(The Center Square) – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Wisconsin’s attempt to block prediction markets from operating in the state.

(The Center Square) – A second three-judge panel in Wisconsin dismissed a challenge to the state’s congressional maps as gerrymandered on Tuesday.

(The Center Square) – A group of Wisconsin congressmen have introduced a bill that would allow Wisconsin to petition to have its air quality designation change and remove the requirement for vehicle emissions testing in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan,…

(The Center Square) - Former Democratic state representative Pedro Colón announced Tuesday he will be running for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat to replace retiring conservative judge Annette Ziegler.

A massive prehistoric snake discovered in India may rank among the largest ever to slither across Earth. Named Vasuki indicus, this ancient giant lived around 47 million years ago and is estimated to have stretched an astonishing 11 to 15 meters long—rivaling the legendary Titanoboa. Fossilized vertebrae unearthed from a lignite mine in Gujarat reveal a thick-bodied, powerful snake likely built for slow, stealthy ambush attacks, similar to modern anacondas.

Quantum physics once shocked scientists by revealing that particles can behave like waves—and now, that strange behavior has been pushed even further. For the first time, researchers have observed wave-like interference in positronium, an exotic “atom” made of an electron and its antimatter partner, a positron. This breakthrough not only strengthens the weird reality of quantum mechanics but also opens the door to new experiments involving antimatter, including the possibility of testing how gravity affects it—something never directly measured before.

A spectacular cosmic event nicknamed “SN Winny” could help solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: how fast the universe is expanding. This rare superluminous supernova, located 10 billion light-years away, appears five times in the sky thanks to gravitational lensing, creating a dazzling “cosmic fireworks” effect. By measuring the slight delays between each appearance—caused by light taking different paths around two foreground galaxies—scientists can directly calculate the universe’s expansion rate.

A decades-old drug once used to treat sleeping sickness is now showing surprising promise against an ultra-rare and life-threatening genetic disorder called Bachmann-Bupp syndrome (BABS). Early patient treatments suggest the drug, DFMO, may ease severe symptoms by targeting the underlying genetic malfunction. Researchers have already treated a handful of patients with encouraging results, but progress has been slowed by regulatory and logistical hurdles.

Scientists have uncovered the true boundary of the Milky Way’s star-forming region using stellar “age mapping.” They found a telltale U-shaped pattern showing that star formation drops sharply around 35,000–40,000 light-years from the center. Beyond that, stars are mostly migrants, slowly drifting outward rather than forming in place. The discovery gives a long-sought answer to where our galaxy’s stellar nursery really ends.

Curiosity has detected a surprising variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds tied to the chemistry of life. Some of these molecules may be billions of years old, preserved in ancient clay-rich rocks that once held water. One standout find resembles building blocks of DNA, raising exciting questions about Mars’ past. Although not proof of life, the discovery suggests the Red Planet may have once been far more biologically promising than we thought.

A troubling new study from MIT reveals that a common environmental contaminant, NDMA—found in polluted water, certain medications, and even processed foods—may pose a far greater cancer risk to children than adults. In experiments with mice, young animals exposed to the chemical developed significantly more DNA damage and cancer, despite experiencing the same initial exposure as adults. The key difference lies in how rapidly children’s cells divide, which turns early DNA damage into dangerous mutations much more easily.

A three-judge panel has rejected another lawsuit attempting to throw out Wisconsin's congressional map.

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State Appeals Judge Pedro Colón has entered the 2027 race for Wisconsin Supreme Court, becoming the second liberal candidate to launch a campaign for the court this month.

The post Liberal Judge Pedro Colón enters 2027 Wisconsin Supreme Court race appeared first on WPR.

The Trump administration wants the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to return more than $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds provided to private schools during the pandemic. 

The post Trump administration wants Wisconsin to return $20M in COVID-19 funds given to private schools appeared first on WPR.

The number of people aging in Wisconsin prisons is growing rapidly, according to a new report. A Wisconsin physician who studies aging and care in prison systems talks about what this means for the system and the people in state care.

The post Wisconsin’s aging prison population poses new challenges for state appeared first on WPR.

The swift pace of the changes highlights how school district leaders rely on referendums to keep their budgets balanced — and how, for many, the ask to voters was a final effort before resorting to significant changes

The post Failed referendums trigger school cuts, closures and new funding pushes across Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

You might eat out to relax, but if you're not an active participant in your dining out experience, you could find yourself a glum gourmet. Adam Reiner, author of "The New Rules of Dining Out," stopped by WPR's "The Larry Meiller Show" to explain.

The post Food writer dishes out advice on how to dine out appeared first on WPR.

For most student transportation teams, the day-to-day reality is a short-staffed operation managing complex logistics that families depend on. The 2026 State of Student Transportation Report captures exactly that.

In February 2026, Zonar and School Transportation News surveyed 118 transportation professionals across the U.S. The results confirmed what many already know from experience: staffing is stretched, budgets are tight, and the technology teams have isn’t always translating into action.

Join Zonar and a panel of experts for a live walkthrough of the report’s findings. We’ll dig into what the data shows, where the industry is heading, and what it means for your operation this year. Get direct insights from the perspective of providers, districts and consultants.

What we’ll cover:

• Why 75% of transportation professionals still rank driver hiring and retention as their top challenge and what the long-term data tells us about where this is headed
• How safety expectations have evolved: parent communication gaps alongside driver behavior compliance tied as the top student safety challenges at 45% each
• Where technology adoption stands today and why student ridership verification shows the largest gap between current use (41%) and 2026 investment intent
• Why the data problem is a people and process problem: 48% of respondents cite limited staff as their primary data challenge, not technology gaps
• Practical recommendations for transportation leaders on where to focus technology investments for the strongest operational return

Brought to you by Zonar

REGISTER BELOW:

 

Featured speakers:

Tony Harris
Director of Transportation
Monongalia County Schools

Tony Harris brings more than two decades of firsthand experience to his role as Transportation Director at Monongalia County Schools in Morgantown, West Virginia. He spent 18 years as a school bus driver in Preston County before moving into administration, navigating mountain roads, narrow lanes, and harsh winter conditions before transitioning to overseeing the operation. Today he manages more than130 drivers across over 100 routes, providing daily transportation for roughly 9,500 students across both urban Morgantown and the rural reaches of the county.
Harris has been an active champion of new transportation technology, including piloting electric buses in the district and developing driver recruitment and training programs to address workforce challenges.

Rachel Trindade
Chief Marketing Officer
Zonar

With more than 25 years in marketing and 15+ years in logistics, Rachel has helped companies drive significant growth faster than industry norms. At Zonar, she leads marketing and demand generation.
Before joining Zonar, Rachel served as CMO at FlavorCloud and Extensiv, and led global marketing at Teletrac Navman (Vontier) across four continents. She holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and has been recognized as a leading Woman in Supply Chain by Supply & Demand Chain Executive and named California’s Most Visionary Tech CMO by CEO Monthly.

Tim Ammon
Owner
Ammon Consulting Group, LLC

Tim Ammon has spent more than 25 years supporting transportation and fleet operations, working with more than 500 organizations across three countries. His work focuses on identifying opportunities to improve operational performance through process improvements, technology adoption, and personnel practices, consistently helping organizations bridge the gap between desired and actual performance.
Tim has also provided extensive professional development services in leadership and management, decision-making, organizational resilience, and cost and technical analysis. He holds a Master of Public Administration from American University and certifications in School Risk Management, Operational Risk Management, and Change Management.

The post (Free Webinar) 2026 State of Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

The School Bus Safety Company announced today they have just completed the recreation and updating of their OSHA Compliance Training Course for both school bus technicians and drivers.

The OSHA Compliance Course is a single source management tool designed specifically for school bus operations. This course will help managers quickly and easily achieve compliance with OSHA regulations. There are many hazards in a bus workshop and the technicians deserve the required safety training to make their workplace safer.

The course provides education and training materials addressing 26 OSHA standards that apply to maintenance facilities and 3 that apply to drivers. The subjects covered are:

Manager and Employee Introduction
Manager and Supervisor Introduction. Maintenance Employees Introduction to OSHA.

Facility Safety
Emergency Action Plan
Fire Prevention/Response Plans
Signage
Confined Island
Fuel Island
Diesel Exhaust
Electrical Hazards
Spray Painting
Lifts, pits, Jacks and Stands
Rails, Stairs and Ladders
Workplace Security

Personal Safety
Hazardous Materials
Personal Protective Equipment
Emergency Eye Wash
First Aid & Infectious Diseases
Slips, Trips and Falls
Fall Protection
Violence in the Workplace

Equipment Safety
Lockout/Tagout
Machine Guarding
Hand Tools
Forklift and Powered Platform Safety
Welding
Single Piece and Multi-Piece Rim Wheels

“The Process Guide includes action plans and checklists with step-by-step instructions detailing what you must do to be in compliance” said Jeff Cassell, president of The School Bus Safety Company. “Simply put, if you follow all the action plans and document the steps taken, you’ll be in compliance and your technicians will be safer.. It’s that simple.”

“School districts in some states are exempt from complying with federal regulations,” said Cassell.“However, many states have similar rules and the safety of the technicians and drivers in every school bus operation deserve the same high level of safety whether it is required or not. Doing the right thing and protecting your employees should be the standard, not the regulations.”

A hard copy of the course on hard drive or thumb drive is only $2,000 and can be used for many years. For online pricing, call 866 275 7272For more information, please visit the web site at www.schoobussafetyco.com

The post School Bus Safety Company Releases Updated OSHA-compliance Training Course appeared first on School Transportation News.

Safety and training are forefront as the NTSB is investigating a Tennessee school bus crash that killed two teenage girls and an Oregon school bus driver was arrested for allegedly transporting students while intoxicated. Plus, new Clean School Bus program details are incoming, just in time for STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada this July.

Jim Levine, founder of the School Transportation Active Threat Response Training, or S.T.A.R.T., joins us to discuss how school bus drivers can serve as the first line of defense against threats by interacting kindly with students and becoming trained on response tactics. His team brings its law enforcement, Secret Service, SWAT and School Resource Officer experience to an upcoming 4-hour training at STN EXPO West.

Read more about security.

This episode is brought to you by Transfinder.

Message from School Radio.

Message from RTA.

 

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The post (STN Podcast E304) Bus Drivers as First Responders: School Transportation Active Threat Response Training appeared first on School Transportation News.