Abby Callard

Learn About Tableau The Atlantic Cities posted a map from Zara Matheson at the Martin Prosperity Institute which compared the economies of U.S. metropolitan areas to the economies of countries using data from here. The analysis found that New York City’s $1.4 trillion economy was about on par with Australia’s economy – the 12th largest in the world. No Wisconsin cities made that map, so we made our own. No Wisconsin metro area cracked the top 100 worldwide, and Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis fell just short of that honor at 101. In 2012, that economy produced a GDP of $88.7 billion – just over Angola’s…

It was a big night for plenty of people at the Academy Awards last night, including Mequon native John Ridley. Missed it? We’ve got you covered. The situation in Ukraine is heating up. Russian forces now effectively control the Ukrainian area of Crimea. NPR aired a report this morning about the effects marijuana can have on the developing teenage brain. Krista Lisdahl, director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee brain imaging and neuropsychology, says the teenage years are the “worst time” to use pot. The big winners at the Oscars last night were 12 Year a Slave and Gravity. John Ridley,…

Yesterday, the ACLU, the ACLU of Wisconsin and the law firm of Mayer Brown amended their original complaint against Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex marriage. In addition, a preliminary injunction was filed to prevent the state from enforcing the ban until the issue is decided in court. Court cases of this nature can take years to reach conclusion. Katie Belanger, the executive director of Fair Wisconsin, points out that while the legislative route to marriage equality in Wisconsin would be difficult, litigation might not be quicker. Larry Dupuis, the legal director of the ACLU Wisconsin, disagrees. “We see courts around the…

The 2014 Winter Olympics are officially over. What are we to do without curling, hockey and alpine skiing? In the first practical implication from the net neutrality decision, Comcast and Netflix are on the verge of a deal that would provide faster Netflix streaming to Comcast customers. In with a failed ring and out with children singing, the Sochi games are over. They went off without any big problems – dirty water and stray dogs aside – and will go down in history as the most expensive. Mayor Barrett will deliver his state of the city address today. Milwaukee is…

Gregory Thornton, the superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, announced he would be leaving the district to take the top post in Baltimore. Thornton took over the struggling school district in July 2010. We wrote a profile story of Thornton in April 2012 – just shy of completing his second school year at the helm of MPS – that outlined some of his plans for the district. His legacy at MPS is yet to be seen, but we decided to look at the test scores from before Thornton took over (2009-2010 school year) and the last year data is available (2012-2013…

Welcome to another snowy Monday. The UN released a scathing report on the horrific conditions in North Korea. The report all but demands that action be taken. A storm that might dump up to 7 inches of snow on the area is expected to start soon. The Journal Sentinel has the incredible story of Kathleen Shores, who had to have her heart removed to save her life. She relied on machines until a donor came through. Fox Sports has a preview of the Brewers season to get you in the warm-weather mood.

Welcome to Monday. We won’t even mention the weather. Michael Sam, a defensive end from the University of Missouri, came out in a New York Times article yesterday. Sam is expected to be drafted in May. If he is, he will be the first openly gay player in the NFL. Gracie Gold has the perfect name for an Olympian. She apparently also has the perfect face for media coverage. An ex-Walker ed will not challenge a court ruling that documents uncovered in a private investigation be released as expected.

Consider this your cheat sheet for the morning news. The Seattle Seahawks, and Wisconsin alumni Russell Wilson, won the franchise’s first Super Bowl yesterday. The Hawks scored in the first 12 seconds of the game and never looked back. Despite the 43-8 score, both Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas set Super Bowl records. Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment yesterday morning, a needle still in his arm. An autopsy is planned for today. NBA.com has a story on the ever-changing, and ever-improving, life of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Want to see how your…