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Police surveillance company seeks to acquire notorious Israeli NSO Group
L3 Harris, an American defense contractor that sold its Stingray surveillance technology to police departments is making yet another business venture. As reported by IntelligenceOnline, L3 Harris is moving towards a deal to acquire the Israeli-based NSO Group, whose products have been abused by organizations around the world. Privacy and telecommunications experts fear that the […]
Pocan and Lee lead push to cut Pentagon spending
Legislation has been introduced by Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Black Earth) and California Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) aimed at cutting $100 billion from the country’s defense budget. The lawmakers, who serve as co-chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, are proposing the legislation as a move to put the needs of people over the needs […]
Complaints mount over conduct of Whitewater PD
For some time now, the Whitewater Police Department (WPD) has been under a cloud. Since December, the department’s police chief Aaron Raap, has been on administrative leave pending an ongoing internal investigation. Raap, who was hired as chief in 2018, was taken into custody following an alleged Thanksgiving fight with a family member. Though the […]
Wisconsin’s LGBTQ community confronts efforts to suppress visibility
LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which goes on through June, is a celebration of visibility and acceptance. This year it is happening against a backdrop of coordinated suppressive efforts by some state legislators. Nevertheless, allies of Wisconsin’s LGBTQ community say they are undeterred and unafraid. As Gov. Tony Evers kicked off Pride Month with a flag-raising ceremony […]
Activists worry as Milwaukee inches closer to hosting the Republican convention
On Wednesday Milwaukee city council unanimously approved a contract to host the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC). The vote secures a second chance for Milwaukee to host a major political convention after the disappointment of hosting the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC), which was dramatically scaled back because of the COVID-19 pandemic If Milwaukee were […]
Special prosecutors won’t pursue charges in Jay Anderson case
The brilliant sun and bright blue sky over Milwaukee on the first day of June didn’t penetrate the downtown Safety Building and circuit court where, on Wednesday, the parents of Jay Anderson Jr., dressed in black as if in mourning, navigated the massive concrete complex’s long hallways toward a courtroom. This was the day the […]
PFAS shuts down wells in the communities of Adams, Marshfield
Environmental groups are sounding the alarm after drinking water wells in the communities of Marshfield and Adams were shut down last week due to tests by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that found levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluroralkyl substances) high enough to be harmful for humans. Bill Davis, senior staff attorney for the […]
The Wisconsin GOP’s search for ‘inappropriate’ books in school districts
Over the past few months, some Wisconsin Republican legislators have been scouring school libraries in their districts for potentially “inappropriate” books. The Legislature won’t return to session until next year. In the meantime, GOP lawmakers appear to be setting the stage for debates around what books should be restricted, and whether staff should be held […]
$2.2 million will fund contractors, technology needs for Milwaukee police
Gov. Tony Evers has allocated an additional $2.2 million to augment operations within the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). The funds will be used by MPD to hire civilian contractors to provide activities like ballistic technology used to investigate gun crimes and processing sexual assault kits. By contracting out some of these activities, it is hoped […]
Confinement of youth, staff shortages linger at Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake
As the state finalizes plans to eventually close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake juvenile prisons, the populations have grown since January, further straining employees in the understaffed facilities. The issue was raised at a recent meeting of the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission. “There are two primary concerns about the current situation at Lincoln Hills,” Benjamin […]
Republicans press cities to spend ARPA funds on police
Republican lawmakers are continuing to hammer gun violence and homicide rates in the southeastern Wisconsin cities of Milwaukee and Racine. Disregarding calls to tighten gun laws and support violence prevention strategies, the GOP has anointed law enforcement as Wisconsin’s only solution. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos doubled down on that stance in a letter to the […]
Milwaukee officials blast Republican inaction on gun laws
The city of Milwaukee continues to process a series of shootings in the downtown area last weekend. Known as the “Deer District,” in homage to the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, the downtown entertainment district saw a trio of shooting sprees between 9:10 p.m. and 11:54 p.m., leaving more than 20 people injured. All of the […]