Erin Toner

Kalamazoo, Mich., is getting a little help from some wealthy friends to solve a growing financial crisis. Two local philanthropists have pledged $70 million to help the city end chronic budget deficits and cut property taxes. While private donors have rescued programs governments can no longer afford, such as public art and parks, rarely do people give millions directly to a city's general fund with no strings attached. But some question the donors' motivations and fear the arrangement could fundamentally change how government functions.

Wisconsin Republicans are fast-tracking a "right to work" bill to Gov. Scott Walker. The law aims to weaken private sector unions by letting employees opt out of paying dues.

After years of cutbacks, Milwaukee Public Schools are re-hiring teachers for classes beyond the basics. They are hoping to retain students as well as boost attendance and test scores.

Several bio-tech companies are developing exoskeletons that give people superhuman abilities. But these robotic suits are also doing something simpler: They're helping paralyzed veterans walk again.

We tweet. We text. We email. But how often do we really write anymore? Not much, if you look at the business of selling pens — or "fine writing instruments," as shop owners call them. With their writing tools becoming obsolete, pen stores have folded, including a century-old shop ...

At Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts on the south side of Milwaukee, kids are back in class and getting their bearings in the sprawling building. So is Lila Hillman, the school's brand-new principal. She has to figure out where everything is, who everyone is, how to run a school ...

Every Sunday, hundreds of worshippers descend on the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, just south of Milwaukee. They come here to pray and to eat a weekly meal together, called a langar. On Aug. 5, 2012, as women were preparing the meal, a gunman opened fire, killing ...

Army veteran Justin Claus of Wisconsin has been looking for work, unsuccessfully, for two years. He suspects his military disability may be keeping him from getting hired. And researc...