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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Cow manure predicted to cause most sickness from contaminated wells in Kewaunee County
June 28th, 2021 | 15 mins 58 secs
news, wisconsin
A new study predicts the incidence of gastrointestinal illness in private drinking wells, identifying manure as the main cause of contamination
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Wisconsin’s multigenerational homes face higher COVID-19 risk
June 15th, 2021 | 20 mins 40 secs
news, wisconsin
About 13% of residents live in multigenerational homes, many of them families of color. These residents face a higher risk of infection and death.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs state power to protect water from farm pollutants
June 8th, 2021 | 15 mins 30 secs
news, wisconsin
The outcome of a nearly decade-long dispute in Kewaunee County could shape regulatory power across state government.
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In wake of Wisconsin’s racial justice protests, curfew tickets raise equity and speech questions
June 8th, 2021 | 24 mins 14 secs
news, wisconsin
In Milwaukee, Black residents accounted for about two-thirds of curfew citations. Kenosha and Wauwatosa defend curfew arrests in federal court.
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Drop out or drown in debt? Many Black students in Wisconsin face stark choices in paying for college
June 8th, 2021 | 18 mins 38 secs
news, wisconsin
Cutting or eliminating student loan debt would ‘change everything,’ says one Black University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alum struggling with a six-figure debt
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Ancient human remains unearthed at proposed Kohler golf course site in Wisconsin
June 7th, 2021 | 2 mins 37 secs
news, wisconsin
The rapidly eroding Lake Michigan shoreline is also raising questions about the future of the controversial project adjacent to Kohler-Andrae State Park
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Undocumented immigrants qualify for rent relief, but Wisconsin sends mixed signals
May 6th, 2021 | 16 mins 57 secs
covid-19, immigration, news, rental assistance, wisconsin
Some intake forms ask for Social Security numbers — a ‘red flag’ for renters who are not U.S. citizens, advocates say.
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Republicans keep grip on Legislature despite Democratic spending spree
May 4th, 2021 | 15 mins 22 secs
democrats, gerrymandering, legislature, news, politics, republicans, wisconsin
Democrats spent millions trying to hold and win back seats in the state Legislature in 2020. They barely made a dent. Blame gerrymandering?
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Bids to alter Wisconsin elections fall mostly along partisan lines
April 13th, 2021 | 18 mins 43 secs
elections, news, politics, voting, wisconsin
Republicans want to restrict drop boxes and absentee voting. Democrats aim to make it easier to vote. Both parties favor quicker vote counting.
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‘I got nothing left’: Wisconsin’s jobless pushed to brink as ideas swirl for mending torn safety net
April 6th, 2021 | 22 mins 21 secs
covid-19, news, unemployment, wisconsin
Upgrading outdated technology could help. So could making claims more user-friendly and overcoming partisan paralysis.
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‘He shouldn’t have had to die’: COVID-19 infects half of Wisconsin inmates, five times the overall state rate
March 29th, 2021 | 29 mins 49 secs
coronavirus, covid-19, news, prison, wisconsin
Prisoners lack space and some say rules to curb COVID-19 are unevenly enforced.
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Thousands await jobless aid as Wisconsin leaders blame each other for failure
February 4th, 2021 | 23 mins 1 sec
covid-19, government, news, unemployment, wisconsin
Wisconsin’s unemployment system buckled during the pandemic. State leaders are moving slowly to address a crisis years in the making.
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Wisconsin’s No. 1 mink farming industry now seen as a COVID-19 risk
January 30th, 2021 | 23 mins 25 secs
covid-19, environmental, mink, news, wisconsin
State officials knew little about the secretive industry until the pandemic struck; now they are scrambling to keep mink farmers and their animals safe
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Could lawmakers ‘mess’ with Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes? Possibly.
January 28th, 2021 | 21 mins 16 secs
electoral college, law, news, trump, voting, wisconsin
Experts say pro-Trump lawmakers could try to overturn voters’ will and send an alternate set of electors, but the Democratic governor could block the effort.
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COVID-19 killed a thousand Wisconsinites in three weeks. These residents don’t see the danger.
January 26th, 2021 | 19 mins 28 secs
communication, coronavirus, covid-19, distrust, misinformation, news, pandemic, wisconsin
Some Wisconsinites downplay the severity of COVID-19, spurning masks and vaccinations and inhibiting efforts to contain the pandemic.
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‘We’re not going to be quiet’: Disability community in Wisconsin demands better access to voting
January 15th, 2021 | 15 mins 23 secs
covid-19, disability, news, voting access, wisconsin
State’s decentralized election system makes it hard to guarantee accessibility; definition of ‘indefinitely confined’ under challenge