Author: Staff

Severe labor shortage: Business leaders unite in Milwaukee to advocate for Immigrant Work Permits

Severe labor shortage: Business leaders unite in Milwaukee to advocate for Immigrant Work Permits

Posted by | May 23, 2024

Leaders from business, labor, and advocacy groups joined elected officials at Milwaukee City Hall on May 22 and called on President Joe Biden to grant work authorization to long-term immigrant contributors in essential industries. Organized by the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), the press conference highlighted the critical labor shortages across the country and emphasized the potential economic benefits of immigrant labor. James O’Neill, Director of Legislative Affairs for ABIC, set the stage with stark statistics. “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that even if we managed to get unemployment down to 0%, there would still be over 3...

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Children welcome Milwaukee’s Big Truck Day for third year at the start of National Public Works Week

Children welcome Milwaukee’s Big Truck Day for third year at the start of National Public Works Week

Posted by | May 20, 2024

For the third year consecutive, Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 partnered with the City of Milwaukee to host the Big Truck Day on May 18 at Red Arrow Park. The free public event provided a unique and exciting opportunity for local children and families to explore an array of big rigs from the Department of Public Works, Milwaukee Fire Department, and Milwaukee Police Department. The sunny weather created a festive atmosphere that welcomed a large crowd eager to participate in the day’s activities. Attendees of Big Truck Day had the chance to get an up-close look at various trucks and...

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A bloom in every room: Ikebana art exhibition “gives life to flowers” at Pabst Mansion for third year

A bloom in every room: Ikebana art exhibition “gives life to flowers” at Pabst Mansion for third year

Posted by | May 11, 2024

The historic Pabst Mansion was transformed for a third year into a serene and contemplative space filled with the elegance of ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement, from May 10 to 12. The event, titled “Floral Reflections: Ikebana at the Pabst Mansion,” has been an annual collaborative effort with the Milwaukee Chapter of Ikebana International. The opening night on May 10 attracted a wide audience of several hundred guests, eager to immerse themselves in the unique blend of floral art and architectural history. The three-day exhibition featured over twenty ikebana installations, each thoughtfully arranged throughout the mansion’s many...

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Community Building: David Crowley takes Oath of Office for second term as Milwaukee County Executive

Community Building: David Crowley takes Oath of Office for second term as Milwaukee County Executive

Posted by | May 10, 2024

David Crowley took the oath of office to begin his second term as Milwaukee County Executive on May 9. On April 2, 2024, Crowley was reelected Milwaukee County Executive with 85% of the total vote. First sworn into office in May of 2020, Crowley became the youngest county executive in the history of Milwaukee County and the first Black leader elected to serve in the role. When County Executive Crowley was sworn into office for the first term in May of 2020, it was on the front steps of his home with no fanfare celebration due to the COVID-19...

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Milwaukee Independent sweeps two categories and earns 12 journalism honors at 2024 Gridiron Awards

Milwaukee Independent sweeps two categories and earns 12 journalism honors at 2024 Gridiron Awards

Posted by | May 4, 2024

The Milwaukee Press Club, the oldest active press club in America and known for honoring excellence in the field of journalism, announced the winners of the 94th Annual Gridiron Awards on May 3. Milwaukee Independent earned a staggering 12 awards, across a variety of categories, highlighting the publication’s exceptional talent in both reporting and visual storytelling. Particularly noteworthy was the publication’s clean sweep of winners in two categories, showcasing their dominance in the arena of local photojournalism and hard news features, and earning the “Best Local News Website” distinction. At the Pfister Hotel, where the 2024 Gridiron Awards Dinner...

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The Three-Body Problem: How Chinese sci-fi went from a politically suspect niche to prized cultural export

The Three-Body Problem: How Chinese sci-fi went from a politically suspect niche to prized cultural export

Posted by | May 3, 2024

For a few days in October 2023, the capital of the science fiction world was Chengdu, China. Fans traveled from around the world as Worldcon, sci-fi ’s biggest annual event, was held in the country for the first time. It was a rare moment when Chinese and international fans could get together to celebrate the arts without worrying about the increasingly fraught politics of China’s relationship with the West or Beijing’s tightening grip on expression. For Chinese fans like Tao Bolin, an influencer who flew from the southern province of Guangdong for the event, it felt like the world...

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