Why “Jaws” remains an analogy for political denial, economic mythology, and institutional failure
Motion pictures remains one of the last widely shared cultural reference points in an increasingly fragmented media environment. This series, Cinema as allegory: Using film to understand power, inequality, and civic life in Milwaukee, uses well-known films not as...
The Glass House Defense: Rhetorical guilt and the criminal reality of Trump’s inner circle
The deployment of political smears through association has transitioned from a fringe campaign tactic to the primary defensive architecture of modern executive power. This strategy finds its roots in the legal and sociological maneuvers of the mid-20th century,...
Governor Evers endorses David Crowley for leadership of Wisconsin as Gubernatorial primary approaches
Two weeks after shuttering his bid for Wisconsin governor, David Crowley reentered the state’s Democratic primary on July 18, with the Milwaukee County Executive announcing he received last-minute backing from outgoing Governor Tony Evers. The move puts Crowley...
David Crowley restarts campaign for governor of Wisconsin after Sara Rodriguez drops out of race
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley plans to jump back into the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor after Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez abandoned her campaign for the state’s top office on July 17 amid a campaign finance scandal. Crowley will announce...
Milwaukee air quality surges above 500 as Canadian wildfire smoke creates worst conditions on record
When wildfires burn, smoke can travel long distances and degrade air quality far away, posing risks to those breathing it. Fires burning in one state can make the air worse several states away, and wildfires in Canada can send smoke into U.S. cities. Here’s what...
How America’s collapse of civic life turned status envy into a driving force of modern political identity
In the United States, the force driving modern political and cultural division is not simply polarization or partisan conflict. It is the emergence of a status envy ideology that shapes how Americans interpret their own lives and measure themselves against others in...
Building walls: Why Milwaukee’s growth deepens the divides between its neighborhood communities
Milwaukee’s skyline tells a story of progress, with glass towers and tax-funded redevelopment projects that promise renewal. But beneath the glow of new construction lies a persistent reality: the prosperity reshaping downtown has rarely crossed the invisible lines...
Wisconsin’s top 10 ranking masks warning signs about trending areas where the state is losing ground
Wisconsin’s eighth-place finish in the 2026 State of the States rankings offers the kind of headline any state would want. In a national comparison of 31 measures spanning the economy, education, health, safety, environment, democracy, labor force and personal...
Francesca Hong tests how far left Wisconsin voters want to go in supporting a democratic socialist
Over the last month, Democratic socialists have notched victories in the liberal strongholds of New York City, Washington DC, and Denver. Now Francesca Hong, a single mother who has worked as a dishwasher and line cook, is trying to do the same with her campaign for...
National poll highlights continued divides among American Jews over Israel and Gaza
As Israel’s actions continue to divide America’s Jewish communities nearly three years into the latest war in Gaza, a July AP-NORC poll reveals that some of the biggest gaps are between religious and secular Jews. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC...
Ultraman at 60: How a Japanese “Kyodai Hero” crossed cultures and changed American perceptions
For children growing up in the early 1970s, Ultraman arrived without the prestige now attached to one of Japan’s most enduring television franchises as it marks its 60th anniversary. The series reached American television through syndication several years after its...
Siege Loyalty: Why grievance politics replaced traditional accountability for much of Trump’s base
For years, American political culture operated on a relatively simple assumption: voters rewarded leaders who improved material conditions and punished those who failed. Gas prices, wages, inflation, and military stability formed the core of presidential...
