Ruth Conniff

1 month ago | wisconsinexaminer.com | Ruth Conniff

A legacy of Wisconsin’s progressive tradition is its strong open records law, which compels the government to conduct its business in full view of the public and respond promptly to citizen demands for records from state agencies, public schools, city halls and police departments.

1 month ago | wisconsinexaminer.com | Ruth Conniff

It was a blustery, grey Saturday afternoon on March 15 as about 40 people wearing togas, carrying signs and waving upside-down American flags gathered on the steps of the Capitol in Madison to protest Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the current administration’s assault on democracy. The Madison rally, part of a loosely organized nationwide effort launched by the 5051 Movement, was one in a series of 50 protests held in 50 states on a specific day.

1 month ago | wisconsinexaminer.com | Ruth Conniff

In Tlaquilpa, a mountain village in the clouds, women wearing long skirts and colorful blouses walked to mass. Outside a colonial church with bright orange and yellow walls, a crowd of people holding Baby Jesus dolls celebrated Candelaria, the February holiday that combines Catholic and pre-Hispanic traditions, marking the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of spring.

1 month ago | wisconsinexaminer.com | Ruth Conniff

VERACRUZ, MEXICO — President Donald Trump’s threats to deport millions of Mexicans who are working in the U.S. without authorization does not have a large number fleeing the U.S. in fear, nor will it stop Mexican citizens from crossing the border to find work, according to many residents who shared their stories with the Wisconsin Examiner.

1 month ago | progressive.org | Ruth Conniff

A couple of Spanish farmers visited the Midwest in December on a “solidarity tour” with stops in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Javier Fatás, a dryland grain farmer, and Luis Portillo, a dairy farmer and cheesemaker, came to discuss the wave of farmer protests across Europe against unfair prices and trade policies and to promote international solidarity and the importance of food sovereignty, or local control over basic means of sustenance.