(CNN) — Two West Virginia parents are awaiting trial on more than a dozen charges after adopting four Black children and allegedly using them for “forced labor” on their farm, court documents show. Jeanne Whitefeather, 62 and Donald Lantz, 63, who are both White, have been charged...

(CNN) — The Supreme Court formally dismissed an appeal over Idaho’s strict abortion ban on Thursday, blocking enforcement of the state’s law a day after the opinion was inadvertently posted on the court’s website in an astonishing departure from its highly controlled protocols. At issue in...

Java Cat Coffee’s Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Silent Art Auction will go live on Friday as the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP) partners with artists for humanitarian aid in Gaza. MRSCP’s auction “Art For Humanity’s Sake: A Silent Art Auction for Gaza” will start on June 28 and go...

(CNN) — Bill Cobbs, a veteran Hollywood actor known for roles in “Demolition Man,” “That Thing You Do!” and “Air Bud,” among many others, has died, according to a family member. He was 90. The news was confirmed by Cobbs’ brother Thomas Cobbs,...

This story was produced and originally published by Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. It was made possible by donors like you. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin that asks the court to declare that access to abortion is a right protected by the state constitution, according to a draft court order obtained by Wisconsin Watch.

(CNN) — Two presidential task forces formed to recommend how Harvard can combat antisemitism and anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian activity on campus have spoken: Harvard needs to act now. The two groups issued preliminary reports on Wednesday aimed at restoring the university’s trust with students, faculty and the broader...

Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen, the longtime pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Madison’s South Side, has a teenage son who has played football for years. While running with him one day recently on the football field, inspiration hit him. “I thought, ‘Hey, maybe there some other kids that...

The Black Men Coalition (BMC) Foundation is engaging in a transformative collaboration with eCornell, the online learning platform of Cornell University, aimed at breaking barriers that contribute to a persistent cycle of poverty and limited opportunities. This collaboration aims to uplift underserved and vulnerable individuals by offering them the tools...

(CNN) — The town of Newbern, Alabama and a Black man who was prevented from becoming the town’s mayor after winning his 2020 election, have reached a proposed settlement, according to federal court documents. Patrick Braxton will officially become mayor of Newbern once the court approves the settlement...

Jim Latimer, a University of Wisconsin-Madison emeritus music professor, has been leading the Capitol City Band and conducting hundreds and hundreds of concerts for 43 years now – since 1981. This Thursday, June 27, 7 p.m., at Rennebohm Park, Latimer will conduct a very special concert on his 90th...

Martinez White, a.k.a. DJ M. White, loves to host local live entertainment events to inspire new and organic connections amongst the emerging working young professional culture in Madison. On Saturday, July 6, 7-11 p.m., during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, White is inviting people to come and celebrate on the rooftop of the Black Business Hub with an all-white R&B ladies’ night affair called “Pangea II”

Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Payal Khandhar to the Dane County Circuit Court – Branch 2, filling the vacancy being created by Judge Josann M. Reynolds’ resignation. “Payal Khandhar is a highly regarded attorney who is committed to service and dedicated to improving her community,” said Gov. Evers in a statement. “She will be an exceptional judge for the people of Dane County.”

San Miguel Gate, Tohono O’odham Nation (CNN) — The thermometer hit 111 Fahrenheit as we rolled up to a battered tent deep in the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation in Arizona. Under its shade lay around a dozen dazed looking families, many with small children. A stressed-looking mother of two paced back and forth.

Carter Booth and Sarah Franklin of the University of Wisconsin volleyball team will represent the USA Senior Women’s National Team (WNT) at the annual NORCECA Final Six Tournament, held next week in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This year’s roster for the NORCECA Final Six was pre-determined and highlights Franklin,...

Dentistry on Madison’s North Side is working to reach more people in need of affordable care as one of the few dental clinics in the area looks to expand with a groundbreaking at a new location at 1709 Aberg Ave. Affordable Dental Care is currently working towards an expansion...

A group of Madison high schoolers graduated from a pre-apprenticeship program last week after getting a chance to explore careers in the trades. On May 31, the students graduated as the second cohort from the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program. For four months, 18 students made rounds through local trade unions from electricians to sheet metal workers to explore what a career in the trades looks like and a starting point in their post high school plans. For this round of the program, BGCDC partnered with Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council, part of Laborers’ International Union of North America. Kent Miller, president of Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council, gave a keynote speech to the graduating class highlighting the important steps students are taking to secure a better future. “Everything you guys are learning is going to give you more opportunities in the future,” Miller said. “It was always said that you need a two-year or four-year college [degree] to land in the middle class, I was even told that myself.” Miller, who is a third generation tradesman, was discouraged by his father and grandfather to pursue the trades. He was told that they “Would rather see me in college than dig ditches.” Miller points at the stigmas of backbreaking work and lack of dignity in being a manual laborer. He said he’s noticed recently a change, with the trades being seen as more dignified, ripe with more opportunities, better pay, benefits and, most importantly, becoming more diverse. He sees trades as now an equitable path for a journey to the middle class.

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) will host the 66th annual Art Fair on the Square around the city’s Capitol Square on Saturday and Sunday, July 13 and 14. The Art Fair will showcase the work of more than 350 artists from around the country, featuring everything from grand sculptures to delicate contemporary jewelry, handmade furniture, inspired ceramics, and vibrant works for the wall. This is MMoCA’s biggest annual fundraising event and funds raised through the fair help keep the Museum admission free all year and support world-class exhibitions and educational programming for kids, teens, and adults.

New York (CNN) — Among students of baseball, there has long been widespread belief that Willie Mays was the game’s greatest all-around player. That might come as a surprise to those who are casual fans, or not fans at all, when they read obituaries this week that describe Mays, who died last week at the age of 93, as the greatest. Babe Ruth was the common answer to the game’s “greatest player” title starting more than 100 years ago, when he smashed home run records and lifted the popularity of the game to the point it became known as the national pastime. And Ruth’s exploits as a Herculean slugger came after part of his career was as one of baseball’s top pitchers, making him a rare two-way great.

Just months after we published our first news stories in August 2015, we tried something new: we listed and published brief biographies of the state’s 28 Most Influential Black Leaders. People really liked it, shared it on social media, told us who else should have been on that list. Many asked me if we’d do another list the next year; I said yes, we probably would.

A new painting from Madison’s mysterious artist, known simply as “The Artist,” debuted artwork depicting scenes from the Civil Rights Era at the Southwest Madison Employment Center. The Urban League of Greater Madison debuted a painting from The Artist on June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day...