Reflections on Flag Day: The rising wave of lowering the flag to half-staff in Wisconsin
After years of effort, a Waubeka, Wisconsin school teacher successfully lobbied for the 1916 creation of the annual observance of National Flag Day. Every year since on June 14th the United States commemorates its flag as an emblem of the country, a standard for...
Epistemic Humility: What the wisdom of Socrates can teach a polarized America about knowing nothing
By J. W. Traphagan, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, The University of Texas at Austin; and John J. Kaag, Professor of Philosophy, UMass Lowell A common complaint in America today is that politics and even society as a whole are broken. Critics point out...
Gun Safe Summer: Legislators join Attorney General to urge action over removed provisions for gun safety
Wisconsin’s Democratic lawmakers reintroduced a series of state gun control measures on June 12 aimed at expanding background checks, implementing a red flag law, and providing tax exemptions for gun safes. The bills were previously introduced but removed from...
Convict 9653: The 1920 presidential candidate who campaigned from a federal penitentiary
By Thomas Doherty, Professor of American Studies, Brandeis University On April 4, 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictment of former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump on 34 felony charges related to alleged crimes...
Milwaukee’s claim still pending that Census Bureau missed thousands of residents in 2020 headcount
Some of the largest U.S. cities challenging their 2020 census numbers are not getting the results they hoped for from the U.S. Census Bureau. In Milwaukee, for example, the city claims that thousands of residents in communities of color were overlooked. Some successes...
Habitat for Humanity launches ambitious goal to help more Milwaukee families become first-time homebuyers
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity broke ground on June 6 for an ambitious new goal to help twice as many families become first-time homebuyers by 2028. Last year, the nonprofit homeownership organization built 20 new homes, in addition to providing affordable home...
First Amendment protections: Why a federal judge found Tennessee’s anti-drag law Unconstitutional
By Mark Satta, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University The drag shows will go on. At least for now. On June 2, 2023, Judge Thomas Parker, a Trump-appointed federal district court judge in western Tennessee, ruled that Tennessee’s “Adult Entertainment...
Poll shows public trust of Supreme Court plummeted to lowest level in 50 years after abortion decision
Confidence in the Supreme Court sank to its lowest point in at least 50 years in 2022 in the wake of the Dobbs decision that led to state bans and other restrictions on abortion, a major trends survey shows. The divide between Democrats and Republicans over support...
The “weathering” phenomenon: Why America is being exhausted by fearmongers who delight in hate
A woman called into my radio program recently, sobbing. She was both terrified and angry about the way the GOP is scapegoating queer youth and the impact it is having on her daughter and her friends. “My daughter is gay and some of her good friends are trans and she’s...
Food Crisis: Scarcity fears over flooding in southern Ukraine causes global wheat prices to soar
Global prices for wheat and corn soared on June 6 after a major dam in Ukraine collapsed, renewing market fears about the fragility of the country’s ability to ship food to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia as it fights a war with Russia. Wheat prices...
CONNECT 1: Ribbon cutting ceremony inaugurates Milwaukee County’s new transit era with BRT Line
Milwaukee County celebrated the inauguration of its CONNECT 1 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on June 5, at an official ribbon cutting ceremony almost two years to the day from when the groundbreaking ceremony kicked off its construction. The special event took place at...
Riding the BRT: A first day experience on Milwaukee County’s new East-West Bus Rapid Transit line
After years of planning and anticipation, Milwaukee inaugurated its highly anticipated East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on June 4. The new nine-mile BRT corridor, with a price tag of $55 million, aims to revolutionize public transportation in the city by...