Author: Wisconsin Public Radio

The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee removed the names of two former Milwaukee Archbishops, William Cousins and Rembert Weakland, from buildings as part of the church’s response to sexual abuse by clergy on March 19. The Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center, which was named in honor of William Cousins, will be renamed on Friday. And Rembert Weakland’s name has been removed from the parish center at St. John the Evangelist in downtown Milwaukee. Cousins and Weakland led the Milwaukee Archdiocese between 1958 and 2002 and helped cover up clergy sexual abuse of children. “If these names have caused angst, anxiety, stress,...

There were no dolls with prosthetics or missing fingers or casts on their feet. None on the shelves reflected albinism or came with an attached blind cane. So New Berlin mother of three Amy Jandrisevits began to use her sewing skills to celebrate the diversity the child not well-represented in toy stores. A former pediatric oncology social worker, Jandrisevits has spent the past four years making custom dolls with characteristics that match their owners. Through her business, A Doll Like Me, Jandrisevits said she can continue her childhood hobby of playing with dolls, now in a more “socially appropriate”...

As New Zealand grapples with the aftermath of the attack on two Muslim congregations in Christchurch on March 15, the mass shootings on the other side of the world have struck fear through Muslim-American communities and renewed calls for action against the rise of bigotry in the United States. Muslim-Americans urged political leaders, local officials and tech companies to confront the alarming spread of hate and racism that in recent years has led to scores of worshippers being slaughtered in religious institutions. The Islamic Society of Milwaukee released a statement regarding the tragedy. “The attack in New Zealand against...

After 113 years, a monument to Confederate soldiers in a Madison cemetery was recently taken down. The stone cenotaph, inscribed with 140 names of prisoners-of-war, stood on an area known as Confederate Rest since 1906 — that is, until last week, when a crew from the Madison Parks Department and a local monument company transferred it from the Forest Hills Cemetery to storage at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Madison City Council voted in October to remove the monument and place it in a museum. Logistics and weather delayed the transfer until now, explained Eric Knepp, Madison parks superintendent. “We...

Lt. Governor-elect Mandela Barnes says he sees his upcoming job as a chance to fix issues plaguing the entire state of Wisconsin. Barnes said one of the reasons the role of lieutenant governor appealed to him was because of its few constitutional responsibilities. The position is flexible and presents an opportunity to make a difference statewide. “I want to focus on equity and sustainability,” said Barnes, who represented Milwaukee in the State Assembly from 2013 to 2017. “We have a duty here in Wisconsin that has been unfulfilled for a very, very long time. We have some of the...

Two new reports produced for Senate investigators say that Russian influence efforts infected every major social media platform, extensively targeted African-Americans and amounted to what researchers called a “propaganda war against American citizens.” The reports, which were drawn up by private cybersecurity firms on behalf of the Senate intelligence committee, offer the most comprehensive look yet at Russia’s online influence operations. They are based on information provided by the panel and the social media companies themselves. The reports confirm the U.S. spy agencies’ overarching conclusions that Russia’s efforts ahead of the 2016 election aimed to sow discord, hurt Hillary...