Author: Correspondent

Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), featured in a new report released on May 22, show the pervasive abuse and neglect of unaccompanied immigrant children detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The report was produced in conjunction with the International Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School. “These documents provide a glimpse into a federal immigration enforcement system marked by brutality and lawlessness,” said Mitra Ebadolahi, ACLU Border Litigation Project staff attorney. “All human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their immigration status — and children, in...

According to a new analysis by the nonpartisan, independent Wisconsin Policy Forum longstanding structural budget problems have intensified for the Milwaukee Public Schools. WPF’s annual MPS budget review adds that while last-minute budget adjustments may stave off painful cuts to schools in 2019, the fiscal pressures driving those cuts still must be addressed. As initially proposed, the district’s 2019 budget would have made major cuts to instruction by eliminating 147 positions, including 80 teachers, to fill a projected $30 million “hole” next year. But new changes offered by the district’s interim superintendent this week appear to restore sufficient funding...

Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA) filed a legal action on May 25, under the Great Lakes Compact, to challenge the April 25 approval by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of the City of Racine’s request to divert 7 million gallons per day (MGD) of Great Lakes water outside the Great Lakes Basin. The Great Lakes Compact’s 2008 enactment was a historic accomplishment at both the regional and national level and celebrated as a means to safeguard the world class freshwater resources of our magnificent Great Lakes. “This legal challenge is essential, as Wisconsin’s approval of the Lake Michigan...

Milwaukee recently placed 17th out of 100 in the 2018 Trust for Public Land Parkscore rankings. The study scores the 100 largest cities in the US based on criteria including the percentage of residents with easy access to parks, the city’s median park size and the number of amenities such as splash pads, restrooms, and dog parks. Milwaukee’s ranking is based on park amenities within the Milwaukee city boundaries, which includes land and facilities managed by Milwaukee County Parks, City of Milwaukee parks, Milwaukee Recreation and the Wisconsin DNR. Milwaukee placed 27th in 2016 and 21st in 2017. The...

The City’s Attorney Office, along with Milwaukee Municipal Judges, took steps to help restrict youth access to tobacco products recently by increasing the fine retailers face for selling tobacco products to minors from $260 to $691​. The judges also increased the fine for retailers caught selling single cigarettes, known as “loosies,” to $691.00. The fine for selling single cigarettes had been $181 for a first offense and $321 for second and subsequent offenses. “The Municipal Court’s decision to nearly triple the fine amount for the sale of cigarettes to minors and single cigarettes is consistent with the City of...

Marcus Hotels & Resorts has given New York City-based architecture and interior design firm Stonehill Taylor, and Chicago-based branding agency One Design Company, the task of reinventing the 221-room InterContinental Milwaukee into an immersive arts-focused hotel. Showcasing world-class artists from around the region and the world, the hotel will celebrate art in its many forms, including visual arts, music, theater, dance and literature. Working with Marcus Hotels & Resorts, the design teams will collaborate to blend Milwaukee’s renowned arts scene and cultural heritage into a creatively bold arts hotel that is unlike anything the market has seen before. “To...