Author: Staff

The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) released a warning to the public that medical cases involving synthetic marijuana have been confirmed in Milwaukee. Since April 19, 2018, two confirmed cases and one probable case of the illness have been identified in City residents. Of the three cases, two have required hospitalization. Synthetic marijuana compounds, sometimes called K2 or Spice, are actually chemically different from marijuana, and are more dangerous than pot, according to studies. Synthetic marijuana compounds are linked to a number of serious side effects including seizures, severe bleeding, unexplained bruising, psychosis, and even death. Other known...

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin will showcase a collection of dramatic political moments captured by some of Milwaukee’s top photographic activists on April 20 at is office at 207 E. Buffalo Street. The Gallery Night event will take a look back at protests and demonstrations in Milwaukee and Madison through the amazing lenses of photographers Joe Brusky, Anna Maria Contreras, C.M. DeSpears, Troy Freund, and Jovanny Hernandez. “They didn’t make it the First Amendment for nothing. Free expression—including the arts—has always been an important part of political protests in our country,” said Chris Ott, executive director...

In frail health for some time, Civil Rights pioneer Velvalea “Vel” Phillips passed away on April 17, 2018 at the age of 94. The loss of a Milwaukee icon brought a flood of comments to Twitter and Facebook, from expressions of sorrow and support for the Phillips family to challenges to honor her memory by continuing her work. Mike Phillips, Assistant District Attorney for Milwaukee County, has not yet responded on social media to the outpouring from well-wishers. Saddened to learn that Vel Phillips, Wisconsin’s first African-American judge and statewide official, passed away this evening. My deepest condolences to...

A professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison published a report on April 11 about “Stealth Media,” which detailed the scale and methods used to target Americans on Facebook by Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Months before the public outcry over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal caused Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress, the news media had reported on series vulnerabilities at Facebook. Evidence suggested that Russians had purchased Facebook ads that were directed at U.S. voters. The purpose behind the secret advertising program was to influence the election. Professor Young Mie Kim and her team conducted...

Jim Cryns has written about professional baseball and film for more than 24 years. The UWM graduate and former staff writer for the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club recently released his new book, that connects the love of sports with the art of cinematography. The Church of Baseball is the story behind the making of the most popular sports movie of all time. Released in 1988, Bull Durham was rejected by every studio in Hollywood–twice. Writer and director Ron Shelton began shopping the piece further, this time with Kevin Costner on his side. Costner had thirty days to help Shelton...

Photo by Gage Skidmore and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 On April 11, House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that this will be his last year serving as a member of the House of Representatives in Washington DC. The Republican congressman from Wisconsin created a swirl of attention with the news, attracting remarks from across the political spectrum. Critics were quick to share their thoughts on the decision, pundits offered an endless stream of opinions, and allies regrouped to consider Speaker Ryan’s replacement and Republican strategies for what will be a hotly contested mid-term election. “You all know that I...