By Tiffany Crouse
The Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, February 25. The win was a welcome turn around for the team compared to their resent loss to the Chicago Bulls, 71-87, on Monday, February 23. After the game against the 76ers the teams standing was 32 wins to 25 losses. That is about a 56 percent game win rate.
This is the Bucks’ best season since 2012, and it’s not over yet. The Bucks have a lot of talk surrounding their new players, Michael Carter-Williams, guard from the 76ers, Tyler …

By Karen Stokes
Unemployment compensation is a helpful benefit for people experiencing gaps in employment that need the money to provide for their household. Even though unemployment is presently the lowest since 2008, unfortunately some Wisconsinites that are ineligible for unemployment benefits are fraudulently helping themselves to these funds and in doing so are hurting residents, taxpayers and businesses.
Clifton Brooks (not his real name), who worked for years, lost his job due to downsizing, but recently went back to work and believes unemployment was important for his family. “It helped a …

By Graham Thomas Kilmer
On Tuesday February, 3 Governor Scott Walker released his budget proposal, a plan that includes a proposed $300 million cut in funding to the UWSystem and the installation of a public authority in the place of the UW’s existing governance structure.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank of UW-Madison wrote a blog post on January, 27 detailing her appreciation of the state’s proposal to give the UWSystem and its universities more autonomy.
However, she also expressed concerns with the system’s ability to undergo a major restructuring while simultaneously experiencing a cut of …

By Karen Stokes
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has been busy. Between attending the Iowa Freedom Summit and appearances on Sunday morning news shows, it is apparent to all of Wisconsin that Scott Walker has presidential aspirations.
Amid his campaigning, Walker addressed lawmakers in Madison unveiling his 2015-17 budget on Tuesday, February 3. The $68 billion budget includes a plan to solve a $2 billion budget shortfall.
The shortfall is based on spending requests submitted by state agencies. If spending continued at the current level, the state would be roughly $928 million short by …

By Ariele Vaccaro
Years of effort by the Menominee Tribe to erect a casino in Kenosha came to an abrupt and fruitless end on Friday, Jan. 23. Gov. Scott Walker killed the project with four weeks to spare on a deadline extension — one that he requested — to make the decision.
Word of the day in Menominee and Racine counties: disappointment.
Walker argued that to build the casino could risk leaving Wisconsin taxpayers stuck with the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe’s compact — a 2005 agreement that former Gov. Doyle made, promising to …

By Karen Stokes
Even though Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 86th birthday was on Jan. 15, his birthday is observed as a national holiday on the third Monday in January. Milwaukee has celebrated the King Holiday since 1984. The holiday is widely known as a day of service. The city offered a variety of events for the community to volunteer and enjoy.
The day started with the 18th annual YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee breakfast. Approximately 500 guests including community leaders and politicians Mayor Tom Barrett and Governor Scott Walker were in attendance …

By Julianne Malveaux
NNPA Columnist
As he labored for social, civil and economic justice, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was extremely concerned both about the educational inequities that were a function of segregation, and about the purpose and quality of education.
As early as 1947, as a Morehouse College student, he wrote an article, The Purpose of Education, for the Maroon Tiger, the college newspaper.
His article is as relevant today as it was then. Today, much of the focus of education is on passing standardized tests; and while educational measurement is important, …

By Karen Stokes
Hundreds of Milwaukee area residents and protesters gathered on a cold, wintry, Friday afternoon in downtown Milwaukee to rally in support of a fight for justice lead by the family of Dontre Hamilton, and to hear inspiring words from the family and civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson.
“We are the leaders of the new civil rights movement,” said Nate Hamilton, brother of Dontre Hamilton, on the steps of the federal courthouse.
“We are the future, we are the beginning. We will continue to fight; we will continue to stand …

By Karen Stokes
On December 29, 2014, protest organizers, supporters and representatives from the City of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin gathered outside of the Milwaukee Police Department District 5 for a press conference to discuss and deliver solutions to issues many feel are not being properly handled by the police and city and state leadership.
A diverse, organized crowd of over 100 did not allow the cold weather to deter them from their goal of having their voice heard.
Another reason residents gathered for the press conference was that a protest organizer …

By Karen Stokes
Former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney will not be charged for fatally shooting Dontre Hamilton.
Hamilton 31, a mentally ill, Black man, was shot 14 times this past April in Red Arrow Park.
The announcement was made Monday morning by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm who stated Manney was justified in firing at Hamilton.
“This was a tragic incident for the Hamilton family and the community,” Chisholm said in a statement.
“But based on all the evidence and analysis presented in this report, I came to the conclusion that Officer Manney’s …