Are urban areas at a development disadvantage?

The debates: Voters weigh candidates’ demeanor and ‘likability’

Published: October 15, 2012
Tags: blog, election, Hot Topics, John Stodder, Mitt Romney, Obama

After two of the four debates of the 2012 presidential season, what is most striking is how much of the response, as expressed in mainstream news coverage and social media, focuses on body language, demeanor, matters of etiquette, and whether a candidate was likable.

The mild winter: 2012′s economic powerhouse

Published: March 21, 2012
Tags: economy, Hot Topics, John Stodder, weather

What has had the biggest influence on business so far in 2012? One strong contender was the mild winter.

Realtors hope $25B foreclosure settlement will spark housing revival

Published: February 10, 2012
Tags: blog, foreclosure, Hot Topics, mortgage, Stodder

With the residential real estate industry shell-shocked from years of a moribund market, its spokespeople can be forgiven for taking a cautious attitude toward Thursday’s announcement of a $25 billion settlement with five of the nation’s biggest mortgage lenders over flawed and fraudulent foreclosure practices.

Fracking debate begins to draw heat

Published: January 25, 2012
Tags: blog, fracking, Hot Topics

The spectacle of protesters descending on New York’s capitol to pressure Gov. Andrew Cuomo to support a ban on fracking earlier this week has prompted various interested parties to revisit the question of what lies ahead for the controversial natural gas drilling technique.

A new tool in the fight against pothole-pallooza

Published: August 12, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, pothole, Pothole Killer, potholes, Yovino
Comments: 1

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

Meet the Pothole Killer — it can fill a hole in 60 seconds with a much smaller crew.

Local rail focus a streetcar to nowhere

Published: July 29, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, streetcar, Yovino
Comments: 7

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

This week’s scorecard: Streetcar 1, common sense 0 (regional rail forfeited).

‘Open for business’ doesn’t cut it for Milwaukee developer

Published: February 9, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, Ivory Retail/Office, Orenstein, Rohde
Comments: 2

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Milwaukee developer William Orenstein would like to see policy makers move past catch phrases like “Open for Business” and have a meaningful discussion of what it takes to make Wisconsin attractive to business.

Some brats, a couple six packs and White House admission

Published: February 4, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, Obama, Rohde, Tom Barrett

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says jokingly that when he got his invitation to a Super Bowl party from the White House, he asked, “What should I bring? Some brats? A couple of six packs?”

SnO-M-G: State weathers snowmageddon

Published: February 2, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, Yovino

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

As one of apparently only eight people working Wednesday in Milwaukee, the trip into work on the morning of snowmaggedon (or the Ground Hog Day blizzard or snowpocalypse, or SnO-M-G or any other cool name a TV producer with too much time on his/her hands comes up with) was eerie.