Podcast: A “Deep Dive” into the American electorate’s descent into political apathy
The Deep Dive podcast by Milwaukee Independent takes a closer look at the stories that matter most, uncovering the layers of complexity behind today’s pressing issues. From groundbreaking research to critical social movements and the intersection of local and global...
Ezekiel Gillespie: Milwaukee civil rights pioneer’s fight for Black suffrage gains new relevance under Trump
Ezekiel Gillespie, a 19th-century civil rights pioneer who secured Black suffrage in Wisconsin, has entered renewed discussions as federal protections come under review in Donald Trump’s second term. Born into enslavement in Tennessee, Gillespie resettled in Milwaukee...
Growth and wellness: County Executive Crowley delivers 2025 State of the County address
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley delivered his 2025 State of the County Address at the Marcus Performing Arts Center on March 26, highlighting ongoing partnerships, economic development initiatives, public safety proposals, and efforts to improve community...
Churchill’s fears of democracy’s decline realized in the American iron curtain built by Trump’s oligarchs
In the gym of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, former and future prime minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill rose to deliver a speech. Formally titled “Sinews of Peace,” the talk called for the United States and Britain to stand...
Exhausted by the news: Strategies to stay informed without getting overwhelmed or being misled
By Seth Ashley, Professor of Communication and Media, Boise State University Political spin is nothing new, and identifying reliable news and information can be hard to do during any presidency. But the return of Donald Trump to the White House has reignited debates...
Abusive detentions of White American and European tourists fuels fear of traveling to America
Lennon Tyler and her German fiancé often took road trips to Mexico when he vacationed in the United States since it was only a day’s drive from her home in Las Vegas, one of the perks of their long-distance relationship. But things went terribly wrong when they...
Thousands of U.S. veterans who have been fired from federal jobs say they feel betrayed by Trump
Nathan Hooven is a disabled Air Force veteran who voted for Donald Trump in November. Barely three months later, he is now unemployed and says he feels betrayed by the president’s dramatic downsizing of the federal government that cost him his job. “I...
Why Putin covets Ukraine’s territory and turned Crimea from a playground into a battleground
Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine exactly 11 years ago on March 18, 2014, was quick and bloodless, but it sent Moscow’s relations with the West into a downward spiral unseen since the Cold War. It also paved the way for Russia’s...
Trump’s antagonistic foreign policy could cost U.S. companies billions as allies rethink weapons orders
Two major U.S. allies are reconsidering their purchase of the F-35 fighter jet, raising the specter of lost American defense contracts worth billions of dollars. Canada and Portugal, both longstanding buyers of U.S. weaponry, have hinted they might back away from...
Wisconsin’s defense industry at risk if buyers shift billions in arms purchases to other Rust Belt states
Wisconsin’s defense industry faces economic uncertainty as neighboring states consider ways to attract shifting military contracts. Experts say Donald Trump’s foreign policy decisions have contributed to tighter budgets and strained international deals, leaving...
A grim projection: Exploring if Milwaukee’s cemeteries could handle mass casualties from a Second Civil War
America has long been a land of paradoxes. Celebrated for its diversity and freedoms, while haunted by unresolved tensions and deep social fissures. In recent years, a chorus of voices on the far-right fringe, including White Nationalists and provocateurs within...
Musk’s “Game of Capitalism” mirrors the exploitation that drove abused workers to embrace communism
Elon Musk’s manipulation of Dogecoin was no lighthearted prank. It was a deliberate exercise in extracting wealth from unsuspecting investors, echoing the same inhumane forces that ignited communism as a desperate reaction to unchecked capitalism. Musk’s constant...
