Columbus
Wisconsin Watch
Rural Wisconsin voters face additional hurdles without ballot drop boxes
If voters in Burnside, Wisconsin, want to drop off their absentee ballots before an election, they have to go several miles outside of town, down a hilly, rural county road that requires four-wheel drive most of the year, and to the doorway or mailbox of Melissa Kono’s house. Kono...
Does the Biden administration want to make Army tanks ‘all electric’?
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims. President Joe Biden’s administration has not set forth plans to make all Army tanks electric. Alluding to the administration, former President Donald Trump...
After being ignored, Milwaukee’s public housing residents take a new approach to demanding housing authority action
Frustrated by unresolved complaints, public housing residents have tried unsuccessfully for months to attend the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, or HACM, board meetings. But some meetings were either canceled or changed to a phone call at the last minute, preventing the residents from participating. Common Ground and...
Did 20,000 people in Wisconsin with the same phone number vote in the 2020 presidential election?
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims. Records for more than 20,000 people listed with the same phone number in the Wisconsin Elections Commission system are for inactive voters. Mike Lindell...
‘It shouldn’t be the wild west’: Wisconsin lacks clear system for tracking police caught lying
An Appleton police detective pleaded guilty to forging official signatures on search warrants used in a drug investigation. He was fined $500, far short of the maximum penalty of $10,000 and 3 ½ years in prison. During sentencing April 30 in Outagamie County Circuit Court, the judge noted that...
Brady lists: Here’s what to know about Wisconsin’s inconsistent system for tracking police caught lying
Public access to information about police officers caught lying is inconsistent across Wisconsin’s 72 counties. That’s the key takeaway after Wisconsin Watch filed records requests with every district attorney’s office and the state Department of Justice. Here’s a recent example and a look at Wisconsin’s inconsistency compared...
Wisconsin Republicans launch audit of state government diversity efforts
The Legislature's audit committee voted to launch a comprehensive review of diversity and inclusion efforts across state government after the Assembly's top Republican vowed to eliminate equity initiatives. Wisconsin Republicans launch audit of state government diversity efforts is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Wisconsin Watch collaborations win 7 awards at Milwaukee Press Club
Wisconsin Watch reporters and collaborators won four top prizes and three other awards in the Milwaukee Press Club’s 2023 Excellence in Journalism Awards over the weekend. Bennet Goldstein received a gold medal in the online long, hard feature category for his story on how Great Lakes pollution was affecting Native American treaty rights.
Spring bird migration is underway along the Mississippi River flyway: Here’s what to know
Here's everything you need to know about the important Mississippi River flyway — and when and where to see birds amid their long journey. Spring bird migration is underway along the Mississippi River flyway: Here’s what to know is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Is gasoline ‘over $7 now’ in California?
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims. The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in California was $5.36 on May 1, 2024, the highest nationally, according to GasBuddy.com. That contradicts a...
Are private universities such as Columbia and Princeton, where pro-Palestinian protests have been held, generally bound by the First Amendment?
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims. Authorities including the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, Northwestern University law professors and the New York Civil Liberties Union say private universities generally are not bound by the First Amendment.
Milwaukee election leader ousted 6 months before presidential vote
Milwaukee’s election leader has been ousted by the mayor in a surprise move that comes just six months before Wisconsin’s largest city will be in the spotlight in the presidential swing state. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced Monday that he would be replacing Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director...
Why doesn’t the cost of car registration in Wisconsin depend on miles driven?
Wisconsin funds its state transportation system mostly through a gas tax and various vehicle registration fees. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a proposal to study a mileage-based fee system in 2019, but national efforts are underway to expand such systems as vehicles become more fuel-efficient. Wisconsin charges $85 to register...
Your Right to Know: Rights clash in records dispute
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will soon hear a case involving records related to the voting rights of mentally incompetent people. No matter which side wins, the public has in some ways already lost. That’s because while the case pits the public’s right to scrutinize voter eligibility against the rights of voters to protect their own private health information, elected officials have missed a chance to solve the underlying problem.
Mount Horeb shooting: ‘People in every community need to be mindful of the warning signs’
What is clear about school shootings in the U.S. is that, despite feelings of, “I never thought it could happen here,” the worst incidents frequently occur in smaller towns. Mount Horeb shooting: ‘People in every community need to be mindful of the warning signs’ is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
US blocks alleged Milwaukee Tool supplier, citing forced Chinese prison labor
The federal government will detain imports of work gloves manufactured by Shanghai Select Safety Products Company, which was accused of relying on forced prison labor to manufacture Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves. U.S. Customs and Border Protection on April 10 issued a Withhold Release Order that will result in the detention of...
In Wisconsin campaign stop, Donald Trump calls hush money trial judge ‘crooked’
Donald Trump returned briefly to the campaign trail and called the judge presiding over his hush money trial “crooked” a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order. In Wisconsin campaign stop, Donald Trump calls hush money trial judge ‘crooked’ is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Milwaukee food advocates worry WIC funding faces long-term uncertainty
Earlier this year, WIC faced a budget shortfall of $1 billion. But Congress approved a last-minute funding agreement for government programs such as WIC for fiscal year 2024, ensuring food assistance for thousands of Wisconsin families. Milwaukee food advocates worry WIC funding faces long-term uncertainty is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Did a pro-Palestine protester chant ‘Heil Hitler’ at UW-Madison Jewish students?
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims. On April 29 a man agitated a group of Jewish students and a Hillel staff member standing near the University of Wisconsin-Madison pro-Palestine encampment and did a raised-hand Nazi salute toward them, but did not shout “Heil Hitler.”
Help us report on long-term care in Wisconsin
Before I joined WPR and Wisconsin Watch, the newsroom received a tip about the displacement of Medicaid recipients from a local assisted living facility. My first assignment was to give the tipster a call. Dale Huhnke answered the phone and took time to share what it was like to navigate...
Wisconsin Watch
2K+
Posts
6M+
Views
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative newsroom.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.