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How the right-wing’s political name game turned what a place is called into an ideological fight

By Seth T. Kannarr, PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Tennessee; Derek H. Alderman, Chancellor’s Professor of Geography, University of Tennessee; Jordan Brasher, Visiting Assistant Professor of Geography, Macalester College Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and perceive their place in it. Names can send messages and suggest what is and is not valued in society. And the way that they are changed over time can signal cultural shifts. The United States is in the midst of a place-renaming moment. From the renaming of the...

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Jill Underly reelected superintendent of schools as strict voting law gets enshrined in state constitution

Wisconsin voted on April 1 for Jill Underly to remain as the state’s top education official during Donald Trump’s second term, choosing the Democratic-backed incumbent over a Republican-supported critic. Wisconsin voters also decided to enshrine the state’s voter ID law in the state constitution. Both contests had sharp partisan divisions, though they have drawn far less spending and national attention than the race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Here is a look at the two races: UNION-BACKED INCUMBENT DEFEATS GOP-BACKED VOUCHER ADVOCATE Underly, the Democratic-backed state education chief, defeated her Republican-aligned opponent, Brittany Kinser. Unofficial results showed...

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is a big win for Democrats and also a big loss for oligarch Elon Musk

Judge Susan Crawford preserved the narrow majority of liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1 by defeating conservative Brad Schimel, but in a way the real loser of the election was billionaire Elon Musk. The South African oligarch and his MAGA affiliated groups sunk at least $21 million into the normally low-profile race and paid three individual voters $1 million each for signing a petition in an effort to goose turnout in the pivotal battleground state contest. That made the race the first major test of the political impact of Musk, whose prominence in Donald Trump’s destructive...

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U.S. allied Afghan refugees struggle for basic necessities after Trump’s arbitrary funding freeze

The rent is due, but Rahmani has no money to pay it. The Afghan father of two worked for a U.S.-backed organization in Kabul, which put him at risk of Taliban retribution. Now he is among thousands of newly arrived refugees who lost financial assistance when the Trump administration cut off funding for the federal refugee program in January. His family’s monthly rent and utilities total nearly $1,850, an unfathomable amount compared to what he once paid in Kabul. He has spent weeks looking for work, walking along the suburban highway across from his family’s apartment, inquiring at small...

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Progressive cities like Milwaukee challenge state control as municipal socialism rises across America

Progressive cities across the country are testing the limits of local power by instituting policies that directly challenge conservative state legislatures. From minimum wage ordinances to rent control measures to bold climate initiatives, these municipalities are turning into laboratories for left-leaning governance. But as these efforts gain momentum, state governments are rushing to impose top-down bans, blocking local authority through a wave of “preemption” laws. The result is a contentious struggle that pits big-city innovation against state-level resistance, offering a glimpse into the future of American politics. Milwaukee stands as a prime example. City leaders have sought to address...

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Netanyahu thrusts Israel back into war by breaking ceasefire with vows of expanding devastation

Israel’s renewed military offensive in the Gaza Strip threatens to be even deadlier and more destructive than the last, as it pursues wider aims with far fewer constraints. Israel resumed the war with a surprise bombardment early March 18 that killed hundreds of Palestinians, ending the ceasefire and vowing even more devastation if Hamas does not release its remaining hostages and leave the territory. President Donald Trump has expressed full support for the renewed offensive and suggested in February that Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians be resettled in other countries. Iran-backed militant groups allied with Hamas are in disarray. Israeli...

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