The federal government has extended its lease on a downtown Milwaukee property used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to federal lease records and the building’s owner.
The property at 310 E. Knapp St. is owned by the Milwaukee School of Engineering but will remain in use by the federal government through at least April 2026, with options to extend through 2028, said JoEllen Burdue, the college’s senior communications director.
“We do not have immediate plans for the building and will reevaluate next year when we know whether or not the government wants to extend the lease,” Burdue said.
The lease was originally scheduled to expire in April 2025.
With a new ICE facility under construction on the city’s Northwest Side, the downtown lease extension raises the possibility that the federal government is expanding local immigration infrastructure or enforcement. This would be consistent with other forms of expansion in immigration enforcement, statewide and nationally.
“I’m upset and concerned about what this means for my immigrant constituency. For my constituents, period,” said Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, who represents the 8th District on the South Side.
Immigration infrastructure
The Knapp Street property is used by ICE as a field office for its Enforcement and Removal Operations, according to ICE.
This includes serving as a check‑in location for individuals under ICE supervision who aren’t in custody and a processing center for individuals with pending immigration cases or removal proceedings.
The Vera Institute is a national nonpartisan nonprofit that does research and advocates for policy concerning incarceration and public safety.
The most people held by ICE at a given time at that Knapp Street location during the Biden administration was six. On June 3, 22 people were held there – also exceeding the high of 17 during President Donald Trump’s first administration, according to data from Vera Institute.
The office generally does not detain people overnight but can facilitate transfer to detention centers that do.
The functions carried out at the Knapp Street office mirror those planned for the Northwest Side facility.
A new ICE field office is expected to open at 11925 W. Lake Park Drive in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
City records show the West Lake Park Drive property will be used to process non-detained people as well as detainees for transport to detention centers.
The records also state that the property will serve as the main southeastern Wisconsin office for immigration officers and staff.
The U.S. General Services Administration, the federal government’s real estate arm, initially projected the new site would open in October. However, a spokesperson said there was no update and did not confirm whether that timeline still stands.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, responded to NNS’ requests for comment.
Rise in immigration enforcement
As local immigration enforcement grows, so does enforcement throughout the state and the rest of the country.
The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse is a nonprofit at Syracuse University that conducts nonpartisan research.
Not only are more people being detained, but they are being detained for longer, said Jennifer Chacón, the Bruce Tyson Mitchell professor of law at Stanford Law School.
A July 8 internal memo from ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons instructs agents to detain immigrants for the duration of their removal proceedings, effectively eliminating access to bond hearings.
Eighty-four of 181 detention facilities exceeded their contractual capacity on at least one day from October 2024 to mid-April 2025, according to a July report from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
The Dodge County Jail, which ICE uses to detain people apprehended in Milwaukee, is one of the facilities that exceeded its contractual capacity. On its busiest day, it held 139 individuals – four more than its 135-bed limit.
In addition to Dodge County, Brown and Sauk county jails have also entered into agreements with ICE to house detained immigrants, according to records obtained by the ACLU of Wisconsin.
ICE’s unprecedented budget
Noelle Smart, a principal research associate at the Vera Institute, notes that it remains unclear whether increased immigration enforcement drives the need for more detention infrastructure or expands to catch up with more infrastructure.
But, Smart said, with ICE’s unprecedented new budget, the question of which one drives the other becomes less relevant.
Trump’s proposed ICE budget in 2025 was $9.7 billion – a billion more than ICE’s 2024 budget. An additional $29.85 billion was made available through 2029 for enforcement and removal as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
“We know this administration intends to vastly increase the number of people subject to arrests and detention, and we expect to see increases in both given this budget,” Smart said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
In 2023, Arian Rice became a private pilot at age 18.
Now 20, he’s working toward his goal of flying commercial planes and encouraging Black children to explore their dreams.
“After getting the news about getting my license, I can look back and say that I didn’t sit and wait for somebody to do it for me,” Rice said.
Currently, Rice is participating in the aeronautics program at Gateway Technical College to fly commercial planes.
While there, he will complete 125 hours of training to receive his Airline Transport rating, the highest level of pilot certification issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
First time in a cockpit
Rice was 11 when he was first introduced to aviation. His nana, Isha Kinard, took the family to Burlington to experience the Young Eagles flight program, eat breakfast and explore airplanes.
There, Rice was given the opportunity to fly a plane for the first time.
“I wasn’t scared at all, and when we took off, it felt exhilarating,” Rice said.
During the one-on-one flight, the pilot allowed Rice to take control of the plane, teaching him how to steer and turn.
“I remember we were by a pole, and the pilot tells me to turn around it,” Rice said.
Rice’s aviation journey had just begun.
“I saw a sense of purpose in his eyes as he shared his experience,” Kinard said.
Not old enough for flight school
Rice said his biggest challenge was finding additional flight training. He wanted to train at Spring City Aviation at Milwaukee’s Timmerman Airport, but the minimum age to fly an aircraft solo is 16.
“It was hard, but I didn’t let my dream of aviation die out,” he said.
From ages 13 to 14, he participated in free aviation training through the Young Eagles Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. There he learned the fundamentals of aviation.
In addition, he watched videos on YouTube.
Rice’s mom, Dahneisha Gavin, home-schooled Rice and said he’s good at being a self-learner.
“He can see something and adapt to it,” Gavin said.
Rice mowed lawns and sold fireworks during the summer to pay for the training.
“When we were at the breakfast that day, there was a man that spoke life into not only my son, but us as a unit. He said if we wanted him to fly, we would all have to work together,” Gavin said.
Kinard, Gavin and Rice’s dad, James Sims Robinson, searched for scholarships, pitched in financially and provided other support.
Winning a scholarship
In 2023, mentor and former flight instructor Sean O’Donnell encouraged Rice to apply for a $10,000 EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship, which he won.
“Sean understood my limitations with getting training, and in his spare time, he saw an opportunity for me and forwarded the information to me,” Rice said.
Rice said he was the only Black applicant, which motivated him to work harder.
“Most of the applicants already had the experience and come from families with pilots,” Rice said. “They saw I had worked to do the 10 hours of training, and that stood out to them.”
A generational trailblazer
After passing written exams and completing training hours, Rice received his official private pilot license at 18. He is the first pilot in his family.
Gavin said flying with her son for the first time was one of the proudest moments of her life.
“Arian showed me that he belongs to the sky. It’s not just about flying airplanes. It’s about breaking barriers and creating a legacy to show other young people in Milwaukee that anything is possible,” Gavin said.
Rice said he has moments when he thinks about his first experiences leading up to now and thanks his nana for it.
“My nana invested in my future just by bringing me to that breakfast,” Rice said.
Rice said he believes that Black people aren’t exposed to other careers enough.
“Blacks are always being pushed into music or sports. My license gave me a freeing feeling because some families become too complacent when there isn’t a push,” he said.
For more information
For children looking to go into aviation, Rice suggests reading books about planes at a library and researching resources.
“It’s out there, but you just need to read what’s in front of you,” he said.
Kinard encourages parents to start small. “Break the dreams down into smaller achievable steps and support their efforts to learn and grow along the way,” she said.
Last week’s storms destroyed Sabrena Henderson’s Milwaukee home, leaving her family displaced.
Not only did the basement of her Garden Homes rental unit flood, destroying her washer, dryer and freezer, but the heavy rains collapsed her ceiling.
While she does have renters insurance, she said, it’s been a long process of trying to apply for assistance, file claims and figure out next steps.
“It’s only thanks to my family that we are not homeless,” she said. “But we can’t stay in our house, and we are waiting for the landlord to do their part.”
Additionally, Henderson is a breast cancer survivor who is still in cancer care and should not be anywhere near her home. Mold buildup could be dangerous for her immune system, she said, making cleanup another major concern.
Henderson’s family is one of thousands trying to put their lives back together.
Impact
Two American Red Cross shelters have been set up in Milwaukee at Holler Park, 5151 S. 6th St., and Washington Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St., to assist temporarily displaced individuals.
Jennifer Warren, the regional communications director with the Red Cross, said on Sunday, Aug. 18, the shelters housed 39 people.
She said since the shelter has been set up, the Red Cross has served over 1,400 meals and snacks. Workers handed out 3,400 emergency relief supplies.
Vickie Boneck, the director of marketing and communications with IMPACT 211, a central access point for people in need, said her organization is supporting local emergency management offices by collecting reports of property damage caused by flooding.
Days after the storm, calls for flood-related assistance continue.
As of the afternoon of Aug. 18, over 16,500 flood-related service requests had been made to 211 from Milwaukee County and the surrounding counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington. About 85% of those requests originated from Milwaukee County alone.
According to 211 data, the highest concentration of service requests came from Milwaukee County’s Northwest Side and the West Milwaukee area, particularly from ZIP codes 53218, 53209 and 53216.
ZIP code 53218, where Henderson’s home falls, reported the most significant impact, with 1,851 damage reports. It also led in utility disruptions, with 2,562 reports, and had over 850 reports of structural damage.
Of the data collected, approximately 6,000 referrals were for storm-related assistance, helping connect residents to county emergency services, disaster food programs, cleanup supplies and other recovery resources.
What’s next
Milwaukee County’s disaster teams are assessing damage. The Salvation Army has teams out handing out water and snacks to those impacted.
Benny Benedict, the emergency disaster services director for the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County, said people are still trying to understand the full impact of the floods.
“It takes a while to figure out basically what you’re dealing with, and it seems that this flood is definitely very significant,” Benedict said.
Teams from partner agencies are also on site to help residents clean homes and basements.
Both the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are accepting monetary contributions to help those impacted as on-site donations are too much to manage at the moment.
“Today it might be the masks that everyone needs, and then we get thousands of them, and next thing you don’t know, the need is baby formula, and all we have are masks,” he said. “So the monetary donation, we don’t have to sort it, it’s very fluid, and the Salvation Army takes great care in making sure that we’re just meeting the critical needs.”
Benedict said in his experience, this will be a case of long-term recovery for many of those impacted.
“Preliminary numbers are showing that there is a significant number of destroyed homes,” he said. “So, we know that the unmet needs are going to be quite large. That could be everything from just cleanup kits, flood kits, help getting the house mucked out, basically rebuilding, and then there’s going to be needs for household items that were destroyed.”
How to get help
Residents who wish to report property damage may contact IMPACT 211 and speak to a community resource specialist. That is also the best way to access information and referral to programs and services that may help in the aftermath of this storm. If people just want to report property damage, the best way is to complete the online form 211 Wisconsin.
Former AmeriCorps service member Daniel Zare, 27, visits Project Change at Sligo Middle School on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he mentored students before federal government cuts in April. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Daniel Zare worked one-on-one as an AmeriCorps member with students going through rough times in school, lightening teachers’ workload in the classroom.
At AmeriCorps Project CHANGE, based in Silver Spring’s Sligo Middle School, Zare was one of several in his group who tracked adolescents’ emotional and social wellbeing over months using a system dubbed “My Score.” They then helped support the kids who were struggling the most.
In April, though, the program screeched to a halt. That’s when the Trump administration abruptly canceled nearly $400 million in active AmeriCorps grants across the United States that fund volunteers who embed in communities, in exchange for a small stipend and education award.
“All the work that we had culminating toward the end of the year, the relationships that we built with teachers and students and officials, it just completely went kaput because we were told we weren’t allowed to go to work at all,” Zare, 27, told States Newsroom.
Like so many longstanding federal programs and institutions severely reduced or dismantled as part of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency project, AmeriCorps — and its nonprofit partners — are now assessing the damage and seeking a way forward.
AmeriCorps programs that survived last spring’s DOGE cuts are slowly beginning a new year of service amid major uncertainty over whether they will be able to continue their work in classrooms, food banks, senior centers and other community hubs.
Winners and losers among states
AmeriCorps, a federal agency signed into law in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton, places roughly 200,000 members across the United States at 35,000 service locations, according to current agency data.
Members serve in schools, local governments and with a wide range of nonprofits that focus on health, disaster relief, environmental stewardship, workforce development and veterans.
The staffers, who pledge to “get things done for America,” are paid a modest living allowance that hovers around the poverty line. Some, but not all, can get health insurance while in the program.
Members who complete their service term, which usually lasts from 10 to 12 months, receive an education award that can be used to pursue a degree, earn a trade certificate or pay student loans.
AmeriCorps federal dollars reach programs via a couple routes. In many cases, grants flow from AmeriCorps to governor-led state and territorial commissions that divvy them up according to local priorities. In other cases, federal dollars flow straight to a program via a competitive grant process.
Kaira Esgate, CEO of America’s Service Commissions, said when the Trump administration ordered the cuts in April, some states lost large portions of their AmeriCorps portfolio, while other states fared better.
“There were no real clear trend lines around what or who got terminated and why,” said Esgate, whose member organization represents all 49 state commissions (South Dakota doesn’t have one) and the commissions for the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Abby Andre, executive director of The Impact Project, an initiative of Public Service Ventures Ltd., a private corporation that launches and scales solutions to strengthen public service and communities., has been collecting data and plotting on an interactive map where AmeriCorps programs have been canceled. Andre, a former Department of Justice litigator, has also worked with her team to build other maps showing where federal workforce cuts have been felt across the country.
“AmeriCorps is a really great example of the federal dollars being kind of invisible in communities. Communities often don’t know that a local food bank or a senior center are supported by AmeriCorps volunteers and AmeriCorps money,” said Andre, who taught administrative law at the Vermont Law School after working under President Barack Obama and in Trump’s first administration.
Andre said communities with a lack of social services, including in rural areas, will likely feel the biggest losses without an AmeriCorps presence because the agency “facilitates pennies-on-the-dollar type services through volunteer work.”
“It’s not as though if these community services folded, those communities would have the money to fund equal or better services through the private market,” she said.
Losing trust
The Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism gave the green light to Project CHANGE to keep its program, which serves Montgomery County in suburban Washington, D.C., running through the upcoming school year.
Paul Costello, director of Project CHANGE, is now scrambling to launch a new AmeriCorps cohort after receiving the news on July 22 that the initiative had been funded. He estimates members won’t be able to begin until almost a month into the school year.
Paul Costello, director of Project CHANGE at Sligo Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland, reads student self-assessments of their confidence levels, hopefulness and excitement for learning. Costello’s program places AmeriCorps members in classrooms to help students with emotional and social challenges. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
“Sadly, AmeriCorps, as a brand name, is badly damaged, I think. I mean, I’ve got a meeting on Wednesday with a major partner who told us two weeks ago ‘We thought you were dead,’” Costello told States Newsroom in an Aug. 11 interview.
Costello’s program not only places service members in Montgomery County Public Schools, where Zare served, but also with partners including Community Bridges, Montgomery Housing Partnership and Family Learning Solutions.
The nonprofits respectively focus on helping adolescent girls from diverse backgrounds, children whose families live in community-developed affordable housing units and teens eyeing college and career paths.
The county’s school system is the largest in the state and serves a highly diverse population. About 44% of the system’s 160,000 students qualify for free and reduced meals, and close to 20% are learning English while continuing to speak another language at home.
Costello’s 18 cohort members embedded in those schools and nonprofits this past academic year were suddenly yanked in April when the government cut his grant. The partners, which had planned and budgeted to have the members through June, were thrown into “total chaos,” Costello said.
“So some of them are so desperate, they rely on their members. They had to dig into their pockets to keep them on as staff. And then we go back to them this year and say, ‘You want members this year?’ AmeriCorps has made no attempt to make them whole. So they’ve been screwed,” Costello said.
AmeriCorps did not respond to States Newsroom’s questions about nonprofits losing money.
Legal action
The federal courts granted some relief to members and organizations who abruptly lost living allowances and contractually obligated funding.
A Maryland federal district judge ordered in June that funding and positions be restored in 24 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia that sued the agency.
Another district judge in the state also handed a win to more than a dozen nonprofits from across the country that sued to recover funding they were owed.
But for many it was too late, and AmeriCorps’ future still feels shaky.
After suddenly losing his living allowance in April, Zare had to leave Silver Spring.
“I was renting a room off of Georgia (Avenue), and I was not able to pay rent there anymore, so I actually moved back to my mom’s in Germantown for the time being,” he told States Newsroom in August, referring to another Maryland suburb.
Hillary Kane, director of the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development, said by the time the court orders were issued, many of her AmeriCorps members had already found other positions and she had completely let go of one of her full-time staffers.
While the court injunctions were “welcome news,” reinstating the programs remained “questionable,” Kane wrote in a July 21 update for Nonprofit Quarterly.
Kane’s organization is a member of the National College Attainment Network, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that was among the successful plaintiffs.
Other organizations that joined the lawsuit are based in California, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Virginia.
The Democratic-led states that won reinstatement for AmeriCorps members include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Going forward?
Kane got news on July 10 that PennSERVE, Pennsylvania’s state service commission, reinstated funding for her AmeriCorps program that places members in four West Philadelphia high schools to mentor students on their post-graduation plans.
The late notice meant Kane could only begin recruiting new members in mid-July.
“And so our start date has to be a bit fluid,” Kane told States Newsroom during a July 22 interview. “We have to essentially recruit people into this one-year cohort position, and say, ‘We’re hoping to start September 2, but we’re not 100% sure. Can you kind of just roll with it?’ It’s an awkward position to have to be in.”
The AmeriCorps pledge hangs at Project CHANGE at Sligo Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
Other AmeriCorps programs have not fared so well, as the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget continues to withhold funds that were appropriated by Congress for the ongoing fiscal year.
Trump signed legislation in March that extended the $1.26 billion for AmeriCorps for the full 2025 fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.
Kane said the most “insidious” part of the recent AmeriCorps storyline is that programs that receive grants directly from the federal agency are being strung along by OMB.
“So there are agencies who have been theoretically awarded money, but they’re like, ‘Is it actually going to happen? Should I spend all this money and then not be able to bill the federal government to reimburse me if OMB is going to hold it hostage?’”
Programs at risk include 130 recently expired contracts for AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent and Senior Companions programs that support roughly 6,000 senior citizen volunteers across 35 states. The programs are eligible for just over $50 million for the new service year, which should be off to a start.
Congress pleads with budget office
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators pressed the executive branch agency on Aug. 1 to release the funds.
“Further delays in grantmaking will have immediate and irreversible consequences for programs, AmeriCorps members, and communities,” the senators wrote in a letter to OMB Director Russ Vought.
Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina joined Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York in signing the letter. All are members of the Senate National Service Caucus.
The White House and AmeriCorps did not respond for comment.
The Republican-led Senate Committee on Appropriations voted on July 31 to preserve $1.25 billion in AmeriCorps funding for fiscal year 2026. Collins chairs the committee.
U.S. House appropriators, which for the last two years under Republican leadership have sought to cut AmeriCorps funding, are expected to debate its budget in September. But it’s almost certain Congress will have to pass a stopgap spending bill when the end of the fiscal year arrives to stave off a partial government shutdown, so a final decision on funding may not come for months.
Change for everyone
Zare never did have a chance to say goodbye to all his students in April.
And even though the option was on the table, he did not sign up to serve a third year with AmeriCorps.
Before he applied and earned a spot with Project CHANGE, Zare was working odd jobs, including as a utilities contractor for Comcast. He had also earned his associate’s degree.
Former AmeriCorps service member Daniel Zare, 27, visits Project CHANGE at Sligo Middle School on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he mentored students before federal government cuts in April. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
“I don’t think there’s any other program to take someone like me who was working a couple of different jobs and put them in an environment like this, to see firsthand as an American citizen how our classrooms operate and what position I would need to be in to actually be of benefit,” Zare told States Newsroom.
Zare is now freelancing and debating his next move, whether that’s a new job or further higher education.
“AmeriCorps is something that I’m always going to cherish because a lot of the people there still help me,” he said.
Editor’s note: D.C. Bureau Senior Reporter Ashley Murray served in AmeriCorps in 2009-2010.
The Milwaukee Police Department is still undecided about whether to expand its use of facial recognition technology, an MPD spokesperson said.
“We are in continued conversations with the public related to FRT (facial recognition technology) and have not made any decisions,” the spokesperson said.
MPD has been in discussions with the company Biometrica, which partners with police agencies and others to provide the technology.
Meanwhile, opposition to the technology continues to grow.
In July, the Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission unanimously passed a resolution opposing MPD’s use of facial recognition. The Equal Rights Commission is a city body working to promote equality in the city’s institutions and the broader community.
Tony Snell, chair of the commission, sent a letter to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman urging him to reject the technology. Copies were also sent to the Milwaukee Common Council, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission.
The Equal Rights Commission’s overall goal is to help the city limit the risk of discrimination against people, Snell said.
The resolution also noted a lack of publicly available data on positive outcomes in other cities that have adopted the technology.
In May, 11 of the 15 members of the Milwaukee Common Council sent a letter to Norman opposing facial recognition, citing the risk of misidentification – particularly for people of color and women – and the potential for harm to the community’s trust in law enforcement.
Additional concerns raised in public testimony to the commission – by community members and civil groups – included the potential sharing of immigration-related data with federal agencies and the targeting of individuals and groups exercising their First Amendment rights.
What MPD says
The Milwaukee Police Department considers facial recognition technology a strong investigative tool. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
MPD has consistently stated that a carefully developed policy could help reduce risks associated with facial recognition.
“Should MPD move forward with acquiring FRT, a policy will be drafted based upon best practices and public input,” a department spokesperson said.
Facial recognition technology is a potent investigation tool to quickly and effectively generate leads, said Heather Hough, MPD’s chief of staff, during the Equal Rights Commission public meeting about the technology.
But Hough emphasized facial recognition’s role as one tool among many used by MPD.
“The real work is in the human analysis and additional investigation by our detectives, by our officers,” Hough said.
She also presented case studies, including a March 2024 homicide, in which facial recognition from a neighboring jurisdiction helped identify suspects.
Biometrica, the company MPD is considering partnering with, stressed how facial recognition’s potential errors can be reduced.
Kadambari Wade, Biometrica’s chief privacy officer, said the company is constantly evaluating and re-evaluating how it does its work, looking for ways to ensure it is more accurate.
She said she and her husband, Biometrica CEO Wyly Wade, are aware of concerns about racial bias and work to address them.
“Wyly is a white man from Texas. I’m a brown-skinned immigrant,” she said.
Kadambari Wade said they want to make sure their services would work as well on her as they do on him.
Wade also denied any current or future plans to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We do not work with ICE. We do not work in immigration,” she said.
What’s next?
Since the passage of Wisconsin Act 12, the only official way to amend or reject MPD policy is by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Common Council, or 10 members.
However, council members cannot make any decision about it until MPD actually drafts its policy, often referred to as a “standard operating procedure.”
Ald. Peter Burgelis – one of four council members who did not sign onto the Common Council letter to Norman – said he is waiting to make a decision until he sees potential policy from MPD or an official piece of legislation considered by the city’s Public Safety and Health Committee.
Snell’s main concern is for MPD’s decision to be fair and just.
“Regardless … you want to be part of the process in order to eliminate, or to the extent possible, reduce risk of discrimination to people,” Snell said.
VW buried routine maintenance items under several panels in the front of the ID. Buzz.
Changing the cabin filter requires removing the hood and surrounding upper parts.
Maintenance access is possible but time-consuming, pushing owners toward dealers.
Electric vehicles didn’t just change how cars move; they reshaped how they’re built. Without the need to accommodate a bulky engine and transmission, designers gained a new level of freedom. Batteries and motors can be positioned wherever they best serve the car’s layout, efficiency, or style.
Somehow, the engineers at Volkswagen decided that they’d leverage that freedom to put the cabin filter where you can only get to it by removing the hood.
That’s right, changing out the cabin filter, a routine maintenance item, requires taking off an entire body panel. In fact, it requires removing more than just the hood because adjacent panels on each side of the hood also have to come off. On top of that, the area hiding the cabin filter also contains another vital maintenance component. We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, though.
Not Where You’d Expect It
Typically, cabin filters are hidden behind the passenger side glove box. Simply opening the glove box, emptying it, and then squeezing it to allow it to lower is enough to gain access to the filter. In several cars, it takes less than a minute to get to the filter and around the same amount of time to change it. That’s why the spot where VW placed it in the ID. Buzz is so surprising.
Doing the job requires several steps. One must open the front panel, then unbolt two upper body panels on each side of the upper hood. Once those are off, the hood itself can come off, but only after disconnecting its electrical connections and windshield wiper sprayers. Once that’s done, the filter itself sits buried in the area between the body panel and the firewall.
While this is technically something that anyone can do without specialized tools or skills, it’s not exactly simple. That would probably be less of a big deal if the only thing under the panel was the cabin filter. After all, it’s a relatively rare maintenance item.
It’s Not Just the Filter
Sadly, Volkswagen also put other important bits like the brake fluid reservoir under there. That’s right, just to check your brake fluid level, you’ll need to go through all of this, too.
In other words, lots of folks are going to pay dealers to do this when it likely should’ve been simpler. AsJalopnik, who spotted this issue first, pointed out, “the ID Buzz is already expensive enough.” Perhaps it determined that customers willing to pay a premium would be happy to let the dealer maintain it. That’s just one more reason that it’s a far departure from the original.
A sign for the Public Broadcasting Service is seen on its building headquarters on Feb. 18, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will be shutting down.
The announcement came just one day after a major Senate appropriations bill omitted funding for the nonprofit that funds public media and a week after President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that yanked $1.1 billion in previously approved spending for CPB.
CPB, which Congress authorized in 1967, provides funds for National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service and hundreds of local stations across the United States. President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have criticized NPR and PBS of left-leaning bias, an accusation the public media organizations have rejected.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB, said in a statement Friday.
“CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care,” Harrison said.
She added that “public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country.”
CPB said employees were notified Friday that the majority of staff positions “will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025,” and a small transition team will stay through January 2026.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education spending bill for fiscal year 2026, which did not include any CPB funding.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the top Democrat on the panel, expressed her disappointment over the lack of a CPB allocation in the bill during a committee markup.
“It is a shameful reality and now communities across the country will suffer the consequences as over 1,500 stations lose critical funding,” Murray said.
In a win for the Trump administration, Congress passed a rescissions package in July that clawed back $9 billion in previously approved spending for public broadcasting and foreign aid, including $1.1 billion for CPB.
Trump signed the measure into law just days later.
In a county where one in four adults read at or below a third-grade level, Literacy Services of Wisconsin is doing what it can to help break down adult literacy barriers.
“We are here to provide educational opportunities for those who maybe either didn’t feel engaged in traditional classrooms or are just looking to improve their skills now,” said Holly McCoy, executive director of Literacy Services of Wisconsin.
On July 16, the organization opened its new headquarters, at 1737 N. Palmer St., in the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. Literacy Services provides free help to Milwaukee-area adults looking to continue their education, including GED prep, help in the transition to college and more.
More space brings bigger opportunities
The organization’s new headquarters includes several classrooms, space for virtual learners and a lounge.
Students can learn directly from Milwaukee Area Technical College professors teaching on site in the new dedicated MATC classroom.
The new Literacy Services of Wisconsin headquarters in Brewer’s Hill includes a Milwaukee Area Technical College community classroom where students can prepare to transition from “community to college,” Executive Director Holly McCoy says. (Photo by Alex Klaus)
MATC works with Literacy Services to help students transition from “community to college,” McCoy said. Classes typically build the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to succeed in college courses. Last year, 63 students transitioned from Literacy Services to a post-secondary school.
“We are kind of known for GED, whereas, like when people think of MATC, they think college,” McCoy said. “We kind of create the bridge.”
Literacy Services is also raising funds to develop a GED testing room with four stations. As the organization works to raise funds, it did receive good news recently as a $235,000 freeze in federal funding was lifted.
Frozen funds had presented major challenge
Literacy Services was one of many adult education programs waiting on federal funds frozen by the Trump administration. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which supports adult education programs, covers about 10% of Literacy Services’ budget.
McCoy said before the funds became available that losing them would have a “tremendous impact” on her organization’s programming.
“We’ve thought about these things and we definitely don’t want to see a disturbance to our students,” McCoy said.
‘Open to the community’
Holly McCoy, executive director of Literacy Services of Wisconsin, cuts the ribbon during the grand opening ceremony for its new headquarters in Brewer’s Hill. (Photo provided by Literacy Services of Wisconsin)
As the headquarters moves from downtown to Brewer’s Hill, McCoy looks forward to growing roots in a more accessible and centralized location.
“I love the fact that we are in a neighborhood,” McCoy said.
“This location matters. It’s not tucked away. It’s in one of Milwaukee’s most historic and visible neighborhoods. It’s accessible, it’s walkable, and, most importantly, it’s open to the community,” Hill said. “Having invested in partners like LSW here creates an effect.”
Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the new location opens doors for Milwaukee adults who want to grow, learn and thrive.
“Here in our city, we believe that it’s never too late to finish your education, to earn a diploma, or even to pick up a brand-new skill,” Johnson said. “Literacy Services is making all of that possible, and I’m proud that Milwaukee is a place where opportunity doesn’t stop, it actually expands. It grows.”
Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
Only 28% of EV owners got same-day service in 2024, down from 40% in 2023.
Nearly one third of EV owners say their service takes longer than gas vehicles.
Mobile EV service grew to 19 percent of owners using technicians at home.
As electric vehicle become more common, the conversation is shifting from how many are being sold to how well they’re being supported. A new study suggests that dealership service departments may not be keeping up.
Based on customer survey data, the report reveals that 82 percent of EV buyers are open to purchasing another one. What’s shocking, though, is that this high level of satisfaction comes despite 85 percent needing some form of dealership service within the first year.
In the first half of 2025, more than 607,000 electric vehicles were sold in the United States, setting a new record. That surge may partly reflect a rush to buy before federal incentives begin phasing out. Those growing adoption numbers might make a concerning statistic even more challenging, too. EV owners who were able to get same-day service for their cars dropped from 40 percent in 2023 to just 28 percent in 2024.
Wait Times Are Increasing
That’s one of many data points we’re learning about via a new study from CDK Global. It also tells us that owners who had to wait three days or more jumped from 9 percent to 14 percent between those two years.
Nearly a third of EV owners said servicing their electric vehicle took longer than a gas-powered one, with non-Tesla drivers feeling the wait more acutely. According to CDK, 34 percent of non-Tesla owners reported longer service times, compared to just 23 percent of Tesla owners. On the bright side, 53 percent of non-Tesla drivers said EV service cost less than gas vehicle maintenance, compared to 41 percent of Tesla owners.
“We know dealers are prepared for EV service, but our most recent findings show EV owners are waiting longer to have their cars serviced, and it’s taking multiple visits to have their issue resolved,” David Thomas, director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst at CDK, told Auto News.
How Long Did EV Service Take from Drop-Off to Completion?
2024
2023
Same day
28%
40%
Following day
29%
21%
2 days
21%
22%
3 days
14%
9%
4 days
4%
4%
5 days
2%
2.00%
5+ days
2%
2.00%
Source: 2025 CDK EV Ownership Study
SWIPE
While lots of owners had their issues fixed in a single trip, repeat visits to the dealer are on the rise. Just 65 percent of non-Tesla owners reported one-and-done service experiences. A whopping 21 percent needed four or five visits to fix their problem. That certainly sounds familiar, given some of the strange service issues we’ve covered here.
Not All the News Is Bad
The study isn’t without its upsides, though. Only 13 percent of EV owners said they had to pay out of pocket for service. 16 percent of appointments were recall-related, and that figure split evenly between Tesla and other brands.
Mobile service is also expanding, with 19 percent of owners reporting that a technician came to them to work on their car in 2024, up from 14 percent the year before. Dealer pickups are slowly gaining traction as well, climbing from 6 percent in 2023 to 9 percent in 2024.
Finally, it’s important to point out that this study is entirely based on customer surveys. These are electric vehicle owners, so while they do have first-hand experience, the data gathered here isn’t unquestionable. As is the case with any survey, bias is a major concern and almost certainly a factor in the results. That said, some statistics mentioned here, like how long service took, are likely good indicators of the average ownership experience.
Cybertruck owner returned from vacation to find his EV dead despite being plugged in.
Tesla quickly diagnosed a failed power converter and towed the truck for free repairs.
The company confirmed heat and charging were not the cause and covered repairs.
Imagine coming back home after a couple of weeks away to find your six-figure EV dead as a doornail. If it had been unplugged the whole time, slowly draining its battery, the situation might have made more sense. But in this case, the Cybertruck in question was connected to a charger the entire time.
When the owner, AJ Esguerra, returned to his Cybertruck after two weeks away, he realized it had been getting juice for almost two straight weeks. Parked in scorching-hot Arizona, he worried he’d fried something for good. One message to Tesla service ended up being all he needed.
Unexpected Silence After Two Weeks Plugged In
The initial worry for Esguerra was real. He posted to the Cybertruck Owner’s Club on Facebook looking for insight. “Need some help- we were on vacation for 2 weeks and just returned and the CT won’t power on at all. I looked at my app and it says it last connected 11 days ago,” he wrote.
Given the conditions, he thought perhaps the heat waves passing through Arizona might have come together with a constant trickle charge and ruined something on the truck.
“We’ve had record heat the past week. Is it possible it overheated and damaged the battery or can I try a master reset before I set up a service call,” he asked fellow owners. Responses were mostly kind but a few probably weren’t what he wanted to hear.
“It’s bricked bro…” said one person. “An insurance fire is the only solution,” said another. Thankfully, some folks provided reassurance and simply directed him to contact Tesla service. When he did, the ball rolled quickly downhill.
“Tesla service is on the way. Quick response through app and received a call immediately,” Esguerra says. From there, the technicians jumped the truck to life, towed it to a service center, and dug deeper.
The Real Culprit
What they found was that the power converter failed. According to AJ, it had nothing to do with charging the truck or the heat or the combination of the two. In fact, he says that Tesla told him to just leave it plugged in for as long as he wants.
“They recommend to keep it on the charger at all times. It will stop charging when it’s full. He said they have a lot of snowbirds with CTs that leave for months and keep it on the charger with no issues,” he says.
In a world full of cases where cars break and warranty or service work ends up being less than ideal, this is a nice break from that disappointment. AJ says he’s back on the road and that Tesla covered everything. That’s as happy an ending as one could hope for here.
A Cybertruck owner says his pickup has sat at a service center for weeks with a squeak.
Tesla’s team has had the truck for 40 days straight without finding the source of the noise.
The owner now wants Tesla to buy back the truck or provide a brand-new replacement.
Beyond serious mechanical issues, squeaks and rattles rank high amongst the most annoying things one may have to deal with in any car. Imagine, though, if your ride had an incessant rattle or squeak despite it being basically brand new and costing six figures. That’s what one Cybertruck owner is dealing with right now, and Tesla seems incapable of fixing the electric pickup.
The owner first posted about his experience on Facebook in June: “My Cybertruck is in service for a squeak coming from the front left pillar near the windshield. The service team tried using foam and insulation, but couldn’t fix it,” he said. At that point, the team decided to send the truck to a collision center.
Ongoing Repairs With No Resolution
From there, things haven’t improved. In a newer post, he claims that the center has had the truck for 40 consecutive days without finding a fix. “They’ve replaced parts, added insulation, and tried multiple approaches, but the issue remains,” he says. That appears to include disassembling several components and reworking them to no avail. A message from Tesla service to the owner says it’s a top priority and that they’re working on it.
Interestingly, this doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident, as in the original post from June, several other owners claim to have similar issues.
“My CT has a rattling noise from the same area (front driver’s side dashboard / a-pillar area near front window) when going over bumps,” said another owner. “I have dashboard and pillar rattle and squeak too. This is third attempt to fix,” said another. “I’ve had so many creeks, squeaks, and rattles…. I’ve taken it in 5 times already,” said one more.
From Annoyance to Dealbreaker
Both ironically and sadly, one even admitted that it rattles so much that they just take a different car when they want a quiet ride. It sounds like that’s where the owner in this story is on his journey, too. He now wants Tesla to either buy the truck back altogether or for the automaker to give him a new one. There’s no telling if that one will squeak too though. We’ll follow this story and update you if we hear more.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Jamie L. Whitten Federal Building in Washington, D.C., pictured on Dec. 18, 2017. (USDA photo by Preston Keres)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to slash its presence in the Washington, D.C., area by sending employees to five regional hubs, Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday.
The department wants to reduce its workforce in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia from 4,600 to less than 2,000 and add workers to regional offices in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City.
The department will also maintain administrative support locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Minneapolis and agency service centers in St. Louis; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Missoula, Montana, according to a memorandum signed by Rollins.
The effort, which the memo said is expected to take years, will move the USDA geographically closer to its constituents of farmers, ranchers and foresters, Rollins said in a press release.
“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support,” Rollins said.
“President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country. We will do so through a transparent and common-sense process that preserves USDA’s critical health and public safety services the American public relies on.”
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican, called the announcement “very exciting news for Hoosiers.”
“Great to see these services move outside of DC and into places like Indiana that feed our nation,” he wrote on X.
Top Ag Democrat critical
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, slammed the plan, saying it would diminish the department’s workforce and that Rollins should have consulted with Congress first before putting it in place.
The move by President Donald Trump’s first administration to move USDA’s Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture out of Washington, D.C., resulted in a “brain drain” in the agencies, as 75% of affected employees quit, Craig said.
“To expect different results for the rest of USDA is foolish and naive,” she said Thursday. “Sadly, farmers will pay the price through a reduction in the quality and quantity of service they already receive from the department.
She called on the committee’s chairman, Pennsylvania Republican Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, to hold a hearing on the issue.
“That the Administration did not consult with Congress on a planned reorganization of this magnitude is unacceptable,” Craig added. “I call on Chairman Thompson to hold a hearing on this issue as soon as possible to get answers. We need to hear from affected stakeholders and know what data and analysis USDA decisionmakers used to plan this reorganization.”
Pay rates
The USDA release also appealed to the plan’s cost efficiencies. By moving workers out of the expensive Washington, D.C. area, the department would avoid the extra pay workers in the region are entitled to, the department said.
Federal workers are eligible for increased pay based on the cost of living in the city in which they’re employed.
Washington has among the highest rates, boosting pay for workers in that region by 33%. Other than Fort Collins, whose workers also earn more than 30% more than their base pay, the other hub cities range from 17% in Salt Lake City to 22% in Raleigh, according to the release.
The plan includes vacating several D.C.-area office buildings that are overdue for large maintenance projects, the department said.
It will vacate the South Building in D.C., Braddock Place in Alexandria, Virginia, and Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland. The George Washington Carver Center in Beltsville will serve as an additional office location during the reorganization, but will also be sold or transferred once the reorganization is complete, the memo said.
Each of USDA’s mission areas will still have a presence in the nation’s capital, according to the release.
But the plan includes consolidating several functions into regional offices in an effort to “eliminate management layers and bureaucracy,” according to the memo.
Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service, a key USDA agency, will phase out its nine regional offices primarily into a single location in Fort Collins. The agency will retain a small state office in Alaska and an Eastern office in Athens, Georgia, according to the memo.
The Agriculture Research Service will also consolidate from 12 offices to the five regional hubs.
And a series of support functions would be centralized, according to the memo.
Michael Adams, president of JobsWork MKE, ignored the warning signs his body gave him before having a heart attack on Jan. 29, 2024.
He now encourages Black men to pay attention to their health and trust the health care system.
“I think Black men aren’t trusting the system due to economics and the feeling of not being in control of the situation,” Adams said.
Ignored warning signs
Before his heart attack, Adams woke up vomiting with a burning throat. He took an Alka-Seltzer hoping it was indigestion.
Later that day, he gave a presentation at the Medical College of Wisconsin for work. During the presentation, his symptoms got worse. He experienced severe sweating, shortness of breath and body aches.
“I try to stay as active as I can, but I couldn’t understand why I’m walking across the street from the parking lot to the building out of breath,” Adams said.
Friendship and health
Timothy Grove, a network senior director of Trauma Informed Strategy and Practice at Wellpoint Care Network and a friend of Adams, was with him that day. He noticed before the presentation while walking with Adams that his friend was struggling.
“The way he was talking about his symptoms made me think it was important to encourage him to get checked out right away. I was also concerned about my friend and wanted him to be OK,” Grove said.
After the presentation, Grove took him to the doctor before he was sent to the emergency room.
Adams described Grove as a good friend for being there for him.
“Tim got on my nerves because I wanted him to drop me off and leave. Through it all, he was there, and stayed until I was OK,” Adams said.
Black men and hospitals
When he was admitted to the ER, hospital staff tried to calm Adams to prevent distress before they told him he was having a heart attack.
“Black men don’t listen to themselves. We don’t go to the ER because we don’t want all that comes with it,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, we are dying because we don’t listen to ourselves and our body.”
According to a study by the Milwaukee Health Department, the top cause of death for Milwaukee men is heart disease.
Michael Adams works out during a water exercise class at Noyes Pool on July 11. Adams goes to Noyes Pool three days a week, swims laps and is trained by a lifeguard and private swim coach. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
Understanding a heart attack
Adams discovered there was 95% blockage in one of his arteries. The day after his heart attack, doctors inserted a stent to open his artery and help restore blood flow.
“I came to the realization that over a year I haven’t felt right and my circulation has been off all along,” Adams said.
Adams experienced cramps and had inconsistent blood pressure readings.
After the stent was inserted, Adams was prescribed medication, and it was recommended he attend water physical therapy because of its low impact on the body.
A new lifestyle
Before his heart attack, Adams, a native of Milwaukee’s North Side, lived an active lifestyle, teaching martial arts and hiking regularly.
Now, Adams attends Noyes Pool three days a week. He swims laps there and is trained by a lifeguard and private swim coach.
“People always tell me ‘sorry for the heart attack,’ but I have a different perspective on it, and the best of life opened up to me since then,” Adams said.
Adams has lost 40 pounds and is glad he’s eating higher-quality food such as lean beef, vegetables and fruits. He also cut salt from his diet and drinks only water.
Michael Adams, who lived an active lifestyle before his heart attack, now swims regularly and has improved his diet. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
Witnessing transforming moments
Adams’ daughter, Lauren, proudly supports her father’s decision to make health a priority as a Black man.
“I tell my dad all the time that one day he’s going to break my heart by passing away. To know that he’s taking his health so seriously, I love that,” she said. “I’m an only child, and my dad is my favorite person.”
Heart disease runs in their family, Lauren said. Both of Michael’s parents died from heart disease.
Since his life-changing medical emergency, Michael has met other individuals who also experienced heart attacks. Some are members from his church, All Saints Catholic Church.
“When I was released to go to church, the men came up to me and said ‘Welcome to the club,’ ” he said.
Feeling a part of the process
Adams felt cautious about the steps he would have to take with his health. He felt the need to attach himself to his health care providers so he could trust the work they’re doing.
His initial doctor, Ian Gilson of Froedtert Hospital, retired after 20 years of caring for him.
“I liked that doctor because he understood Black anatomy really well,” Adams said.
Benjamin Tobin, a Black doctor at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, is his current provider.
Adams appreciates how his health providers are making him feel seen and heard.
“As Black men, we often get dictated to on how our health should go. My health providers made me a part of the plan, and I just signed off on it,” Adams said.
He urges Black men to take their health seriously.
“I survived, and I want other people to understand that you can, too,” Adams said.
The Social Development Commission, or SDC, is facing new developments with its funding, board and lawsuits.
Here is what you need to know.
Questions raised about vendor payments, leadership at board meeting
Amy Rowell, executive director of COA Youth and Family Centers, attended the SDC’s board meeting on July 17 to ask the board about the status of an unpaid invoice. In March, NNS reported programming changes at COA, which serves families in the Amani, Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods of Milwaukee.
Rowell said SDC owes more than $153,800 in reimbursements related to the Workforce Innovation Grant, which COA has requested from the agency multiple times since last August.
“It’s been putting a pretty significant hardship on the organization because we paid the invoice and now we’re just waiting for reimbursement,” Rowell said.
Jorge Franco, chair of the board and interim CEO of SDC, told Rowell that SDC would follow up with her but did not have an estimate of when the invoice would be paid.
SDC Commissioner Pam Fendt thanked Rowell for her comments and voiced concern about Franco’s leadership.
“I would like to make a public statement at this time that I do not feel that the board has been staffed by the interim CEO in a way that allows me to have input on budget or funding decisions,” Fendt said.
Commissioner Walter Lanier agreed, adding that the board should focus on how to govern more effectively.
“I think it’s extremely high priority, top priority, for us to do that and I think we need to make some changes to make that happen,” Lanier said.
Jorge Franco, chair of the board and interim CEO of SDC, speaks during a public hearing hosted by DCF in April. (PrincessSafiya Byers / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)
Federal review of community action status
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families in May planned to remove the SDC’s community action agency status, effective July 3. Removing that status would make SDC ineligible for millions in Community Services Block Grant funding and hinder the organization’s path to relaunch services and secure other funding.
However, that decision is on hold while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, conducts a review of the state’s hearing and decision-making process and evaluates if it followed federal guidance.
The Department of Children and Families has sent documentation to HHS to examine for the review, according to Gina Paige, communications director for the department.
State moves forward with plans to replace SDC
The Department of Children and Families continues to look for agencies in the state that could possibly use the remaining block grant funding to be an interim provider of anti-poverty services in Milwaukee County if the state’s decision is upheld.
“DCF has received applications from interested community action agencies and is currently in discussions with relevant parties,” Paige said.
The state is preparing to move quickly to resume services if HHS upholds its decision and the de-designation is completed, she said.
“I think we’re likely going to see more of, like, the food services turned back on, probably some of the rental housing assistance, just because there’s some established networks there that folks will be able to leverage to get those turned back on,” Paige said.
The department is requesting applications from existing community action agencies to serve the unserved county because of the Wisconsin CSBG State Plan, which requires the state to see if an existing agency can take over services before creating a new community action agency.
Additionally, the future of the program is uncertain because President Donald Trump proposed eliminating CSBG funding in his budget for 2026.
If Congress decides to continue CSBG funding, the state will consider starting a process to select one or more permanent community action agencies to serve Milwaukee County, Paige said.
Foreclosure hearing scheduled
A new motion in the foreclosure lawsuit against the Social Development Commission’s property corporation could result in a judgment by October.
Earlier this year, Forward Community Investments Inc. filed a lawsuit against SD Properties Inc., the tax-exempt corporation that owns SDC’s buildings. The lawsuit resulted from SD Properties defaulting on mortgage payments on its North Avenue buildings, and it now owes over $3 million in loan obligations, interest and other costs, according to court records.
In June, the attorneys representing Forward Community Investments filed a motion requesting a summary judgment hearing, which has been scheduled before Circuit Court Judge J.D. Watts for 11 a.m. on Oct. 6 in Room 414 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th St.
A summary judgment hearing asks the court to grant judgment in favor of a party based on the lawwithout a full trial, according to William Sulton, SDC’s attorney.
“That is something that is common in foreclosure cases and other cases,” Sulton said. “It’s not something that surprised us or alarmed us.”
Before the summary judgment, there will be a scheduling conference in the case on July 24 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 414 of the courthouse.
Board changes and vacancies
Milwaukee Area Technical College appointed Michael Rogers, MATC’s vice president of student engagement and community impact, to its seat on the SDC board.
Commissioner Vincent Bobot’s term expired on June 1, but he remains as the chair of the SD Properties board.
Bobot was serving his third term as an elected commissioner for SDC’s District 6, in the southern portion of the county, and briefly served as the agency’s CEO and board chair last fall.
He said on July 17 that he is not sure if he plans to run for re-election.
Many appointments have been made to the SDC board in the last few months, but the board now has vacancies in all six elected board seats.
Lanier focused on filling vacancies, board consistency
Before the meeting, Lanier, the SDC commissioner, said he believes that working on the board’s governance, such as filling vacancies and holding elections to get community representation, will put the board in a better position to address the organization’s challenges.
“I think once we finish some of our transitions and get the board fully active, the board will be able to be moved forward in a more effective way,” he said.
States with weak gun laws, including Wisconsin, experience more firearm deaths among children ages 0 to 17, according to a study published in the June issue of JAMA Pediatrics.
“We cannot accept that harsh reality as normal,” said Nick Matuszewski, associate executive director at WAVE Educational Fund, a statewide grassroots organization dedicated to preventing gun violence. “This study provides dramatic evidence that when lawmakers step up and take action, they can save young lives.”
The study, authored by national public health researchers using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, found that in Wisconsin, which was categorized as one of 28 states with the most permissive gun laws, child firearm deaths increased by 15%. The most affected group nationally was African American children.
The study examined a period of time before and after a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that expanded local and state control over firearms laws.
After that ruling, many states enacted new and more permissive firearm laws, according to the report. The study looked at all types of firearm deaths, including suicides, homicides and unintentional shootings.
In 2015, Wisconsin ended its 48-hour waiting period to purchase firearms, said Tyler Kelly, policy and engagement senior associate at WAVE.
Kelly said many neighboring states and others across the country have strengthened their laws on background checks.
“In Wisconsin, we have no red flag law, weak storage laws and a lack of a waiting period for buying a firearm,” Kelly said. “All have been shown to save lives.”
Reaction from state leaders
State Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, said the findings of the study are no surprise to anyone who lives in Milwaukee.
“We see the consequences of this inaction in every child that dies and every family that grieves,” Johnson said. “Most of the kids killed by gun violence in Wisconsin come from right here in our city.”
New Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said during a recent interview that 24 students in the district were victims of homicide this school year. Most were shot.
New legislation, same old story
Johnson is among a group of Democratic elected officials who are pushing their Republican counterparts to move forward the Safe Summer package of legislation that would revamp the state’s gun laws.
“I’m always hopeful, but if I’m being realistic, over and over again, Republican leadership has refused to debate common-sense gun safety proposals,” Johnson said. “Even a hearing would be a step forward at this point. I don’t believe that’s too much to ask.”
Championing the legislation is Democratic State Rep. Shelia Stubbs of Madison. She experienced a mass shooting at a school in her district in December 2024.
“That day was a really difficult day for me. As a parent, I cried,” she said. “I don’t know how many more people must die from gun violence in the state of Wisconsin.”
The Safe Summer package includes four bills. They would reinstitute the 48-hour waiting period to purchase a firearm; create an extreme-risk protection order, also known as a red flag law; ban ghost guns; and institute universal background checks for all firearm purchases.
“We need better gun laws to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” Stubbs said.
Gov. Tony Evers included similar measures in his last budget request, but they were removed by Republican lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Finance.
NNS reached out to several Republican elected officials from Wisconsin for comment, but they did not respond.
Republican leaders in Wisconsin and Second Amendment advocates have said over the years that gun violence is tied to a lack of accountability for criminals and not gun ownership.
Stubbs and others disagree. She said the Republicans in Wisconsin refuse to discuss gun control legislation.
‘We need better gun laws’
“We need better gun laws to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” she said. “It’s important to talk about the gun safety legislation to regulate access to firearms and promote responsible gun ownership.”
Kelly said polls have found that the majority of Wisconsinites support stronger gun laws, including universal background checks and waiting periods to purchase guns.
“If you’re using the gun for the right reasons, you shouldn’t have a problem waiting two days for it. “People in crisis shouldn’t be able to get a gun at the snap of their hands.”
Stubbs said another major issue that the legislation would resolve is closing a loophole that allows private sales of firearms without background checks.
“Those are transactions that do not get vetted,” she said.
A universal issue
While proposed gun laws often become a partisan issue in Wisconsin and around the country, Stubbs hopes that changes.
She said Democrats are looking for a Republican co-sponsor for the bills, calling gun violence a universal issue that affects everyone.
“At the end of the day, many of my colleagues are parents. They have loved ones. Gun violence has impacted all of us in one way or another,” Stubbs said.
Her hope is that something gets done before the next tragedy.
“I hope it doesn’t take something more to happen before we do something,” she said. “We want everyone to have a safe summer. Enough is enough.”
As she sits on her living room sofa surrounded by a large cutout, framed photos and a houseful of other reminders of her son Javon, Andrea Wilson, 41, can’t help but lose hope that her son’s murder will ever be solved.
“Nobody’s ever going to be held accountable,” she said. “It just feels like no one is going to be held responsible for his murder.”
It’s been nearly a year since she’s heard from Milwaukee homicide detectives and more than 16 months since Javon, 21, was hanging out with a group of friends when someone opened fire on them. They took him to St. Joseph’s hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound to his stomach.
Losing her firstborn is bad enough, she said, but not having justice makes it harder. Wilson is not alone in her struggles. In Milwaukee, hundreds of families share the unenviable bond of having a loved one murdered, with no one held responsible for it.
Unsolved murders in Milwaukee
From 2020 to 2024, 901 homicides occurred in the city of Milwaukee. Over 350 of those murders remain unsolved, based on homicide clearance data provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
The homicide clearance rate refers to the percentage of cases cleared through arrest or because an arrest is impossible because of certain circumstances such as death, divided by the total number of homicides. Clearance rates also factor in murders solved during a calendar year for incidents that occurred in prior years.
The clearance rate in Milwaukee fluctuated between 50% and 59% from 2020 to 2023. The year Javon was murdered, in 2023, 59% of 172 murders were cleared.
Last year, when homicides dropped in the city by 30%, the clearance rate rose to 78%. Unsurprisingly, the clearance rate was lowest during the peak of the COVID pandemic when the number of homicides exploded in Milwaukee.
Javon’s story
Javon was a fast talker and good kid who excelled at wrestling and other sports in school. He was also extremely bright, graduating from West Allis Central High School with a 3.9 GPA. Offered two college scholarships, he chose instead to attend MATC and pursue his dreams of being a rapper and entrepreneur.
The day he got shot began like any other. He went to play basketball, came home to shower, and he let his mother know that he was heading out again.
Then there was a knock at the door, and she learned Javon had been shot and was in the hospital.
As she arrived, she asked about his condition.
All the hospital staff would tell her, she said, is that they were waiting for detectives to arrive.
“I should have realized then that he was already dead,” Wilson said.
Wilson said her son wasn’t the intended victim but got caught up in someone else’s beef.
After he died, she said, she called detectives for two weeks straight, even providing the names of potential suspects.
“It didn’t matter. They called it hearsay,” Wilson said. “I feel like I know who murdered my son.”
MPD stated that it continues to seek suspects in Javon’s homicide.
‘There’s no stopping them’
Janice Gorden, who founded the organization Victims of Milwaukee Violence Burial Fund 10 years ago, said it’s common for mothers to conduct their own investigations in their loved one’s murder.
“Sometimes they have way more information than the detectives do,” she said.
Sadly, she said, many become consumed with trying to solve the murder themselves.
“They drive themselves crazy trying to find answers to who killed their loved one,” she said. “I try to help but I can’t. I just listen to people like that because there’s no helping them. There’s no stopping them.”
Since Javon’s death, Wilson said she’s gone through thousands of emotions, one of them being severe depression. Her mother, who helped raise Javon, her first grandson, is equally devastated. Javon also had a special bond with his little brother Shamus, who’s 8 years old.
Shamus keeps a large cutout of Javon’s high school graduation photo in his bedroom and even grew out his hair to mimic his brother’s dreadlock hairstyle. Wilson said Shamus has struggled with anger issues since his big brother was killed.
“He doesn’t know how to adjust his emotions,” she said. “It’s been a very downward spiral for all of us.”
Brenda Hines founded an organization in her son Donovan’s memory to help other grieving families. (Edgar Mendez / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)
‘I never knew it would happen to me’
Like Wilson, Brenda Hines knows the pain of losing a son to gun violence.
Her middle child, Donovan, 23, was shot and killed while driving a car near North 29th Street and West Hampton Avenue in 2017. His case also remains unsolved.
Hines said Donovan was never afraid to travel somewhere new without a plan other than to make it. She said she isn’t sure whether her son was killed in an ongoing dispute over a car or whether it stemmed from a woman.
“I know there were people at the funeral home and at his vigil who knew,” she said.
Hines has worked as a Salvation Army chaplain since 2014, heading to crime scenes to help other families deal with tragic incidents such as murders.
“I never knew it would happen to me,” she said.
Since Donovan’s death, she’s turned her pain into action, opening the Donovan Hines Foundation of Exuberance to honor her son and to help other families by providing mental health, grief counseling and other support.
She also hosts an annual vigil to honor homicide victims in Milwaukee, part of a national series of events. Many of the families she’s met along the way are also waiting for justice for their loved one’s murders.
“It really tears the family apart,” she said. “It’s like an open wound that is still bleeding. The tears flow every day.”
Hines says she can’t tell families she knows exactly how they feel.
“Every situation is different. But, I can tell them I understand,” she said.
Solving murders
James Hutchinson, captain of the Milwaukee Police Department’s Homicide Division, said his team of 33 detectives remains committed to solving a case even as the days grow into years.
“If someone comes in and says we have info on something that happened five years ago, we’ll take that info and follow up,” he said. “From the first two weeks, to a month, or months or years down the line, we’re equally as committed to solving a murder as we were today.”
Many families, such as those of Hines’ and Wilson’s, question whether every stone gets turned in an investigation.
“I don’t know if they did their due diligence,” Wilson said. “I don’t know if they care.”
Hines, who has worked closely with officers during her time as a chaplain, said she respects the challenges police officers face.
“They don’t have enough evidence,” she said.
Still, she can’t help but feel that more could have and should be done.
“I’ve met personally with detectives because they won’t call back,” she said. “It’s a bad process.”
Though it may not be much solace to the hundreds of families in Milwaukee still hoping for justice, Hutchinson said he and the detectives in his unit take each case personally. They know that the victim’s family and friends are devastated by their loved one’s murder.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “Making a death notification is one of the hardest parts of this job.”
Hutchinson said resources in his department were spread thin when murders exploded in the city during the pandemic, which increased the challenge of building a case.
The biggest challenge, though, he said, is that witness cooperation isn’t what it used to be.
“It’s changed for the worse,” Hutchinson said. “There wasn’t a no snitching campaign back then.”
Wilson admits that witnesses to her son’s murder were reluctant to talk to police. She tracked down suspects on her own and offered those names to officers. That wasn’t enough to warrant charges, police told her. She needed her son’s friends to step up.
“At this point y’all should tell what happened,” she told them. “Somebody needs to be held responsible.”
How Milwaukee compares nationally
Thomas Hargrove, founder of the Murder Accountability Project, the largest database of unsolved murders in America, said Milwaukee homicide clearance rates are similar to what he saw nationally, especially during the pandemic.
Many cities have struggled to solve murders since then. Part of the challenge is resources.
“When you have enough resources, good things happen. When you don’t, bad things happen,” Hargrove said. “When you have over 200 murders, your system is off.”
He also said it’s also much harder to get a conviction now than it was 20 years ago, which can create friction between the district attorney’s office and local police.
Although police might make an arrest in a homicide case, that doesn’t mean that charges will be filed.
Police, Hutchinson said, only need probable cause to make an arrest. The burden of proof at the district attorney’s office, which files homicide charges, is higher.
“They have to be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said. “Many times we will make an arrest for probable cause, but we can’t get to that level.”
What often happens, Hutchinson said, is that officers will bring a case to the DA’s office or discuss what evidence they have and then have a dialogue about whether more is needed to file charges.
While that can bring some frustration, admits Hutchinson, it is better than arresting the wrong person.
“My worst nightmare I would have in the world is to have the wrong person held accountable for a crime,” he said.
Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern acknowledges that the work to hold someone accountable for murder can be burdensome on families seeking justice.
“Obviously there is a significant gap between the evidence needed to make an arrest versus the evidence needed to successfully prosecute a case,” Lovern said.
The reason for caution and continued dialogue with officers in hopes of building a strong case is because there’s no room for error.
“We really have one opportunity with a particular suspect to bring forward charges, and we want to get it right. Not only for the person charged, but the victim’s family and the integrity of the system,” he said.
Regardless, said Hargrove, the more murders that remain unsolved, the worse it is for everyone.
“The more murders you clear, the more murderers you get off the street, the more the murder rate will go down,” he said.
Trying to move on
As Hines reflects on the ripple effect her son’s murder has had on her family, she does the only thing she can to maintain hope.
“I have to have the peace of God,” she said. “He has taken care of the situation. I still get angry but I have to let God take control.”
Meanwhile, Wilson, who still talks to Javon’s friends regularly, visits his grave monthly, and she threw him a huge birthday bash in May.
She wonders whether it’s time to put away some of his photos. Among them are large poster boards filled with pictures that were on display during Javon’s funeral.
“I have to admit it is kind of depressing,” she said. “But it makes me feel like he’s still here with me.”
For more information
Anyone with any information about murders is asked to contact Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7360. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS (8477).
It allows for an individual to request federal agencies conduct a review of a homicide case investigation to determine whether it warrants a reinvestigation.
White House budget director Russ Vought speaks with reporters inside the U.S. Capitol building on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday night moved one step closer to canceling $9 billion in previously approved funding for several foreign aid programs and public broadcasting after GOP leaders addressed some objections.
Nearly all the chamber’s Republicans voted to begin debate on the bill, though Maine’s Susan Collins, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski opposed the procedural step along with every Democrat.
The 51-50 vote marked a significant moment for President Donald Trump’s rescissions request, which faced more headwinds in the Senate than in the House. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
Trump proposed doing away with $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that lawmakers had approved for the next two fiscal years as well as $8.3 billion from several foreign aid accounts.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides funding to National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service and local media stations throughout the country.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said before the vote that some of the progress stemmed from removing a spending cut for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a global health program to combat HIV/AIDS launched by former President George W. Bush.
“There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue and that’s reflected in the substitute,” Thune said. “And we hope that if we can get this across the finish line in the Senate that the House would accept that one small modification.”
South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, who had raised concerns about cutting funding for rural public broadcasting stations run by tribal communities, announced a few hours before the vote he’d reached an agreement with the White House.
“We wanted to make sure tribal broadcast services in South Dakota continued to operate which provide potentially lifesaving emergency alerts,” Rounds wrote in a social media post. “We worked with the Trump administration to find Green New Deal money that could be reallocated to continue grants to tribal radio stations without interruption.”
Rounds said during a brief interview that $9.4 million will be transferred from an account within the Interior Department directly to 28 Native American radio stations in nine states.
“I had concerns specifically about the impact on these radio stations that are in rural areas with people that have basically very few other resources, and to me, they got caught in the crossfire on public broadcasting,” Rounds said. “And so I just wanted to get it fixed and I was successful in getting it fixed.”
White House budget director Russ Vought told reporters after a closed-door lunch meeting with Republican senators that he didn’t want to get “too far ahead” of discussions, but that his office was working with GOP senators to ensure certain local broadcast stations “have the opportunity to continue to do their early warning system and local reporting.”
Maine’s Collins wants more details
Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Collins, who voiced reservations about several of the rescissions during a June hearing, said preserving full funding for PEPFAR represented “progress.”
But Collins said a few hours before the vote she still wants more details from the White House budget office about the exact source of the other $9 billion in cuts to previously approved spending.
“One of the issues, which I raised at lunch, is the total is still $9 billion and it’s unclear to me how you get to $9 billion, because he’s listed a number of programs he wants to, quote, protect,” Collins said, referring to Vought. “So we still have the problem of not having detailed account information from OMB.”
Collins, R-Maine, then held up a printed version of the 1992 rescissions request that President George H.W. Bush sent Congress, which she said was “extremely detailed” and listed each account.
“I would contrast that to the message that we got for this rescission, which just has a paragraph and doesn’t tell you how it’s broken down in each program,” Collins said, adding she’s still “considering the options.”
The Senate’s procedural vote began a maximum of 10 hours of debate that will be followed by a marathon amendment voting session that could rework the bill. A final passage vote could take place as soon as Wednesday.
Trump expected to send more requests
The House approved the legislation in June, but the measure will have to go back across the Capitol for a final vote since the Senate is expected to make changes.
The effort to cancel funding that Congress previously approved in bipartisan government funding bills began last month when the Trump administration sent Congress this rescission request.
The initiative, led by White House budget director Vought, is part of Republicans’ ongoing efforts to reduce federal spending, which totaled $6.8 trillion during the last full fiscal year.
Vought expects to send lawmakers additional rescissions proposals in the months ahead, though he hasn’t said publicly when or what funding he’ll request Congress eliminate.
Once the White House submits a rescission request, it can legally freeze funding on those accounts for 45 days while Congress debates whether to approve, amend, or ignore the proposal.
Johnson slams funding for public media
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a press conference before the PEPFAR removal was announced that he hoped the Senate didn’t change the bill at all.
“I’ve urged them, as I always do, to please keep the product unamended because we have a narrow margin and we’ve got to pass it,” Johnson said. “But we’re going to process whatever they send us whenever they send (it to) us and I’m hopeful that it will be soon.”
Johnson said canceling the previously approved funding on some foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting represented “low-hanging fruit.”
Federal funding for public media, Johnson said, embodied a “misuse of taxpayer dollars” on organizations that produce “biased reporting.”
“While at its origination NPR and PBS might have made some sense, and maybe it does now,” Johnson said. “But it shouldn’t be subsidized by taxpayers.”
Trump has also sought to encourage Republican senators to pass the bill without making any significant changes.
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together,” Trump wrote on social media last week. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Homer Blow, a well-known radio personality and producer in Milwaukee, saw more than fireworks shoot off outside his North Side home on the Fourth of July.
He witnessed flames from a fire that damaged homes, destroyed at least one garage and engulfed two vehicles – the result of illegal fireworks.
“There were multiple people on multiple blocks setting off those really big fireworks,” Blow said.
Blow filmed firefighters working to put out flames just four houses down from his home on the 2900 block of North 53rd Street near Sherman Park.
Growing problem in Milwaukee
The incident is part of a growing trend in Milwaukee: fires caused by illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July. This year, there were seven fireworks-related fires on July 4, according to data provided by Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski.
In 2020, there was one. Five of the seven fires this year – including the fire on North 53rd Street – occurred on the north or northwest sides of the city, according to fire department reports.
Since 2020, there have been 17 fires on the Fourth of July linked to fireworks. That total could be higher because determining the precise cause of a fire is difficult, Lipski said.
“We do not always either know or have available to us the exact cause just based upon the realities of fire damaging/destroying evidence for all of these fires,” Lipski wrote in an email to NNS.
The fire on North 53rd Street also damaged this garage and destroyed several garbage carts. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
‘I just needed to make sure my family was safe’
Shanise Sanders knows all too well the damage fireworks can cause. Her Northwest Side home erupted in flames last year on the Fourth of July.
Sanders said she and four family members were in their apartment at 6279 N. 84th St. when it caught fire.
“At the time, I had no fear – I just needed to make sure my family was safe,” Sanders said. “But it was definitely scary.”
Everyone made it out safely, Sanders said, but she and her family lost their home and all their possessions.
Illegal fireworks were used near the rear of the building, one of which reportedly lodged behind the electrical meter and exploded, according to information from the fire department.
Two years before Sanders’ fire, Christina Blake said her North Side home burned down on July 4 – with her daughter and grandchildren inside.
“They called me and said they see smoke coming from the wall,” Blake said.
According to Blake, a firework went between the sun porch and the house, where a socket was on the other side of the wall, resulting in an electrical fire.
“I wish people could know firsthand the damage it causes,” Blake said. “There should be more consequences.”
Fireworks banned in the city
The sale, possession and use of fireworks is illegal in the city without a permit approved by the fire chief, according to a city ordinance. Violators can face fines ranging from $500 to $1,000, and those who fail to pay may be jailed for up to 40 days.
The ban on fireworks came after the Milwaukee Common Council created a fireworks task force in 2006 to examine the impact of fireworks on public safety after a Milwaukee home was destroyed.
Ald. Mark Chambers Jr., who represents the district Sanders lived in, said in a statement that the fire that destroyed her home was entirely preventable, suggesting the Legislature revisit regulations surrounding these “commercial, high-grade explosives.”
Undeterred by the fire on July 4, people on North 53rd Street were setting off fireworks the next day, Blow said.
“I understand people want to light fireworks, but, I mean, you have to understand fire safety,” Blow said. “My whole thing is – what goes up must come down,” he said. “When those fireworks come down, they’re going to be hot.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
A program at Marquette University that trains Milwaukee-area teachers to incorporate the city’s untold stories – particularly those of communities of color – into their classrooms is losing federal funding.
The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter that stated it will not continue the grant, saying the program – called MKE Roots – reflects “the prior administration’s priorities and policy preferences and conflict with those of the current administration.”
The decision means funding will end this fall, leading to staff cuts and scaling back of programming.
It’s a loss for the teachers who participate – but one that will affect thousands of Milwaukee students, said Melissa Gibson, faculty director of MKE Roots.
“Students realize that their communities have this whole rich history of organizing and advocating, making our city not only what it is but also a better place,” Gibson said. “They feel more empowered to be their own community and civic leaders.”
‘A rich tapestry of cultural experiences’
MKE Roots is a professional development program for Milwaukee-area teachers that includes a weeklong summer training in which they visit local landmarks and meet with historians and community leaders.
Places this summer included America’s Black Holocaust Museum and Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.
Before the school year begins, teachers get help developing lesson plans that reflect what they’ve learned, then they meet at least four more times to collaborate.
There is also an online map with lesson plans and primary sources tied to Milwaukee neighborhoods.
“We are heralding the men and women – the legacies of our city’s past – so that our students understand that they are part of a rich tapestry of cultural experiences,” said Robert Smith, director of Marquette’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach, which houses MKE Roots.
Milwaukee schools often teach local history through a curriculum that focuses largely on traditional narratives – such as beer barons and European immigrants, Gibson said.
“Students don’t know that Black Milwaukeeans have been here since the 1800s” before Wisconsin was a state, she said. “They don’t know how and why Mexican migrants came to Milwaukee in the 1920s. They don’t know that Wisconsin was one of the first states to pass anti-LGBTQ discrimination laws.”
“No matter where you are as a teacher, you do something like this, and it gives you perspectives that I think truly, as a teacher – especially today – you need,” said Jeffrey Gervais, a fifth-grade teacher at Hamlin Garland School who is participating in this year’s training.
The letter
In 2023, the Department of Education awarded MKE Roots a three-year grant for $1.27 million. However, on June 18, the department sent a letter to Gibson that stated it will not fund the program for the third year.
The letter gave four possible reasons for the decision: The program violates the letter or purpose of federal civil rights law; conflicts with the department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness and excellence in education; undermines the well-being of the students the program is intended to help; or constitutes an inappropriate use of federal funds.
It did not specify which reason – or reasons – apply in this case.
The Department of Education did not respond to questions about its decision, but Smith said he can only assume it is because of the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, often known as DEI.
It calls for eliminating federal funding that supports “gender ideology” or “discriminatory equity ideology” in K-12 curriculum, instruction, programs or activities, as well as teacher education, certification, licensing, employment or training.
DEI or not DEI?
Smith rejects the idea that MKE Roots is a DEI program.
“The notion of DEI is fundamentally based on people having equal access to institutions,” he said. “What we are doing is actually attending to the various populations of students we serve.”
Smith also disputes the reasons listed in the letter from the Department of Education.
“None of the reasons are accurate relative to what we do with MKE Roots,” he said. “This is civics education at its purest – making sure our teachers have the tools to engage in important conversations with their students about Milwaukee, Wisconsin, their neighborhoods and communities, and their role in shaping those neighborhoods and communities.”
Smith and Gibson said they are appealing the decision.
Gibson said she is considering applying for a new Department of Education grant for civic education programs that develop “citizen competency and informed patriotism” especially among low-income students and underserved populations, according to the grant’s description.
It would require redesigning aspects of MKE Roots to put “founding documents in conversation with local context,” Gibson said.
“We would need to find a different funding stream to maintain what MKE Roots currently does,” she added.
Regardless of the outcome, she said, the work will continue.
“I was doing this work before I had funding, and I’ll do it after I have funding.”
A summer day on Golden Trout Lake in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, in east-central Idaho. (USDA Forest Service photo)
Members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee differed along party lines at a Thursday hearing about how the U.S. Forest Service should partner with states and how the federal wildfire response should be organized.
Senators of both parties emphasized the importance of working with state forest managers. But while Republicans praised the efforts of Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, a former state forest administrator in Idaho and Montana, to reach out to state governments, Democrats noted that President Donald Trump’s budget request for fiscal 2026 proposed eliminating a key program for state and tribal partnerships.
Democrats on the panel also raised a series of questions about the still-unfinished Forest Service budget request as the next fiscal year approaches in less than three months.
Schultz told the senators the budget proposal was not yet final, but confirmed the agency was telling states to prepare for zero dollars in discretionary spending for the State, Private, and Tribal Forestry program in fiscal 2026.
The program received more than $300 million in discretionary funding in fiscal 2024, plus another roughly $300 million in supplemental funding.
The Trump budget request does include $300 million for supplemental funds to the program that can be used for disaster relief.
Impact of ‘big, beautiful’ law
Ranking Democrat Martin Heinrich of New Mexico noted states are facing tighter budgets after passage of Republicans’ “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation law that includes a host of policy tweaks meant to reduce federal safety net spending while extending tax cuts for high earners.
Under the law, states will be required to pay billions more per year to cover a greater share of major federal-state partnership programs for food assistance and health coverage.
“States need that funding,” Heinrich said of the forestry program. “That is an example of a successful partnership. If we don’t have that funding, that’s not shared responsibility, that’s abdicating our federal responsibility… at a time when (state) budgets are being decimated by Medicaid cuts thanks to the big, whatever bill.”
Schultz said the state foresters had relayed similar concerns, which the administration was considering as it finalized the budget request.
Chairman Mike Lee of Utah said the Forest Service under Schultz had given states greater flexibility to set their own forest management policies.
“I want to thank you, Chief, for giving the states more and more authority, more involvement and more of an ability to set a course for the proper management of these lands,” he said. “I know that Utah is really looking forward to working with you to expand these partnerships and I know my state is not alone in that.”
Funding versus dialogue
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California also blasted the administration for cutting the state forestry spending.
“Every state that I’m aware of is having a tougher budget picture to face,” he told Schultz. “The threat of fires is real. The threat of fires is growing. How does it make sense for the federal government to zero out these programs?”
Schultz answered that the agency would continue “partnering with the states in dialogue and discussion.”
“But you’re zeroing out their resources,” Padilla said.
“That’s correct,” Schultz said. “It’s sharing that responsibility and pushing it to the states.”
Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, a former governor and Denver mayor, said the Trump budget request more broadly called for shifting more funding responsibilities to state and local governments.
“I see again and again, throughout all the budgets we’re seeing, is more costs shifted from the federal government to states and local areas that are going through their own budget struggles right now,” he said.
Montana Republican Steve Daines defended the idea of greater state responsibility, saying he had found the Gem State’s approach to land management more effective than the federal government’s.
“If you take a look at the landscapes across Montana and look at federal lands versus state lands, I can tell you the state’s doing a much, much better job in terms of stewardship of public lands than the federal government,” Daines said.
New firefighting service
Schultz said several times the administration had not yet finalized a plan to shift federal firefighting authorities to the Interior Department. The responsibility is currently split between the Forest Service, which is under the Department of Agriculture, and various Interior agencies, primarily the Bureau of Land Management.
Heinrich, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, raised concerns about the lack of a plan.
Heinrich said he was open-minded about the reorganization effort but was concerned that Congress had not yet seen a blueprint.
“I think there are many of us who are more concerned about the adequacy of that plan and would like to see that plan before we start making budgetary decisions about whether it’s a good idea or not,” he said. “I am very open to different ways of organizing how we fight fires on our national forests and our public lands. But I want to see the plan.”
Wyden raised opposition to the idea more broadly, saying the Forest Service should remain involved in firefighting.
“Nobody in my home state… has told me, in effect, ‘Ron we gotta have the Forest Service less involved in fighting fires,’” Wyden said. “But that is the net effect of your organizational plan.”
Schultz said the proposed reorganization would not cut any federal firefighting resources, but move the federal agency responsible for overseeing the issue. The administration would not put the reorganization in place this fire season, he added.
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