Friday night’s Urban News Journal live show landed on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and covered a lot of ground from there: a hometown governor’s race, a transit system about to cost riders more, an honest accountability update, National Recovery Month, and a Brewers team chasing October. Watch the full episode and listen on Spotify below, then read the breakdown.
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25 Years After 9/11
Today marked a quarter century since September 11th, and this show didn’t just observe the anniversary, it talked about what came after it for the generation who served because of that day. A veteran himself, Marcus put it plainly on air: the towers came down in one morning, but the wars that followed ran twenty years, and a lot of that generation is still carrying what it cost them. If you know a veteran, call them today. Not a text. A call.
Milwaukee’s Own Runs for Governor
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley officially won the Democratic primary for governor, beating State Representative Francesca Hong. That puts the man who’s been running Milwaukee County government on the statewide ballot this November. If he wins, the county needs a new executive, and that race deserves just as much attention as the one at the top of the ticket.
MCTS Riders, Pay Attention
The Milwaukee County Transit System’s 2026 service plan is rolling out in two phases, with fare increases and route changes riders will feel directly. It lands the same month Urban News Journal’s grant application to the Fund for Investigative Journalism, looking straight at MCTS governance, cleared its first hurdle. A decision is expected in October. Whatever happens with the grant, this story isn’t going away.
Accountability Watch: Still Not Mailed
Back on August 21st, UNJ drafted a certified-mail demand letter to seven Wisconsin and Milwaukee offices asking for a full after-action report on the August 17th State Fair disturbances. Tonight’s update, straight: those letters still have not been mailed. It comes down to the cost of certified mail for seven separate offices, not drama. There’s no countdown clock running, and there won’t be one until those letters actually carry tracking numbers. Two direct press inquiries from August are also still open, one to State Fair Park with no reply yet, one to West Allis PD that bounced and still needs to go out again.
National Recovery Month
September is National Recovery Month, and after a show that opened on what a lot of veterans carry home quietly, this segment wasn’t an afterthought. Recovery from substance use and mental health struggles is real, and it happens because people had support around them, not because they gritted it out alone. If that’s you right now, you’re not behind. If you know someone in it, reach out before they bring it up first.
Brewers Chase October
Milwaukee is deep into its September playoff push, closing in on a chance to clinch a postseason spot. After a week of budget talk and transit fare hikes, this city could use it.
This Week in MKE
Two public meetings worth your time: the Judiciary and Legislation Committee meets Monday, September 14th at 9am, and the Fire and Police Commission meets Thursday, September 17th at 5:30pm, both at City Hall, Room 301-B. Both are free and open to the public.
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