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 THE NEWS TODAY,

IN CAMPUS NEWS,
The UW faculty union is urging for the removal of UWPD Flock security cameras around campus. These efforts are due to privacy concerns and a potential for misuse of the equipment. UWPD initially set them up in July of 2025. Their purpose was to help with identification in ongoing investigations, like with license plates or vehicles. They said it does not identify faces, people, gender or race and uses photos rather than videos. Police Chief Brent Plisch said the cameras are only used for serious matters, not minor infractions. The cameras have identified over 180,000 vehicles in the past 30 days. Only 16 searches have been conducted in this time span. The data recorded is only kept for 30 days. UW faculty recently passed a resolution to request their removal.

ALSO IN CAMPUS NEWS,
Wisconsin lawmakers have advanced 14.6 million dollars in funding for the UW athletics NIL program. This bill uses taxpayer funding to further the UW athletics program and its success. The Joint Finance Committee approved Bill 1034 on Wednesday afternoon. It was an 8-5 bipartisan vote and could be brought to the senate as early as next week. This funding would be in addition to the 20.5 million dollars provided to D1 schools by the NCAA. It would be restricted to only athletic services and buildings. Its purpose is to allow UW to compete with other high spending schools and protect the program from possible budget cuts. UW Representative Alex Dallman said if this bill does not pass, some programs, or even whole sports, may need to be cut entirely. Originally, the bill passed the Assembly with a 95-1 vote. This legislation also has an open records law exemption, which prevents other schools from seeing UW’s NIL strategy information. It also ensures the confidentiality of student athletes involved in the program.

IN STATE NEWS,
A lawsuit was announced against the Wisconsin Legislature over its alleged use of public dollars to hire private lawyers on Wednesday. It was filed Feb. 19 in Dane County Circuit Court by the Progressive law firm Law Forward. They alleged that, since 2019, the Legislature has spent over 26 million dollars on private law firms for unneeded lawsuits. The firm claims that, in 2018, the republican legislature used a session to pass laws for its own gain. It said they overhauled their laws in a small amount of time to pass them more easily. They claim this information and unconstitutional spending has been hidden from the general public. The legislation is looking to enforce court orders where the spending is deemed unconstitutional and block the Department of Administration from similar payments. Furthermore, the lawsuit highlights infrastructure they believe was created for the sole purpose of handling this mass of funding.

ALSO IN STATE NEWS,
Wisconsin farmers have been hit hard following fertilizer prices rising 25% due to the Iran war. Prices have been up since the end of February and are currently impacting farmers beginning spring planting. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off three of the top 10 global fertilizer exporters. These include Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. John Linville, the vice president of fertilizer at StoneX Financial Services, claims this is the worst time of year for this to occur. Farmers are still bringing in last-minute imports to meet their needs. The disruption to the Persian Gulf has almost entirely removed important supplies from the market. Many farmers currently operating have no room to absorb the additional costs. Businesses claim previously purchased orders may be fulfilled, however new orders face the issues of fluctuating cost and availability. If fertilizer costs continue to rise, experts claim consumers could see an impact in local grocery stores.

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS,
Iran’s new supreme leader announced the Strait of Hormuz will continue to remain closed on Thursday. Mojtaba Khamanei claims this is a tool to pressure the enemy. He warns that U.S. military bases in the MidEast should close immediately and will be attacked. Oil prices hit just above 100 dollars per barrel on Thursday following this vow. The international benchmark, Brent crude, gained 9.22% and is near $100.46 a barrel. This is the first time it’s been above 100 dollars since August of 2022. The Strait of Hormuz is a waterway used for shipping a huge supply of oil internationally. It has effectively stopped the transportation of oil and blocked maritime travelers since the war began. Iran warned on Wednesday that the price per barrel could rise to 200 dollars. This is Khamenei’s first public announcement since being appointed as a successor to his father, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks March 9th. It is currently unclear whether the Trump administration is looking to change its military efforts in Tehran and expand away from airstrikes. There is no sign of a conclusion to this war, with both sides still furthering violence.

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