The Open Book co-op has announced that the bookstore will soon close its doors. I just got off the phone with Keith Schmitz, who helped to organized the venture. He said sales were going up. "However, along with the memberships we had taken

News is out that Joseph Zilber, legendary developer and philanthropist, died this morning at the Zilber Hospice in Wauwatosa at the age of 92. Zilber needs no introduction, as he was a household name in Milwaukee for decades—decades past, th

I’m about as frustrated with the pace of health care reform as everyone else (well, except the tea partiers). But it looks like an end may be in sight, with a vote on the most recent bill coming soon. One last hurdle has been clear

This just in: the state Supreme Court has just accepted the Milwaukee Paid Sick Days case. The District IV Court of Appeals kicked the case to the Supreme Court, saying that there were bigger issues surrounding the enactment of the measure that shoul

From his perch in Washington, Chris Cilizza puts a Tommy Thompson senate run at 50/50. Shepherd readers gave it a solid 65% chance. Me, I’m giving it a zero. Zip. Nada. Zilch. I think the former governor’s current flirtation wit

Remember Advocates for Student Achievement, the so-called “reform” group that recruited and raised money for candidates for the MPS board elections held in April 2009? It took almost a year, but the district attorney’s offi

Emilio de Torre from ACLU of Wisconsin is tweeting about a silent vigil at UWM. It’s peaceful, but police are parked nearby, Emilio says. About 75 students and faculty are demonstrating while Chancellor Carlos Santiago meets with three stu

It’s too bad that the Department of Children and Families didn’t respond to my questions before press time. I would have loved to have included their perspective in my article on the injunctions filed to halt child care license revocations bas

We’re number one! We’re number one! But it’s nothing to be proud of. The Wisconsin DNR issued another air quality warning today, the fourth day in a row. Fifty-four of the state’s 72 counties are affected, including

Let’s face it: if medical marijuana is going to be legalized in the state, it must be done now. The Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, a good, solid bill, has been introduced in the state Legislature. Gov. Doyle said he’d sign it if it&