Jennifer Martinez is a US Citizen. Her husband of 14-years has been deported. Click photo to hear her story.
“They’re breaking apart family and their breaking apart family on the basis of you know my husband and others being criminals and that’s exactly what they’re not. My husband doesn’t have a criminal record. There just has to be a legal venue in order for us to actually get a legal status and right now there isn’t anything.”
Click Photo to Watch Tom Morello Pump Up Demonstrators at the Wisconsin State Capitol Last Year
Last year, Morello also performed at Occupy Wall Street protests in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. He donated the proceeds from his Justice Tour concerts in Madison, Flint, Mich., and Cleveland to the Nation Institute.
“Tom Morello’s work in pursuing social and economic justice — and in telling the stories of working men and women — is exemplary and inspiring,” said Bruce Raynor, president of the Sidney Hillman Foundation. “Tom’s music, energy and leadership brings attention to causes that matter and inspires others to become more active on the public commons. In the words of another American songwriter, there’s a battle outside and it’s ragin’ — and almost any time we look, there’s Tom Morello right out in front.”
More video: GRITtv’s Laura Flanders interviews Morello in Madison last February … Continue Reading
Click photo to watch Grad students protest union busting move at U of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The union says while cuts to the college’s budget may prompt the administration’s action, it is not right to pay for budget cuts on the backs of graduate workers. The union is pressing Dr. Swain to honor the spirit of his promise of March, 2011 and “do no harm” to workers’ contracts.
More than 200 emails and phone calls were made last week by union members, faculty, alumni, classified and unclassified staff and students at the University demanding that the Dean reverse his decision to eliminate summer tuition remission.
More than 300 postcards have been delivered to the Dean’s office. The first segment of postcards were delivered to the Dean’s secretary, April 16, she said the dean was busy and could not meet with MGAA; second segment of postcards were delivered to office that was locked, not allowing MGAA leadership to even speak with secretary to get a receipt of the postcards delivered (Monday they were given receipts).
Click photo to watch video of rally for Trayvon Martin in Milwaukee
Wisconsinites are upset over the killing of Bo Morrison. Morrison was 20 year old Black youth that was killed in Slinger, Wisconsin, under protection of the “Castle Doctrine.”
Milwaukee residents are also fighting back against police brutality, which has seen a spike in the last year with illegal cavity searches and strip searches. Also, an on-duty Milwaukee police officer has been charged with the rape of a crime victim.
Filmed and edited by Dan Peters with the assistance of Jacob Flom
Click photo to watch protest videos
A coalition of activists from Occupy Milwaukee, Occupy Chicago, Occupy the Hood-Milwaukee, Occupy the Hood-Chicago, Occupy Riverwest, Students for a Democratic Society, Peace Action WI, Southside Together Organizing for Power, the Milwaukee Coalition to Protest NATO, Progressive Democrats of America, Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement, the Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association, International Action Center, and the Chicago Mental Health Movement, and AFSCME assembled to protest Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel at a fundraiser for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee, Thursday. The cost of entry to the fundraiser ranged from $400 and $2,500.
Protesters say Emanuel has moved to privatize Chicago city services, including recycling, a push for charter schools while closing several public schools and closing community health centers. Chicago’s new city budget privatizes all seven of the cities neighborhood health centers as well as closing half (6 of 12) of the cities mental health facilities. In the last year, Emanuel has issued lay off notices for more than 600 city employees, replacing these positions with private contracted workers.
 Workers' Rights Supporter In Madison Wisconsin - Photo by Natalie Rosen |
 Representative Steve Simon talks about gay marriage |
 Sparking Occupy Wall Street-Robert Reich debunks six right-wing "lies" |
 Tornado Hits Economically Depressed Minneapolis Neighborhood |
At the end of every year at The UpTake we’ve traditionally highlighted the most interesting videos of the year. But this year, several big stories transcended any one video. So instead, we’re looking back at those stories we covered that have had the most impact.
… Continue Reading
Click photo to watch constituents spar with US Senator Ron Johnson (R) Wisconsin
Senator Johnson brushes off constituents requests for increasing taxes on the rich, saying the US is facing a debt crisis and says we should be fearful of what is happening in Greece because it could spike interest rates and cost the US $1.2 trillion more in debt payments. Strangely enough, that’s approximately the same amount of money the US Treasury has lost because of the Bush tax cuts that Republicans have refused to let expire as they were slated to this year.
“We don’t have a debt crisis, we have a revenue crisis and we need the rich to pay their fair share” said one of Senator Johnson’s constituents. “If we increase taxes on the rich we can fund those programs that put people back to work right now. Bridges, roads, schools. We can put them back to work. Those are real jobs.”
“I’m concerned the disparity between the top and the bottom. I am”, says Senator Johnson. “The solution isn’t to tear the top down. The solution is to get our economy going again.”
That disparity according to Senator Johnson isn’t as large as others have described. He says the top 1% only earn 17% of the country’s wealth. However constituents crowding in his office quickly reminded him that the 1% controls 45% of the nation’s wealth.
Senator Johnson quotes Bush administration era statistics on government regulation costs. … Continue Reading
Click photo to listen to Senator Ron Johnson (R)-Wisconsin talk about the problems with minimum wage.
Transcript of Senator Ron Johnson’s conversation about minimum wage. … Continue Reading
Click picture to listen to President Obama welcome the Green Bay Packers to the White House
” I’m just going to come out and say it: This hurts a little bit. (Laughter.) This is a hard thing for a Bears fan to do. It doesn’t hurt as much as the NFC Championship game hurt — (laughter) — but it still hurts — you guys coming to my house to rub it in. (Laughter.)
What are you going to do — go to Ditka’s house next? (Laughter.)
” But in the interest of good sportsmanship, congratulations to the Green Bay Packers on your fourth Super Bowl championship and record 13th NFL championship. (Applause.) “‘
Transcript of President Obama welcoming the Packers to the White House … Continue Reading
Click picture to watch Wisconsin voters talk about the recall election
One apparently Democratic voter says Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker is a “puppet”. Several apparently Republican voters say the recall election is “ridiculous” and “silly”.
Those type of strong opinions are driving record turnout in some Hudson, Wisconsin wards today. At stake in the six recall elections is control of the state’s Senate and possibly reversing the radical direction Wisconsin has taken against unions. Earlier this year the state passed a law that could essentially end unions for state workers. A few weeks later, recall petitions brought about today’s elections.
In the western Wisconsin town of Hudson, voters are deciding whether to keep Republican Sheila Harsdorf or elect her Democratic opponent Shelly Moore.
Voters who turned out agreed very little on their view of the election except that they were all tired of the commercials, phone calls and mail generated by the campaigns and other groups. Spending on just the Harsdorf recall election is estimated around $5 million dollars.
Moore’s workers say the election will be close. Moore handily won the primary over a “fake Democrat” Republicans put up to run against her. But her margin of victory was smaller than most of the other Democrats who won recall primaries.
What’s at state for voters isn’t just an election. Several mentioned they want to repudiate the corporate spending that has driven “movements” such as the Tea Party.
“I don’t want to live in a kingdom”, said one voter. “I want to live in a democracy.”
Senator Al Franken announces the “Understanding The True Cost Of College Act” that would require colleges to use easier to understand language in their financial aid package offers to students.
Hindia Ali, Youth Leadership Development Coordinator at Somali Action Alliance is a delegate the the 2012 National Democratic Convention, the first Somali-American to be a delegate.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Obama ripped into Republicans for their lack of compromising and for the first time mentioned his likely Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, by name.
Minnesota women in healthcare predicaments met with with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Betty McCollum and Governor Mark Dayton on Friday — the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama says many of the factors that are driving up gas prices are out of our control such as unrest in the Middle East. However, he points out there are some things that are in our control such as fraud and manipulation that can cause prices to spike even further.
President Obama talks about an all-of-the-above American energy strategy at a Daimler manufacturing plant in North Carolina that’s making trucks that run on natural gas.
Senator Al Franken is used to close elections. This time he didn’t beat his opponents, but had to settle for a tie with Representative Chip Cravaack in the second annual Minnesota Congressional delegation hotdish cookoff.
President Obama would like to reform taxes so we reward companies that invest in the US, not ones that send jobs overseas. But there are some barriers, such as Congress.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu uses his photo op with President Obama today to talk up how the US and Israel are united against Iran, which is suspected of trying to create a nuclear bomb.
President Obama warns that “loose talk” of war was only helping Iran, while pushing back against charges from GOP presidential contenders that he has been less than a loyal ally to Israel.
One year after the tornado that ravaged North Minneapolis, things are looking up for Anthony and Shemeika Strong. The absence of the Broadway Liquor Outlet has also been a blessing for their neighborhood.
Occupy coalesced activists from many neighborhood and civic groups to protest bank actions: Home foreclosures, refusing Somali funds transfer, voter photo ID, anti-immigrant actions.
Members of the Welfare Rights Committee disrupt the signing of the Vikings Stadium Bill. They claim, “Vikings Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out!”
Somali women and men gather to discuss the many aspects of female infertility with medical and social experts.
3M shareholders at annual meeting were asked to stop all corporate contributions to political campaigns and to disclose corporate political lobbying efforts. As expected, the resolutions were voted down, but the activists pledged to continue efforts.
Occupy backed homeowner successfully re-negotiated her loan with MN based US Bank.
After the six-week US-Dakota War of 1862, 38 Dakota men were hung in one of the largest mass executions in US History. Many argue that the trials were a sham, that is was the largest injustice in the nation’s history. Today, Representative Dean Urdahl, Chair of the Legacy Committee in Minnesota and the Civil War Task Force, seeks to, “rub a little salve in the wound,” by seeking a pardon for one of those warriors who was hung on that fateful December day. His name is Chaska.
Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL) decides to support the Vikings stadium because of the jobs it will create.
The Minnesota House and Senate have each approved different versions of a Vikings stadium proposal. So now it is up to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.
Principle or politics? On Friday, Governor Mark Dayton went heavily with principle and imperiled the politics of his top legislative priority — thousands of jobs from building a new Vikings football stadium.
One year after the tornado that ravaged North Minneapolis, things are looking up for Anthony and Shemeika Strong. The absence of the Broadway Liquor Outlet has also been a blessing for their neighborhood.
Occupy backed homeowner successfully re-negotiated her loan with MN based US Bank.
Nearly a year after the tornado that ripped through North Minneapolis, opinions vary greatly on what the poverty-stricken community needs most from local and state government. Should the City introduce “pie in the sky” ideas or focus on more immediate problems?
Representative Bobby Jo Champion talks about the challenges facing some of his constituents in North Minneapolis almost a year after a devastating tornado.
Rebuild It Right, an organization made up of architects and designers from Minneapolis, is helping homeowners advocate for quality design in the wake of the May 22nd Tornado.
The Vikings stadium deal got the support of Minneapolis City Council members. Council member Don Samuels says that this is a good deal for his constituents. It will provide jobs to a part of the city that has the highest rate of unemployment.
Local, Minneapolis non-profit Urban Homeworks works with banks and other community organizations to fight foreclosures.
Embattled homeowner Monique White took one more step Friday toward what could become an improbable victory that would let her stay in her North Minneapolis home. Judge Mark Labine will decide on Monday whether White will get a jury trial in District Court.
The Northside Economic Opportunity Network works with small businesses and micro-businesses in North Minneapolis to help them achieve success.
1 New Story
The UpTake’s Livestream Schedule