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As 2018 comes to a close, it's a good time to reflect on all that's happened in the city this year. We cover a wide range of subjects that affect and interest you, our readers, in the categories of news, dining, music, arts & entertainment and sports, among many others. Of all of the stories that we covered this year, here are the ten most read:
Legalizing Marijuana in Wisconsin
Jul. 17, 2018 | By Elizabeth Elving
As a freshman legislator in 2014, Rep. Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) introduced a bill to fully legalize marijuana in Wisconsin. At the time, she found that a lot of residents supported the idea, even if they couldn’t bring themselves to say it out loud. “People would come up to me and quietly say, ‘I’m a fan of the stuff you’re working on’ or ‘Keep up the good work with that one policy,’” Sargent recalls. “It was almost like a wink and a nod. Code words were used.”
Read Elizabeth Elving's article here.
Read more of our cannabis coverage here.
The Deception Super Bowl
Feb. 6, 2018 | By Paul Noonan
I’m not worried about the Packers staying above the dregs when they’re fully healthy, but I now question whether they have the staff necessary to actually threaten for a championship. Rodgers is enough to keep everyone employed, but while it’s true that many things work with Rodgers at the helm, it is important to remember that there is a coaching staff out there that has things working even better with Nick Foles at the helm.
Read Paul Noonan's article here.
Read more of our Packers coverage here.
Walker's Horrendous Foxconn Deal Exposed
Nov. 20, 2018 | By Joel McNally
It probably didn’t seem that way at the time, but outgoing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker may have been fortunate the election ending his political career took place when it did. Just a week later, a major national announcement revealed the horrendous $4 billion deal Walker negotiated with Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn was by far the most astronomical taxpayer giveaway in U.S. history producing the fewest jobs. If voters had received such glaring proof of political incompetence before the election, Walker’s narrow defeat could have been a massive landslide even if he escaped getting tarred, feathered and chased out of the state with pitchforks.
Read Joel McNally's article here.
Read more of our Foxconn project coverage here.
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Does Brad Schimel Deserve His Reputation as 'the Worst Attorney General in Wisconsin History?'
Sep. 25, 2018 | By Melanie Conklin
Negative stories blasting Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel’s work as blatantly partisan, wasteful, shoddy, inept and error-riddled are not hard to find. Progressive news sources have called on him to resign, and recently one labeled him the “Worst Attorney General in Wisconsin History.” But Progressives and Democrats aren’t the only ones horrified by the incompetent mess and partisan machine Brad Schimel has sought to make of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in his four years as attorney general.
Read Melanie Conklin's article here.
Read more about Brad Schimel here.
The 50 Best Milwaukee Rap Songs of 2018
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Dec. 5, 2018 | By Evan Rytlewski
Nothing makes Milwaukee feel like a far bigger city than it actually is than its enormous reserve of rappers. While the city’s rap scene has always been crowded, this year it was more visible than ever, too, as a litany of ascending stars on the city’s North Side continued to do monster numbers online, building an audience beyond the city.
Read Evan Rytlewski's article here.
Read the latest articles in Evan's On Music blog here.
It's Time to Talk About Ryan Braun's Contract Again
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Photo credit Milwaukee Brewers
Jan. 2, 2018 | By Kyle Lobner
In sports, some things go on so long they start to seem eternal. The Brewers have a good example of this phenomenon in Ryan Braun’s contract. When Braun signed his current contract all the way back in 2011 it extended ten years into the future, more or less implying that Braun would be a Brewer forever. A decade in baseball is a really long time. Many years have since passed, however, and the end of Braun’s deal is starting to come into focus.
Read Kyle Lobner's article here.
Read the latest articles in Kyle's Brewers On Deck Circle column here.
Paul Ryan's Ugly Farewell by Joel McNally
Sept. 18, 2018 | By Joel McNally
Ryan’s greatest political skill has been looking straight into television cameras with wide, blue eyes to solemnly proclaim the innocence and high principles of Republicans who cruelly slash government assistance for Americans who have the least in order to cut the taxes of those who have the most. When Republicans’ backs are against the wall, Ryan, who once described Trump as “the textbook definition” of a racist and his Muslim ban as a violation of the fundamental principles of Ryan’s party and country, stands ready to pour millions of dollars into scurrilous, election-year attack ads right out of that handy, dandy, racist textbook.
Read Joel McNally's article here.
Read more of Joel's Taking Liberties column here.
Ten Unique Milwaukee Fish Frys
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Feb. 27, 2018 | By Lacey Muszynski
The classic Wisconsin fish fry is a classic for a reason: Everyone loves the usual battered cod, potato, slaw and rye bread combo. But changing things up once in a while is always welcome, especially during the Lenten season when you might be more inclined to grab a fry every week. For those times you want something different, try one of these 10 unique fish frys.
Read Lacey Muszynski's article here.
Read more of our dining lists here.
Police Shut Down Kool Keith's Riverwest Public House Show
Aug. 3, 2018 | By Evan Rytlewski
"He was in the middle of his *third* song when someone whispered in his ear, a cop got on the mic and told everyone that they thought it might be over capacity (the place was half empty), and that everyone was going to have to go outside, be counted, and then they'd let us back in," one attendee recounted. "But that didn't happen, they just shut it down."
Read Evan Rytlewski's article here.
Alders Blast People's Flag of Milwaukee as Racially Exclusionary and Unoriginal
Jul. 19, 2018 | By Evan Rytlewski
Supporters of adopting the People's Flag of Milwaukee as the city's official flag came to the Common Council hoping to clear a hurdle on Thursday afternoon. Instead they now have an additional hurdle to clear. A skeptical committee voted to delay sending a vote on adopting the flag to the full Common Council, saying the proposal must be reviewed by the council's Arts Board first.
Read Evan Rytlewski's article here.
Read more of our coverage of the official city flag here.
We would like to thank all of you for reading, and we look forward to giving you all more of the information you need in 2019.