✈️ Request for F-35 help falls on deaf ears

✈️ Feds Nix Relief For F-35 Noise

• The U.S. Department of Defense has denied a request for $18 million dollars in noise mitigation relief for Madison residents living near the Dane County Regional Airport and in the flight paths of the F-35 jets stationed there.
• The state had applied for funds to help 160 residents equip their homes with noise-dampening insulation as well as better windows and HVAC systems. But the federal government turned down the request. U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) asked for a detailed explanation for the denial, and invited federal officials to come to Madison to experience the noise firsthand.
• Related: Retired Air Force Colonel Rosanne Greco knows first-hand what it’s like to live with F-35s. At first, she thought the noise complaints were “wimpy.” Now? Not so much. [ 🔒WSJ, 🎧City Cast Madison]

🚨Madison Lawmaker Speaks Out For Missing and Murdered Black Women

• Wisconsin State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) is again trying to get the state to establish a special investigative task force focusing on missing and murdered Black women and girls.
• Stubbs has introduced legislation to establish the task force twice before, and plans to introduce it for a third time this session. A Columbia University study showed that Black women in Wisconsin are 20 times more likely to be murdered than their white counterparts.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: Rep. Stubbs talks to host Bianca Martin on the City Cast Madison podcast today about the need for her proposed task force to look into why Black women and girls are so at risk in Wisconsin. [WISN, Columbia University, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🚰 New PFAS Treatment System To Go Online This Summer

• Madison’s fight against water contamination from toxic chemicals known as PFAS will get reinforcements this summer with the launch of a new PFAS treatment system.
• The system will allow the city to use a northeast water facility, Well 15, for the first time since it was shut down in 2019 due to resident concerns about PFAS contamination. The system, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, will reduce PFAS to a “non-detectable level,” city officials said. [Cap Times, Madison Minutes]

Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, is June 19, a chance for all Americans to celebrate the end of slavery. Here’s the origins of what some call “America’s second Independence Day,” and what’s going on in Madison to celebrate the occasion:

What is Juneteenth?

A combination of “June” and “19th,” Juneteenth commemorates a very specific event during the Civil War. While President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, about 250,000 slaves in Texas were not freed. It took two years, until June 19, 1865, for Texas slaves to be freed after Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the proclamation.

The first Juneteenth celebrations took place the following year in Texas. As Black Texans moved across the country, they brought Juneteenth with them, and it became one of the oldest African American holidays. Traditionally, Juneteenth celebrants eat red food – barbecue, strawberry soda, cherry cobbler – as the color represents power and sacrifice in West African cultures.

During the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, organizers pushed to have Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed legislation making it a holiday the following year.

What’s Happening in Madison?

‘Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom’ (June 17)

Dr. Charles Taylor will talk about his new book, “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom” with Madison poet Fabu Carter at 5 p.m. June 17 at the Black Business Hub,

Juneteenth Celebration Cookout (June 18)

The Madison Senior Center and NewBridge Madison are sponsoring this celebration, where people can gather to grill hot dogs and burgers and play lawn games. The event is free but registration is required by noon June 16.

Chazen Museum of Art (June 19)

The Chazen is offering a special Juneteenth guided tour that focuses on artwork in its collection that celebrates Black history and culture. Registration is appreciated.

Madison Jazz Orchestra (June 19)

The Madison Jazz Orchestra’s monthly residency at Cafe CODA coincides with Juneteenth this month, so the 18-piece band has a special concert planned in honor of the holiday.