Wisconsin Watch
From the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
About the show
The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that reports on government accountability and quality of life issues, like education, the economy and the environment. It’s more important to us to get the story right than it is to be first and we believe in collaborating, not competing, with other news outlets. Not only can you find our stories on WisconsinWatch.org, but we give all of our reports away for free to hundreds of other news organizations.
We are excited to start sharing our reports in audio form and you can find them wherever you get your podcasts!
Wisconsin Watch on social media
Episodes
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Doctors debate, patients suffer: The fight over chronic Lyme disease in Wisconsin
March 28th, 2022 | 24 mins 32 secs
chronic lyme disease, lyme, lyme disease, news, tick, wisconsin
In this story, Wisconsin Watch reporter Zhen Wang profiles Maria Freitas, a woman who for years has suffered from joint pain, brain fog, fever and other maladies. Freitas attributes the symptoms to Lyme disease. But mainstream physicians insist she has rheumatoid arthritis — a diagnosis that she said does not explain many of her symptoms. It's part of Wisconsin Watch's series: "Living with Lyme."
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‘I don’t know what will happen’: After months at Ft. McCoy Afghan family resettled in separate states
March 16th, 2022 | 22 mins 23 secs
afghan, afghanistan, evacuee, ft. mccoy, news, resettle, rockville, wisconsin
In this story, Wisconsin Watch reporter Zhen Wang profiles an Afghan evacuee family who was resettled in separate states after a months-long stay at Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy — illustrating major challenges within resettlement agencies to help evacuees start their new lives. The story follows the Nabizada family as they seek housing, jobs and food — while applying for permanent residency.
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Embattled former UW child abuse pediatrician resigns Alaska position
February 1st, 2022 | 7 mins 26 secs
alaska, anchorage daily news, child abuse pediatrician, dr. barbara knox, false accusation, news, wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch brings you the latest news about former University of Wisconsin pediatrician, Dr. Barbara Knox. On Jan. 27th, Knox resigned from her position leading Alaska’s forensic child abuse clinic — days after Wisconsin Watch and the Anchorage Daily News reported on a couple who lost custody of their two young children after Knox wrongly diagnosed their 3-week-old baby as being abused.
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‘We were robbed’: Alaska couple loses custody of kids after erroneous abuse diagnosis from former UW doctor
February 1st, 2022 | 19 mins 57 secs
anchorage daily news, child abuse pediatrics, dr. barbara knox, false accusations, flawed forensics, news, wisconsin
In our latest installment from our series "Flawed Forensics," we feature a Fairbanks, Alaska, couple accused of abusing their 3-week-old daughter, prompting authorities to remove baby Izabel and her 18-month-old brother Ezekiel from their parents. Experts hired by Emilly and Justin Acker found former University of Wisconsin child abuse pediatrician Dr. Barbara Knox’s diagnosis of abusive head trauma was wrong and ignored Izabel’s serious birth injuries. A forensic psychologist found Emily Acker no danger to her children — and a judge agreed.
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Wisconsin debates cash bail changes in wake of Waukesha parade tragedy — as some states ditch system entirely
January 26th, 2022 | 18 mins 9 secs
bail, bond, cash bail, criminal justice, darrell e. brooks, news, pretrial detention, waukesha, wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch brings you a story about a revived debate surrounding cash bail after Darrell E. Brooks was released from jail while facing charges related to domestic violence — just days before he allegedly drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring dozens.
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MATC broadens access for Milwaukee students amid historical inequities, dropping enrollment
January 11th, 2022 | 24 mins 15 secs
broken ladder, community college, education, milwaukee, milwaukee area technical college, news, wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch reporter Mario Koran explores how Milwaukee Area Technical College offers free tuition, debt forgiveness and early credit to make college more affordable and more available to a diverse student population.
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‘This is a charade’: GOP senator, voting experts urge Wisconsin Republicans to halt election attacks
January 7th, 2022 | 10 mins 42 secs
democracy, democrats, election, gop, news, republicans, wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch reports on how Senator Kathleen Bernier, the majority caucus vice chair, urged members of her own party to halt their attempts to discredit the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission they created, while also calling on former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to finish his partisan review of the election soon.
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Wisconsin state parks battered as Lake Michigan shrinks beaches, smashes boardwalks
January 3rd, 2022 | 14 mins 55 secs
climate change, door county, door county pulse, environment, imperiled shores, lake levels, lake michigan, new news lab, news, wisconsin
In the third installment from Wisconsin Watch's series "Imperiled Shores," reporter Mario Koran explores a fundamental question facing the state Department of Natural Resources: Preserve parkland affected by rising lake levels or let nature take its course?
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Wisconsin caregiver spent eight years, $250,000 in legal bills to exonerate herself from abuse charges
January 3rd, 2022 | 14 mins 23 secs
criminal justice, dr. barbara knox, false accusations, flawed forensics, health, justice, news, stacy hartje, welfare, wisconsin
In this report, Wisconsin Watch presents a story about a Mauston, Wisconsin child care provider who was subjected to a lengthy and expensive ordeal to clear her name after she was wrongfully accused of child abuse by Dr. Barbara Knox. The story is the latest installment of our investigation into the former University of Wisconsin pediatrician whose controversial diagnoses of child abuse continue to reverberate for innocent caregivers and parents in southern Wisconsin.
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Child abuse cases sparked by Dr. Barbara Knox rejected by Wisconsin judge, jury and prosecutor
December 15th, 2021 | 13 mins 49 secs
dr. barbara knox, false accusations, news, wisconsin
In this episode of our "Flawed Forensics" series, Wisconsin Watch explores how the criminal justice system has repeatedly rebuffed the medical opinions of the former University of Wisconsin child abuse pediatrician Dr. Barbara Knox, and tells the stories of families who were affected by her misdiagnosis of child abuse.
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Parents recount terror of wrongful child abuse diagnoses from former University of Wisconsin doctor
December 10th, 2021 | 22 mins 29 secs
dr. barbara knox, false accusations, news, wisconsin
In the latest installment of our "Flawed Forensics" series, Wisconsin Watch tells the story of seven Wisconsin families that faced child abuse investigations triggered by University of Wisconsin child abuse pediatrician Dr. Barbara Knox — suspicions later rejected by other doctors, police and child welfare officials.
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Mass exodus at Alaska child abuse clinic as former Wisconsin doctor accused of bullying, misdiagnoses
November 30th, 2021 | 17 mins 31 secs
alaska cares, barbara knox, false accusations, news, wisconsin
In this addition to our series "Flawed Forensics," Wisconsin Watch tells more of the story of Dr. Barbara Knox. Two years after leaving the University of Wisconsin amid allegations of workplace bullying, the former top child abuse pediatrician is drawing similar scrutiny at her new job in Alaska.
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Jury rejects child abuse charge triggered by former University of Wisconsin doctor
November 23rd, 2021 | 11 mins 25 secs
dr. barbara knox, false accusation, news, wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch brings you a story exploring how a declaration of ‘obvious child abuse’ leveled at a child care provider by a former University of Wisconsin pediatrician fell apart after a five-day trial that centered on the controversial diagnosis of abusive head trauma. The story focuses on Dr. Barbara Knox, who left Wisconsin in 2019 under a cloud of controversy. It is part of our series "Flawed Forensics."
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As Lake Michigan shoreline vanishes, Wisconsinites try to fight waves with walls
November 16th, 2021 | 25 mins 1 sec
climate change, lake michigan, news, revetments, water levels, wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch brings you a story exploring how Great Lakes shorelines have seen a surge in barriers built to slow lakefront erosion. But such structures are temporary and may harm downstream beaches.
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‘The water always wins’: Calls to protect shorelines as volatile Lake Michigan inflicts heavy toll
November 11th, 2021 | 22 mins 20 secs
climate change, door county, great lakes, lake michigan, news, water, water levels, wisconsin
Wisconsin’s Great Lakes communities expect to spend $245 million in five years to protect shorelines as a climate ‘tug of war’ drives extreme shifts in water levels.
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Wisconsin imprisons 1 in 36 Black adults. No state has a higher rate
November 11th, 2021 | 12 mins 54 secs
incarceration, justice, news, prisoners, racial disparities, wisconsin
Wisconsin has the shameful distinction of locking up 1 in every 36 Black adults in the state, the highest rate in the country. A Sentencing Project report confirms the state’s deep racial disparities in incarceration, which one advocate calls ‘a slap in the face.’