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By Ben Olinsky and Grace Oyenubi

Over the past month, an extreme, activist majority on the Supreme Court demonstrated flagrant judicial overreach when it undermined long-standing precedents, laws, and constitutional rights. That majority repeatedly went out of its way to impose its ideology on the nation instead of simply “calling balls and strikes.” The consequences are dire: Millions of women will lose access to abortion states will have even fewer tools to reign in gun violence and climate change will be allowed to run rampant. Unfortunately, the rolling back of fundamental rights is likely to continue as extremist, right-wing justices with lifetime appointments flex their newfound muscle and seek to reshape American life.-- READ MORE

By Eugenio Weigend Vargas and Alex Barrio

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is tasked with preventing gun trafficking and conducting oversight of the gun industry, yet it has been without a permanent director since 2015. This is no minor issue. President Joe Biden, recognizing the problem, announced his nomination for ATF’s permanent director in April 2022. While the Senate, in a bipartisan agreement, took a positive step by making gun trafficking an explicit federal crime, it should waste no time in confirming President Biden’s nomination so that ATF can immediately get to work with a renewed focus on stopping the growing problem of gun trafficking and cracking down on the proliferation of illegal guns in communities across the country.

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By Jahdziah St. Julien

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people in the United States and disproportionately harms Black and Hispanic/Latino American children, youth, and young adults. From 2000 to 2020, the number of gun-related deaths among young people rose from 6,998 to 10,186, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Community-based violence intervention (CVI) programs serve as an effective solution to combat gun violence and curb firearm-related deaths. CVI programs that employ a violence interruption model seek to reduce gun violence by meaningfully engaging with the small number of individuals at the center of gun violence. ​-- READ MORE

By Ashfaq Khan & Rose Khattar

It has been 13 years since the federal minimum wage was increased: Since July 2009, the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour. In fact, in inflation-adjusted terms, it has declined by 26 percent over this time. A failure at the federal level to raise the minimum wage has resulted in a majority of states stepping in to fill the vacuum. Now, 20 states—disproportionately in the South—that have not raised their wage floors above the federal minimum to take action.

Using new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this piece highlights the characteristics of those who earned at or below the federal minimum wage in 2021. Women are the majority of federal minimum wage earners, with Black and Latina women also overrepresented.-- READ MORE

By Peter Juul

Afghanistan has faced an ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis of immense proportions since the Taliban seized the country by force in August 2021. The United Nations estimated in January 2022 that nearly 24.4 million Afghans were in need of humanitarian aid—more than half the country’s population, with children comprising more than half of those in need. A recent assessment by the World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also projects that 18.9 million Afghans will confront acute food insecurity this year, and 92 percent of Afghans face insufficient food consumption.

Compounding this humanitarian crisis is an economic collapse brought about by the end of significant foreign assistance, which propped up the Afghan economy for two decades until the Taliban seized power. --READ MORE

Delightful events to experience and celebrate along the shores of Lake Pepin The Great River Road corridor on the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin on the Mississippi has a deep history in celebrating the arts and culture of our region. Celebrations and festivals fill the calendar with enticing reasons to join in the fun! This list looks at 10 of the most beloved annual events. You can find information on all at www.stockholmwisconsin.com or check out the individual links below.​

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