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Workers at Discourse have won voluntary union recognition after a third-party card count found majority support for this, cafe management announced Monday.

The move establishes the Discourse Coffee Workers Union, which is expected to begin contract negotiations in the coming months with representation from the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH).

“Workers want to have a voice, a seat at the table and a say in the future, as opposed to a critique of existing management or some problem with the company that needed to be fixed immediately,” MASH President Peter Rickman told Urban Milwaukee in an interview, adding that Discourse management “deserves credit for remaining neutral throughout the process.”

The new collective bargaining agreement covers all employees at Discourse’s Milwaukee cafes: 1020 N. Broadway and 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. It does not include the Chicago-based location, but is likely to apply to any future Milwaukee stores, according to founder and CEO Ryan Castelaz. Rickman said 74% of workers voted to join the union, though he believes actual support is higher, noting that some employees have not yet had a chance to sign on.

“We have always stood behind our teams, and we are incredibly excited to foster a strong relationship with their union, ensuring that equitable compensation and employee well-being remain at the core of our mission as we grow in Milwaukee and beyond,” Castelaz said in a statement.

Attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges locked arms to form human chains on either side of Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.

As she cut the ribbon tied around the new community fridge in the neighborhood nonprofit's office, lyrics to “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers filled the room.

Lean on me when you’re not strong. I’ll be your friend – I'll help you carry on. For it won’t be long ‘til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.

It was a fitting end to an event centered on solidarity, mutual aid and community-led solutions to food insecurity on Milwaukee’s north side.

Organizers and elected officials praised the response created by and for neighbors after the sudden departure of the Metcalfe Park Pick ‘n Save on North 35th Street nearly eight months ago.

Milwaukee Film now owns the Downer Theatre.

The nonprofit behind the Milwaukee Film Festival – and operator of the Oriental Theatre since 2018 – has purchased the 111-year-old two-screen Downer Theatre, Milwaukee Film officials announced March 2.

“Owning the Downer Theatre is a dream-come-true for Milwaukee Film,” Milwaukee Film Executive Director Susan Kerns said in a news release. “It affords our organization stronger financial footing and ensures our ability to provide the city we love with the film festivals and year-round programming it deserves. We’re delighted to close this deal in time for this April’s Milwaukee Film Festival.”

Bridge33 Capital purchased the Downer Theatre, 2589 N. Downer Ave., and surrounding businesses in early 2020. Milwaukee Film operated the Downer beginning in 2024 through a rental agreement with Bridge33, with Milwaukee Film reporting an additional $925,000 spent in the neighborhood in 2025 for dining, shopping, parking and more, according to a Cinema United study.

Several private donations and a low-interest loan courtesy of The Helmerich Trust helped make Milwaukee Film's Downer acquisition possible. Financial details of the sale were not disclosed.

In a bipartisan about face, the Wisconsin Senate passed a bill Wednesday that includes nearly $600,000 in funding for WisconsinEye, the state’s version of C-SPAN.

But before it can be signed into law, it needs to pass both houses of the Legislature. The state Assembly already passed a different bill to fund WisconsinEye last week, and it plans to adjourn for the year on Thursday. The competing bills were introduced after WisconsinEye, which has been operating mostly on private donations since 2007, ran out of money and went off the air in December. Without the nonprofit broadcasting the Legislature’s hearings, some Democrats attempted to stream proceedings with their phones and said Republican committee chairs blocked them from doing so.

Last week, state Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, introduced a bill requiring WisconsinEye and any other takers to submit bids for the right to broadcast the Legislature’s business. Senate Democrats initially balked at the legislation because it didn’t include any money.

Things changed Wednesday when Bradley amended his bill to include $585,630 over 12 months for WisconsinEye, while still requiring the nonprofit to submit a competitive bid to lawmakers.

Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly say they’ll pass two bills related to women’s health Thursday, a surprise move that comes after years of blocking the legislation.

The bills, which would increase Medicaid access for low-income postpartum mothers and remove out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer screenings, had wide bipartisan support across multiple legislative sessions and passed the Senate late last year. But until late Wednesday, it seemed unlikely that they would reach the Assembly floor for a vote before the body adjourned for the year later this week.

The bills have faced opposition from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who has called the postpartum Medicaid bill an expansion of welfare.

MADISON - Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced his retirement at the opening of the final meeting of the body Thursday afternoon, marking the end of his decades-long political career.

In an emotional speech at the start of the session, Vos, 57, said he decided to retire after a mild heart attack in November.

"Luckily, my doctors say I'm perfectly fine, but I do need to reduce my stress," he said. "And let me tell you, this job is stressful."

He said spending the past 13 years as the speaker has been the "greatest professional honor" of his life.

"I am struck by how much this work has shaped me, how honored I am to play a small part in democracy," he said. "And how proud I am to know that the state of our Legislature is strong."

Vos has served in the Assembly for more than two decades and as speaker since 2013.

With the end of the legislative session drawing near, the state’s top GOP leaders say they’ve agreed on a $2.3 billion plan to spend Wisconsin’s budget surplus on tax rebates for residents and additional money for special education.

But whether Democratic Gov. Tony Evers can get on board remains an open question.

Last week, Evers and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, appeared to be making progress toward a $1.3 billion agreement that would lower property taxes and increase school funding. But Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, opposed the plan.

A letter sent to Evers Monday by Vos and LeMahieu said they’re willing to send another $200 million toward special education reimbursements, among other initiatives. In exchange, they want Evers to sign off on one-time tax rebates of $500 for individuals and $1,000 for married couples filing joint-tax returns.

You know what Oakland Avenue in Shorewood could use? More places to eat. That’s the word on the street. And the street seems to be listening. The owners of Bay View’s Sorella are opening a pizzeria in the former Nana Sushi (4511 N. Oakland Ave.), a vacant spot adjacent to Three Lions Pub.

Co-owner Kyle Toner says he and partner Paul Damora plan to open Pizzeria Di Lusso in late spring or early summer of this year. While Sorella serves up puffy-crust, wood-fired pizza, the new spot will serve two kinds of pies: Trenton style, and “grandma” style. Trenton, New Jersey, is known for tomato pie, where the cheese and other toppings are added, then the tomato sauce on top of them. “The best way to describe Trenton style would be a cross between New York and Midwest tavern style, cracker style. So it’s thin, it’s crispy, but it’s still got some chew,” says Toner, a native of New Jersey.

• Starting March 8, routes 11, 22, 24, 80, and 88 will be shortened as part of the MCTS 2026 Service Plan.
• Seven routes will face long-term detours, and schedules for Route 30 and CONNECT 1 have been adjusted to maintain reliability during I-94 reconstruction.
• These changes prioritize maintaining neighborhood access by reducing service frequency in low-ridership areas.

Port Washington has filed its response to a lawsuit led by business and real estate trade groups that seeks to block an ordinance that would require voter approval before the city can issue public incentives — and the city says it "largely agrees" with the concerns raised by the plaintiffs.

The complaint, filed last week in Ozaukee County Circuit Court, challenges the resident-proposed ordinance that Port Washington's Common Council has put as a referendum on the upcoming April 7 ballot.

If residents choose to implement it, it would require a citywide vote before the creation of tax incremental financing districts exceeding $10 million in project costs or base value, or involving what the legislation terms “large capital expenditures."

Companies across the country are waiting on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the legality of President Trump's tariff war. Throughout his second term, Trump has used tariffs to pressure countries into trade deals, punish those who impede his foreign policy objectives and retaliate against critics.

These tariffs have been implemented haphazardly, with many businesses struggling to budget for the future. That’s especially true for small businesses who import food and beverages like coffee, chocolate, wine or other items that aren't produced at a large scale in the U.S.

"[Stone Creek Coffee] has to import every single bean, and they do 600,000 beans a year — which is no small number," says journalist Drew Dawson. "But that cost means they had to pay an additional $270,000 on tariffs alone last year."

For this month's Milwaukee Magazine, Dawson chatted with folks from Stone Creek, Chocolate Sommelier, 2A Wine Merchants and Pan-Asia Supermarket to see how they're handling tariff uncertainty. He spoke with Lake Effect's Joy Powers to share what he found.

The North Shore Library reopened at 10 a.m. on Feb. 2 in its new Bayside building after years of planning and construction.

The new library, at 711 Grace St., contains a story time room for children's programming, nine study rooms, a stage area, a young adult section, a community gathering space and a sensory room.

The space is not yet in its final form, Library Director Rhonda Gould told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Over the next several weeks, staff will help move in more furniture, signage, art and equipment before a grand opening ceremony on March 14.

In the meantime, visitors can still explore the new space, check out books and other items, and utilize services for printing, scanning and faxing.