UW-Whitewater professor emeritus DeWitt Clinton’s sixth poetry book is about coping with personal feelings — a departure from his earlier works.
The post Wisconsin poet reflects on aftermath of COVID-19 in new, more personal collection appeared first on WPR.
Kara Hakanson’s show, "Dirty, Flirty, Thirty, and Out of Work," premiered in May at Honest Dog Books in Bayfield and will be hosted by Big Top Chautauqua’s Backstage on Oct. 11. She spoke with WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” about the production.
The post Local actor makes a show out of being ‘Dirty, Flirty, Thirty and Out of Work’ appeared first on WPR.
Update: Smart reached out to us and clarified that it has no plans for a direct successor to the original ForFour, and we’ve revised this story to reflect that.
Smart recently confirmed that a next-generation ForTwo is in the works and scheduled to arrive in late 2026 wearing the #2 badge. What caught many off guard, though, was a report about a more versatile four-door, the #4, essentially bringing back the spirit of the discontinued ForFour. Shortly after the story surfaced, though, Smart set the record straight.
Smart’s Global PR Director Jack Bailey told CarScoops: “I’m afraid the information in the Autocar report was incorrect. While we appreciate the interest in smart and our products, there are currently no plans to develop a forfour successor or a #4.” He added that “the positive feedback and enthusiasm from our fans and the public has been hugely encouraging. We are excited to share more details about the #2 soon.”
More: Smart Might Resurrect Its Most Fun Model
The original claim came from Autocar, following a conversation with Smart Europe CEO Dirk Adelmann during the Munich Motor Show. Adelmann was reported as hinting at a new model that “needs to look like a successor” to the last ForFour.
That car ended production in 2021 and was essentially a stretched ForTwo with an added pair of doors, sharing its platform with the Renault Twingo. It was itself a successor to the first-generation ForFour sold from 2004 to 2006, which had a front-engine setup and was based on the Mitsubishi Colt.
European Engineering Roots
Unlike the members of the current Smart lineup that were engineered by Geely in China, the #2 rides in a new platform developed in collaboration with Mercedes in Europe. Adelmann said that this is “very important because this team makes sure that we have a European product that is ready for European customers”.
The European chief reportedly noted that the company decided to expand the lineup with an additional model as they “need the economies of scale”. Smart has been trying to make a new ForTwo since 2019 but it appears they weren’t able to find a partner for joint development.
“We always were trying to make it feasible, but it took us three years longer than expected… Better late than never,” Adelmann explained. He added that the biggest challenge was making the platform small enough for the #2, since it’s “much easier to expand slightly” for a potential #4.
Expanding the Range
The Smart #2 will hold a distinctive spot as the only two-seat EV in Europe’s A-segment. If a #4 had materialized, it would have entered a much more crowded field, facing rivals such as the upcoming Renault Twingo and the production version of Volkswagen’s ID. Every1 concept.
The #2 will expand Smart’s range that currently includes the #1, #3 and #5 models. The naming scheme doesn’t strictly follow size, but even numbers are reserved for regular cars and odd numbers for SUVs. There are also reports about a possible Smart #6 sedan that would be consistent with this naming scheme.
More: This Smart SUV Is Quicker Than A BMW M3 And Nothing Like The Awful ForTwo
In the meantime, Smart is preparing updates for the #1 and #3 crossovers. Both will receive notable hardware changes in 2026 as part of a model-year update, followed by a more substantial facelift in 2027. The #1 launched in 2022 as the first product of Smart’s new era, with the coupe-like #3 arriving in 2023. The boxier #5, introduced in 2024, remains the largest model in the brand’s lineup.
Director Bill Rebane built his filmmaking career in Wisconsin's Northwoods and remains deeply tied to the region. Davies said the new version of this film pays tribute to that connection.
The post Wisconsin filmmaker directs reimagined 50-year-old cult classic film for Halloween release appeared first on WPR.
Kim Sajet left the Smithsonian after being criticized by President Donald Trump. But Sajet believes art museums can stimulate curiosity, connect communities and help people find meaning.
The post After criticism from Trump, new Milwaukee Art Museum director says art should spark curiosity appeared first on WPR.
Children at The Playing Field, a Madison child care center that participates in the federal Head Start program. (Courtesy of The Playing Field)
Federal judges in Rhode Island and Washington have blocked the Trump administration from excluding people without legal immigration status from a group of federal programs, including Head Start early childhood education.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Rhode Island halted a broad array of rules based on the new immigration restrictions from taking effect. Wisconsin was one of 21 states and the District of Columbia to join that lawsuit.
Reuters reported that a White House statement said the administration expected a higher court to reverse the decision.
On Thursday, a federal judge in the state of Washington ordered the Trump administration to pause a requirement that Head Start early childhood education programs exclude families without legal immigration status. That ruling came in a case brought by Head Start groups in four states, including Wisconsin.
Head Start programs were included in a broader federal directive that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued July 10 listing federally funded “public benefits” that must exclude immigrants without legal status under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.
Certain programs, such as Medicaid, have been required to verify lawful immigration status for participants. But since 1998, the federal government has considered a range of programs exempt that are generally open to all in a community, according to Reuters.
The July HHS order revoked the 1998 policy and closed the door to immigrants lacking legal status for Head Start along with a collection of programs providing mental health and substance abuse treatment, job training and other assistance.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued a preliminary injunction that halted orders from HHS as well as the departments of Education, Labor and Justice based on the policy shift.
“The Government’s new policy, across the board, seems to be this: ‘Show me your papers,'” McElroy wrote in her order.
McElroy wrote that the administration acted “in a rushed way, without seeking comment from the public or interested parties,” likely violating the federal Administrative Procedures Act.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez issued a temporary restraining order directing HHS not to apply the immigration restriction to Head Start programs.
Head Start programs have never been required to determine the immigration status of families in the program since it started nearly 60 years ago, according to Jennie Mauer, executive director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association.
The Wisconsin association joined the lawsuit against the HHS order filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of Head Start programs in the states of Washington, Illinois and Pennsylvania as well as advocacy groups in California and Oregon.
“This ruling affirms what we know to be both right within the law and right for communities,” Mauer told the Wisconsin Examiner on Friday. “Keeping eligible Head Start Families in the program is the best outcome for Wisconsin. Kids are safer and it keeps Wisconsin working.”
Martinez wrote in a 26-page opinion focused on the Head Start portion in the HHS order that harms the plaintiffs warned of “are not merely speculative.” Martinez was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed in 2004.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs told the court that a Wisconsin Head Start program reported at least four families withdrew after the federal directive was issued. Several Pennsylvania programs reported withdrawals, one reported that it expects to have to close and another said it will have to close one of its rooms due to a drop in enrollment.
The plaintiffs’ arguments “detail confusion on how to comply with the Directive, how to verify immigration status, who status is based on, whether non-profits are exempt, difficulties in recruiting and families obtaining proper documentation, and the families’ overall fear that reporting immigration status will result in a choice between family safety and a child’s education,” Martinez wrote.
The directive has unclear guidance and has had a “chilling effect” on programs as well as on families who have relied on Head Start, resulting “in the immediate harm of childhood education loss” and “leading to long-term harms in development,” he wrote. “It also results in parents losing childcare, risking missed work, unemployment, forced dropouts, and inability to pay life expenses and support families.”
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After years of speculation, the long-awaited return of Smart’s tiny city car is finally taking shape. The Smart #2 is set to arrive in late 2026, stepping in as the successor to the discontinued fortwo and riding on a brand-new electric platform.
Official teasers reveal a familiar silhouette with a short hood, a generous height, and a tiny footprint. The rear glass appears to be slightly more inclined than the fortwo, but the shape is instantly recognizable. Just like its predecessors, the #2 will have a two-seater cabin.
More: Smart Might Resurrect Its Most Fun Model
According to the automaker, the new model will “integrate mindful technology solutions while evolving the unique characteristics that made the original smart fortwo an urban icon”. It’s a direct nod to the car that first appeared in 1998, went through redesigns in 2006 and 2014, and eventually bowed out in 2024.
New Platform, Electric Drive
While Smart was looking for a potential collaboration to develop the underpinnings, they finally managed to successfully pass the feasibility check with their own platform. The new #2 will ride on an “all-new proprietary architecture for ultra-compact vehicles” and will be exclusively offered with a fully electric powertrain.
As with all modern smart products, the #2 will be designed and developed by Mercedes-Benz, with Geely being responsible for production in China. Naturally, it will be positioned as the entry point in the Smart lineup below the #1, #3, and #5 crossovers, and the rumored #6 sedan.
More: Smart Moves Past City Cars And SUVs, Prepares First Sedan To Debut This Year
The Smart #2 will be sold in China, Europe, and “other selected global markets”. Its debut is scheduled for late 2026 but chances are we’ll see more of it in upcoming teasers as it enters the final stages of development.
A Word From The CEO
The company’s CEO, Tong Xiangbei, commented: “I’m thrilled to confirm a new two-seater smart – the Smart #2. Developing an ultra-compact vehicle on an entirely new all-electric architecture is far more complex than creating a larger car. But now, we’re ready. Thanks to the unwavering support of our shareholders, we’ve strengthened our production and development capabilities and successfully renewed our brand and product lineup. It’s the perfect moment to reinvent our iconic city car.”
The current 7-Series, known internally as the G70, might be one of BMW’s most debated designs in years, second only to the polarizing Bangle-era E65. While enthusiasts wait for the Neue Klasse facelift expected in 2026, the present model has taken on a different kind of spotlight in Korea, where it has been turned into an art car.
This one-off creation comes from a collaboration with Lee Kun-Yong, widely regarded as one of Korea’s most influential avant-garde artists. Known for performances that use his own body as a medium, Kun-Yong often translates movement into striking abstractions, most famously in his Bodyscape series.
More: This BMW Prototype Hides A Solid Secret
A fully electric BMW i7 equipped with the M Package became the 83-year-old artist’s mobile canvas. He designed a special wrap anchored in a vivid red base, which remains visible on the front and rear fenders, side skirts, roof pillars, and rear deck.
However, the rest of the vehicle sports paintings with faces, hearts, leaves, and abstract shapes that cover the doors, the bumpers, the lower portion of the tailgate and the hood. Each side of the large executive sedan is unique, resulting in an asymmetrical layout.
According to BMW, the artist’s goal was to “reflect the precision and responsiveness inherent in the dialogue between driver and car, drawing parallels to his own artistic practice”.
Kun-Yong said that he views art as “a bridge between different objects, different people and even different perspectives,” and hopes the collaboration creates new points of connection between art and technology.
Exhibition In Seoul
The colorful i7 will be exhibited at the BMW Lounge in Seoul, Korea, between September 3 and 6, alongside a collection of 18 miniature art cars. Furthermore, Lee Kun-Yong will create a new canvas as part of a live show on September 4, taking inspiration from his work on the vehicle.
More: If You Thought The Star-Studded CLA Was Bad, Look At This Piece Of…Art
This year, the Bavarian automaker is celebrating 50 years of BMW Art Cars with a global exhibition program, and the 30 years of BMW Korea. For this reason, it is organizing an art fair that will be held at the Gagman district of Seoul, including 120 galleries from 30 countries. Finally, local artist Crush, known for creating a blend of pop, R&B and hip hop music, will perform at the latest edition of Frieze Music in Seoul on September 5.
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