-Madison and universities across the country. 

From WSUM news I’m Liana Lima

IN STATE NEWS, 
Legislative democrats reintroduce paid family and medical leave bill. This bill includes democrats from the Madison, Milwaukee, and Waunakee areas in order to aid in the affordability crisis regarding workers’ rights. Currently, Wisconsin workers do not have a right to paid family or medical leave, so the LRB-0467 would help to establish this right and allocate $258 million dollars towards this program. Wisconsin’s Family and Medical Leave Law would be expanded under this movement with larger coverage, more days available for leave, and increased eligibility for the community. Families are currently forced to make difficult decisions from paycheck to paycheck, leading those with new babies or destructive illnesses to work rather than prioritizing their care or health. Spearhead of the bill and Democratic Representative of Madison, Francesca Hong, commented on the importance of this bill, as quote “As the affordability crisis persists for Wisconsin families while wealth continues to accumulate for the ultra-rich, we must take immediate steps to alleviate financial strains and protect our workers” end quote.

IN NATIONAL NEWS,
Students form a human swastika on a high school football field in San Jose. Authorities are currently investigating the incident, after pictures of the event were shared on social media. The students themselves posted the photo with a antisemitic quote from Adolf Hitler. Principal Beth Silbergeld said that this was a disturbing act of anti-semitism and is unacceptable She said, Quote “Many in our community were rightly appalled by the image. Personally, I am horrified by this act. Professionally, I am confident and hopeful that our school community can learn from this moment and emerge stronger and more united" End-Quote. The photo was shared to school administration via an anonymous tipline. She added that the school is implementing many educational approaches to help students understand the history of the holocaust. The school is not allowed to release names of students or punishments due to the Family Rights and Privacy Act. Silbergeld said Branham High School will be partnering with the Anti-Defamation League, Bay Area Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area to ensure they have the appropriate support and resources as we work to repair the harm caused. 

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS,

Hundreds of Thousands of Thais and Cambodians Flee as the decades long border crisis continues. The new wave of fighting has killed ten people, injured dozens, and left thousands displaced. Tensions rose on Monday, when Thailand began airstrikes on Cambodia. On Tuesday, the Thai Navy is said to have conducted military operations in an attempt to remove Cambodian forces that had encroached on Trat Province, opening a new front near the Gulf of Thailand. The conflict has been lengthy with bursts of combat, each side has blamed the other for firing the first shot as fighting has resumed over the border. On Tuesday, Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri (Soo-ra-sahn Kong-si-ree), the spokesman for the Thai Defense Ministry, told reporters that quote “military actions will be continued until Cambodia changes its standpoints and returns to the peace process,” end-quote. Cambodia’s de facto leader, Hun Sen disagrees, explaining that Cambodia fights in self-defense, stating quote “Cambodia wants peace, but we are forced to retaliate to protect our land,” end quote. 

From WSUM News, I’m Liana Lima

IN ECONOMIC NEWS, 
A divided Federal Reserve is expected to deliver a rate cut. In the last two-day rate-setting meeting, about half of the officials do not want to lower interest rates. However, despite the split opposition, the Chair Jerome Powell, will have the last call on the decision, with his goal to minimize dissents on this decision. In order to reach this goal, he would need to follow a cut-and-cap approach, cutting rates to a range of 3.5-3.75% and then pushing for a higher precedent in a postmeeting statement. He pushed for a cut in September and October after deciding the job market was in a riskier position and tariffs had less of an effect than previously pictured. Policymakers are resisting these efforts, as inflation has stopped declining while they try to reach the 2% Federal target; the fear is that interest rates would not be high enough to reach this margin. Cuts have been opposed by 5 of the 12 voting members of the policy committee and 10 of all 19 Federal Reserve officers. Furthermore, due to the backlog caused by the government shutdown, there has been a lack of updated data to predict their future course of action, and the Labor Department is only set to release reports next week after the meeting. The delayed September report showed higher pay-roll gains but an unemployment rate of 4.4%, leading many policymakers to believe that there needs to be a revision after all information is released.

IN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS,
The US National Weather Service is attempting to hire people back after 550 employees were fired by the Department of Government Efficiency. The hiring is progressing very slowly with only about 80 specialized staff accepting the offers. The agency received permission in late July to add up to 450 workers back to their staff. This means that the NWS is entering another storm season with over a dozen regional offices severely understaffed. It takes 13 meteorologists to fully staff a weather forecast office on a 24/7 basis, though many NWS facilities are doing so with just 10 or 11 at the present time. Winter storms can be deadly, and short staffing at the NWS has the potential to erode forecast accuracy and delay warnings, experts said. The NOAA official said the agency has announced more than 180 positions so far and will keep hiring next year until the 450 positions are filled. At that point, however, the NWS will still be smaller than it was at the start of the second Trump administration.

IN SPORTS,
Brewers’ Brice Turang named to 2026 World Baseball Classic Team. Turang was the second baseman for the team this year, with a batting average of .288 on the year. Turang won the platinum glove in 2024, the award for the best overall defender in the National League. Turang led the Brewers to the best record in the MLB, leading the team in hits and On Base Percentage. He also had the highest Wins Above Replacement at 5.5. Turang is now the third player named to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, joining Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Mariners’ Cal Raleigh. Team USA has not won the WBC since 2017, after losing in the finals of the last tournament to Shohei Ohtani and Japan. The WBC will begin March 4th, with team USA’s first game being March 8th.


OUTRO: THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN! FROM THE WSUM NEWS BOOTH, I’M NATHAN JAHN. HAVE A GREAT EVENING MADISON!