Author
One dead In Illinois from vaping lung damage, 16 cases in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is currently aware of 16 cases of people being hospitalized with lung damage, possibly related to vaping, with another 15 cases still under investigation. In Illinois, the first death possibly associated with vaping was reported last week. The number of possible vaping-related cases of lung damage in Illinois […]
Opioid treatment center saves lives, confronts stigma
In December 2012, John Koch, was 24 years old and living on the streets of Chicago. He had just been released from prison, having served a 3½ year sentence –“my second adult prison sentence,” he told Wisconsin Examiner. The young man had struggled with heroin addiction since he was 15 years old. That was just […]
Election 2020: Milwaukee progressives weigh in
Can a progressive platform help the Democratic Party win in 2020? Voters in the battleground state of Wisconsin might offer some answers. Recently filed campaign finance documents show strong interest in progressive candidates. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has attracted $117,000 from 467 Wisconsinites, more than any other candidate. Close behind is Senator Elizabeth Warren with […]
Environmental groups sue over Endangered Species Act
Seven environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians, and the Natural Resources Defense Council have united behind a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. Filed by Earth Justice on the collective’s behalf, the lawsuit accuses the president’s new regulations of weakening the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “In general, the endangered species […]
Milwaukee neighborhoods: The face of addiction
In 2018, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s office documented 384 drug-related deaths. Though slightly less than the more than 400 deaths in 2017, the number still dwarfs those from the first half of the 2000’s. Looking closer at fatal overdoses city-wide reveals the local face of addiction. Using data provided by the Medical Examiner’s office, […]
DNR warns “incidental loss” of threatened reptile species
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued a notice that a La Crosse County bridge project may cause the “incidental taking” of two threatened reptile species. The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) both have populations near the bridge project. According to a DNR press release, an “incidental taking” […]
Milwaukee’s latest ICE controversy
A flurry of controversy has erupted over artwork that appeared on buses in Milwaukee County last week. The words, “Milwaukee is immigrant strong,” and, “celebrating over 160 years of Dreamers,” accompanied images of crying children being separated from their families by immigration officers. The mural is a project of the Art Museum’s ArtXpress Milwaukee internship […]
Gov. Evers, activists tackle climate change
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has signaled his support for tackling climate change with an executive order. The recent action sets a goal for Wisconsin to transition to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. It also orders the establishment of an Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy. “This is a game-changer for Wisconsin on multiple fronts,” said […]
Environmental coalition takes on Trump coal push
Clean Wisconsin is joining nine other environmental groups to challenge the Trump Administration’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. A lawsuit filed by the collective argues the president’s policy “unlawfully sidesteps the Clean Air Act by relaxing emission standards.” The court action, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court, comes as 22 Democratic-led states sue the […]
Message on addiction crisis: “Recovery is possible”
Activists joined treatment center experts and first responders Tuesday evening in Milwaukee’s Bay View Library, for an informational meeting on heroin, opioids and cocaine. Led by the Addiction Policy Forum (APF), Team HAVOC and members of the Milwaukee Heroin Diaries, it examined addiction and ways to curb the growing death rate. Michelle Jaskulski, senior director […]
Frac sand mine spill polluting creeks, rivers in Jackson County
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources continues to investigate a frac sand mine in the town of Curran, owned by Wisconsin Proppants, which spilled sediment that is now contaminating waterways in Jackson County. Since the spill on Aug. 3, the Curran Coulee Creek and other streams which flow into the Trempealeau River have been choked […]
Elected officials express privacy concerns over surveillance balloons
The Pentagon and Department Of Homeland Security’s ongoing high-altitude surveillance blimp tests are raising serious privacy concerns for people in the Midwest. First reported by The Guardian and last Thursday in the Wisconsin Examiner, the Pentagon blimps are scanning parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, potentially for “narcotics trafficking and homeland security threats.” […]