WSUM Daily Newscast

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 TALULA HAYES.

IN CAMPUS NEWS,
UW Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin will take over as president of Columbia University later this year, university leaders announced last night. Mnookin took over as chancellor in 2022 after nearly seven years at the helm of the University of California, Los Angeles’ Law School. During her tenure, UW returned to the top five in national research expenditures for the first time in over a decade. Total enrollment and six-year graduation rates also hit record highs. Mnookin will take over Columbia after a tumultuous period for that institution. The Ivy League university has cycled through three presidents in fewer than 18 months, as Columbia leaders’ response to antisemitism on campus has come under fire. In 2024, an investigation by a group of Members of Congress found a pattern of antisemitic incidents on Columbia’s campus, including assault and harassment of Jewish students and protesters calling for another “ten thousand” October 7-type attacks. Columbia later settled with the federal government for $221 million. Mnookin will depart her position at the end of the spring semester. UW System president Jay Rothman will announce an interim replacement later this year as the UW Board of Regents searches for a permanent chancellor. For WSUM News, I’m Daniel Stein.

IN NATIONAL NEWS,
President Trump eases off of Tim Walz and decides to send in Tom Homan, who he described as a border czar, on Monday in Minnesota. Trump said that he and Minnesota Governor Walz had a very good phone call and was on a similar wavelength. President Trump also said he is sending in Tom Homan to Minneapolis to help the situation tonight. Homan was the Immigration and Customs Officer leader during the Obama administration. Homan often appears in front of cameras and takes more of a public spotlight than most ICE leaders. Sending Homan to Minneapolis is a rare instance of Trump admitting that ICE operations are not operating perfectly in the city. Republican Governor candidate Chris Madel also announced today that he was ending his campaign, citing Republican handling of Immigration Enforcement. He talked about how ICE officers have gone far past their originally stated goals. He said, Quote “Driving while Hispanic is not a crime. Neither is driving while Asian” End-Quote. Madel was recently in the news for being the lawyer who represented Jonathon Ross, the ICE agent who murdered Renee Good.
For WSUM News, I’m Nathan Jahn

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS,
Israel recovers remains of the last hostage in Gaza. The active ceasefire with Hamas is due to shift to its next phase, reopening Gaza’s Rafah crossing border with Egypt. This would allow Palestinians to travel freely and gain aid and medical care after 2 years of war. The next step includes deploying an international security force to disarm Hamas and pull Israel troops out of the area. The remains of police officer Ran Gvili were found in a cemetery in northern Gaza. Gvili was killed during the pivotal Hamas-led attack on October 7th, 2023. Friends and family of Gvili received his coffin in Israeli territory of Gaza. Monday night the coffin was ceremoniously carried through the streets to honor his service. A new governance structure and safety for the Gaza Strip is set to occur after its demilitarization. 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 others have been returned to Israel since the ceasefire on October 10. Israel has released the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians to Gaza. Since 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least seventy one thousand Palestinians.

IN ECONOMIC NEWS,
U.K. central bankers sounded alarms that large rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve could push up inflation both at home and overseas. Megan Greene, a member of the Bank of England’s rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee, cautioned that markets are already pricing in loose U.S. monetary policy for the coming year. The warning comes as President Trump has mounted an intense pressure campaign to push Fed rate-setters to cut interest rates and pursue an easy-money policy. The White House launched an unprecedented criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jay Powell earlier this month, a move that Powell and some Republican Senators characterized as an attempt to undermine the board’s independence. Powell’s term as Chair expires in May, and Senators Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis are pledging to block any of Trump’s appointments to the Fed Board of Governors until the investigation is resolved. Greene, of the Bank of England, said a move to easy money in the U.S. would make a strong case for the central bank to abandon its usual so-called “follow-the-Fed” strategy and “do the exact opposite.” U.K. inflation has come in under the BoE’s expectations in recent months, and policymakers expect inflation to return to the target of 2% by spring. For WSUM News, I’m Daniel Stein.

TURNING OVER TO SPORTS, HERE’S NATHAN JAHN WITH AN UPDATE
The Patriots and Seahawks are set to face off in Super Bowl 60 on February 8th, a rematch of Super Bowl 49. The Patriots won the AFC championship, going into Denver and beating the Broncos 10 to 7. The game was very scrappy and close, with no points being scored in the 4th quarter. A combined four field goals were missed between the two kickers, including a potential game tying field goal by Will Lutz with 2 minutes left in the game. The Seahawks beat the Rams in a higher scoring affair that ended with a score of 31 to 27. Although, no points were scored in the fourth quarter, including the Rams turning the ball over on downs with 5 minutes left on the Seattle 6 yard line. Sam Darnold led the Seahawks with 350 yards and 3 touchdowns on 0 interceptions. The last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, Malcolm Butler famously intercepted Russel Wilson at the goal line to seal the Patriots 28 to 24 victory. ESPN gives the Seahawks a 60% chance to win the game this time around. It will take place at 5:30PM CST in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
For WSUM News, I’m Nathan Jahn

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