Context

Context. Explaining the issues

Context

Gravity Of Precedent Fuels Challenge To Foxconn's Lake Michigan Bid

WisContext

Wisconsin's decision to let Foxconn draw water from Lake Michigan may set a precedent for water use that resonates across the Great Lakes region and beyond.

Audible Signals Help Blind Navigate Streets, But How Common Are They In Madison?

Teodor Teofilov

The Observatory

Denise Jess is legally blind. Her daily route is determined by the fact that the intersection closest to her office is the most direct but also the least safe because it has no audible controls.

Series: The Dairy State Economy

A Shifting Safety Net For Dairy Farmers Facing Uncertain Milk Prices

Julie Grace

WisContext

As the U.S. dairy industry continues to struggle in the face of ongoing low prices, federal policies intended to support farmers are attracting more attention.

Series: Civic Science In Wisconsin

Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade Tracks Species, 1 Photo At A Time

Michelle Johnson

Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin's wild bees are a small but mighty part of the ecosystem for native plants and agriculture alike. And they're in trouble.

Series: Tick-Borne Diseases In Wisconsin

The Confounding Geography Of Lyme Disease In The U.S.

Scott Gordon

WisContext

The Upper Midwest and the northeastern regions of the United States are increasingly a carpet of Lyme disease cases each summer and autumn. But the southeastern part of the country — a vast expanse of hot and humid territory and certainly hospitable to the ticks that carry Lyme-causing bacteria — gets off relatively easy.

Series: Wisconsin's Rural-Urban Continuum

Wisconsin's Modest, Uneven Population Growth So Far In The 2010s

Scott Gordon

WisContext

It's a time of profound change for Wisconsin's population — where it's concentrated, where it's moving, which age groups and racial and ethnic origins it reflects, and what kinds of lives all residents are seeking to live.

The Collateral Damage Of Declining Department Stores (And Malls)

Will Kenneally

PBS Wisconsin

The Bon-Ton family of department stores is the most recent casualty in the decline of malls around the country.

Before Dairy Ruled, Wheat Reigned In Wisconsin

Julie Grace

WisContext

While Wisconsin is known as "America's Dairyland," this nickname would not have accurately depicted the state during its first 50 years.

Series: Gerrymandering, Wisconsin And The Courts

The Push For Nonpartisan Redistricting In Wisconsin

Cathleen Draper

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

No matter which way the U.S. Supreme Court decides, change could be coming to Wisconsin's partisan system for redrawing electoral districts.

Series: Gerrymandering, Wisconsin And The Courts

Why Wisconsin Became A Pivotal Front In Nationwide Redistricting Fight

Cathleen Draper

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Prior to 2011, Milwaukee-area residents Marla Stephens and Kris Lennon felt that their votes counted. Now, however, they say the impact of their votes is diminished due to Wisconsin's 2011 redistricting — which is under challenge in a U.S. Supreme Court case.