Wisconsin Watch
140 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThe 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!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Spurred by Flint crisis, Eau Claire aims to eliminate lead pipelines
September 29, 2021 16:00 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MBEau Claire, Wis., wants to remove all of their lead service lines by 2023. In meeting that goal, they would join Madison and Green Bay on a list of Wisconsin cities that have rid their water systems of lead service lines, which typically consist of both utility-owned and privately owned portions. Reporting by Madeline Fuerstenberg / Wisconsin Watch. Story originally published (https://wisconsinwatch.org/2021/09/spurred-by-flint-crisis-eau-claire-aims-to-eliminate-lead-pipelines/) Sept. 9, 202...
Many long-term care staff in Wisconsin reject vaccine, despite risks
September 29, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 16.7 MBIncreasingly, health care facilities in Wisconsin and around the country require their employees to be vaccinated. Yet in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes — where residents are highly susceptible to severe illness and death from COVID-19 — some workers refuse the shot. Reporting by Madeline Fuerstenberg / Wisconsin Watch.
‘Skipping the middleman’: Defendants faced shifting demands in Outagamie County judge’s one-man drug court
September 29, 2021 15:00 - 27 minutes - 37.4 MBDrug and alcohol courts allow defendants to minimize punishment if they remain sober, receive treatment for substance abuse and participate in a structured program. Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vincent Biskupic created a similar arrangement with defendants with a key difference: The defendants were answerable only to Biskupic, who set no date for the supervision to end. The atypical arrangement meant longer punishments for some who failed to meet shifting demands. Reporting by Mario Koran...
Raising Wisconsin’s minimum wage would significantly cut poverty. So why is it still $7.25?
August 31, 2021 18:00 - 16 minutes - 22.7 MBWorkers like Olivia McKnight, a full-time Popeyes employee and mother of three, often struggle to get by even on wages above the federal minimum of $7.25, and those low-wage workers are disproportionately people of color. In Wisconsin, where the racial wealth and income gaps are some of the greatest in the nation, many feel raising the minimum is long overdue. Now, Democrats in the state are proposing a hike to $15 per hour for minimum wage workers, but face daunting political opposition from...
Wisconsin cities look to basic income to close racial, other wealth gaps
August 31, 2021 18:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBCities across the country, including three in Wisconsin, are piloting basic income programs for residents. The goal: to better understand how providing money with no strings attached can help families turn their financial lives around. Some of these experiments show promising first results, and point to a possible solution to wealth disparities along racial and other lines. But public support for the programs isn't easy to drum up, and exploratory programs are short-lived. Will the trend towa...
Could ‘baby bonds’ close Wisconsin’s racial wealth gap?
August 17, 2021 18:00 - 19 minutes - 26.4 MBA program of Wisconsin's Ho-Chunk Nation grants members large sums of money upon reaching adulthood — often allowing young adults to get a leg up in their financial lives. Similar programs, known as "baby bonds," have been floated in recent years as a possible solution to racial wealth gaps. Could it work? Reporting by Ben Baker and Zhen Wang. Originally published August 5, 2021.
Judge’s rigorous collection of court-ordered debt atypical in Wisconsin — even in his own county
August 17, 2021 17:00 - 15 minutes - 21.1 MBOver the past seven years, in at least 52 cases involving 46 defendants, Biskupic has used “review hearings” to either monitor a defendant’s behavior or to pressure them to pay court-ordered financial obligations. In at least one case, he went as far as ordering additional jailtime for the failure to pay overdue debts — a tactic the Wisconsin Supreme Court has warned could be unconstitutional. Reporting by Jack Kelly, Phoebe Petrovic, Mario Koran and Madeline Fuerstenberg in partnership with...
Man decries lengthy ‘de facto probation’ in Outagamie County
August 03, 2021 21:00 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBJammes’ case was among 31 such cases between 2014 and 2020 in which a Wisconsin Watch investigation found Biskupic offered to stay or furlough defendants’ jail time if they complied with his conditions.
‘Why do you keep harassing me?’: An Outagamie County judge controls defendants after sentencing
August 03, 2021 21:00 - 34 minutes - 47.1 MBChris Kartsounes had heard enough of Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vincent Biskupic’s demands. In May 2017, at his sixth hearing after having already been sentenced — when a case would normally be over — Kartsounes lost his cool. “I’m tired of this, your honor,” he said. “I’ve served my time. I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do ... Why do you keep harassing me?” he asked, firing profanities at the judge.
Homeownership gap for people of color in Wisconsin is wide; communities, nonprofits try to close it
August 03, 2021 21:00 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MBTo Greg Lewis, the home was beautiful. Cozy and inviting, the two-bedroom house in Milwaukee had a finished basement, two and a half car garage, an attached apartment and a yard. He had his eyes set on it for 42 days, only to learn that the appraisal, or valuation of the property, was lower than he expected. Lewis thought it was going to be about $100,000, as another house on the same block sold for $130,000. Yet the appraisal only came in at $90,000 — meaning banks would be limited in how m...
FEMA offers generous funeral aid to those grieving COVID-19 deaths. Getting it isn’t easy.
July 13, 2021 18:30 - 14 minutes - 20.1 MBShenora Staten-Jordan felt lost when her father, Gary Lee Staten, died of COVID-19 in May. She hadn’t expected to lose him so soon at age 61 — or for a contagious disease to hinder her goodbye. All of that only strengthened her Milwaukee family’s wishes to give Staten — a beloved father and grandfather who spent 30-plus years serving Milwaukee Public Schools — the type of homegoing service he deserved, she said.
Episode 1: FEMA offers generous funeral aid to those grieving COVID-19 deaths. Getting it isn’t easy.
July 13, 2021 18:30 - 14 minutes - 20.1 MBShenora Staten-Jordan felt lost when her father, Gary Lee Staten, died of COVID-19 in May. She hadn’t expected to lose him so soon at age 61 — or for a contagious disease to hinder her goodbye. All of that only strengthened her Milwaukee family’s wishes to give Staten — a beloved father and grandfather who spent 30-plus years serving Milwaukee Public Schools — the type of homegoing service he deserved, she said.
The CDC eviction moratorium may end. What does that mean for Wisconsin?
June 28, 2021 19:15 - 8 minutes - 11 MBA federal judge on Wednesday tossed out the federal eviction moratorium, which could make it easier for landlords to kick out tenants behind in rent.
Cow manure predicted to cause most sickness from contaminated wells in Kewaunee County
June 28, 2021 19:00 - 15 minutes - 22 MBThe No. 1 factor for acute gastrointestinal illness in Kewaunee County’s private drinking water wells is cow manure, according to a federal study released today. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of existing regulations aimed at protecting residents from tainted drinking water. Reporting by Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch. This piece was produced for the NEW News Lab, a local news collaboration in Northeast Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s multigenerational homes face higher COVID-19 risk
June 15, 2021 22:00 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBFor many years, Cassilyn Brown’s home in Madison has housed three generations, including her husband, three children and father-in-law. Since COVID-19 hit, her concerns about her family have grown as their multigenerational household works to stay safe from the pandemic, especially her 79-year-old father-in-law, who has chronic pneumonia and a heart arrhythmia. Reporting by Pratheek Rebala, April Simpson, Susan Ferriss and Taylor Johnston / Center for Public Integrity and Vanessa Swales / Wi...
Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs state power to protect water from farm pollutants
June 08, 2021 15:30 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBThe state Supreme Court on Monday hears arguments in a case that could determine whether the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources failed to adequately protect water from manure pollution when awarding a permit to a giant dairy farm in northeastern Wisconsin — or whether the agency lacks the authority to issue such restrictions.
In wake of Wisconsin’s racial justice protests, curfew tickets raise equity and speech questions
June 08, 2021 15:00 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBThe envelope looked like any other — slightly wrinkled, a handwritten address scrawled across the front. Reporting by Clara Neupert ad Jim Malewitz. Originally published on April 24, 2021.
Drop out or drown in debt? Many Black students in Wisconsin face stark choices in paying for college
June 08, 2021 15:00 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBWhen Clint Myrick graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010, he left with two consequential pieces of paper: a diploma for a bachelor’s degree in music education — and an eye-popping student loan bill. Reporting by Alyssa Huglen. Originally published on May 15, 2021.
Ancient human remains unearthed at proposed Kohler golf course site in Wisconsin
June 07, 2021 18:00 - 2 minutes - 2.1 MBArcheologists have unearthed human remains of Native Americans during excavations of the site along Lake Michigan where Kohler Co. wants to build an 18-hole golf course. The rapidly eroding Lake Michigan shoreline is also raising questions about the future of the project. Reporting by Jim Malewitz . Originally published on May 22, 2021.
Undocumented immigrants qualify for rent relief, but Wisconsin sends mixed signals
May 06, 2021 15:00 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MBSome regional nonprofits administering Gov. Tony Evers’ $322 million emergency rental assistance program may be unintentionally discouraging non-U.S. citizens from applying — even though immigration status holds no bearing on eligibility for the federally financed program. At least eight of the 14 organizations administering the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance (WERA) program ask applicants to share their Social Security numbers through pre-screening forms, a Wisconsin Watch review has ...
Republicans keep grip on Legislature despite Democratic spending spree
May 04, 2021 23:00 - 15 minutes - 22.2 MBDemocrats and Republicans in Wisconsin use different strategies to win seats in the state Legislature. Democrats have raised more money than ever from campaign fundraising. Meanwhile Republicans have consistently won a greater share of the seats in the state Legislature than their share of the total votes cast due to gerrymandering. Reporting by Peter Cameron in partnership with The Badger Project. Originally published March 31, 2021.
Bids to alter Wisconsin elections fall mostly along partisan lines
April 14, 2021 00:00 - 18 minutes - 25.7 MBDemocrats and Republicans largely disagree on how to proceed with future elections. Proposals include measures that could impact could determine how Wisconsin picks congressional candidates, how it awards its 10 Electoral College votes, how fast results can be announced and who can vote absentee. Experts say major changes to Wisconsin's election laws are unlikely for now because of partisan divides. Reporting by Anya van Wagtendonk in partnership with Votebeat. Originally published March 9, 2...
‘I got nothing left’: Wisconsin’s jobless pushed to brink as ideas swirl for mending torn safety net
April 06, 2021 22:00 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBSome Wisconsinites have been waiting for unemployment aid from the Department of Workforce Development for months. Workers at the department have to use outdated technology, like a 60-year-old computing program, to process a record number of claims this past year. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the GOP-controlled Legislature have also spent months blaming each other for the agency’s shortcomings as they stalemate in addressing many of Wisconsin’s challenges. Reporting by Bram Sable-Smith. Or...
‘He shouldn’t have had to die’: COVID-19 infects half of Wisconsin inmates, five times the overall state rate
March 29, 2021 16:00 - 29 minutes - 41 MBThe coronavirus has run rampant across Wisconsin’s state prison system, infecting at least 2,153 staff members at adult institutions who self-reported test results and 10,786 inmates throughout the pandemic — more than half of the current population. These outbreaks have killed at least 25 inmates, according to Wisconsin Deparment of Corrections data. The state has detected infections among inmates at a rate more than five times higher than in the Wisconsin general population. Advocates are c...
Thousands await jobless aid as Wisconsin leaders blame each other for failure
February 04, 2021 22:00 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused major backlogs in Wisconsin's unemployment system. Families are still waiting on the Department of Workforce Development to process jobless claims filed last spring, with many missing bill payments, racking up credit card debt, facing eviction or worse. DWD officials say that they have processed more claims in the last eight months than they had in the last four years. Hurdles like outdated computer systems and understaffed call centers are slowing the process...
Wisconsin’s No. 1 mink farming industry now seen as a COVID-19 risk
January 30, 2021 06:00 - 23 minutes - 32.2 MBRampant COVID-19 infections and thousands of deaths of Wisconsin mink could pose a potential threat to humans, as viruses can hop between species and mutate. Now, mink farmers are gearing up to get the vaccine along with first responders and essential workers in Wisconsin. The state has not seen a mink-to-human infection yet, but evidence of mink-to-human transmission in Denmark, the world’s top mink producer, is concerning officials. Reporting by Kate Golden. Originally published January 30...
Could lawmakers ‘mess’ with Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes? Possibly.
January 28, 2021 17:00 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MBIn the days after the November presidential election, a petition filed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court alleging mass election fraud called for electoral votes for Trump to replace Biden's. Wisconsin Republican Assembley Speaker Robin Vos ordered an investigation into the state's election results because of claims of "mail-in ballot dumps and voter fraud." These efforts ended up not changing Wisconsin's Electoral College outcome, but changes in Electoral College law mean such moves could be pos...
COVID-19 killed a thousand Wisconsinites in three weeks. These residents don’t see the danger.
January 26, 2021 21:00 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBCoronavirus skeptics in Wisconsin have gathered to protest mask-wearing and lockdown mandates throughout the pandemic. According to public health and communication experts, misinformation campaigns are one factor working against the state's pandemic response. As preperations continue for the coronavirus vaccine to be distributed across the nation, the misinformation that fuels many pandemic denialists is already threatening this fragile response. Reporting by Howard Hardee. Originally publis...
‘We’re not going to be quiet’: Disability community in Wisconsin demands better access to voting
January 15, 2021 22:00 - 15 minutes - 21.1 MBCOVID-19 has brought the struggles of the disability community to vote independently to the forefront. Despite the recent efforts to expand voting access through absentee ballots, disability community members and advocates say that different barriers emerged for people with disabilities during the pandemic. Reporting by Nora Eckert in partnership with Votebeat. Originally published on Jan. 12, 2021.
Aggressive policing escalates violence at protests, research shows. A former Madison police chief touts a better way.
January 13, 2021 22:00 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBFormer Police Chief David Couper provides an alternative model to policing protests that respects free speech and curbs violence. Couper worked to improve community relations and build trust in the Madison Police Department during his time as police chief. After a summer of unrest and escalation in Madison, Couper shares his views on where today's police departments are going wrong. Reporting by Clara Neupert of Wisconsin Watch and News414. Wisconsin Watch intern Will Cioci also contributed ...
Wisconsin GOP lawmakers call for tighter voting rules; Dems call election hearing a ‘sham’
January 05, 2021 17:00 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBRepublican officials, lawyers, voters, volunteer poll watchers and recount observers dominated the roster of speakers on Dec. 11, 2020. They aired a range of concerns, including perceived bullying at polling places, foreign ownership of voting machines and frustrations with longstanding voting practices in Wisconsin, such as the use of in-person early absentee voting. Reported by Anya van Wagtendonk and Nora Eckert, Wisconsin Watch/Votebeat project reporters. Originally published on December...
Speakeasy: Behind Wisconsin's election numbers: What just happened?
November 25, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBWisconsin Watch presents a recording of our Nov. 12, 2020 webinar — part of the 'Speakeasy: Casual conversations, serious issues' series. Wisconsin Watch reporters and guest panelist Jennifer Epps-Addison hosted a spirited discussion breaking down what happened in Wisconsin during the 2020 presidential election, including how voter turnout compared to the 2016 presidential election and the effect of rampant misinformation about voter fraud on social media. Wisconsin Watch Managing Editor Dee ...
Stick up for truth: How to fact-check friends and family on social media
November 24, 2020 23:00 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBEveryone plays a part in amplifying misinformation online, but social platforms will continue elevating emotional posts and bad influencers will keep spewing toxic content — so one thing individuals can do is help family and friends stick up for the truth. Reported by Howard Hardee, election integrity reporter. Originally published on September 25, 2020.
Evictions damage public health. The CDC aims to curb them — for now.
October 26, 2020 18:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBThe CDC reccomends staying at home in order to slow the spread of Coid-19. But what happens to those facing eviction? Follow the story of the Pettigrew family as they battle to stay at home. Reported by Bram Sable-Smith (WPR/Wisconsin Watch), Martha Bebinger (WBUR) and Darian Benson (Side Effects Public Media). Originally published September 29, 2020.
Militia member says Kenosha police sought to push protesters toward them on night of deadly shootings
October 12, 2020 20:45 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MBA militia member patrolling the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin on Aug. 25 claimed that police on the scene told him they planned to herd demonstrators toward the armed men — and then leave. Reported by Wisconsin Watch's Dee J. Hall on September 5, 2020.
‘Nowhere to go’: Wisconsin renters face evictions as emergency aid falls short
October 12, 2020 20:00 - 19 minutes - 26.6 MBAs part of a news service journalism project, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service (NNS), Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media are collaborating on the News414 project, which uses innovative technology and research techniques to deliver crucial information to residents, investigate neighborhoods’ most pressing issues and deliver accountability journalism to Milwaukee and the broader public. Listen to how Milwaukee's black neighborhoods are being effected by the Covid-19 pandemic and how evictions...
Wisconsin’s rural students face a digital divide as some return to screens instead of school
October 12, 2020 20:00 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MBWith school going virtual, access to the internet is more important than ever. Follow the story of the Hellenbrand family. Wisconsin farmers raising four children — ages 11, 9, 8 and 5 — and up to five more children attending their home day care at least for part of the day. Reported by Peter Cameron in collaboration with The Badger Project, on August 25, 2020.
Skepticism urged as disinformation, voter suppression wash over Wisconsin
October 07, 2020 20:00 - 16 minutes - 22.4 MBIn the world of social media, disinformation travels fast. But how do you spot it? This report focuses on how disinformation in Wisconsin is attempting to discourage Wsiconsinites from voting. Part of the Narrow Margin series by Wisconsin Watch staff, reported by Max Witynski and Jessica Christoffer on August 15, 2020.
A Wisconsin man with visual impairment tried to vote. The coronavirus got in his way.
October 07, 2020 19:00 - 7 minutes - 9.66 MBVoting during a pandemic is hard. Voting during a pandemic with a disability, is even harder. Follow the story of Don Natzke, a 69 year old visually imparied Wisconsin resident, and his journey to the voting booth. Part of the Narrow Margin series by Wisconsin Watch staff, reported by Enjoyiana Nururdin on August 6, 2020.
Wisconsin allows drillers to flout state law — sometimes with deadly results
October 07, 2020 18:00 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBIn this story, Cap Times public affairs reporting fellow Parker Schorr digs into the fatal consequences that come with Wisconsin drillers disregarding state laws. Read by Wesley Letham. Originally published on April 22, 2020.