Civil Rights & Immigration
Biden signs law extending marriage protections to same-sex and interracial couples
WASHINGTON — Same-sex and interracial couples had many of their marriage rights codified Tuesday when President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan marriage equality bill during a ceremony attended by thousands outside the White House. In a brief speech, Biden told supporters on the South Lawn that “marriage is a simple proposition — who do you […]
Marriage equality bill heads to Biden’s desk following bipartisan U.S. House vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill Thursday that would ensure same-sex and interracial couples continue holding many of the rights they have now, should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the cases that established those constitutional protections. The measure now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden, who plans to […]
Is ShotSpotter gunshot detection tech working for Milwaukee?
Since 2010, technology to detect and locate gunfire called ShotSpotter has steadily expanded in the city of Milwaukee. The network of acoustic sensors, operated jointly by the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) and the ShotSpotter company, is intended to boost situational awareness and responses by police to gunfire. Milwaukee’s contract with ShotSpotter will expire and require […]
Talks over protecting Dreamers pick up in Congress, but agreement still elusive
WASHINGTON — In a last-minute push, U.S. senators are working on a bipartisan agreement to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children. But the success of any major immigration deal appears unlikely, as a lame-duck session of Congress dwindles into its last days. Democrats are […]
Family, lawyer, activists blast Milwaukee jail for ‘preventable’ suicide
Conditions in the Milwaukee County Jail are under scrutiny following a Thursday meeting between Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and the family of Brieon Green. In June, the 21-year-old Green was found dead in his jail cell hours after being arrested for misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, carrying a concealed weapon, and […]
At tribal summit, Biden pledges federal commitment to Indian Country
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is poised to designate Avi Kwa Ame, a sacred site for Native American tribes in southern Nevada, as a national monument that would ensure the preservation of ancestral lands for those 12 tribes. “I’m committed to protecting this sacred place that is central to the creation […]
Same-sex marriage protected under bill passed by U.S. Senate with GOP support
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying many of the rights that would disappear if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn those landmark decisions the way it overturned the nationwide right to an abortion this summer. The 61-36 bipartisan vote sends the bill […]
‘Sickening and devastating’: Colorado leaders react to Club Q shooting
As details of the mass shooting at Club Q emerged on Sunday, Colorado officials expressed shock and grief, with some directly acknowledging the shooting’s impact on the LGBTQ community while others stuck to the rhetoric of “thoughts and prayers.” The shooting, which took place at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs late Saturday night, left […]
Bill protecting same-sex marriage gains bipartisan support in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate cleared a key hurdle to passing a marriage equality bill Wednesday, garnering even more than the 60 senators from both political parties needed to move past a legislative filibuster. The bill, which could win final passage in the Senate as soon as this week, would ensure same-sex and interracial couples […]
U.S. Senate Democrats make a last-ditch push for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. senators have set a December deadline for passing bipartisan legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship for more than 600,000 undocumented people who were brought into the country as children — but they don’t yet have enough Senate Republican votes to make it a reality. During a Wednesday press conference […]
Migrant women endured medical mistreatment at Georgia ICE facility, U.S. Senate report finds
WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. Senate on an investigation panel on Tuesday grilled federal immigration officials about a bipartisan report that detailed how migrant women at an immigration detention center in Georgia underwent questionable gynecological procedures. The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Permanent Investigations released an 18-month bipartisan report that found migrant women who were […]
Same sex marriage bill negotiated by Baldwin moving forward in Senate
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumber (D-N.Y.) has filed the Respect for Marriage Act, setting up the bill, which would enshrine marriage equality into federal law, for its first procedural vote on Wednesday. Wisconsin’s Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin has played a key role in negotiating with Republicans in an effort to get the bill past […]