A wide-ranging coalition of unions, including the Fire Fighters, AFSCME, the Service Employees, the Teachers and the AFL-CIO, has created a coalition to combat state governments’ aggression against workers, their collective bargaining rights, their job protections and their pensions. The coalition is creating a $30 million national campaign to defend workers, both on the air -- in cable and TV ads, radio and more -- and in the streets through “boots on the ground” activities.

A Wisconsin judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking the state's new and contentious collective bargaining law from taking effect, raising the possibility that the Legislature may have to vote again to pass the bill. Lawmakers had passed Gov. Scott Walker's measure last week, breaking a three-week stalemate caused by 14 Senate Democrats fleeing to Illinois. Demonstrations against the measure grew as large as 85,000 people.

Northwestern abruptly replaced embattled Medill Innocence Project Director David Protess as the professor of its investigative journalism class for the spring quarter this week, leaving the future of the class unclear. Protess, whose work was recognized by the Newspaper Guild with its Freedom Award in 2003, said he will continue to serve as director of the Innocence Project but that he doesn't know if the project will continue to be involved with the class.