Wisconsin hospitals made progress last year in reducing rates of various infections, including lowering the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 26.7%.  That’s according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s Wisconsin Health Care Quality Report, which details efforts to improve the quality of care delivered by health care providers in

Residential construction in Madison is struggling to keep housing affordable for its expanding population, a city planning official says.  Matt Wachter, director of planning and community and economic development for the city, recently discussed affordable housing efforts during a meeting of the Rotary Club of Madison.  Madison’s annual population growth

UW-Stout students helped test and develop a new liquid cooling system for data centers through internships with nVent, a global company with corporate offices in Minnesota.  Easton Sailer and Evan Pettit, seniors in the university’s computer and electrical engineering program, worked with nVent teams this summer to develop new “high

Income inequality in Wisconsin is declining as lower-wage workers are seeing faster wage growth, according to a recent report from UW-Madison’s High Road Strategy Center.  The State of Working Wisconsin 2024 report, released ahead of Labor Day, notes this change marks a “reversal of trends” from the past 40 years

UW-Madison researchers found higher levels of PFAS in the blood of older, higher-income white men who had eaten locally caught fish in the past year, according to a recent study.  The research, published recently in the Journal of Environmental Research, was led by scientists at the UW School of Medicine

The head of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office is hopeful new federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure will give residents more confidence to buy EVs in the years to come.  Milwaukee is getting just under $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration to install EV charging

The Wisconsin Grocers Association is slamming Vice President Kamala Harris’ policy proposals on price gouging as “misguided,” arguing they “run counter to economic history.”  Harris, who last week accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination as presidential candidate, has pledged to address the high cost of food through a federal ban on

Smaller, localized versions of AI language models could help address emerging concerns around data privacy and the cost of the technology.  That’s one insight from Darren Oberst, CEO of Ai Bloks and AI framework platform LLMWare, who spoke this week as part of Forward Festival in Madison. He was hosted

The winner of this year’s Pressure Chamber pitch competition, Madison-based SixLine Semiconductor, is raising funds to establish a lab facility as it continues developing its advanced materials technology.  Katy Jinkins, the company’s CEO and co-founder, yesterday addressed a crowd of investors, fellow entrepreneurs and other attendees of the Greater Madison

The Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce is calling for efforts to reduce barriers to training, expand Medicaid, boost incentives for those working in underserved areas and more.  Gov. Tony Evers yesterday announced the task force has issued its final report, which includes a wide array of recommendations for

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su touted the ripple effect of Microsoft’s planned $3.3 billion Wisconsin AI datacenter while visiting a mine that will supply materials for its construction.  She spoke yesterday at the Payne & Dolan mine in Franklin after taking a tour of the facilities. It conducts aggregate

A leadership program for Black professionals in Milwaukee is kicking off its 15th cohort this year, helping more participants advance their careers and sharpen critical skills.  That’s according to Angela Adams, interim president of the African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee. She spoke yesterday alongside Hispanic Collaborative President Nancy Hernandez

Six Madison-area startup companies will compete later this month for the chance to meet with Silicon Valley venture capital firms in the fall.  This year’s Pressure Chamber competition, hosted by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, is taking place Aug. 20 as part of Forward Festival. This annual celebration of

The head of Hospital Sisters Health System is slamming a bill from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, arguing the restrictions and requirements it would place on health care systems are “not feasible.”  HSHS President and CEO Damond Boatwright made the comments in response to the Madison Dem introducing a bill last

Sentry Equipment has been running a co-op program for college students for nearly two decades, offering participants hands-on experience while building a pipeline of skilled workers.  Dave Nowak, vice president of engineering for the Oconomowoc-based sampling equipment manufacturer, is a product of that program. Like many other companies, the business

A proposed commuter rail project in southeastern Wisconsin aims to connect dozens of communities throughout the region while delivering a projected $1.5 billion in economic impact.  That’s according to Jaqulynn Honl, chief operating officer for Transit Innovations LLC. For the last dozen years, this Milwaukee-based company has been working toward

UW Health and Epic say policymakers should provide “targeted investment and support” to ensure AI in health care benefits rural communities and other underserved areas.  The Madison health care system and Verona-based electronic health records business yesterday released a report on how AI should be regulated, drawing from a summit

The Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access is pushing for more state funding to expand broadband in Wisconsin, arguing “federal funds alone won’t solve internet access issues” for state residents.  The task force on Friday issued its fourth annual report, providing an update for ongoing state efforts around improving internet

By Mikel Livingston Permitting reform and interagency communication at all levels are keys for state governments to accommodate rising energy needs, panelists told a collection of lawmakers in Ohio this week. Rising load due to data centers and other energy-intensive users coming online was front and center during a recent

The Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence has issued its final action plan, covering a wide array of policy proposals across education, government, workforce and economic development.  The task force held its final meeting at Madison College this week, wrapping up efforts that began with its first meeting