Search Results for: BID

Conservative Discontent: How White fears led to philanthropy that discouraged discussions of race

While pundits and scholars continue to debate the extent to which Donald Trump’s time in office has eroded American democracy, what is clear is that the former president’s political rhetoric breached the boundaries of acceptable racial discourse in the United States. Trump assailed Mexicans as criminals, called for a ban on Muslims, said African nations were “sh*thole countries,” and referred to white supremacists in Charlottesville as “very fine people.” In his final act as president, he showed no remorse for the deadly violence he instigated during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots with his lies about a stolen election....

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President of Ukraine invokes memory of 9/11 terror attacks in appeal for help from U.S. Congress

Russia’s war on Ukraine has given us a penetrating snapshot of democracy and autocracy. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a joint session of Congress virtually on March 16. His speech was live streamed to the American people. Looking tired, he wore a green military tee shirt and was unshaven, sitting next to a large Ukrainian flag, a visual representation of his besieged country. Speaking from Kyiv, Zelensky emphasized that he and Ukrainians were fighting to be free, to preserve their democracy, and he reminded Americans of our own declared principles. “Russia has attacked not just us, not just our...

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Is Vladimir Putin a War Criminal? Understanding the legal implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the world must officially recognize that, under Putin, Russia has become a terrorist state. United States President Joe Biden has labelled his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a “war criminal” for the war in Ukraine, drawing sharp condemnation from the Kremlin which described the comments as “unacceptable and unforgivable.” After Biden used the term on March 16, the White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president was “speaking from his heart” after seeing “barbaric” violence in Ukraine, rather than making any formal declaration. The White House had been avoiding applying the designation to Putin, saying...

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Part of $1B infrastructure plan to restore polluted sites on Great Lakes includes Milwaukee River Estuary

Federal officials said work to restore polluted sites on the Great Lakes, including in Wisconsin, will wrap up faster than expected after a $1 billion boost from the bipartisan infrastructure plan. President Joe Biden and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on February 17 that the funding will allow regulators to clean up 22 sites contaminated by historic industrial practices within the next decade. The U.S. and Canada designated 43 sites, known as Areas of Concern, or AOCs, among the most polluted across the Great Lakes in 1987. “This $1 billion investment is going to turbocharge the cleanup and...

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Happy Days: Milwaukee’s RiverWalk welcomes the return of a newly refreshed Bronze Fonz

After spending several weeks away from its RiverWalk location in downtown Milwaukee for restoration, the Bronze Fonz returned on March 11 with an official unveiling ceremony. The Bronze Fonz is typically refreshed on the RiverWalk to preserve its condition. However, VISIT Milwaukee worked with Vanguard Sculpture Services to remove the statue from its spot for a more in-depth examination and restoration in Vanguard’s workspace. “VISIT Milwaukee’s social media, emails, and phones have been flooded with love for the Bronze Fonz and excitement for his return,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “He is a popular stop...

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Price of gas: How Trump’s manipulation of oil policies reaped profits for Putin and fossil-fuel benefactors

It was a double-whammy for two of then-President Donald Trump’s biggest patrons, Vladimir Putin and American fossil-fuel billionaires and their industry: the price of oil was too low. Between the pandemic-induced collapse in demand for oil and the price war Saudi Arabia was then fighting with Russia — two of the world’s largest producers — Putin was being pinched badly. And in America, from Pennsylvania to Texas, oil producers were outright losing money on the oil they pumped. Gas prices were at record lows, gutting the profits even of refiners. So, Trump acted. It seemed inexplicable at the time,...

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