Politics & Government
Wisconsin lawmakers, activists respond to Iranian general’s assassination, U.S. troop escalation
Wisconsin has a history of strong protests, from the anti-war rallies during Vietnam to more recent protests over Act-10 gutting of workers’ rights, women’s marches and climate strikes. So it isn’t surprising that after President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, followed by an order to deploy an additional […]
Hit with hate mail and threats
For four years Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milwaukee) has been receiving postcards with hate-filled, anti-immigrant sentiment in the same handwriting. She estimates that on average she gets at least one per week. Over time the language became more threatening and the notes would cite specific words she’d said on the news or even in a speech […]
It is our moral obligation to support those fighting for India’s secular democracy
The diversity of protesters on the streets speaking out against the Citizens Amendment Bill (CAB) — a path to citizenship — reflects what true India is. My hat is off to those people. It reminds me of India when I was growing up in the city of Shahjahanpur Uttar Pradesh, India. In my neighborhood, we […]
Gov. Tony Evers on the legislature, the lame duck and ‘what I was elected to do’
Gov. Tony Evers doesn’t wish he’d done things any differently during his first year. “No, not really,” he says when asked the question during a year-end interview with the Examiner at his Capitol office. “I suppose I could use a better choice of words from time to time.” Other than that, Evers feels he’s done […]
Losing Sheila’s smile
I have joined a club that is bigger than it should be and is certainly one that I definitely do not want to belong to. On Christmas Eve, my beautiful friend Sheila Green was murdered by her brother who suffered from psychosis. So now, I am one of the approximately 40% of Americans who know […]
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes continues pushing climate policy
Just back from a trans-Atlantic trip to advance the cause of progressive climate policy, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is energized. The COP25 United Nations climate conference concluded in controversy, but Barnes came home full of optimism for policy change at the state level. “People look to the U.S. for leadership. And to see us not […]
‘Real rush’ of Trump rules expected ahead of 2020 election
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to finalize a host of high-profile rules in 2020, including policies that will affect everything from auto emissions to food stamp access. With the November presidential election approaching, the administration is widely expected to make a push to wrap up pending regulations early in 2020 in an effort […]
Milwaukee picked for federal Operation Relentless Pursuit
Milwaukee is one of seven U.S. cities the federal government considers violent enough to warrant federal intervention. Through Operation: Relentless Pursuit, an initiative announced Dec. 18 by U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Milwaukee will experience a surge in federal agents, enforcement funding, access to more police equipment, and a renewed ability to hire more police […]
Dawn Crim plays a long game
Dawn Crim toured Europe as a college basketball player, and served as an assistant coach at Penn State and the UW-Madison before Gov. Tony Evers chose her to lead the Department of Safety and Professional Services. That sports background has served her well in her new job, she says. “If you think about a basketball […]
AG warns of impact if ACA is struck down
His hands tied by his Republican predecessor and restrictions imposed in the state legislature’s lame-duck session before he took office, Attorney General Josh Kaul says the state still needs to counteract the continuing legal attacks on the Affordable Care Act. Kaul spoke during a media conference call last week in reaction to a federal appeals […]
Trump has appointed judges at breakneck speed. More are coming
WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled U.S. Senate heads into 2020 with few major legislative victories but a significant one on the judicial front: a dramatic reshaping of the federal bench. Over the past three years, the Senate has confirmed 185 of President Trump’s judicial nominees, more than any of the last five presidents at the same […]
Raises, bargaining agreements get the OK, but not $15 an hour
An Assembly committee this week voted to approve six collective bargaining agreements for three Wisconsin government entities with the only union that still negotiates wages with the state. Meeting on Wednesday, the Joint Committee on Employee Relations also approved 2% raises in the state’s compensation package for non-union employees that were recommended earlier this fall […]