‘WATCH’ THE DEBATE: FILM REVIEWS DIVIDED The debut of the hyped-up graphic novel adaptation “The Watchmen” ignites critical dissent ARTS
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Complete campus coverage since 1892
l
THE DAILY CARDINAL
President Obama is set to sign an executive order Monday reversing President Bush’s ban on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Stem-cell researchers and advocates are hailing this move as a huge step forward for stem-cell research. Bush’s executive order in 2001 allowed for continued research on 16 existing stem-cell lines, but according to UW-Madison professor of visual sciences Ronald Kalil, these lines were becoming genetically abnormal after dividing and renewing themselves for so long. By lifting the ban, Obama would allow federal funds to go toward deriving new embryonic lines. Despite UW-Madison researcher James Thomson’s recent break-
PAGE 5
SPORTS
dailycardinal.com
Obama to allow stem-cell funds By Megan Orear
l
The Badgers throttle the Hoosiers in the regular season finale 85-61 l
PAGE 8
Monday, March 9, 2009
BUDGET NEWS
through of inducing adult skin cells to become pluripotent stem cells, which can form into all types of cells, embryonic stem cells are still hailed as the “gold standard” of pluripotent cells, UW-Madison associate professor of medicine Tim Kamp said in an e-mail. Kamp said the ban on federal funding has had a negative impact on the United States’ progress in stem-cell research compared to other countries’, but the United States has remained competitive because of its “robust” biomedical research infrastructure. According to Kamp, UW-Madison, which has long been a leader in the field of stem-cell research, will benefit from this change in policy. “Because most of the embryonic stem cells page 3
AMY GIFFIN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Budget cuts waste cleanup funding By Sarah Zipperle THE DAILY CARDINAL
Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed budget calls for the elimination of grants for Wisconsin Clean Sweep, a program for cleaning up the state’s toxic waste. “Recycling grant programs will also be eliminated, including the Clean Sweep grant program,” the budget document says. Clean Sweep provides subsidies to local governments to allow for the removal of hazardous wastes from agricultural, residential and business communities. The program relies on grant funds to pay for the majority of disposal costs. Eric Uram, conservation chair
of the John Muir chapter of the Sierra Club, is concerned that eliminating funding for Clean Sweep will result in more toxic materials being disposed of improperly. “We should be looking to make sure we give everybody the opportunity that we can to make sure that these things are treated in a way that’s safe,” Uram said. According to Uram, hazardous materials such as car batteries, paints, solvents and gasoline could contribute negatively to pollution levels in the long run if there is not a safe and simple way to remove them. Uram said many people have
the option to pay for the removal of their wastes, but these opportunities are scarce in rural communities and can be pricey. In addition, the cost of cleaning improperly disposed waste could exceed the amount of funding that Clean Sweep requires. “We would hope that the state would make every effort available to people to allow them to get hazardous materials out of their homes, by preventing dollars to go to those programs it’s only going to create more pollution,” Uram said. Representatives from Doyle’s office could not be reached for comment.
State officers may record race of motorists By Megan Orear THE DAILY CARDINAL PHOTO COURTESY KENYA SCHOOL LIBRARIES PROGRAM
Students in Kitui, Kenya are the type of children who benefit from the Kenya School Libraries Program established by five UW students.
Students start charity library program after studying abroad in Maua, Kenya By Andrea Carlson THE DAILY CARDINAL
When twelve UW-Madison students traveled to Kenya through a study abroad program in the spring of 2008, they had no idea how much the experience would affect their outlooks on life. After months of living in wooden structures and small clay houses
in the third-world country, five students came together to form a charity-based organization directed toward assisting the Kenya School Libraries Program. “The people in Kenya are amazing. They are so smart and have so much potential, they just need to kenya page 3
As a provision of Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed budget, law enforcement officials may be required to collect data regarding the races of motorists they pull over in an attempt to curb racial profiling. Law enforcement personnel would also be required “to attend cultural sensitivity training in order to prevent racial profiling or stereotyping,” according to the budget document. “I think it’s a good idea. The only way that you can find out whether things are fair or not is to measure it,” UW-Madison professor of soci-
ology Pamela Oliver said. According to Oliver, this measure would reveal whether there is a disparity in traffic stops, but “what caused that difference is what you have to look into.” She said some racial disparities are justified because there are in fact racial differences in driving behavior, such as white people driving drunk more often. Racial differences in discretionary traffic stops would give evidence of unjust racial stereotyping. “There’s almost always something you can stop someone for if you want to,” Oliver said.
The City of Madison is currently the only agency in the state that collects racial data, and its reports show a disparity in traffic stops. According to Oliver, there is not currently information to compare the area’s racial profiling with that of other cities and states. The 2009-’11 budget would also allocate $500,000 to the governor’s Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities in the Wisconsin Justice System. Doyle created this commission in 2008, which found that blacks represented only 6 percent of the state’s population but nearly half of Wisconsin’s prison population.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”