Washington
Washington University & Duke Each Given $50 Million For Medical Initiatives
Washington University in St. Louis has received a $50 million naming gift for its neurosurgery … [+]
Duke University and Washington University in St. Louis have each reported receiving $50 million gifts this week in support of advanced medical care. Here’s a summary of the two gifts.
Duke University
On December 11, Duke University announced that it had received the largest private gift in the history of the Duke University Health System — a $50 million anonymous donation for the development of a proton beam therapy center.
“This is a historic gift, both for Duke and for the state of North Carolina,” said Vincent E. Price, president of Duke University, in the university’s press announcement. “The Duke Proton Center will have a profound impact on cancer care in our region, and we are very grateful for the generous donor support that is making these advances possible.”
Expected to open by 2029, Duke’s proton beam therapy facility will offer proton therapy to approximately 800 patients each year.
Proton therapy is a more precise type of radiation with fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy. That precision enables it to be directed largely at tumors themselves, rather than surrounding healthy tissue, thereby reducing harm for patients with various forms of cancer, particularly those with neck tumors, breast cancer, gliomas and meningiomas, and prostate cancers.
Proton therapy is increasingly becoming the treatment of choice for a variety of different cancers,” said Michael Kastan, executive director of Duke Cancer Institute. “Having proton therapy at Duke will enable us to push those boundaries even further, improving current applications and developing new ones through innovative clinical trials.”
Washington University
Washington University announced on December 12 that Andrew Taylor and his wife, Barbara, had made a $50 million gift to the university’s neurosurgery department. In recognition of the gift, the department has been renamed the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery.
The gift was made out of gratitude for the medical care Andrew Taylor recently received from neurosurgeons at Washington University. Mr. Taylor is the executive chairman of Enterprise Mobility, the global car rental and transportation company based in St.Louis.
“This gift marks a new era in the history of innovative science and compassionate healing at WashU Medicine,” said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, in a press release. “Andrew and Barbara’s generosity is further strengthening the department’s research infrastructure and helping WashU Medicine deliver world-class, life-changing care right here in St. Louis, while also providing life-saving innovations to the world. Their investment in new discoveries and treatments will give many more families reasons to feel grateful for decades to come.”
The Taylors’ gift will be used in several ways on behalf of the department, which is ranked fifth nationally for research funding from the National Institutes of Health.
It will support the recruitment of neurosurgeons and neurosurgery researchers, enhance neurosurgery residencies and fellowship training and strengthen the department’s current expertise in area such as neurotechnology, brain tumor treatment and spinal surgery. The gift will also support high-risk, high-reward projects in emerging or rapidly evolving neurosurgery research fields.
Wisconsin fans storm field after Badgers break six-game losing streak
Wisconsin football fans stormed the field at Camp Randall Stadium after the Badgers’ 13-10 win over Washington.
The bars are staying open late tonight in Madison, Wisconsin.
For the first time in 63 days, Wisconsin football has won a game, as the Badgers defeated Washington 13-10 at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8. It is the first win for Luke Fickell’s squad in Big Ten play, moving their conference record this season to 1-5.
Given the drought the Badgers were on, fans didn’t hold back from getting their postgame celebrations underway as they stormed the field as the clock went triple zeros.
Wisconsin entered the week on a six-game losing skid, which featured losses to then-No. 19 Alabama, then-No. 20 Michigan, No. 1 Ohio State and two unranked defeats at home against Maryland and Iowa. The Badgers were a 10.5-point underdog against Washington, which was ranked No. 23 in the College Football Playoff top 25.
The Badgers also entered Saturday’s Big Ten game in a scoring drought at home, as they were shut out in back-to-back games against Iowa (37-0) and Ohio State (34-0) in their previous two home games. That drought was snapped at the 13:44 mark of the first quarter when Nathanial Vakos hit a 42-yard field goal.
The eventual game winner for the Badgers on Saturday against Washington was a 32-yard field goal from Vakos at the end of the third quarter. Badgers punter Sean West finished as the team’s leading passer, as he completed a 24-yard completion on a fake punt attempt.
Here’s another look at the field storming at Camp Randall from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s John Steppe:
The win also comes just a few days after Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh announced Fickell would return for the 2026 college football season amid the Badgers’ struggles.
“I can see a path forward,” McIntosh told the Journal Sentinel on Thursday on keeping Fickell. “I can see a plan that we can execute and I can see a way for us to be successful and competitive in ‘26 and beyond.
Does the Big Ten fine teams for rushing the field?
No. Unlike the SEC, Big 12 and ACC, there is no fine in place for fans who rush the field in the Big Ten. According to an ESPN article from Feb. 26, 2024, the Big Ten does have “punishments” in place for such events.
“• Big Ten: A discretionary fine can result on a third offense for failure to “provide adequate security for visiting teams from their arrival for a game through their departure.” There is a private reprimand for a first offense; a public reprimand for second.”
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Dallas Mavericks (2-7, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Washington Wizards (1-8, 15th in the Eastern Conference)
Washington; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mavericks -3.5; over/under is 228.5
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas hits the road against Washington looking to break its three-game road skid.
Washington finished 18-64 overall with an 8-33 record at home during the 2024-25 season. The Wizards averaged 108.0 points per game while allowing opponents to score 120.4 last season.
Dallas went 39-43 overall with a 17-25 record on the road last season. The Mavericks averaged 25.2 assists per game on 42.0 made field goals last season.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Wizards won 117-107 in the last matchup on Oct. 25. Kyshawn George led the Wizards with 34 points, and Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 27 points.
INJURIES: Wizards: Kyshawn George: day to day (illness), Bilal Coulibaly: day to day (leg).
Mavericks: Anthony Davis: day to day (leg), Kyrie Irving: out (knee), Dante Exum: day to day (knee), Dereck Lively II: out (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
airs Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 at 8PM on PBS (check local listings)
Trump’s Diplomatic Talks & Tuesday’s Election Takeaways
As President Trump prepares to host two high-profile guests at the White House—Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who would make history as the first Syrian leader to visit the Capital since 1946—the nation continues to analyze Tuesday’s election results and what they mean for the midterms.
Joining editor in chief of The Atlantic and moderator, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss this and more:
- Leigh Ann Caldwell, Chief Washington Correspondent, Puck
- David Ignatius, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The Washington Post
- Mark Leibovich, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
- Jeff Zeleny, Chief National Affairs Correspondent, CNN
Major funding for Washington Week with The Atlantic is provided by Consumer Cellular, the Yuen Foundation, Sandra and Carl DeLay-Magnuson, Rose Hirschel and Andy Shreeves, Robert and Susan Rosenbaum, and PBS. Keep up with Washington Week anytime by visiting the website or joining the conversation onFacebook and Twitter @washingtonweek.
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