Veterans Watch: VA Claims Backlog Drops Sharply — Why ‘Faster’ Isn’t Automatically ‘Fixed’
The VA is processing disability claims at a record pace — over two million this year, aided by new AI tools. A veteran’s take on why speed only counts if it’s also accurate.
Opinion: NABJ Had a Legitimate Concern About Stephen A. Smith — and Used the Wrong Tool
OPINION — The NABJ’s ‘Thumbs Down’ award for Stephen A. Smith turned a legitimate professional concern into a public spectacle. Marcus Hart on why the format failed everyone, including the people it was meant to protect.
Crowley vs. Tiffany: Wisconsin’s Governor Race Is Officially Set
David Crowley heads into the general election against Tom Tiffany after a razor-thin Democratic primary win. Marcus Hart breaks down what a statewide race means for Milwaukee.
Wisconsin State Fair Ends in Chaos — UNJ Demands Real Answers, Not a Press Release
Multiple fights broke out on the final night of the 2026 Wisconsin State Fair, and at least one officer was struck. UNJ is pressing State Fair Park and West Allis PD for real numbers — not a press release.
Veterans’ Watch: Navy Sends USS George Washington to Relieve Carrier Amid Crew Morale Concerns
The USS George Washington is deploying to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln after reports of mental health strain and supply issues among its crew — a veteran’s-eye look at what extended deployment costs.
Checks on Power: Judge Tosses Trump Administration’s Harvard Lawsuit as ICE Cooperation Deals Expand
A federal judge dismissed the administration’s Harvard antisemitism lawsuit this week — the second court setback in as many weeks — while ICE local-cooperation agreements continue to expand.
The Senate Just Voted to Hold Fauci in Contempt. The Real Story Isn’t Fauci — It’s What Happens After.
An 8-7 party-line vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress is generating plenty of heat and very little clarity about what actually happens next — including whether a “preemptive pardon” can even be challenged this way. Here’s the grounded version of a story most outlets are covering as a spectacle.
Meta Just Got Hit With Another $567 Million Bill for Your Kids’ Mental Health. It Still Won’t Fix the Problem.
A judge in New Mexico ordered Meta this week to pay $567 million to address the harm Instagram and Facebook have done to young users’ mental health. Judge Bryan Biedscheid’s ruling breaks the money down with some precision: $420 million goes toward treatment services for young people, the rest toward prevention, screening, and awareness work […]
The Strait of Hormuz Deal Nobody’s Watching Could Hit Your Wallet Before It Hits the Headlines
Most weeks, “Strait of Hormuz negotiations” is the kind of headline people scroll past on the way to something with a face and a name attached. I get it — it sounds like Foreign Policy 101 homework, not something that touches your life in Milwaukee or Memphis or Atlanta. But this is one of those […]
A Fatwa, a Stabbing, and the Verdict That Just Redefined What Counts as Terrorism in America
A federal jury this week convicted Hadi Matar on terrorism charges connected to his 2022 stabbing attack on author Salman Rushdie, and while the verdict itself was close to expected, the case underneath it deserves more attention than a single news cycle usually gives it. The facts, as prosecutors laid them out and the jury […]