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.

Tagged with: blog election Hot Topics John Stodder Mitt Romney Obama

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

Tagged with: economy Hot Topics John Stodder weather

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.

Tagged with: blog foreclosure Hot Topics mortgage Stodder

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.

Tagged with: blog fracking Hot Topics

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

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

Tagged with: blog Hot Topics potholes Yovino

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

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

Tagged with: blog Hot Topics streetcar Yovino

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.

Tagged with: blog Hot Topics Rohde

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?”

Tagged with: blog Hot Topics Obama Rohde Tom Barrett

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.

Tagged with: blog Hot Topics Yovino

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Eaton Corp., now located in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, is being wooed to move to the Milwaukee County Research Park in Wauwatosa using both tax incremental financing and $20 million in federal New Market Tax Credits designed to encourage business development in poor communities. This kind of poaching happens often, but is it fair?

Tagged with: blog Eaton Corp. Hot Topics Patrick Curley Rohde Tom Barrett