Why AI users report degraded quality as tech giants push reduced reasoning models to save costs
Across major artificial intelligence platforms, a wave of user complaints has raised a harder question than whether one model had a bad week. Are AI companies changing the products people rely on in ways that reduce practical capability while lowering their...
How AI slop is turning Google search into a gatekeeper that harms Milwaukee businesses and civic life
For much of the internet’s history, search engines functioned as directories. Users entered a question, received a list of links, and decided for themselves which sources deserved attention. Google did not create that model, but it became such a dominant force in the...
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem remembered in Milwaukee for a lifetime of activism after her death at 92
Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the U.S. women’s movement and a fierce advocate for feminist causes throughout her life, has died. She was 92. With her trademark streaked hair...
A rightward drift: What promoted the global trend that replaced freedom with an ideology of fear
Across the Western world, politics has stopped being about ideas and has become about enemies. The rightward drift that has swept the United States, much of Europe, and parts of Asia in the past decade is not an ideological revival. It is the hollowing out of...
Why Frank Herbert’s book “Dune” is not the anti-AI warning that right-wing influencers claim it to be
The argument that “Dune” should be read as a warning against artificial intelligence has become increasingly attractive in an era defined by anxiety over automation, surveillance, labor disruption, copyright disputes, and the environmental costs of...
Frustrated Democratic voters are sending a clear message that they want change but not what kind
Democrats remain mixed over what ideological direction the party should take. But across a series of closely watched primaries, they are sending a clearer message about the party’s path forward: They want change. In marquee Senate primaries in Michigan and...
How a foam wedge born from rivalry turned a cheesehead hat into an expression of Wisconsin pride
Americans long have leavened their powerful global image with goofiness, a cheerful confidence that can deflect international wonder over certain strains of ignorance into a smile. Behold, for example, the cheesehead hat. Made of sofa foam and sunny yellow defiance,...
Wisconsin’s brain drain shows how a rural state can produce talent yet struggle to keep it
Wisconsin’s latest brain drain numbers point to a problem that is less dramatic than a population collapse but more durable than a temporary labor-market fluctuation. The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report Brain Drain Erodes State’s Talent Potential found that...
Why the historic price jump for groceries caused by Trump’s inflation is hard for many Americans to digest
What’s for dinner? Lately, at Apral Jack’s house, it’s whatever is on sale. Jack scouts an app for deals at her local supermarket before she buys groceries. When she reaches the store, she grabs the weekly circular to look for coupons she might have...
A decade of photos follows David Crowley from a Milwaukee presence to statewide political prominence
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley entered the 2026 race for Wisconsin governor with the kind of statewide attention that follows a candidate seeking the state’s highest office. The news media and political groups have increased reason to examine his record, his...
Meta fined $18 billion in landmark trial over its role in undermining the mental health of children
Meta agreed on August 26 to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement that ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by nearly every state....
Why Trump’s failed “peace” memorandum leaves oil-rich Kuwait facing a ground invasion from Iran
The June 17 memorandum between the United States and Iran was supposed to create a 60-day path from ceasefire to a broader settlement. That window expired August 17, but it had already failed in practical terms weeks before. Donald Trump’s false orchestration of...
